In the United States, the month of March is synonymous with the word “madness” which defines the period in the sports calendar when the men’s and women’s basketball championships dominate the landscape. This year, the excitement was palpable, and in a surprise, there was more excitement for the women’s tournament than the men’s. In the past college sports were celebrated based on the institutions, but the tournaments in 2024 have proven that the players are now the faces of the sport similar to the professional level. On the men’s side, we have witnessed storylines built around Zach Edey, Triston Newton, and Mark Sears. On the women’s side, the names Juju Watkins, Page Bueckers, Kamilla Cardoso, and Caitlin Clarke have drawn record-breaking crowds to the sport. Clarke’s run to the Championship game led to three straight record-breaking TV performances of 12.3 million, 14.2 million, and 18.7 million viewers. Yes, college basketball has enjoyed an epic year which culminated with last night’s men’s championship. In this article, we will discuss the three biggest stories in the college basketball universe in the past three days.
1. Gamecocks completes Perfection to end Caitlin Clarke’s Championship Hopes
Caitlin Clarke cemented her legacy as one of the greatest college basketball players ever by becoming the highest-scoring player in Division 1 college basketball history for men and women. In the process, she broke Pete Maravich’s 3667 points which was the previous record. After an epic comeback against UConn in the Final Four Semifinal, Clarke faced her toughest test in facing a South Carolina Gamecocks that were undefeated with a 37-0 record. Clarke came out in the first quarter scorching hot by scoring a championship game-record 18 points as Iowa jumped out to a double-digit lead. However, Dawn Staley adjusted by moving Raven Johnson as the primary guard for Clarke. Johnson held Caitlin to 5 of 20 shooting for the rest of the game as Kamilla Cardoso dominated in the paint and the glass. It was a redemption for Johnson, who was embarrassed in her freshman year by Caitlin as South Carolina got eliminated from the tournament. Johnson relished the chance to compete and even admitted that she studied Caitlin’s moves to maximize the opportunity. It was not the fairytale ending for Clarke but later admitted the better team won the championship. Dawn Staley singled out praise for Clarke, who she called “one of the GOATs” of the college game, and her prospect of shining at the WNBA level. It was a fitting end to the Women’s tournament.
2. John Calipari’s shocking move to Arkansas
The game of musical chairs is one of the highlights of many family gatherings and office parties. It feels like a game of musical chairs broke out in the past month in the college basketball universe. USC head coach Andy Enfield’s departure to SMU set off a domino effect that led Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman to move to the Trojans. The vacancy in Arkansas is now being filled by Calipari. By coming to an agreement, Kentucky will not have to pay the exorbitant buy-out clause for an $8.5 million per season contract. After getting hired in 2009, Calipari led the Wildcats to six regular-season SEC titles and 12 NCAA tournament appearances. The team made five Final Four appearances and won a national championship in 2012. However, things have turned sour in recent years. For instance, in 2021, the team missed the tournament, while in 2022, they were stunned by No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s. In 2023, they lost in the second round as a No. 6 seed, and this year suffered an enormous upset to No. 14 seed Oakland in the first round. According to reports, Calipari’s relationship with longtime billionaire benefactor, John Tyson of Tyson Foods swayed the decision. However, the decision benefits both parties since Kentucky needed a fresh start after several years of struggling in the tournament. The biggest question remaining is, who will take the helm at this powerhouse college basketball program? That might make the music start again for the next musical chairs at the next opening.
3. Connecticut’s complete the back-to-back over Purdue
UConn men made history on Monday night by becoming the first team since the 2006 and 2007 Florida Gators to win as repeat champions. The feat is rare in the sport, and the team must be praised because it is not easy to live up to expectations as the favorites to enter the tournament. The surprising thing about this game was that Purdue hung in at halftime facing a 36-30 deficit thanks to Zach Edey, who scored 16 points on 7 of 12 shooting. Yet, Dan Hurley rallied his troops to deliver a dominant second half to end the hopes of Indiana. In the six tournament games, UConn won by an average of 23 points, and the finals was not a challenge. UConn’s defense clamped down on Purdue’s ball movement, they won the paint, and the guards outplayed their counterpart on the perimeter. The triumph on Monday moves UConn to six national championships tied with North Carolina in third, one more than Duke but still behind Kentucky and UCLA with 8 and 11 trophies. Coach Hurley has already denied interest in the Kentucky job because he is well on his way to building a potential three-peat in Storrs, Connecticut.