The Sportsletter - Wolfpack Weekend 🐺

BY JEFF YODER

APR. 1, 2024 | SUBSCRIBE | WEB VIEW

Welcome to April 👋

Cinderella is a pack of wolves! And not just one pack, but two. Both the men’s (11-seed) and women’s (3-seed) NC State programs are heading to the Final Four. It’s the 14th time in NCAA history a school has sent both programs to the Final Four in the same year — the first time since 2017 (South Carolina). Oddly enough, UConn could join them if the women’s team upsets 1-seed USC tonight. Wolves AND Huskies? Some storylines write themselves.

For now, we get April started with a celebration of Cinderella squared — the Wolfpack(s) from Raleigh.

🗓️ Scheduling Note: It’s an NCAA-focused newsletter once again due to the priority of Final Four events, but more baseball, soccer, golf and hockey are on the way soon.

Letter Rip!

BRACKETS

Bracket Challenge (Leaderboard)

The Final Four is set, and that means our bracket challenge is down to the final weekend. Our temporary leader had UNC winning it all, so expect a comeback winner at the top next weekend. Here’s the leaderboard:

Leaderboard

1. RacquelK305 (93 pts) — Champ: UNC

2. Steven Bern (88 pts) — Champ: UConn

3. Scubasheteve (87 pts) — Champ: NC State

T4. Ira Greenberg (86 pts) — Champ: UConn

T4. Khris 3360435 (86 pts) — Champ: Duke

T4. BigCatJared (86 pts) — Champ: UConn

Other 'Active' Challengers

T7. Chad Holland (85 pts) — Champ: Purdue

T15. William Jacques (82 pts) — Champ: Purdue

NCAAM

All 4 Roads to the Final Four

Photo: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images

#1 UConn, #1 Purdue, #4 Alabama & #11 NC State Punch Tickets to Phoenix

After 12 more games in four days, the Men’s NCAA Tournament bracket is down to the Final Four. And goodness, do we have some storylines? Two 1-seeds remain. The defending champs from UConn went on one of the most absurd runs in tournament history while Purdue ended its 44-year Final Four drought. Alabama, the 4-seed in the West, is heading to the Final Four for the first time. And last but not least, 11-seed NC State is somehow still dancing. The Wolfpack lost their last four regular season games before blitzing the ACC Tournament (five straight), and shocking everyone in their path to reach April. Head coach Kevin Keats was probably on the hot seat in February. Look at him now! It was two weeks ago when Michael O'Connell banked that season-saving 3 in the ACC Tournament to keep NC State alive. Eight consecutive wins later, they're Final Four bound. March is magic.

The Final Four is set. Let’s reverse course and review each team’s road to Phoenix before a week of fun.

The Huskies’ 30-0 Run Was Unbelievable

#1 UConn Throttles #3 Illinois (77-52)

The No. 1 overall seed has yet to be tested in this year’s tournament, and this past weekend was no exception. The Huskies had one of the craziest in-game stints in tournament history against 3-seed Illinois. The Elite 8 matchup was tied 23-all before UConn went on a 30-0 run (thirty!). It was the largest such scoring spree in the NCAA tourney in over three years. Illinois went 0-for-19 for 8 minutes and 43 seconds of game clock, and the No. 2 scoring offense in the country was held to just 52 points. Donovan Clingan (22 pts, 10 rebs, 5 blks) was the catalyst. The champs are back, and they're the first champ to return to the Final Four the next season since 2007 (Florida). Huskies advance to their 6th Final Four (Last: 2023).

Roll Tide! Bama’s 1st Final Four is Here

#4 Alabama Rallies Past #6 Clemson (89-82)

Saturday’s nightcap saw the 4-seed Crimson Tide rally from a double-digit deficit in the first half to finally halt Clemson’s magical run. Alabama’s Marcus Sears (23 pts) was downright lethal from 3-point land (7-for-14). The Tide, as a team, hit 16 triples to continue their high-scoring assault through the tournament. They’ve scored 89-or-more points in three of their four games during the tourney. Head coach Nate Oats has been in the spotlight over the past few years, and he's finally delivered 'Bama its first Final Four. Crimson Tide advance to their first Final Four.

Boiler Up! Edey’s 40 Breaks 44-Year Drought

#1 Purdue Takes Down #2 Tennessee (72-66)

A bruiser in Detroit! The Purdue-Tennessee matchup was one of the best games of the tournament so far. Both Zach Edey (40 pts, 16 rebs) and Dalton Knecht (37 pts) put on a show. It was the first time opposing players accounted for more than half of their team’s scoring output in the same game in NCAA Tournament history. Knecht had a hot spell in the first half to give the Vols a double-digit lead, but Purdue bounced right back and dominated the paint. It had been 44 years Purdue’s last trip to the Final Four, and the Boilers have been sacked by double-digit seeds three times in the past four tournaments. The drought is finally over for Matt Painter’s bunch. Boilermakers advance to their third Final Four (Last: 1980).

Hey DJ, Cinderella is a Pack of Wolves!

#11 NC State Stuns #4 Duke (76-64)

The Wolfpack are still howling. If there were any lingering doubts about NC State, they're gone now. The 11-seed Cinderella continued their historic tourney run on Sunday with an overwhelming takedown of ACC rival, 4-seed Duke. And if you don’t know DJ Burns Jr. by now, get ready. The 6-foot-9, 275-pound big man kept ballin’ with 29 points in the regional final. Duke was in it until the later stages until their star, Kyle Filipowski, fouled out. Keep in mind: NC State was 17-14 three weeks ago (and nowhere near the bubble) when the regular season ended. They’ve now won nine straight games to reach the Final Four. Incredible. Wolfpack advance to their fourth Final Four (Last: 1983).

Men’s Final Four Schedule (Saturday)

#1 Purdue vs. #11 NC State (6:09 pm ET, TBS)

#1 UConn vs. #4 Alabama (8:49 pm ET, TBS)

Championship: Monday, Apr. 8 (9:20 pm ET)

AP: Zach Edey Goes Big & Sends Purdue to First Final Four Since 1980

NCAA: Every Single Bucket from UConn’s 30-0 Run in the Elite 8
Sporting News: NC State Becomes 7th Double-Digit Seed to Reach Final Four

NCAAW

Court Error? Dance On, Wolfpack

Photo: Brendall O'Banon / Getty Images

Despite Court Design Mishap, Half of Women’s Final Four is Complete — #1 South Carolina & #3 NC State Advance to Final Four

More ugly administrative errors continued to cloud the Women’s NCAA Tournament this weekend, but we’ll try to focus on the positive. The court in Portland had mismatched 3-point lines on Sunday. It wasn’t egregious, but the NCAA placed the blame on a third party court vendor. Both Texas and NC State decided to play anyway — for the good of the game! — rather than reschedule and potentially hurt viewership. Despite the court chaos, it was/is 1s vs. 3s in all four regional finals. South Carolina stayed perfect with a shellacking of 3-seed Oregon State, but the 3-seed NC State women’s squad (double Wolfpack Cinderellas!) upset 1-seed Texas. Two of the Women’s Final Four are locked. Two more tonight.

South Carolina Still Perfect

#1 South Carolina def. #3 Oregon State (70-58)

Lady Wolfpack Pull Off Stunner

#3 NC State Upsets #1 Texas (76-66)

Oh, did we forget? Tonight is the Iowa-LSU rematch of last year’s national championship, featuring Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. The Elite 8 nightcap features Paige Bueckers and Juju Watkins, too. Spicy matchups!

Tonight’s Schedule (Women’s Elite 8)

#1 Iowa vs. #3 LSU (7:00 pm ET, ESPN)

#1 USC vs. #3 UConn (9:00 pm ET, ESPN)

CBS Sports: Uneven 3-Point Lines in Women’s Tournament: Officials Say Portland Court Wrongly Measured for 5 Games

EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS 🎥

🏀 NBA

LeBron James Pours in 40 on Career-High Nine 3s

Luka Doncic Notches 47, Mavs Win 7th Straight

Heat Beat Blazers by Team-Record 60 Points (142-82)

Jalen Brunson Scores 61, Wemby Drops 40 in OT Clash

🏒 NHL

Auston Matthews Has 2nd Career 60-Goal Season