The men’s NCAA Tournament selection committee apparently knows what it’s doing.
Sure, some teams’ seedings raised eyebrows on Selection Sunday when the 68-team March Madness bracket was revealed, but the one-of-a-kind postseason tournament has largely played out how it was supposed to.
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For only the second time in men’s NCAA Tournament history, all No. 1 seeds have made the Final Four in Auburn, Duke, Florida and Houston. The last time that happened was in 2008.
The Tigers, Blue Devils, Cougars and Gators also happen to be the No. 1 through No. 4 teams in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, with Duke as the top-ranked team in the country, Houston at No. 2, Florida at No. 3 and Auburn at No. 4.
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The Final Four of the men’s NCAA Tournament will get going on Saturday, April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio with Auburn and Florida taking part in an SEC-vs.-SEC matchup. Duke, the No. 1-ranked offense in the country on KenPom, and Houston, the No. 1 ranked defense, will follow after.
Given the similarity between both tournaments’ Final Fours, here’s a look at how the 2008 NCAA Tournament bracket compares to this year’s:
2008 March Madness bracket: How does 2025 compare?
The biggest similarity between both tournaments is the Final Four — namely, the fact all No. 1 seeds advanced to the national semifinals.
The 2008 men’s NCAA Tournament marked the first in March Madness history that four No. 1 seeds qualified for the Final Four. It was comprised of North Carolina, Kansas, Memphis and UCLA. That feat wasn’t repeated again until late Sunday afternoon, when Auburn defeated Michigan State and Tom Izzo in the Elite Eight of the South Region.
And oh, where did the Final Four take place in 2008? San Antonio … the same site as this year’s Final Four.
However, one major difference between the 2008 and 2025 brackets is how mid-major teams performed in the tournament.
As noted by USA TODAY’s Mark Giannotto, the 2008 NCAA Tournament featured multiple mid-major teams appearing in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight in No. 12 seeds Villanova and Western Kentucky and No. 10 seed Davidson, respectively.
The closest team that could be called a “Cinderella team” in 2025 after the first weekend was John Calipari’s 10 seed Arkansas team.
Moreover, the 2025 Elite Eight is tied for the lowest seed total since 2007, at 13. Three of the four matchups in the regional finals — Duke-Alabama, Auburn-Michigan State and Houston-Tennessee — were No. 1 seed vs. No. 2 seed matchups. The only outlier was in the West Region, between No. 1 seed Florida and No. 3 seed Texas Tech — the highest-ranked 3 seed in the tournament, and No. 9 overall in the 68-team field.
The Red Raiders nearly stopped history from happening in the Final Four, as they led the Gators by as many as 10 points with 6:18 remaining in the second half. Then, of course, Florida went on a 20-8 run over the final 5:24 to keep its season alive thanks to Walter Clayton Jr. and Thomas Haugh.
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Who won 2008 NCAA Tournament?
Kansas, the No. 1 overall seed out of the Midwest Region, won the 2008 men’s NCAA Tournament.
The Jayhawks beat North Carolina out of the East, 84-66, in the national semifinals, while Memphis, the No. 1 seed in the South, beat UCLA (West) 78-63 to advance to the championship.
Kansas then beat the Tigers 75-68 in overtime to win the national title.
When is the Final Four of men’s March Madness?
- Dates: Saturday, April 5 and Monday, April 7
- Location: Alamodome (San Antonio)
The men’s Final Four will take place in San Antonio at the Alamodome on Saturday, April 5, and Monday, April 7.
Here’s a look at the Final Four and national championship schedule for the men’s NCAA Tournament:
All times Eastern
Final Four: Saturday, April 5
- Game 1: (1) Auburn vs. (1) Florida | 6:09 p.m. | CBS (Fubo)
- Game 2: (1) Duke vs. (1) Houston | 8:49 p.m. | CBS (Fubo)
National championship: Monday, April 7
- Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 | 8:50 p.m. | CBS (Fubo)
