By āNunnieā Robinson, Westside Gazette Sport Editor
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā The 2024 NCAA basketball tournament championships for bothĀ men and women have been intriguing , exciting and entertaining. South Carolina coach Dawn Staley is effusive in her unabashed praise for our Heavenly Father. Angel Reese bringsĀ game and glamour and her competitive spirit to womenās basketball and rising, knowledgeableĀ analysts like Andrea Carter and Chinay Ogwumike have emerged and ascendedĀ from ESPNāsĀ plethora of talented sports journalists. And the exceptional level of play is exceeded only by its booming popularity.
We now know the final four teams competing for the national championship. Iowa, led by the phenomenal Caitlin Clark, will face perennial finalist U Conn and Paige Bueckers. Undefeated andĀ favorite South Carolina playsĀ upstart but highly skilled North Carolina State Wolfpack, who, along with UConn, are making NCAA history with both schoolsā male and female teams playing in the final four. On the menās side, UConn faces Alabama while North Carolina State competes against Purdue and 7ā4ā behemoth ZackĀ Edey.
For the Wolfpack – men and women- just getting to the final four has been both historic and surprising. The men had lost 4 consecutive games entering the ACC Tournament and speculation about Coach Kevin Keattsā job security dominated the airwaves. Then they defied all odds, winning the ACC Championship and each subsequent challenge,Ā including an Elite 8 victory over Duke to reach the Final Four in Phoenix.
The womenās rise from mediocrity was equally remarkable. Coming in as a number 3 seed, their dominant 76-66 victory over number one seed Texas shocked the basketball hierarchy as the Wolfpack have skyrocketed on the wings (3-point shooting/scoring) of junior guard Aziaha James, who scored 29 in a victory over Stanford while averaging over 24 a game. Basketball fans are in for a treat. My prediction: Iowa over U Conn, Gamecocks over the Wolfpack and in a very competitive final, Dawn Staley wins her second national championship in 3 years. On the menās side, Purdue escapes NC St., U Conn dominates Alabama, then wins it second consecutive NCAA championship by virtue of its win over Purdue.
