Once again, March Madness has delivered. We have seen surprises, disappointments, upsets and more throughout the tournament. 

Through it all, these four teams stayed consistent and are two wins away from a national championship.

No. 11 North Carolina State (26-14, 9-11) vs. No. 1 Purdue (33-4, 17-3) 

Down three with five seconds remaining in the conference semifinal, the Wolfpack got what they needed when Virginia missed a free throw.  

They raced down the floor and made a game-tying shot to send the game to overtime. They would prevail and then would beat North Carolina in the ACC Championship, clinching a berth in March Madness.

North Carolina State’s improbable run has taken the team all the way to Phoenix for the Final Four, where no other team with 14 losses has ever been.

The Wolfpack have a great guard-forward combo between D.J. Horne and D.J. Burns Jr., who average 16.8 and 13 points per game.

Though Horne led the team in scoring throughout the season, Burns has been the team’s leading scorer with 73 points in four games.

His toughest task of the tournament will be taking on Purdue’s two-time AP Player of the Year, Zach Edey.

Edey has been a force all season and has continued to be so throughout the tournament.

Burns is six-foot-nine but is still seven inches shorter than Edey, who averages 25 points per game. 

Edey weighs 300 pounds, giving him a 25-pound advantage over Burns, but Burns has a lower center of gravity, which will be useful when trying to prevent Edey from getting position.

If North Carolina State elects to collapse on Edey, the Boilermakers have elite shooters for him to pass it out, too.  

Though Purdue has a multitude of players that shoot over 40% from three, their cold streaks are contagious and could be the reason the team loses. 

However, if Edey can be effective in the paint, and if the Boilermaker shooters play as they usually do, the 9.5-point favorites should be able to take down the Wolfpack.

No. 4 Alabama (25-11, 13-5) vs. No. 1 UConn (35-3, 18-2)

After falling in the Sweet 16 as the top overall seed last year, Alabama will look to take down this year’s top overall seed to advance to the national championship.

The Crimson Tide have had an exciting road to the Final Four, only playing one team in the AP Top 25 heading into the tournament.

Alabama was given a tough opening game when they had to play No. 13 Charleston, who gave the Tide a run for their money. Alabama prevailed, winning 109-96. 

After having their defense described as their weak spot, the Crimson Tide held No. 12 Grand Canyon to just 61 points in a second-round victory.

North Carolina, possibly the toughest team Alabama played on the road to the Final Four, competed for 40 minutes, but in the end, the Tide won 89-87.

Old football rival Clemson awaited in the Elite Eight, and the Tigers too put up a challenging game, but again, it was Alabama winning a close one, 87-82.

Led by Ohio transfer Marcus Sears’ 21.5 points per game, complimented by Aaron Estrada’s 13.4, the Tide’s offense is one of the best in the country.

The issues come on the defensive side of the ball, where the team has given up an average of 81.5 points in the tournament.

UConn will look to take advantage of Alabama’s sub-par defense, as they have scored 81.25 points per game in the tournament.

The Huskies’ offense will create issues all over the court for the Tide, which means Alabama’s offense must keep up.

However, this may be an issue due to UConn’s elite defense, which has yet to give up 60 points in this tournament.

Guards Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer lead the way with 15 and 14.4 points per game, followed by three scorers who contribute at least 10 per game.

Alabama will have to play from in front the whole way, as the Huskies are nearly impossible to come from behind against.

UConn has not yet played in a single-digit game this tournament, so if the Tide can keep it close, they may have the advantage, having played in multiple close games in the tournament. 

The pressure may get to the Huskies, allowing Alabama to advance to the national championship.

Demetri Manousos is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].