The Sportsletter - One Shining Weekend ✨

BY JEFF YODER

APR. 5, 2024 |  SUBSCRIBE  |  WEB VIEW

Happy Friday 🙌

NCAA Final Four Weekend is on deck, and we have something special in store. There’s a massive highlight compilation and weekend schedule that awaits near the bottom of today's edition, but our focus is on the Final Four.

'One Shining Moment' is almost here... From songs to outer space and family to basketball, check the bottom of today's newsletter for a mini-underdog column.

Ready to put an end to the Madness?

Letter Rip!

  FINAL FOUR   🏆

One Shining Weekend ✨

Photo: Name / Getty Images

Matchups, Odds, Storylines & Players to Watch During Final Four Weekend

After two non-stop weekends of bracket-busting college basketball, the end has come. Four teams remain at both the Men’s (Phoenix) and Women’s (Cleveland) NCAA Tournament final sites. Each bracket features two 1-seeds, one moderate underdog, and the Cinderellas of NC State. We’ve tried to simplify our Final Four primer to touch on each matchup for all four semi-finals. It's up to you to prep for the title games. Two wins to crown a champion? Let's lay the framework for the biggest weekend in college basketball.

Reminder: Check the bottom of today's newsletter for the One Shining Moment feature.

Women's Final Four (Friday)

Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images

Dawn Staley (South Carolina) & Caitlin Clark (Iowa) Win AP Honors

Pre-game interviews were in full effect yesterday with the Women’s Final Four set to tip tonight. Along with those media sessions came some hardware announcements for the AP Coach and Player of the Year awards. No surprises here. Both Dawn Staley and Caitlin Clark are repeat winners. Iowa is the only team to beat SC in the last two years, and they could meet again in the finale on Sunday.

AP Player of the Year: Iowa's Caitlin Clark

AP Coach of the Year: South Carolina’s Dawn Staley

The All-Carolina Clash

#1 S. Carolina vs. #3 NC State (7:00 pm, ESPN)

It’s an all-Carolina battle tonight (Friday) in Cleveland to open Final Four weekend. South Carolina (36-0) puts their unblemished record on the line with hopes of returning to the national championship. Dawn Staley’s powerhouse program has captured two titles in the last seven years (2017 & 2022). Despite the record, they’re still beatable. Both Tennessee and Indiana played the Gamecocks to within four points or less in the past month. Aziaha James will need to carry NC State to an upset of epic proportions, but SC’s Kamilla Cardoso and MiLaysia Fulwiley are liable to go off at a moment's notice. It’s hard to think the Wolfpack have the juice to pull this upset off. South Carolina is an 11.5-point favorite. That might be generous.

Clark vs. Bueckers — Box Office 🍿

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

Get your popcorn ready (again). Tonight’s closer gives women’s hoops fans another must-see matchup with Caitlin Clark vs. Paige Bueckers. Iowa is a 2.5-point favorite, and that's based loosely on seeding and Clark’s unstoppable tourney run. Bueckers is a star in her own right and an equally talented point guard. No one has Clark’s sharpshooting capabilities, though. She’s averaging more than 30 points per game in the tournament and coming off a 41-point masterpiece. Geno Auriemma’s coaching greatness will play a factor, but is it enough to slow the all-time leading scorer in NCAA basketball history?

🏆 Championship: Sunday, 3:00 pm, ESPN

Read More

CBS Sports: How South Carolina Compares to Other Undefeated Champions

ESPN: Is Caitlin Clark or Paige Bueckers the Nation’s Top Player? We Crunched the Numbers

Men's Final Four (Saturday)

Photo: Jack Dempsey / Getty Images

Men’s Final Four Tips Tomorrow With AP Awards (Likely) Coming Soon

The Men’s Final Four features a pair of scintillating matchups on Saturday, including one of the most intriguing big-men battles in recent tournament history. Expect the men’s AP awards to be announced shortly, too. Could it be back-to-back POYs for Purdue’s Zach Edey?

Edey vs. Burns: Big Men Ballin'

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

The first men’s clash on Saturday pits two big men of different sizes in a must-see post battle. NC State’s D.J. Burns Jr. has become the tournament darling and fan favorite, but he’ll have his hands full with Purdue’s 7-foot-4 reigning Player of the Year, Zach Edey. If Burns can stay out of foul trouble, the Wolfpack have a fighting chance. If not, that Boilermaker train will keep chugging. Purdue is an 8.5-point favorite, but their “home-court advantage” won’t be as palpable in Arizona. Is this where NC State’s Cinderella story ends? Or can they be the first double-digit seed to win it all?

The Juggernaut's Penultimate Test

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

Saturday’s nightcap in Phoenix could deliver UConn’s best (and most unique) test yet. The Huskies have steamrolled every opponent by 15-plus in this year’s tourney run, but Alabama’s high-scoring offense and free-flowing style could allow the Tide to go shot-for-shot. Dan Hurley’s group is an 11.5-point favorite, and it’s hard to envision them tapping out after coming this far. This UConn team — Tristan Newton, Cam Spencer, Alex Karaban, and Donovan Clingan — is too deep and well-rounded. Bama can win a stretch, or even a half, but it’ll take a miracle to steal all 40 minutes from the Huskies. 

🏆 Championship: Monday, 9:20 pm, TBS

Read More

Yahoo! Sports: Ranking the Men’s Final Four Starters From 1 to 20

Sporting News: Men’s Final Four: Zach Edey vs. DJ Burns is the Battle to Watch

SI: What Each Men’s Final Four Team Needs to Advance to the National Championship

  EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS   🎥

🏀 NBA

76ers def. Heat (109-105)

Embiid & Maxey Combine for 56 in Wild Ending

Clippers def. Nuggets (102-100)

Nikola Jokic (36-17-10) Misses 3 at the Buzzer

Knicks def. Kings (120-109)

Villanova Trio (Hart, Brunson & DiVincenzo) Combine for 87

Full NBA Scoreboard

⚾️ MLB

Tigers & Mets Split Doubleheader

Detroit Loses First Game of 2024 Season

Pirates def. Nationals (7-4)

Pittsburgh Tied for League-Best 6-1 Start

Cardinals def. Marlins (8-5)

Miami Drops to League-Worst 0-8 Start

Full MLB Scoreboard

🏒 NHL

Panthers def. Senators (6-0)

Sergei Bobrovsky Notches 30-Save Shutout

Islanders def. Blue Jackets (4-2)

New York Moves Into Wild Card Spot

Jets def. Flames (5-2)

Gabriel Vilardi Records First Career Hat Trick

Full NHL Scoreboard

⚽️ EPL

Chelsea Stun Man-U (4-3)

Cole Palmer Nets Hat Trick With 2 Extra-Time Goals (100’ & 101’) at Stamford Bridge

⛳️  PGA Tour

Akshay Bhatia (-9) Leads Valero Texas Open

Jordan Spieth Aces 16th in Wild Opening Round

🏀 NIT Championship Final

Seton Hall Tops Indiana State (79-77)

Pirates End Game on Frenetic 9-0 Run

  NEWS   📰 

⚾️ A’s Reach Deal to Play in Sacramento for 2025-27 Seasons While Waiting for Las Vegas Stadium (Yahoo! Sports)

🏀 Knicks’ Julius Randle to Have Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery (ESPN)

🏈 College Football ‘Super League’ Discussed by School Presidents to Replace NCAA (B/R)

⚾️ Marlins’ Ace Eury Perez to Undergo Tommy John Surgery, Miss Entire 2024 Season (CBS Sports)

🏈 Stefon Diggs Pens Farewell to Bills Fans After Texans Trade (SI)

🏈 Andrew Siciliano, Face of ‘Red Zone Channel’, & 3 Others Out at NFL Network (Yahoo! Sports)

🏀 LSU Star Hailey Van Lith Enters NCAA Transfer Portal (ESPN)

🏀 Arkansas’ Eric Musselman Hired as Next USC Head Coach (B/R)

  WEEKEND SCHEDULE   🗓️

The Weekend Must-Watch List

It’s a doozy. Four straight days of Final Four action are about to begin, but that doesn’t stop the rest of the sports world from spinning. Racing, the SheBelieves Cup, and WrestleMania 40 are all grabbing a piece of the spotlight. We’ll crown some NCAA champs on Sunday and Monday. Enjoy!

🏀 Women’s Final Four

#1 S. Carolina vs. #3 NC State (Fri. 7:00 pm, ESPN)

#1 Iowa vs. #3 UConn (Fri. 9:00 pm, ESPN)

🏆 Championship: Sunday, 3:00 pm (Apr. 7)

🏀 Men’s Final Four

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

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

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

🏀 NBA

T-Wolves at Suns (Fri. 10:00 pm, NBATV)

Knicks at Bucks (Sun. 7:00 pm, NBATV)

Full NBA Schedule

🏒 NHL

Panthers at Bruins (Sat. 3:30 pm, ABC)

Stars at Avalanche (Sun. 10:00 pm, ESPN)

Full NHL Schedule

⚾️ MLB

Dodgers-Cubs Series

Rangers-Astros Series

Yankees-Blue Jays Series

Full MLB Schedule

⚽️ Soccer

SheBelieves: USA vs. Japan (Sat. 12:30 pm, TNT)

MLS: LAFC vs. LA Galaxy (Sat. 7:45 pm, FOX)

EPL: Man. United vs. Liverpool (Sun. 10:30 am, NBC)

⛳️ PGA Tour

Valero Texas Open (All Weekend)

🏁 Racing

F1: Japanese GP (Sun. 1:00 am, ESPN+)

NASCAR: Martinsville (Sun. 3:00 pm, FOX)

🥊 WrestleMania 40

Saturday & Sunday (7:00 pm ET, Peacock)

*All Times ET

Enjoy the games!

  COLUMN  

Full Circle: One Shining Moment 🌔

Photo: Ruben Bonilla Gonzalo / Getty Images

The Final Four, The Solar Eclipse & The Iconic Song of a Basketball Family

Mind if I wax poetic for a minute? I know, I know. You came for the news. The weekend is here. Many of you will be on to the next thing, and that's fine. For those sticking around, you won't regret it...

For the last three weeks, eight NCAA teams have carved their own “path of totality” (if you will) through the bracket to reach the Final Four. Both the men’s and women’s trophies will be claimed in the waning moments before and after Monday’s total solar eclipse.

If you haven’t seen by now, the rare eclipse charts a path from the southwest to the northeast across North America — almost perfectly spanning from south of Phoenix (Men’s Final Four site) directly over Cleveland (Women’s Final Four site). Both championships happen to bookend the stellar phenomenon. In some weird way, there's meaning here.

Women’s Title Game: Sunday (3:00 pm ET)

Solar Eclipse: Monday Afternoon

Men’s Title Game: Monday (9:00 pm ET)

As the men’s champs celebrate at center court Monday night, watch closely. The tourney ends and a March Madness tradition — eerily similar to an eclipse — begins. The lights dim. Everyone looks up. It’s 'One Shining Moment,' and it’s one of the greatest traditions in all of sports.

Editor’s Note: I know we run the basketball coverage heavily during March Madness (sometimes too much, it's almost over), but I want you to know where I come from. I’m an Indiana/Midwest guy. This sport (and these traditions) means something extra here.

The Backstory of ‘One Shining Moment’

In 1986, singer-songwriter David Barrett was inspired to write the song after he watched Larry Bird play on TV. The lyrics hit like a dagger 3, and the song gained traction. It eventually caught the attention of CBS executives who asked Barrett if they could use the song following the 1987 NCAA Championship Game when Indiana defeated Syracuse. Instant hit.

The ball is tipped

and there you are

you’re running for your life

you’re a shooting star

And all the years

no one knows

just how hard you worked

but now it shows…

The response from viewers was so amazing that ‘One Shining Moment’ became an annual tradition at the conclusion of March Madness, remixed with highlights from that year's tournament. It was later adapted (2003), and the modern version we know today is performed by Luther Vandross.

I remember watching it for the first time as a kid in my parents’ basement, surrounded by friends and family. Our house always hosted March Madness watch parties. The song gained new meaning for me when I looked up from the court at my first Final Four in Indianapolis (2015). Duke won it all.

Full Circle

Every year at this time, the tournament (and this song) brings my love of sports full circle. The opportunities I’ve been given in life — to play, work, write, and live in a world of sports — wouldn’t have been possible without my parents. My dad and I share a love of sports, and a fascination with space. He’s a pilot now (go figure). This weekend, he gets to attend his first Final Four and cheer for our Purdue Boilermakers... Their first Final Four in 44 years.

Soak it in, Dad. Look up (and Boiler Up).

Send-Off: A special thanks to all the parents and coaches who help support student-athletes chasing their dreams, whether on or off the court. In an ever-changing world of sports, media, NIL, politics, etc., remember that everything comes full circle, and people matter more than wins and losses. Thank you. 🙏

  THE TEAM  

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Assistant Writer: Marissa Kasch

Social Media: Aaron Yorke

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