They had been 1A and 1B, Auburn and Duke. The 2 favorites to be the final staff standing in San Antonio.
Then, Saturday got here. Prime-ranked Auburn was overwhelmed by No. 6 Florida in its personal constructing. No. 2 Duke misplaced at unranked Clemson. One other Last 4 favourite, No. 3 Alabama, practically blew an 18-point lead at Arkansas.
Was this a sneak peek into an unpredictable March? Or only one Saturday in early February with some wonky outcomes?
You may make a case for both narrative. What ought to be clear is that there isn’t a 2024 Connecticut, a staff that’s vastly superior to everybody else. That’s not a knock on Auburn, Duke or Alabama.