NCAA Tournament 2019: Unpredictability makes the Final Four special

The 2019 Final Four contains several squads that not many people thought would get there, which is a terrific thing for the NCAA Tournament.

After perhaps the most compelling collection of Elite Eight match-ups since the NCAA Tournament’s inception, the Final Four is set. Let’s all admit that we probably didn’t have the quartet of Auburn, Michigan State, Texas Tech and Virginia in the 2019 national semi-finals.

But that’s precisely why March Madness is equal parts fun and riveting. In some stanzas, 2018 for example, a Cinderella advances to the Final Four. Oftentimes, you’ll watch a handful of powerhouses battle it out in early April. This time, the Final Four is extremely intriguing, a tad surprising, and chock full of newbies.

Three of the four head coaches – Chris Beard of Texas Tech, Tony Bennett of Virginia, and Bruce Pearl of Auburn – are making their debut in the national semi-finals. By extension, 2019 is the inaugural instance that the Red Raiders and the Tigers are participating in the Final Four in their respective programs’ histories. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, secured a regional championship for the first occasion in 35 years.

Then there’s the Spartans, guided by the feisty Tom Izzo, who captured an NCAA title in 2000 and will make his eighth appearance in the national semi-finals this weekend with a group decimated by injuries throughout the course of the 2018-19 campaign. The storylines in this Final Four truly write themselves.

Naturally, an abundance of commentators, pundits and fans alike didn’t see this outcome transpiring. Michigan State, while a No. 2 seed, had to get past No. 1 overall seed Duke to arrive in Minneapolis. UVA, also a No. 1 seed, needed to escape its UMBC demons from a season ago, as well as Purdue’s Carsen Edwards connecting on shots from basically half-court in the Elite Eight. Auburn triumphed against a trio of bluebloods – first Kansas, then North Carolina, and finally Kentucky – to taste its initial Final Four. Texas Tech, in a bit of a stunner to me, absolutely crushed No. 2 seed Michigan before squeaking by the top seed in its region, Gonzaga.

I guess what I’m getting at here is that the Cavaliers, Red Raiders, Spartans and Tigers undoubtedly deserve to compete in the national semi-finals. They earned that right, without question. The issue for some folks is that they prefer the traditional clubs, whether it’s the Blue Devils, Jayhawks, Tar Heels or Wildcats. Personally, if my alma mater (Syracuse) isn’t going to cut down the nets, I always want a different crew to emerge victoriously. Unless Michigan State succeeds, that newness will occur.

If you enjoy domination and dynasties, like the Connecticut women’s basketball team, the Golden State Warriors, and the New England Patriots, this Final Four is surely a disappointment. But the four units vying for an NCAA crown possess sensational coaches, a few defensive-minded ideologies, and gritty, veteran players who aren’t taking this unbelievably rare opportunity for granted. I can’t think of anything better than that.