Why are the Blue Devils favored in the Men's Final Four game against the Cougars?Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning. College basketball writers explain in their picks that predict a Duke victory.

Just weeks after Duke cut down the nets at Spectrum Center, claiming a second ACC Tournament championship in three seasons, the Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz took the court, littered with former Blue Devils stars in a battle of lottery hopefuls — both well within reach of landing Duke superstar Cooper Flagg in June’s NBA Draft.

It’s the Duke Blue Devils vs Houston in the Final Four of the March Madness bracket. Here’s our prediction, pick for the 2025 NCAA Tournament game.

American and national player of the year, Cooper Flagg chases an NCAA championship before heading to NBA as the likely No. 1 pick

Of this year’s Final Four teams, Duke, Houston and Auburn have ranked inside the top five in all of KenPom’s daily rankings.

As legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski began plotting his retirement plan, his vision for his successor, Jon Scheyer, looked a lot like what’s happening now. Here’s what Coach K had to say.