The Paige Backers vs. JuJu Watkins matchup lived up to the hype. The LSU-Iowa rematch surpassed that. South Carolina remained undefeated. North Carolina State pulled off another upset.
This sets up a rich storyline for the Final Four.
Caitlin Clark is looking to add to an already great accomplishment by leading Iowa to its first national title after falling just one game short before the season.
After missing all of last season, Bueckers is looking to reach his third Final Four and complete the job he missed in 2021 and 2022. UW hasn't won a title since 2016.
South Carolina doesn't have a star on Clark's or the Buccaneer's level. Gamecocks are more like a group, and there may not be a better team in all sports. After reaching the Final Four a year ago with an unblemished record but ending in a victory over Clark and the Hawkeyes in the national semifinals, South Carolina will once again move forward to finish off a perfect season.
NC State was a team that wasn't supposed to be here, but the Wolfpack may have had the easiest trip. They defeated the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds by double digits to advance to the program's second Final Four.
We'll be delving into these and many more stories in the coming days, but here's a first look at the Final Four.
Undefeated South Carolina advances to the Final Four
Tessa Johnson scored 15 points, Camila Cardoso added 12 and the Gamecocks defeated Oregon State 70-58 to advance to their fourth consecutive Final Four.
No.1 seed
south carolina sham cox
Original seed: 1st Overall (Albany Region 1)
NCAA tournament results: They defeated No. 16 seed Presbyterian 91-39. They defeated No. 8 seed North Carolina 88-41. They defeated fourth-seeded Indiana 79-75.Defeated third-seeded Oregon State 70-58.
Despite some tense moments in both region matches, the Siamcocks remain in first place overall. Undefeated is undefeated. Ever since their season-opening 29-point win over Notre Dame in Paris, they've been considered the best in the country, and they've lived up to expectations at every turn — including a close call with Tennessee in the SEC Tournament; Albany despite having wins over Indiana and Oregon State. Coach Dawn Staley and South Carolina remain the favorites to win a third national title.
South Carolina never lost to the Hoosiers or Beavers. However, concerns about the Gamecocks' shutout ability resurfaced as their 22-point lead against Indiana was cut to two in the fourth quarter, and their 14-point lead against Oregon State was cut to four in the final period. In both cases, South Carolina kept both games close with big plays, Raven Johnson's 3-point play against the Hoosiers and freshman Tessa Johnson's 3-point play against the Beavers. It propelled the state to first place. I'll win.Staley's team now shows the ability to dominate opponents and Makes important plays during crunch time. And gamecocks don't have to rely on one person to do that. They have had four different leading scorers in each game of the tournament, with nine players scoring in each of the last three games.
next: 3-seed North Carolina State (Friday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
iowa hawkeyes
Original seed: No. 1 (Albany Region 2)
NCAA tournament results: They defeated Holy Cross 91-65. They defeated West Virginia 64-54. They defeated No. 5 seed Colorado 89-68. Defeated 3rd seed LSU 94-87
Only an undefeated team will keep the Hawkeyes from the top of the list. Clark and the Hawkeyes were very good in defeating Colorado and LSU in the regional tournament. Clark averaged 30 points in two games, including a 41-point performance against the Tigers on Monday in a rematch of last year's national championship game.
Iowa's 91.5 points per game at Albany came against two top-20 rated defenses. Clark's nine 3-pointers tied her record for most in an NCAA Tournament game, but in the process she also became the tournament's all-time leader in assists. Her 12 points against the Tigers helped Kate Martin (21 points Monday vs. 13.1 ppg for the season) and Sydney Affolter (16 points vs. 8.3 ppg for the season) significantly exceed their season averages.
Unsurprisingly, the offense is carrying Iowa. But with Clark leading the way, the Hawkeyes are more than just a good offensive line. they are special. They lead the nation in points per play, points per play, two-point field goal percentage, effective field goal percentage and assists per game. Most of that means Hawkeye isn't just prolific. they are efficient.
Iowa got beat up by LSU (54-36), but Clark's 3-point shooting (9-of-20 vs. the Tigers) helps offset that. South Carolina is the only team left on the path for Iowa to potentially bounce back at an elite level, and the Hawkeyes overcame the size of the Shamcocks in last year's national semifinals.
Some credit has to go to Lisa Bruder and her halftime adjustments. The Hawkeyes were plus-19 in the third quarter during the regional tournament.
next: 3-seed UConn (Friday, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
UW reaches its 23rd Final Four, second only to Bueckers' 28-point lead.
Paige Bueckers had 28 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the rest of the way as UConn topped USC and advanced to its 23rd Final Four.
university huskies
Original seed: No. 3 (Portland Region 3)
NCAA tournament results: They defeated No. 14 seed Jackson State 86-64. They defeated No. 6 seed Syracuse 72-64. They defeated No. 7 seed Duke 53-45.80-73 win over No. 1 seed USC
Geno Auriemma built the UConn program from the ground up. He has won 11 national championships. He had five undefeated seasons. But this may be his biggest coaching job yet. UW lost five players to injury this season, all of whom would have played important roles on this team.
The Huskies have been using a six-player rotation since early January. Three of these six are freshmen. Bueckers, Nika Muhl and Aaliyah Edwards all played 40 minutes in the regional final win over USC. The Buccaneers haven't left the court in three games. Auriemma and his staff helped this team overcome everything to reach the program's 23rd Final Four.
If Clark is the No. 1 player in the tournament, Bueckers is 1A. Although the numbers aren't that flashy, she delivered on all fronts. She had 28 points, 10 rebounds and six assists while guarding Watkins for most of the game. The Buccaneers had three double-doubles in four tournament games and shot 51.1 percent from the field.
According to HerHoopStats.com, she is the most efficient player per minute and has the most defensive win shares since March Madness began. With her ability to rebound like a 5-foot-11 WNBA power forward and perform on both ends of the court, the Buccaneers will likely be crowned the best all-around player in the tournament.
next: No. 1 seed Iowa State (Sunday, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
North Carolina State University advances to the Final Four with a heated first half
Asiaha James' five 3-pointers in the first half helped the Wolfpack advance to the Final Four for just the second time in school history.
north carolina state wolfpack
Original seed: No. 3 (Portland Region 4)
NCAA tournament results: They defeated No. 14 seed Chattanooga 64-45. They defeated No. 6 seed Tennessee 79-72. They defeated second-seeded Stanford 77-67.Defeated No. 1 seed Texas 76-66
Lowry now has the Wolfpack's improbable berth to the Final Four, its first Final Four appearance since its lone appearance in 1998, and an even more improbable return to the season's final weekend for the No. 11-seeded men's team. On a journey like no other, he has become the center of the basketball world.
The women's players entered the NCAA Tournament with great offensive ability. The Wolfpack averaged 58.0 PPG in their three games prior to March Madness. In her last three games in the NCAA Tournament, the Wolfpack has scored 77.3 PPG on her. This was a matchup against the No. 34 (Tennessee), No. 8 (Stanford) and No. 3 (Texas) defenses in the country, according to HerHoopStats.com. Whatever switch Wes Moore flipped, it worked. Only their next opponent, South Carolina, averaged more points from the second round through regionals. What is the main reason for the turnaround? Ajiha James. Her shooting (7-of-9 from 3-point range) was a major reason for the Longhorns' upset. She scored 15.8 PPG on the season and averaged 24.3 PPG in the NCAA Tournament.
NC State is the third seed or lower to reach the Final Four since 2017, joining LSU and Arizona. Yes, the Tigers won the title last year as a No. 3 seed. But the Wolfpack's performance this year was perhaps even more impressive. They had to beat No. 6 Tennessee, No. 2 Stanford and No. 1 Texas in each round against the highest-seeded opponent possible. During last year's championship run, LSU defeated No. 2 seed Utah and No. 9 seed Miami in the regional tournament, while Arizona will face No. 2 seed Texas A&M and No. 4 seed Indiana on its way to the Final Four. did.
next: No. 1 seed South Carolina (Sunday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)