This is March

The 2024 March Madness tournament, both men's and women's, brought us three straight weeks of captivating athletics. The on court play and off court headlines kept us entertained from mid-March to early April. Each year, March madness is filled with success, underdog stories, classic duels, and future NBA and WNBA talent. This year? Nothing short of that. Now that the confetti have fallen and the nets have been cut down, let us dive into the madness that was March.  

The tournament was filled with awesome games and moments. One moment that stood out was the ending of the Colorado vs Florida matchup. These 10 and 7 seeded matchups came down to the wire. The ending of this game was an absolute thriller, and Colorado ended up hitting a late jumper to send Florida home early. Another thrilling matchup,: Oregon and Creighton. These 11 and 3 seeded matchups was one for the ages. The game went into double overtime, earning a spot in the conversation for game of the tournament. Eventually, Creighton’s defense stopped Oregon and the Blue Jays prevailed. 

Underdogs make noise 

Kentucky vs Oakland, first round matchup, was another thriller. A 3 seed in Kentucky takes on Oakland, a 14 seed. This matchup was anything but chalk. The 13-point favorited Kentucky was shockingly defeated by Oakland, breaking most brackets on the first night of the tournament. Kentucky started off slow in the first half and could never recover. Oakland shot lights out, thanks to Jack Gohlke. Gohlke shot a 10-20 from the 3-point range coming off the bench. Gohlke dropped 32 points, breaking records as well as Kentucky fans’ hearts in the process.  

Many people use the phrase “put them on the map,” referring to when a smaller team or player does something major and is now recognized. This game did exactly that for the Golden Grizzlies, informing many that Oakland University is in fact in Michigan, not California.  

However, the Golden Grizzlies weren’t the biggest Cinderella story of the tournament. Instead, this title belongs to DJ Burns and NC State. NC State, an 11 seed, took down 6 seed Texas Tech, 14 seed Oakland, 2 seed Marquette, and 4 seed Duke. NC State came into the tournament red hot and proved that they were unstoppable. DJ Burns, the Wolfpack’s big man, led the charge of this team averaging 18.3 PPG and 5 RPG. Burns was a hot topic in the media, gaining a ton of headlines and media coverage. He took the media by storm. The skill he had for the size he is blew people away, and his attitude on and off the court made people love him. Who wouldn’t want to cheer for this Cinderella story?  

The Wolfpack went on a run for the ages reaching the Final Four, finally falling short to Purdue.  

Purdue was able to shut down the narratives that they were chokers in this tournament and reach the final. In previous years, the Boilermakers have lost to a 15 and a 16 seed, gaining the narrative that they were frauds.  

Purdue's star, Zach Edey, has been a part of both Purdue squads that prematurely fell short in tournaments past, and finally was able to play for a title. Edey had insane performances all tournament long, being recognized as one of, if not the best players in college basketball. Edey had his jersey retired by Purdue and looks to be a lottery pick in the NBA draft this year.  

Another underdog story: Alabama. The Tide were a 6 seed in this year's tournament and went on an improbable run. Alabama’s high-powered offense won four games in this year's tournament, including knocking off the first 1 seed of the tournament. The Tide snuck past their opponents this year, making their first Final Four in school history.  

UCONN dominance 

Purdue powered past the narratives. Bama and NC State beat the odds. However, no one stood a chance against UCONN.  

UCONN knocked off Alabama in their Final Four matchup and met Purdue, who knocked off NC State, in the final. A final with two 1 seeded teams. What's more entertaining than that? The game was close in the first half, but the Huskies pulled away in half two. UCONN comfortably took down Purdue and the nets in the National Championship game. 

UCONN is the first team to win back-to-back championships in seventeen years. An absolute dominant force, the Huskies covered the spread in every game they played in the 2024 tournament. Due to their back-to-back accomplishments and six championships in twenty-five years, many across the college basketball world are calling them “New Bloods.” The Huskies produced many NBA prospects over the past two years and are becoming a top destination for recruits and transfer players.  

However, it’s not only the players that helped the Huskies repeat, but also the coach. Coach Dan Hurley is said to be the best coach in college right now and is highly respected by all. His electric style and passion for the game has led many to take a liking to him. Dan Hurley’s son, Andrew, also plays for the Huskies, which has been a story in itself.  

Women earn the spotlight 

The women's side of the tournament was filled with just as much, if not more, entertainment, thrills, and stories.  

For starters, the freshman talent. This year's tournament was riddled with young stars, headlined by Hannah Hidalgo, JuJu Watkins, Madison Booker, and Audi Crooks. These four stars also ranked in the top twenty-five players in this year's tournament. The tournament for years to come is slated to have excellent talent and competition. 

On talent, many say that this year's WNBA draft class is the greatest ever. People are comparing the 2024 WNBA class to the 2003 NBA class, which contained Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. The WNBA class this year features names like Cameron Brink, Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Kamilla Cardoso, and many more stars. All these players shined in this year's tournament. 

This year's tournament also produced some insane matchups. We were able to see UCONN-USC, LSU-Iowa, UCONN-Iowa, and Iowa-South Carolina. These matchups broke records and made headlines.  

USC-South Carolina gave us the best freshman and one of the best players in the country against a team with the best history in WCBB and an amazing coaching staff. In this down to the wire matchup, Paige Bueckers and UCONN outdueled JuJu Watkins and USC, leading her squad to the Final Four.  

Another Elite Eight game that took the world by storm: LSU-Iowa. This rematch of the previous tournament’s championship was not a letdown. Everyone tuned in to watch Caitlin Clark take on Reese, Johnson, and Van Lith. This game set the record for the most-watched WCBB of all time. Caitlin Clark took over this close game and led her team past LSU, taking down the reigning champs and heading to the Final Four.  

Millions watch the women’s Final Four 

South Carolina took on NC State and cruised past them. Dawn Staley and her girls were a force to be reckoned with. These 1 and 3 seed matchups were not as close as they were on paper. 

The other side of the bracket made for more entertainment. UCONN took on Iowa, the talk of WCBB for decades against the talk of the past two years. This game broke the record for most viewers of a WCBB game, a record LSU-Iowa set days prior. This intense matchup came down to the final minute and kept everyone on the edge of their seats. Iowa ended up taking down UCONN, but not without some controversy. There was a late-game offensive foul called on UCONN that left everyone shocked.  

The media world debated the call all night. This call trended on every social media platform and every talk show. People compared it to the late pass interference call in the Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl. Should a call decide a game? 

Although people questioned the call, the final matchup was set. Undefeated South Carolina was set to take on Iowa and the best player in the country.  

The game remained close for the first half, but South Carolina proved to be too much for Iowa to handle. South Carolina ended up handing Iowa their second straight championship loss, winning by twelve. Although the score says otherwise, the game was entertaining. Both sides brought their A game, but South Carolina just proved to be better. 

Dawn Staley, Kamilla Cardosa, and the rest of the South Carolina squad completed their undefeated season, cutting down the net after a hard-fought title season. 

Despite her loss, a tournament recap would not be complete without highlighting Caitlin Clark. Clark set records, took over headlines, and performed at the top of the sport during this year's tournament. Clark has had the sports world in a chokehold for months now. 

The men’s and the women's tournaments shared some similar qualities as well. The finals in both tournaments were 1 seeded matchups, producing great entertainment. Also, both Final Four’s featured NC State and UCONN, something that does not happen often. 

The most competitive three week span in college basketball was nothing short of theatrical. Headlines were made, records were broken, talent was showcased, and nets were cut. After all, it’s called March Madness for a reason.