A grand total of 68 teams began this season’s rendition of March Madness with aspirations on booking plans to Central Florida for this year’s Final Four.
As its namesake suggests, only four would have the privilege of being named national semifinalists. Those teams are UCLA, South Carolina, UConn and Texas.
Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks and Geno Auriemma’s Huskies are return participants from last season’s Final Four in Cleveland which also featured NC State and Iowa. Vic Schaefer’s Texas assembling has qualified for its first national semifinal since 2003. Cori Close has guided UCLA – a much-revered men’s basketball blue blood – to its first ever women’s Final Four.
As is the case with every Final Four, there are notable storylines going into Friday’s two national semifinals plus Sunday’s championship game. Without further ado, here are a few of those noteworthy storylines.
Virtual Chalk
On the men’s end of the March Madness ledger, its upcoming Final Four at San Antonio’s Alamodome will feature its four No. 1 seeds – Duke, Houston, Florida and Auburn.
The same virtually applies to the women’s side. Three of the four No. 1 seeds qualified for the Final Four in Texas, South Carolina and UCLA which entered this season’s tournament as the overall No. 1 (despite a bit of 11th hour politicking from Coach Staley).
UConn was a 2-seed which ousted the other No. 1 seed in USC in the Elite Eight but that Trojans team simply could not overcome the injury to JuJu Watkins. A Watkins-less Trojans assembling vs. a Huskies squad that included a Paige Bueckers looking to transition to the WNBA as a national champion made UConn look more like the No. 1 and USC more like the No. 2.
Memories
Prior to this season, the last time South Carolina was dealt a loss was towards the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. That was when Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks matched up against Iowa in a national semifinal where the Hawkeyes needed a Herculean performance from Caitlin Clark to send South Carolina back to the Palmetto State.
South Carolina’s “daycare” was taking care of business all 2023-24 by going a perfect 38-0 en route to a national championship – and got revenge over Iowa in said national championship game to do it. This season, the Gamecocks have taken losses to UCLA and Texas as well as to UConn at home.
The three teams that have earned victories over South Carolina in the last 24 months are the three teams joining the Gamecocks for this season’s Final Four festivities in Florida.
Redemption
The ascent of South Carolina to the national power it is has also coincided with Geno Auriemma and UConn being knocked off its championship perch.
Since 2017, the Gamecocks have won three national championships to zero for the Huskies. Auriemma is looking to change that with season’s UConn rendition.
Paige Bueckers not only wants to restore that championship feeling to Storrs. She also wants to boast a national championship as part of her transition to the professional ranks.
Emblematic
In many ways, the vibes at UCLA are very emblematic of a changing sports landscape where women are finally receiving more respect and media coverage for their athletic accomplishments.
UCLA is known far and wide for the illustrious history of its men’s basketball program. Up until this season the Bruins had not reached that same plateau.
Cori Close and her UCLA bunch are more than deserving of flowers for already making program history – it is the first time the Bruins have reached a Final Four. These Bruins that include Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez, Timea Gardiner and the 6-foot-7 Lauren Betts are more than capable of departing from Tampa Bay with the big prize.
A Long Time Coming?
The year was 1986 – nearly 40 years ago – when Texas was the last team standing amongst the field.
Vic Schaefer is still in search of that first ring. He had a near miss a few years ago when he was coaching Morgan William at Mississippi State.
Schaefer would parlay that success in StarkVegas to the job in Texas where the Longhorns have re-emerged as a national power. It is perhaps tempting to look at Texas in a Final Four that also includes UCLA, South Carolina and UConn and automatically attach the “underdog” distinction to this team.
But average teams do not make Final Fours and the Longhorns have been building to this point the last couple of seasons. A team that includes the likes of Madison Booker, Kyla Oldacre, Taylor Jones and Rori Harmon can hold their own against any foe in the nation.
