Some of the NCAA tournament's greatest moments in history have been created by teams that crashed the party. Cinderella teams are often the most entertaining participants each year, with the likes of George Mason, Saint Peter's, Oakland, Mercer, Norfolk State and other underdogs creating lasting, grand memories in March.
That's the beauty of this time of year: the overlooked always have a shot -- and sometimes take it -- on the national stage.
This year's tournament is different. All tournament long it has been about chalk, and the stronger teams prevailing (with a few exceptions). And that extends to the 2025 Final Four participants, powerhouse programs who separated themselves from the rest of the field early in the regular season. Florida, Houston, Duke and Auburn were always great, and always contenders.
Their success has been rewarded with a trip to San Antonio next weekend, where one of them will be crowned the next national champion. The debate of which team that will be is for another time. But here, we look at how the four programs left standing rank now.
