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2022 March Madness: Ranking the 5 most appealing Final Four matchups

By Mike Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 24: Paolo Banchero #5 of the Duke Blue Devils dunks the ball against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the first half in the Sweet Sixteen round game of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Chase Center on March 24, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 24: Paolo Banchero #5 of the Duke Blue Devils dunks the ball against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the first half in the Sweet Sixteen round game of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Chase Center on March 24, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /
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Not all matchups are created equal. With just eight teams left in March Madness, these five potential Final Four matchups have more buzz than the rest.

The road to the Final Four is almost over as the NCAA Tournament field has been whittled down from 68 teams to just eight. Four games over the next two days will solve the question of who will make it to New Orleans one week from now to fight for a spot in the national championship game.

Eight teams being alive means we could end up with a multitude of potential matchups in New Orleans but not all of them are created equal. Let’s take a look at the five most intriguing games that we could see next weekend if the chips fall in certain ways.

Most appealing potential Final Four matchups

5. Saint Peter’s vs. Kansas – National Championship

The Cinderella run for Saint Peter’s has taken down a 2-seed, a 7-seed, and a 3-seed in order to get to this point. There is no question that the Peacocks have guts and are more than capable of holding their own against any opponent at this point in the field.

The only notch truly missing from the Cinderella storyline is seeing if Saint Peter’s can slay a 1-seed in order to win it all. The only one left at this point is Kansas, and the potential of a true David vs. Goliath matchup with the championship on the line is extremely enticing.

4. Saint Peter’s vs. Duke – Final Four

The Peacocks are just one win away from the Final Four and have two potential opponents awaiting them there. With all due respect to Arkansas, the prospect of Saint Peter’s trying to keep its dream season alive against Duke would be must-see television.

The Blue Devils have a storyline of their own to push as they try to send legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski into retirement with a national championship. Seeing Krzyzewski’s career end with a loss to a small Jesuit school out of the MAAC would be a delicious ending for people who hate Duke, creating big stakes for this game.

3. North Carolina vs. Villanova – National Championship

One of the most memorable national championship games in recent memory came in 2016 when Villanova’s Kris Jenkins won the national title with a buzzer-beater over North Carolina. The two programs haven’t met since, making this potential championship showdown a rematch six years in the making.

This matchup would also be a legacy game for both coaches as Jay Wright could claim his third national championship while Hubert Davis could earn his first in his first season as the Tar Heels head coach. The drama would be high here as replays of the Jenkins shot would be played on a constant loop in the leadup to the contest.

2. Duke vs. Kansas – National Championship

Seeing two of the most storied programs in the history of college basketball square off for the national championship would be a satisfying end to the NCAA Tournament. Despite all of the upsets, there is still a good possibility we end up with four blue bloods in the Final Four and these programs are among the game’s most storied schools.

Duke and Kansas have met six times in the NCAA Tournament and are 3-3 in those meetings, including a victory by the Blue Devils in the 1991 championship game that secured Krzyzewski’s first title. Krzyzewski would love to bookend his career by winning one last title against the Jayhawks while Kansas would look to spoil the party by helping Bill Self secure his second championship.

1. Duke vs. North Carolina – Final Four

Can you believe that the sport’s fiercest rivalry has never been played in the NCAA Tournament? Duke and North Carolina have met 256 times over the course of their storied histories and not one of those contests has come in the NCAA Tournament.

That would change dramatically if Duke tops Arkansas and North Carolina knocks out Saint Peter’s in the Elite Eight with a meeting in New Orleans. The Tar Heels already ruined Krzyzewski’s final home game by winning at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 5 and they would love nothing more than to deliver the ultimate humiliation to Duke by ending the Hall of Famer’s career with a Final Four loss in the first-ever tournament meeting between the two bitter rivals.

dark. Next. 20 biggest upsets in the history of March Madness

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