The 2019 Elite Eight was the best ever and here’s why

This was the greatest Elite Eight of all-time and here’s why.

Entering the Sweet 16, brackets throughout the country were in phenomenal shape with 14 of the top 16 seeds making the regionals, including every top-3 seed in the field. While that turn of events was disappointing for fans of Cinderella, basketball purists rejoiced at the potential for high-level hoops throughout the weekend.

The purists weren’t disappointed as the Sweet 16 was great, setting up four Elite Eight matchups that ended up being truly bonkers, with all four games being decided by a combined 18 points, the lowest margin of victory ever for the Elite Eight. Let’s go game-by-game to recap why this year’s Elite Eight was the best ever.

Gonzaga-Texas Tech

The first game of the weekend was wacky from start to finish as Texas Tech and Gonzaga engaged in an epic clash of styles. Texas Tech’s Outstanding defense held Gonzaga to only three field goals over a 13-minute stretch in the second half, but the game remained close throughout.

Each team traded haymakers down the stretch, with Gonzaga cutting the deficit to just two before a bone-headed mistake by Josh Perkins cost the Bulldogs the game. Perkins’ decision to reach over the end-line to foul Matt Mooney resulted in the costliest technical since Chris Webber forgot how many timeouts Michigan had in 1993.

Virginia-Purdue

Saturday’s second game was intense, featuring two programs trying to get back to the Final Four for the first time since the 1980s. Purdue’s Carsen Edwards continued his Superman routine, pouring in 42 points against Virginia’s Pack Line defense, and it looked like it would be enough to help the Boilermakers reach the Final Four.

Mamadi Diakite had other ideas, hitting the tournament’s first buzzer beater to tie the game at 70 and send the South Regional final to overtime. Virginia was able to grind out a victory in the extra session, ripping a giant monkey off the back of the Cavaliers after they fell to 16-seed UMBC a year ago.

Kentucky-Auburn

The all-SEC showdown in the Midwest Region lived up to the hype as Kentucky and Auburn went back and forth all game long. The Wildcats’ defense made life very difficult for Auburn, holding the red-hot Tigers to just 7-23 from the beyond the arc, but each team made big play after big play down the stretch.

This contest ended up being the second of the weekend to hit overtime, and Auburn simply wouldn’t be denied. Jared Harper took over the extra session, outscoring Kentucky 12-11 to help the Tigers reach their first Final Four in school history.

Duke-Michigan State

Last but not least we got to witness a showdown between Hall of Fame coaches with two completely different teams. Duke put out a roster filled with potential lottery picks, headlined by Zion Williamson, while Michigan State resembled a traditional college team with veteran leadership and strong role players.

The Spartans pulled off another tremendous upset, stunning the Blue Devils’ fabulous freshmen and advancing to their eighth Final Four under Izzo. Michigan State’s Cassius Winston played the role of hero, doing pretty much everything for the Spartans and leading his teammates through tough times to get to Minneapolis.

Given how much drama we just got from this epic slate of basketball games, expectations for the Final Four should be sky-high. Even though the field lacks blue blood power outside of Michigan State, there will still be plenty of intrigue in Minneapolis on Saturday.