Cougars

Coach K&rsquo;s final chapter will have a distinctly blue tint.
Two weeks of upsets and underdogs in the books, the Final Four is down to four blue blood programs: Kansas, Duke, North Carolina and Villanova.
Kansas faces Villanova, then it&rsquo;s Duke-Carolina for the first time in the NCAA Tournament in New Orleans.
This is going to be good, so here&rsquo;s a quick rundown of the last four teams left standing:
KANSAS
Final Four road: The Jayhawks (32-6) looked vulnerable after consecutive late-season losses, but rounded into form at just the right time. While the other No. 1 seeds dropped off in the NCAA Tournament, the Big 12 champions beat Texas Southern, Creighton and Providence to reach the Elite Eight. Kansas rolled into its 16th Final Four by crushing Miami 76-50 to win the Midwest Region.
Strengths: Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun can both score in bunches, shoot from the perimeter and beat defenders off the dribble. Remy Martin is an immediate adrenaline boost off the bench.
Weaknesses: The Jayhawks overwhelmed Miami in the paint in the Elite Eight, but have been mediocre in the post at times.
Star: Agbaji. The 6-foot-5 senior is explosive and coming off his best game of the NCAA Tournament, scoring 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting against Miami.
Key contributor: Martin. The Arizona State transfer enters the game like he&rsquo;s shot off a launching pad, changing the complexion with his quickness and fearlessness.
VILLANOVA
Final Four road: The Wildcats (30-7) had some shaky stretches earlier in the season, but have won 14 of 15, including the Big East Tournament. Villanova has been its efficient best at both ends in the NCAA Tournament, beating Delaware, Ohio State and Michigan to reach the Elite Eight. The Wildcats smothered Houston in San Antonio, winning 50-44 to reach the Final Four for the third time in six seasons.
Strengths: The buffed-up Wildcats often bully teams around the floor on offense and defense. Villanova also shoots 83% from the free-throw line, on pace to break Harvard&rsquo;s NCAA record of 82.2% set in 1994.
Weaknesses: The Wildcats were already thin and lost second-leading scorer Justin Moore to a torn Achilles tendon against Houston in the Elite Eight.
Star: Collin Gillespie. The senior guard tore his ACL late last season, but has been a huge reason Villanova is back in the Final Four with his steady leadership and clutch shooting.
Key contributor: Jermaine Samuels. The 6-7 senior plays bigger than his size and is a difference maker at both ends of the court
DUKE
Final Four road: Coach Mike Krzyzewski&rsquo;s final of 42 seasons in Durham suffered a few bumps in the road, including a blowout to North Carolina in his final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils (32-6) have seemed determined to send Coach K out on top since the NCAA bracket began, blowing out Cal State Fullerton, then grinding out wins over Michigan State, Texas Tech and Arkansas to reach the Final Four for a record 13th time under Krzyzewski.
Strengths: The Blue Devils have multiple scoring options and are No. 1 in KenPom&rsquo;s offensive efficiency ratings. Krzyzewski has shown the game hasn&rsquo;t left him behind as he heads for the exit, making key adjustments that propelled Duke to the Final Four.
Weaknesses: Duke has been good on the defensive end lately, but had some rough moments earlier in the season, particularly in the loss to North Carolina. The Blue Devils have good 3-point shooters in A.J. Griffin and Wendell Moore, but have been inconsistent from the arc.
Star: Paolo Banchero. A likely top-3 pick in this year&rsquo;s NBA draft, the 6-10 freshman is a matchup nightmare for opponents. Banchero has the size to post up smaller players, can shoot from the perimeter and beat defenders off the dribble.
Key contributor: Mark Williams. Duke&rsquo;s 7-1 sophomore center is a dominating force on the defensive end, blocking and altering shots. He&rsquo;s also got a good post game and finishes with authority.
NORTH CAROLINA
Final Four road: The Tar Heels (28-9) got their first season under Hubert Davis off to a shaky start, looking like they&rsquo;d miss the NCAA Tournament. Davis has since pulled the right strings, leading North Carolina to wins over Marquette, No. 1 seed Baylor and UCLA to reach the Elite Eight. The Tar Heels ensured a blue blood Final Four by crushing upstart Saint Peter&rsquo;s 69-49.
Strengths: Armando Bacot is one of the best big men in the country, freshman Caleb Love is a dynamic scorer and R.J. Davis a steady floor leader who also can score in bunches.
Weaknesses: Davis&rsquo; rotation doesn&rsquo;t go much beyond the starting five, which nearly cost the Tar Heels against Baylor. North Carolina has been better defensively late in the season, but had some real clunkers on that end earlier.
Star: Bacot. North Carolina&rsquo;s big man can be dominating, as he was with 20 points and 22 rebounds against Saint Peter&rsquo;s.
Key contributor: Brady Manek. The Oklahoma transfer proved to be the piece North Carolina was missing, providing perimeter shooting and scoring while doing all the little things the Tar Heels need.

Two weeks of upsets and underdogs in the books, the Final Four is down to four blue bloods: Kansas, Duke, UNC and Villanova.

March Madness: Final Four has a blue tint with power programs

The Elite Eight is set! After two more days of madness, nail-biters, and upsets, eight programs will meet this weekend to earn trips to the Final Four. Here's the breakdown of Thursday and Friday's results:
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Saint Peter&rsquo;s def. Purdue 67-64, will face North Carolina Happy National Peacock Day! Shaheen Holloway and the Saint Peter's Peacocks have stunned another powerhouse, defeating the No. 3 seed Purdue Boilermakers 67-64 to advance to the Elite Eight. They have now beaten Kentucky, Murray State and Purdue en route to becoming the very first No. 15 seed to make the Elite Eight in NCAA Tournament history. Daryl Banks III led them in scoring with 14 points, while Doug Edert provided 10 huge ones off the bench.
Arkansas def. Gonzaga 74-68, will face Duke In a fast-paced game for most of the night, JD Notae, Jaylin Williams and Trey Wade knocked off the No. 1 overall seed. Williams said after the game, "We've been disrespected the whole year, so it's just another thing for us.&rdquo; Notae led the way with 21 points on 9 of 29 shooting from the floor, while Drew Timme posted 25 points in (potentially) his final game for the Zags. This one had the internet buzzing - what a win for Eric Musselman and co.&nbsp;
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Duke def. Texas Tech 78-73, will face Arkansas This game was a heavyweight fight from start to finish. Texas Tech held a four-point lead at the half, but Paolo Banchero took over down the stretch, finishing with 22 points in the win. Jeremy Roach also played a huge role in this one with 15 points and 5 assists. Coach K and his Blue Devils survive and advance to a meeting with Arkansas. Must-see television ahead.&nbsp;
Houston def. Arizona 72-60, will face Villanova Kelvin Sampson is having, arguably, the best coaching season in America. He and the Cougars led wire-to-wire in this one to defeat the Wildcats, whom many had as their championship pick. Jamal Shead led the way with 21 points while Kyler Edwards posted 19. Another &lsquo;Culture Win&rsquo; for the Cougars as they will meet Collin Gillespie and Villanova in the Elite Eight.&nbsp;
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Villanova def. Michigan 63-55, will face Houston The Wildcats took the lead with 3:42 to go in the first half and never looked back. They remained in control the rest of the way behind 22 points from Jermaine Samuels and 15 from Justin Moore. This ends the Wolverines' run, which has been nothing short of impressive. Villanova will now meet Houston in the Elite Eight in a matchup of two of the most disciplined, well-coached teams in the country.
Kansas def. Providence 66-61, will face Miami (FL) The Jayhawks advance to their first Elite Eight since 2017 behind Remy Martin&rsquo;s 23 points, a season-high for him. They only got 19 combined points from Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun and David McCormack, but were able to hold on down the stretch. The Jayhawks are the only No. 1 seed remaining in the NCAA Tournament, and they are currently the betting favorites to win it all.&nbsp;
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North Carolina def. UCLA 73-66, will face Saint Peter&rsquo;s UCLA led 64-61 with 2:08 to play, but Caleb Love had other plans. He would catch fire from deep and hit two huge shots with just under a minute to play, giving his team the 67-64 lead. Armando Bacot would add a putback with 0:15 to play to make it a five-point game. That would be enough to hold off the Bruins. Love led the way with 30 points in an incredible performance, propelling the Tar Heels into a meeting with Cinderella, the Peacocks from Saint Peter&rsquo;s.&nbsp;
Miami (FL) def. Iowa State 70-56, will face Kansas The Hurricanes have advanced to the first Elite Eight in their program's history. Senior guard Kameron McGusty led all players with 27 points in this one, something he&rsquo;s accustomed to. A Sam Waardenburg three and Jordan Miller alley-oop extended Miami's the lead to 13 points with under 2:00 to play, which sealed the deal. Jim Larranaga and co. will play the final No. 1 seed in the field, Kansas, for a spot in the Final Four.
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