The Men’s Final Four: The Case of UConn, Houston, San Diego State and Kansas – the Case for a Big First
The men’s Final Four in the NCAA tournament marks several historic firsts, adding a layer of anticipation and excitement to a March Madness that has taken one unlikely turn after another.
These lower-ranked teams have stared down giants and taken care of business: No. 5 Miami beat No. 1 Houston and No. 2 Texas; No. 5 San Diego State knocked off overall No. 1 seed Alabama and then edged Creighton (No. 6); and No. 9 FAU beat No. 3 Kansas State and No. 4 Tennessee.
The most clear sign of yes was the fact that they extended their defense to limit the normally prolific Gonzaga to 2-for-20 shooting from three-point range.
UConn, despite being a fourth seed, was fancied to continue a run of disappointing results in March Madness, having lost in the first round in the two years prior.
The Aztecs are the only team from west of the Mississippi, and they’re bringing the highest-rated scoring defense of any squad in the Final Four, allowing just under 63 points per contest.
The Owls turned in the best record of any Division I team in the country, at 35-3. They did not lose a single game on their home court this season. Two teams were in the finals of the NationalInvitational Tournament after the conference title was won by FAU.
At home, the Owls usually play in front of around 2,200 fans. Of the adjustment to the NCAA’s huge stage, head coach Dusty May said, “I still don’t think our guys are going to be fazed by the 70-plus-thousand [fans], the lights, the attention, because they love ball. They love to compete. They have a lot of faith in their teammates.
Aztecs forward Darrion Trammell: he’s the next step in a long-term success (final win over Creighton)
In the final seconds of the win over Creighton, Aztecs guard Darrion Trammell talked about what he was thinking, saying that the moment wasn’t too big for him. Through everything I have gone through, I feel like the opportunity was set for me.
Now his team will try to convert that same attitude into another win. Like FAU, San Diego State also has role players who can score. Both teams are in the top 25 nationwide in getting points from their bench.
In the last four, FAU will face San Diego State, which clinched its own first-ever Final Four appearance with a closely contested 57-56 victory against No. 6 seed Creighton on Sunday, with a controversial foul call with the game tied at 56 going San Diego State’s way.
And after a March Madness which has thrown up surprises around every corner, to have no No. 1, 2 or 3 seeds in the penultimate round seems only fitting – it is the first time since seeding was introduced 44 years ago that this has happened.
A go-ahead basket with 2.5 seconds in the opener against Memphis started a winning streak that included victories against Fairleigh Dickinson and Tennessee.
The Bluejays were called for a foul on Darrion Trammell with 1.2 seconds left in the game. Trammell jumped up to attempt the shot and it was shown in the replays that his left hand was on his right hip.
The team has excelled on defense, holding its two previous opponents to a combined 31 points, the most recent an 18-point win over Alabama.
San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said that they were making the next step because they’ve talked about it for a long time.
Miami Hurricanes in the First Game of the NCAA Tournament: The First Game after an Impact of Hurricanes Head-on-Bounds
A damaging loss to Florida State in January and a 3-4 record in the month of January were factors that led to the Hurricanes not being able to perform well in the tournament.
Since the tournament started over two weeks ago, Miami has been unstoppable, with its first three games by a combined winning margin of over 30 points.
In the final 13 minutes against the Longhorns, the Hurricanes went on a 37-17 run to secure their place in the semifinals.
For Larrañaga, who remembers many of the seismic shocks over the years, positivity at the beginning of the year has been vital in their run through the tournament.
Larraaga said that it was the same joy when your players achieve a goal.
“What we said the first day of practice, we’ve got to start visualizing right now what we want to accomplish and be working toward that every single day. These guys have done that.
However, ever since their first tipoff, the team has been lights out. After winning its first two games by an average margin of 19.5 points, the Huskies lost their third game in a row toGonzaga, but they were still able to qualify for the Elite Eight.
The only team left in the competition who has a title to its name, the pressure is on the university to once again hoist the national championship trophy.