Tennessee never saw the NCAA Midwest Region final against Houston unfolding the way it did. The Volunteers missed 19 of their first 22 shots and scored just eight points in the first 15 minutes of their 69-50 loss.

Bruce Pearl of Auburn and Kelvin Sampson of Houston were looking to resurrect their careers after being handed show-cause penalties by the NCAA for recruiting violations.

Tennessee veterans Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack were part of the Volunteers team that lost to Purdue in the Elite Eight last year. They could have left to explore their professional basketball opportunities, but decided to return to Tennessee for another opportunity like the one they have today.

No. 1 seed Houston is headed to the Final Four for the second time in the past five seasons after imposing its will on No. 2 seed Tennessee for a 69-50 win in the Elite Eight on Sunday. The Cougars used a masterful defensive effort to build a 22-point first half lead and then held on late for their 17th consecutive victory.

Who is playing in Final Four? See the national semifinal teams in the March Madness NCAA Tournament and schedule, which runs on Saturday, April 5.

The Auburn Tigers and Florida Gators meet in an all-SEC clash to kick off the Final Four on Saturday. Then, the Duke Blue Devils square off with the Houston Cougars in the nightcap in San Antonio. Each battle between No. 1 seeds could produce games that are talked about for decades.

UConn, the most successful program in women's college basketball, will look to claim its first national title since 2016 this weekend.

According to DraftKings, Duke (+110) has the best odds to win the title entering the Final Four. Florida (+250), Houston (+400) and Auburn (+475) round out the rest of the Final Four teams. Gambling problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369).

Who is playing in women's Final Four? See the national semifinal teams in the March Madness NCAA Tournament and schedule for Friday, April 4, 2025.