The 2023-2024 men’s and women’s college basketball season has come to an end, with the crowning of the National Champions. The UConn Huskies emerge as the 2024 Men’s National Champions, while the South Carolina Gamecocks claim the title in the Women’s National Championship.
March is a highly-anticipated month for millions of people worldwide. It marks the beginning of Cinderella runs for many teams and witnesses numerous heartbreaking losses. Nevertheless, March consistently delivers entertainment to basketball fans globally.
“Every year we see upsets left and right, which I look forward to every year. It allows college basketball to have the environment it does, and allows athletes at small schools to rise to fame,” junior Peyton Vancas said.
Men’s Bracket
Round of 64:
Turning to the men’s bracket, the opening round, also known as the Round of 64, delivered several surprises to fans. Most notably, 14th-seed Oakland University stunned the young and talented roster of 3rd-seed Kentucky with the rise of fame of Oakland’s senior guard, Jack Gohlke, that many others didn’t know before March. Other notable upsets in the initial round included the 13th-seed Yale Bulldogs defeating the reigning SEC champions, the Auburn Tigers. Additionally, several other double-digit seeds advanced to the Round of 32, including Duquesne, Grand Canyon (GCU), James Madison (JMU), NC State, Colorado, and Oregon. One thing remains consistent with March Madness: upsets are inevitable.
“Seeing Kentucky lose in the first round was devastating. It ruined my whole bracket. Now someone like Jack Gohlke was the most known athlete in college basketball since he led Oakland to beat Kentucky,” junior Liam Halterman said.
Round of 32:
Moving into the Round of 32, the higher-seeded and more dominant programs asserted their presence. Standout games included NC State extending its miraculous run by clinching its 7th consecutive win, moving past Oakland University in an overtime thriller. Another upset unfolded as the 6th\-seed Clemson Tigers defeated the 3rd-seed Baylor Bears. Thus, the Sweet Sixteen was set: UConn, San Diego State, Illinois, Iowa State, North Carolina (UNC), Alabama, Clemson, Arizona, Houston, Duke, NC State, Marquette, Purdue, Gonzaga, Creighton, and Tennessee.
Sweet Sixteen:
The Sweet Sixteen had arrived, a round eagerly anticipated by many. It featured the most dominant programs in college basketball during the 2023-2024 season. Highlighting the Sweet Sixteen were matchups such as UNC versus Alabama, Illinois versus Iowa, Creighton versus Tennessee, and Duke versus Houston. These were all programs that had demonstrated elite play throughout the season. Alabama, Illinois, Duke, and Tennessee emerged victorious in intense and back-and-forth games, securing their spots in the Elite 8. The sixth-seeded Clemson pulled off a notable upset against Caleb Love and the Arizona Wildcats. While once again, NC State continued its Cinderella story by upsetting the two-seeded Marquette. The final eight teams remaining were as follows: Clemson, Alabama, Illinois, UConn, Tennessee, Purdue, NC State, and Duke.
Elite Eight:
Now, only eight teams remained in contention. The top-seeded UConn Huskies continued their historic and dominant run through March Madness, securing a commanding 20-point victory against Illinois. Meanwhile, Zach Edey and the Purdue Boilermakers showcased their dominance, defeating the second-seeded Tennessee team with authority. In a high-scoring showdown, Alabama’s offense surged late to overcome the Clemson Tigers. Additionally, in a clash filled with rivalry and animosity, the Duke Blue Devils faced off against the NC State Wolfpack. DJ Burns led the Wolfpack to victory, sending them to the Final Four and marking them as only the second double-digit seed program to reach that stage.
“Watching NC State win five games in five days to even make it to the tournament was remarkable itself, but to continue that and make it to the final four was astonishing. Let DJ Burns Eat!” Peyton said.
Final Four:
Taking place in Phoenix, Arizona the sage was set. In the first game of the evening, NC State’s Cinderella run came to an end. Zach Edey proved to be too much for the Wolfpack, and the Purdue Boilermakers were off to their first national championship since 1969.
The UConn Huskies emerged victorious in their battle against Alabama after a second-half surge. Setting themselves up to win back-to-back national championships against Purdue Boilermakers.
National Championship:
As the finals arrived, it seemed fitting that the two programs consistently at the top of the rankings throughout the 2023-2024 season were facing off. It was a showdown between Purdue’s towering 7’4″ Zach Edey and UConn’s elite defense. After a back-and-forth first half, UConn emerged from halftime poised and dominated the Boilermakers, securing a 75-60 victory. This marked the first back-to-back championship win since 2007 and their sixth National Championship overall.
“Watching UConn play and dominate the way they do is something I never have seen before. They were by far the most complete and best team this season,” Liam said.
Women’s Bracket
Shifting the focus to the women’s tournament, star athletes like Caitlin Clark of Iowa, Angel Reese of Louisiana State University (LSU), Paige Bueckers of UConn, and Kamilla Cardoso of South Carolina showcased their talents.
The women’s tournament saw remarkable growth and achieved historical viewership numbers, a testament to the talent and excitement it offered.
Senior Annaliese Witmer enjoys seeing the success of these female athletes.
“As a female sports advocate, it excites me because it shows the future of women’s sports and that they are growing; not just the amount of athletes competing in them, but fans as well,” Annaliese said.
Round of 64:
In the first round of the tournament, higher seeds controlled, with only one double-digit seed advancing to the second round. The sole double-digit team was the 11th-seeded Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, who secured a victory over the sixth-seeded Louisville Cardinals. This upset prevented a potential matchup between former Cardinal Hailey Van Lith, now with LSU, in the second round.
Round of 32:
The Duke Blue Devils emerged as the standout of the second round, pulling off an upset against the two-seeded Ohio State, securing their spot in the Sweet Sixteen. Other notable upsets included the five-seeded Colorado and Baylor, defeating the four-seeded Virginia Tech and Kansas State, respectively. As the Sweet Sixteen lineup was confirmed, the teams were as follows: Indiana, South Carolina, Oregon State, Notre Dame, Gonzaga, Texas, NC State, Stanford, Baylor, USC, Duke, UConn, Colorado, Iowa, LSU, and UCLA.
Sweet Sixteen:
In the highly-anticipated Sweet Sixteen matchups, the star-studded LSU Tigers faced off against the UCLA Bruins in a thrilling, back-and-forth game that saw the Tigers emerge victorious with the help of Flau’jae Johnson and Angel Reese’s standout performances. Similarly, the other three seeds, including NC State and Oregon State, managed to upset their respective two seeds, defeating Stanford and Notre Dame.
Elite Eight:
The spotlight then shifted to the eagerly awaited rematch between Angel Reese and the LSU Tigers versus Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight. The first half of the game was characterized by momentum swings, leading to a narrow 1-point halftime lead for the Hawkeyes. However, in the third quarter, the Hawkeyes surged ahead with a 10-point lead that proved insurmountable for the Tigers. Catlin Clark’s impressive 41-point performance secured victory for the Hawkeyes, avenging last year’s finals defeat.
In another anticipated Elite Eight matchup, young stars Paige Bueckers from UConn and USC’s Juju Watkins faced off in a highly-anticipated game following the Iowa versus LSU showdown. The game remained closely contested until halftime, but UConn dominated the third quarter, securing a lead that the USC Trojans couldn’t overcome.
Final Four:
Now, the matchups for the Final Four were set in Cleveland, with the undefeated South Carolina facing off against NC State and UConn Huskies taking on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Led by soon-to-be Hall of Fame coach Dawn Staley, the South Carolina Gamecocks had established themselves as the most dominant program in women’s college basketball over the past three years, boasting an impressive record of 109-3. Continuing their season-long form, the Gamecocks defeated the Wolfpack convincingly, with a final score of 78-59.
Next up was the highly anticipated clash between Paige Bueckers and UConn against Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes. In a fiercely intense and physical battle, the game remained tightly contested with just one point separating the teams in the remaining minutes. With less than ten seconds on the clock and UConn trailing by one, they had an opportunity to take the lead and secure the win. However, a controversial offensive foul call against the Huskies changed the momentum, allowing Iowa to run down the clock and seal the victory with free throws, ultimately prevailing 71-69.
National Championship:
Now, the 37-0 South Carolina Gamecocks were aiming to conclude their undefeated season by defeating the highly talented Caitlin Clark, while Clark sought to cap off her historic college career with a National Championship. Clark made a strong start in the first quarter, scoring 18 points and giving her team a seven-point lead. However, South Carolina managed to contain Clark in the second quarter, heading into halftime with a three-point lead. The Gamecocks then took control in the second half, ultimately emerging victorious and crowning themselves National Champions.
Dawn Staley secured her third national title, further solidifying her remarkable career as a head coach. However, this year’s women’s tournament signified much more than just the victory of the South Carolina Gamecocks. With an average viewership of 18.7 million in the championship game, peaking at 24 million viewers, viewership surged by up to 285% from the 2022 title game and increased by 89% from the previous record-breaking 2023 title game, as reported by ESPN.
