The NCAA men's tournament championship game will feature the nation’s two best teams. I’d call that a rare treat, except that it happened last year, too. Call it a repeat treat.
In one corner is Houston, the nation’s hottest team, owner of an 18-game win streak and recent slayer of Duke.
In the other corner is Florida, the best team from the nation’s best conference, with the nation’s hottest player, and recent destructor of Auburn, the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed.
What an extra special treat it would be if this national championship Monday night becomes a thriller at the finish. We last enjoyed that in 2022, when Kansas beat North Carolina 72-69 in a battle of blue bloods. UNC led by 15 points in the first half before Kansas rallied with a 47-point outburst after halftime.
In the years since then, Connecticut delivered a pair of lopsided title romps.
Florida and Houston have shown a flair for dramatic finishes. Give us one more, eh?
Here are four final takes before tip-off:
Award watch for Walter Clayton Jr.
Duke’s Cooper Flagg won the Wooden Award for the nation’s best player. He's a deserving winner after his fantastic season. Auburn’s Johni Broome finished as runner-up.
I wonder how close Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. could have come, though, to snatching the honor for himself if voting didn’t occur until after the national championship game.
