By Jamal Baker
NDG Contributing Writer
The Men’s and Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournaments have concluded and yet another exciting season of college basketball is in the books. On the women’s side, the University of Connecticut defeated the University of South Carolina 82-59 in a dominant victory. In the men’s bracket, the University of Florida bested the University of Houston 65-63 in a thrilling matchup that came down to the wire. Let’s take a look at key takeaways from each game and what the future looks like for each program.
Where do you even begin when it comes to the sustained greatness of UConn head coach Geno Auriemma? Auriemma has now won 12 national championship titles with the Huskies and is the winningest coach in both men’s and women’s college basketball history. The legendary head coach had his team ready to play and they looked sharp from start to finish. Azzi Fudd scored 24 points and Paige Bueckers chipped in 17 to lead UConn to an overwhelming victory. Auriemma will look to continue his dominance in college basketball as he continues to surround himself with an impactful village of people.
“I think when you have the kind of work experience that I have, every day I’m surrounded by people who are alive, they’re young, they’re moving, they’re growing, and you get swept up in all that,” Auriemma said. “I’m 71 by numbers, but I don’t know that I feel that because every day I’m surrounded by young people.
Auriemma has a foundational piece to build around in standout freshman Sarah Strong who will certainly continue to bring youthful energy to the program.
For the University of South Carolina, they simply were defeated by a team who had everything clicking. The Gamecocks without a doubt have a talented roster and special program that will be right back in contention next year. Leading scorer in D-I last season Ta’Niya Latson recently announced on social media she is transferring next season to South Carolina from Florida State. Head coach Dawn Staley continues to retool and will look to bounce back next season.
Florida head coach Todd Golden became the youngest head coach to win a men’s title in March Madness history since Jim Valvano in 1983. At 39 years old, Golden is trying to build Florida into a powerhouse the same way Billy Donovan did 25 years ago. Florida won its 3rd NCAA men’s basketball national championship and Walter Clayton Jr. was named Most Outstanding Player. Clayton was held scoreless at halftime but credits his teammates for picking him up.
“We’ve been saying all year our motto is, ‘We all can go!’ We’ve got a team full of guys that can go. It’s not just about me,” Clayton said after the game about his sluggish start. “We’ve got multiple guys that can go get a bucket and do anything. My team helped me hold it down until I was able to go get a bucket.”
The Gators trailed by as much as 12 but rallied to comeback and get the win.
The Houston Cougars ended their historic season in heartbreak after coming so close to winning the national championship. However, Houston should not hang their heads or be discouraged—the program is bringing in an elite recruiting class next season that features three top 20 recruits. ESPN already ranks the Cougars No. 1 heading into next season and head coach Kelvin Sampson appears to be on the cusp of building something special.
March Madness never disappoints, and this year’s edition lived up to the deserved hype—it will certainly be a busy offseason as teams will look to add talent from the transfer portal. Buckle up and stay tuned.
