Who You Should Pick In Your final four

Everyone knows the most important decision in your bracket is picking the national champion. However, the second-most important decision is getting your Final Four right. At SlayAM, our new net-rating system points us toward four teams that consistently check every box.

East Region

Duke is our pick to come out of the East.

They check every box you want in a Final Four team. They have elite coaching, strong schemes on both ends, and some of the best metrics in the country. They also have what we believe is the best player in college basketball right now, in Cameron Boozer. 

On top of that, Duke ranks #1 in both offensive and defensive net rating in our system. When a team dominates on both sides of the ball like that, it becomes very hard to pick against them in March.

South Region

Our pick to win the South is Houston.

While a lot of brackets will lean toward the No. 1 seed Florida, our net-rating system actually has Houston ranked higher. They’re also led by Kelvin Sampson, who has built one of the toughest and most disciplined programs in college basketball.

Houston’s defense is the biggest reason we trust them here. They play extremely aggressive defense, mixing multiple high-level schemes. They double at the right moments, pressure ball screens, trap in the post, and consistently create deflections by being aggressive in passing lanes.

Another key factor for this Houston team is that this is the best offensive team Houston has had in years and are led by star freshman Kingston Flemings. With a stronger offense to go along with their elite defense, they feel like a much more complete team than in previous tournaments. Because of that combination, we’re taking Houston to reach the Final Four.

West Region

Our pick out of the West is Arizona.

They probably have the easiest path among the No. 1 seeds, and their style of play gives them one of the highest floors in the tournament. Arizona dominates the paint, controls the glass, and plays at a fast pace that forces weaker teams to play faster than they’re comfortable with.

The only real concern is their three-point volume, but even with that, they still finished 4th in our net-rating system. Their consistency and physical style of play make them one of the safest Final Four picks in the bracket.

Midwest Region

Our pick out of the Midwest is Michigan.

They finished with an incredible 1,589 net rating in our system and ranked #2 in both offense and defense for the season. kind of balance is exactly what you want from a team making a deep tournament run.

Michigan plays a fast-paced, read-and-react style offense built around ball screens and smart passing. They move the ball well, make quick decisions, and force defenses to constantly react. Led by Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg, they’ve been one of the most complete teams in the country all season. Because of that, Michigan is our pick to come out of the Midwest.