For the first time in a long time, it will be all blue bloods in the final four.
On one side of the bracket are two historic rivals. Duke and North Carolina have faced one another 257 times in the 102-year history of the rival, but next Saturday in New Orleans, they’ll meet in the NCAA tournament for the first time.
On the other side of the bracket are two teams rich in tradition and have built their respective programs to be national powerhouses. Villanova eliminated Kansas during Jay Wright’s title runs, rallying late to edge the Jayhawks in the 2016 Elite Eight before burying them with a barrage of early 3-pointers at 2018 Final Four.
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The final four will be filled with intrigued and drama. Duke’s head coach Mike Krzyzewski will be coaching his last game either Saturday or Monday night in the national championship game. Can Kansas run the table as the only number 1 seed left in the tournament? Next weekend will be must-see television, thanks to the four blue blood programs remaining.