The Final Four is a 2012 young adult novel by Paul Volponi. The book portrays the semifinal of a prestigious college basketball tournament, exploring the lives of four of the players.

Plot Summary

The Final Four tells the story of the Michigan State Spartans and the Trojans of Troy University, two college basketball teams who reach the semifinal of the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament, commonly known as March Madness. The Spartans are a prestigious, successful team led by star player Malcolm McBride. The Trojans are underdogs who have fought their way to the final stages of the tournament through unity and teamwork, led by the Croatian teenager Roko Bacic. Crispin Rice, who plays for the Trojans, gained a great deal of media attention when he proposed to his girlfriend after an earlier victory. Michael Jordan is a bench player for the Spartans who resents being overshadowed by his incredibly famous namesake. The Spartans level the score with seconds remaining and take the game to overtime.

As the game unfolds, alternating chapters explore elements of each character’s past. McBride grew up in a poor neighborhood in Detroit. One day, his sister is killed in a drive-by shooting. He wants to use basketball to help his family escape the poverty that he believes killed his sister, and he is fiercely critical of the college athlete system, which he believes exploits athletes and prevents them from earning the money they are owed. Due to his skills, many agents want to sign him to their roster. McBride is warned to be careful not to accept any gifts or donations as these are forbidden for college athletes. McBride is haunted by the memory of his dead sister, whose portrait he has tattooed on his arm. Every decision he makes in life is geared toward becoming a professional athlete and providing for his family. He comes across as a brash, arrogant individual who refuses to work for the team, though he shows an unexpected loyalty to his teammates in unexpected moments.

Bacic grew up in Croatia at a time when the country was experiencing a vicious war. He remembers sheltering in basements as the houses above were bombed. His biggest influence was his Uncle Drazen, who taught him to play basketball. Drazen was a journalist who was killed for reporting on the organized crime that took over Croatia after the war. Bacic was sent to live with cousins in America for his safety and eventually won a college scholarship to play basketball. He hopes to become a journalist like his uncle. He writes extensively in his journal as he becomes more familiar with America and American culture.

Crispin Rice proposes to Hope Daniels after winning a game. He did not expect to propose to her, and he must make money as a delivery driver to pay for a diamond ring. Hope has high expectations for him and comes from a wealthy family. The media focuses on his relationship with Hope even though he has begun to have doubts about their relationship. While making a food delivery, he overhears Hope’s voice coming from another man’s apartment. He confronts her, but she insists that she is innocent. Doubts fester in Rice’s mind, and eventually he breaks up with Hope. He keeps the break-up a secret from the media but tells his teammates, all of whom support him.

Michael Jordan is more commonly known as MJ. He is a bench player who is unexpectedly thrown into the game against the Trojans. Others tease him for not being as good as the iconic Michael Jordan, who is in attendance at the semifinal. MJ works hard at college, unlike his roommate, McBride. They do not get along, even though they share many experiences. One day, a fight breaks out between the roommates, and the coach forces them to run up and down the bleachers together as punishment. MJ thinks introspectively about the role of basketball in society and writes papers that examine the relationship between the sport and his hero, President Barack Obama. MJ eventually wins McBride’s respect, if not his friendship.

As the match unfolds, the teams jostle for the lead. The first period of overtime also ends in a draw, as does the second. During the course of the game, McBride criticizes MJ for not measuring up to the high standards set by his namesake as well as McBride himself. The more physical Spartans dominate the Trojans. Rice risks being expelled from the game for too many fouls, while Bacic suffers a blow that leaves him dazed and is forced to sit on the sidelines while he recovers. A fight breaks out between the two team mascots as tensions run high. A third period of overtime is played.

The Spartans win but go on to lose the final of the tournament. McBride begins the process of becoming a professional, but doubts remain over whether he accepted a gift in the form of a gravestone for his sister. He will not be punished, but the Spartans may have their wins erased.