GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Final Four happening this week brings an end to college basketball's heartwarming yearbook, filled with legendary underdogs, coaches seeking affection, and magic appearing everywhere in the tournament bracket.
The issue with the 2024 edition: UConn doesn't believe in magic.
The only thing that has almost stopped the Huskies on their journey to a second consecutive title has been the uncooperative plane that was meant to fly them to Phoenix. Coach Dan Hurley and his players, who have won their four tournament games by an average of 27.8 points, eventually arrived at 3:15 a.m. Thursday after a nightmare mix of mechanical problems and bad weather left them stranded on the tarmac for hours.
“Watching the de-icing was therapeutic,” Hurley remarked.
Upon their delayed arrival, the Huskies were greeted by nothing but heartwarming tales.
• Purdue, with 7-foot-4 Zach Edey leading the way, has returned to the Final Four for the first time since 1980, attempting to win a championship after being eliminated in the first round as a No. 1 seed last season, marking only the second time in history that happened.
• Alabama, UConn's opponent on Saturday, is making its first appearance in the Final Four after completely rebuilding a roster that was expected to make a deep run last season, but lost nine players to the professional leagues, transfer portal, and graduation.
• Then there's North Carolina State. The Wolfpack is back in a recreation of 1983, however, this year's standout figure is 6-foot-9, 275-pound DJ Burns Jr., the center known for his wide smile and potential in both the NFL and the NBA.
“We expected to be here, even though people don't believe that,” coach Kevin Keatts explained. “But as a team, this is not a fluke to us.”
The Wolfpack followed the same path as the ‘83 team, facing a series of must-win games in the ACC Tournament to qualify for the NCAAs. The ‘83 team may have been the first to embody the term “Cinderella” in the March Madness history, although it's not the only team to have achieved a surprising championship fueled by momentum and dreams.
Some may argue that Alabama follows a similar narrative. Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats had only three returning players from last year's top-seeded team, which was eliminated in the Sweet 16.
In came Grant Nelson (North Dakota State), Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (Cal State Fullerton), and Aaron Estrada (from Hofstra, via Oregon and St. Peter’s). By the time March arrived, Alabama started to come together — elevating a football-dominated school to new heights in basketball.
“Before the tournament, we had to convince our players that we could make a noteworthy run,” Oats stated. “Now that we've made the run and reached the Final Four, I want our players to play with ease and liberty, while also believing they have a shot at victory.”
Purdue boasts the reigning Player of the Year in Edey, but that didn't stop the Boilermakers from suffering a first-round exit last year, joining the 2018 Virginia team as only the second No. 1 seed to do so. Many teams might have reconstructed, but Purdue largely chose to remain unchanged.
Coach Matt Painter stated that he always delved into their activities and tried to find ways to make improvements. He mentioned that even though they were defeated by a 16th seed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, it did not change their approach to things.
Despite the amazing stories, the truth is that nothing except the airplane has made a significant impact on UConn this year. The Huskies have a 35-3 record and have won their last 10 tournament games by 13 points or more. They have also held at least a 30-point lead in all four March Madness games this year.
Despite the short night's rest, they are an 11 1/2-point favorite against the Crimson Tide on Saturday and a heavy favorite (minus-185) to win it all.
UConn lost five of its top seven scorers from last year’s championship team. The Huskies are back due to trusting freshmen (Stephon Castle), player development (Donovan Clingan, Alex Karaban) and what the coach called “strategic portal” (Cam Spencer).
In general, no one is handling the chaos caused by the transfer portal and NIL better than UConn.
The coach mentioned that this tournament is very difficult and even the best programs and biggest brands have a hard time making it to the end due to recent changes in the game. He added that they have made a very challenging tournament look easy, probably easier than it actually is.
