By “Nunnie” Robinson, Westside Gazette Sport Editor
The 2024 NCAA basketball tournament championships for both 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 brings game and glamour and her competitive spirit to women’s basketball and rising, knowledgeable analysts like Andrea Carter and Chinay Ogwumike have emerged and ascended from ESPN‘s 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 and favorite South Carolina plays upstart but highly skilled North Carolina State Wolfpack, who, along with UConn, are making NCAA history with both schools’ male and female teams playing in the final four. On the men’s side, UConn faces Alabama while North Carolina State competes against Purdue and 7’4” behemoth Zack 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 Keatts’ job security dominated the airwaves. Then they defied all odds, winning the ACC Championship and each subsequent challenge, including an Elite 8 victory over Duke to reach the Final Four in Phoenix.
The women’s 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 men’s side, Purdue escapes NC St., U Conn dominates Alabama, then wins it second consecutive NCAA championship by virtue of its win over Purdue.
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