The Final Four consisted of a No. 4 in Connecticut, two No. 5s in San Diego State and Miami (FL) and a No. 9 seed in Florida Atlantic, the Huskies and Aztecs both advancing to the title game Monday evening in Houston. It was a semifinal Saturday featuring loads of veteran talent and minimal blue-chip rookies, grown men competing for a spot in the championship.
Kentucky head coach John Calipari watched, and he did so in person down in Houston at the Final Four. He saw the transfer-heavy, vet-heavy model work with his own two eyes, an approach that’s exploded since COVID-19 provided an extra year of eligibility for everyone in college basketball, along with the one-time transfer rule being implemented.