The 2024 men’s NCAA tournament is officially down to four teams as North Carolina State takes another step in the glass Cinderella shoe Sunday night. The Final Four will be held on Saturday, April 6.
NC State will take on Purdue in the first game of the day, scheduled for 6:09 p.m. ET. While the 11th-seeded Wolfpack have become national darlings throughout the tournament, the No. 1-seeded Boilermakers have struggled to live up to their top seed reputation with multiple tough wins over elite opponents.
This showdown is not only a showdown between Cinderella and the Strong, but also a confrontation of styles. Bruised N.C. State big man DJ Burns Jr. will square off against the Skyscrapers’ Purdue center Zach Edey, while Wolfpack spark plug guard DJ Horne will square off against the Boilermakers in the race for the South and Midwest Quadrant titles. Master Braden Smith.
Later in the evening, UConn and Alabama will take off at 8:49 p.m. ET. The Huskies entered the tournament as the top seed in their group and have defeated all opponents en route to their second consecutive Final Four, most recently going on a 30-0 run against Illinois in the Elite Eight. The Crimson Tide has had a potent offense all season, scoring 89 points in back-to-back games to reach the Final Four, including wins over No. 1 seed North Carolina and No. 6 seed Clemson on Saturday night.
While UConn is trying to become the first team since the 2007 Gators to win back-to-back NCAA tournament titles, Alabama has never reached this level before. The Crimson Tide is in the Elite Eight for the second time in school history and will be in the Final Four for the first time this season.
Purdue last reached the Final Four in 1980 and North Carolina State last reached the Final Four in 1983.
Both Final Four games will be played in Glendale, Arizona, and will be televised by TBS.
The winners of each Final Four game will face off in the national championship game on Monday, April 8 at 9:20 p.m.
Must read
(Photo: Jamie Sabau/NCAA via Getty Images)
