College basketball reaches its end every year in March when one of the most recognizable tournaments in America takes place: March Madness. With both the men’s and women’s tournaments finished, here are the three biggest storylines from each tournament ranked by how far they made it in the tournament.
UCONN came into the tournament as last year’s reigning champions, and once again won. They won all their games by at least 13 points on their way to the National Championship. UCONN made it to the Final Four easily, winning all four games by an average of 29.5 points. Led by center Donovan Clingan who averaged 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.2. UCONN made it to the Final Four in dominant fashion, winning all four games by an average of 29.5 points.
- Purdue Men’s
Purdue was the runner-up in the national championship behind their star player Zach Edey. Despite many questions about how Edey’s game will translate to higher-level basketball such as the NBA, clearly, Edey is a force to be reckoned with in college basketball. Edey had a stellar performance against Tennessee, putting up a historic 40 points on 62% shooting, along with 13 rebounds which placed Purdue into the Final Four. He then went on to add a 37 point performance in the championship game despite Iowa’s loss. He has had an amazing season for Purdue, and will more than likely declare for the NBA draft next season.
DJ Burns Jr who dropped 29 points against Duke to lead them to the Final Four. They have defied expectations as the No. 11 seed beating traditional basketball juggernaut Duke and the two-seeded Marquette University. Despite its impressive season, Edey and Purdue took them down in the Final Four ending their spectacular run.
- University of South Carolina Women’s
South Carolina pulled off a perfect season this year, going 38-0 to become the 10th team to do so all-time. They were dominant throughout the season, being led by 6’7” Kamilla Cardoso along with the rest of SC’s star-studded roster. Beating Iowa in the championship 87-75 was an impressive feat on its own, without even factoring in the degree of difficulty their season had.
- University of Iowa Women’s
Led by Caitlin Clark, one of the most popular, if not the most popular player in college basketball. She led Iowa to final breaking and tying records like they are nothing. In the Final Four she tied the record for most three-pointers in a women’s tournament game, hitting nine. She also broke the NCAA scoring record for a single season, passing Kesley Plum’s record in the round of 32. She has been an absolute star for Iowa this season, putting up ridiculous statistics.
- Louisiana State University Women’s
From electric star player Angel Reese to an intense brawl against South Carolina, LSU was all over national news for it’s excitement on the court. Being the National Champions last season, the team came into the tournament looking to replicate their success, and through the first three rounds, it looked promising. However, once LSU rematched up against Iowa, who it beat in the finals last year, were defeated 87-94.
With March Madness reaching its conclusion, it’ll soon be time to see who declares to go professional and the increasingly popular transfer portal. UCONN and South Carolina will be able to defend their titles next year when March Madness returns.
Contact Lathan Pearce at [email protected]
