This evening, another chapter will be written for these four teams. For two of them, they might seem like the final chapter, but as we will see, they might turn out to just be the beginning. It is the beauty and the cruelty of March (although I guess at this point, we are now in April).

March 15th, 2024

Virginia’s Isaac McKneely stood on the free throw line with 6 second left. Making the next shot would send the Cavaliers into the ACC championship. Instead, McKneely would miss the free throw and in a frantic rush up the court, the ball ended up in Michael O’Connell’s hands. His three-pointer at the buzzer caused the stadium to erupt as we were heading to overtime. No one would realize the impact of that one shot.

North Carolina State entered the ACC tournament as a team not even considered on the bubble. They had lost 7 of their last 9 games leading into the tournament, and it looked like they were likely going t76-o be hosting an NIT tournament game. They beat Louisville and Syracuse, then they upset Duke, and then when all that was necessary was a free throw to go down, NC State miraculously got the miss that they need and the buzzer beater they needed. They would continue to ride that momentum as they upset North Carolina to claim the ACC tournament championship.

Then, the Wolfpack kept winning. Ben Middlebrooks scored a career high 21 points as they upset Texas Tech. DJ Burns muscled his way to the lane to lead the Wolfpack to a victory over Oakland in overtime. DJ Horne scored 19 points to lead the Wolfpack against 2 seed Marquette. And Burns came back to score a season-high 29 points to lead the Wolfpack to a 76-64 victory over Duke.

The Wolfpack continue to be one of the best stories of the tournament as they refuse to leave the dance. They are going on the type of run that teams dream about – and even better, the run is happening at the best time – in March.

DJ Burns is fun to watch – he looks like he is having so much fun with his infectious smile. He is very good in the post and a tremendous passer if you double team him. DJ Horne is the Wolfpack’s leading scorer – an athletic guard that can quickly get to the basket.

Memories of the historic 1983 Wolfpack run have returned – as that was the last time the Wolfpack made the Final Four. But as much as we like to go back to the past to remember, don’t confuse this team for the 1983 team. This NC State team is writing their own amazing story that is special no matter what history has happened.

According to Vegas, they will be -9.5 underdogs going into the game against Purdue. But that seems to be just fine to the Wolfpack. Underestimate them at your own peril. The Wolfpack are not simply happy to be here – they can win a National Championship if their magical run can last 3 more days.

March 17th, 2023

This day was the end of one story and the beginning of another. Because this is the day that they entered the NCAA Tournament as a 1 seed, and this is the day that they would lose to 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson. In that game, the Boilers shot 5-26 (19.2%) from three-point range as their inability to hit an outside shot ended their season.

In a little bit of a surprise, player-of-the-year Zach Edey decided to come back for his senior season. For some reason, Edey was not believed to be a first-round pick in the draft, and so he decided to come back to the Boilers to try to win a championship.

Purdue doesn’t often use the transfer portal. Matt Painter believes in bringing high schoolers who plan to stay for four years and creating a team that grows together learning to be efficient in a complicated play-book. But the Boilers would recruit one transfer – senior Lance Jones from Southern Illinois. Jones is an athletic guard who plays good defense and added another outside shooter for the team.

Two freshman added additional perimeter strength on their bench as Camden Heide and Myles Colvin are both shooting over 40% from three-point range. Senior Mason Gillis is the Big 10 6th man of the year award winner as he worked on his shot and continues to play aggressive defense.

The Boilers still have Edey – who is now a two-time player of the year award winner. He is truly an unstoppable force as typically, the other team fouls out multiple players simply trying to stop him. They still have Braden Smith, a dynamic point guard who is averaging over 7 assists a game.

But maybe most notably, they are 2nd in the country shooting from three-point range, as their 40.6% puts them only behind Kentucky.

This story has always been a quest for redemption. And they have earned that redemption and more by making it to the first Final Four since 1980 for the Boilermakers. But they have their eyes on one last prize – a national championship.

Jan 24, 2024

On this night in Tuscaloosa, the Alabama Crimson Tide got a chance to play in-state rival Auburn. They had played multiple ranked teams in the non-conference season, but many of them ended in losses. The Tide had been winning games in the SEC, but they did suffer a loss to Tennessee.

Still, they were 5-1 and on their home court. Senior Mark Sears would lead the Tide by scoring 22 points and help get Alabama back in to the rankings discussion, as they returned to the polls as the 24th place team in the country.

With a win against Florida, the Tide would move to 11-2 in the SEC with a game lead over Tennessee. But the Tide would lose 3 of their last 5 to fall into a tie for 2nd place. And after a loss in the SEC tournament quarterfinals to Florida, the doubts began.

No one doubted that Alabama could score. Coach Nate Oats leads a fast-paced style of offense that probably has not met a three-point shot that it doesn’t like. It is a very analytical approach. If I shoot 30 shots and hit 50% (a pretty good percent), I will walk away with 30 points. I only need to shoot 30% from three-point range to match that point total on those 30 shots.

The Tide have 7 players on their team who have shot 99 three-pointers this season. They only hit 36.5% of them, but they shoot a lot of them. And that has led the Tide to score 90.6 points per game – the highest points per game in the country.

But the Tide were also giving up 81.1 points per game (357th in the country). So, if the threes were not falling, their defense would not tend to save them. Many, including the Lunatic, talked about how this lack of defense made them a vulnerable top seed. They might get past the first rounds, but they might be in trouble once they get to the Sweet 16. As many looked for 13 seeds that could pull upsets, Charleston became a popular pick because they would be going against the Alabama defense.

But the Tide took all the negative statements and doubts and used them as fuel. They have been capturing all the quotes from Charles Barkley on TV and AL.com on the internet, and use them as motivation before the games. Grant Nelson scored a season-high 24 points to lead the Tide past 1 seed North Carolina. And then Mark Sears hit seven three-pointers against Clemson to lead the Tide to their first Final Four in school history.

The Tide enters the game tonight as a 11.5 point underdog to the Huskies. That might seem like an insult and that no one expects the Tide to compete in this game, but when you realize that the Huskies have gone 10 games in the last two tournaments winning by double digits, you realize that this is basically saying that people think Alabama has a better chance of keeping it close than most teams.

But the honest truth is that Alabama is unlike any team that Connecticut has played against. Almost any one on the court will shoot the ball from three, forcing you to extend your defense to an uncomfortable level and opening up the opportunity for their talented guards like Mark Sears and Aaron Estrada to drive to the lane.

The odds might be against Alabama, but the Tide seem to thrive on that doubt. And if they can knock down their three-pointers, they can beat any team in the country. They certainly can win two more games to win the National Championship

Jan 17, 2024

It is a little surprising, but according to the ESPN story that I am looking at, this date was the first time in 15 years the Connecticut Huskies were ranking #1 in the polls. The Huskies had certainly finished the season #1, but they typically didn’t start there.

This year was similar, the Huskies started off their title defense in 6th in the polls. They had a good non-conference season where they beat UNC, Texas and Gonzaga. Then, they kept winning while the other top teams lost, waiting for their chance to hold the top of the rankings.

The Huskies won against ranked Creighton 62-48 with their trademark defense and a balanced offense. The Huskies would hold on to the top spot for 6 weeks until they got upset by Creighton on February 20th. That would be the last time the Huskies have lost this season. By being the only major conference champion to defend their regular season title with a conference tournament title, they claimed the NCAA tournament #1 seed and the final poll top spot.

Connecticut is so balanced as they have 5 players averaging double digits in points. They play a very slow-paced half-court offense that makes you work for the entire shot clock. But they then create tons of fast-break baskets from their suffocating defense.

It all starts in the paint with 7’2″ Donovan Clingan – if anyone tries to get into the paint, Clingan shuts them down. Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer and Stephon Castle give the Huskies three guards who can play tremendous defense and can score. Alex Karaban gives the Huskies a forward who can also shoot from the outside.

There has been no defending champion who has repeated to win the title since Florida in 2007. But in this March, this Huskies team appears to be ready to join them. They beat Stetson by 39, Northwestern by 17 (although they were up at one point by 30), San Diego State by 30, and Illinois by 25.

The Illinois game showed the problem when facing the Connecticut Huskies. With about 2 minutes in the game, Illinois was hanging around with the Huskies as the game was tied at 23. Then, the Huskies went on a 30-0 run. That is correct, Illinois went slightly over 9 minutes without scoring a point. If you look at KenPom statistics, Illinois ranked 4th in the country in offensive efficiency. And the Huskies defense shut them down for no points for 9 entire minutes.

The Huskies are currently the defending champions and the #1 team in the regular season. To be the best, you have to beat the best. And I guarantee you that you will have to be at your best in order to beat the Huskies. Will the favorite be able to win the two final games to claim back-to-back championships.

April 6, 2024

These 4 great teams are in Glendale, Arizona to try to add two more victories to their stories. Less than 1 hour away from tip-off. So get ready to cheer!!! Get ready to watch some great basketball!!! Get ready for more stories to be written!!! Enjoy the games!!!