Final Four Recap
Purdue ended NC State’s Cinderella run to advance to the national championship with a score of 63-50. Zach Edey led his team with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists. DJ Burns Jr. from NC State was shut down all night and was unsuccessful in his matchup against Edey leading to an inevitable defeat.
UConn defeated Alabama 86-72, with freshman Stephan Castle scoring 21 points. This game kept UConn’s dream of back-to-back championships alive.
Purdue and UConn met up in the national championship. UConn mostly dominated the game. Purdue struggled to get started and was unable to come back.
UConn won its sixth school title since 1999. Other schools have gone back to back before, but the fact that UConn lost so many players since last year and still managed to repeat makes it even more impressive.
East Region
UConn, the number one overall seed, dominated the East region, winning their first four games by an average of 28 points a game. The biggest upset in this region was Yale (13) taking down Auburn (4) in a last-second thriller. Auburn missed a shot at the buzzer leading to a two-point Bulldog win.
West Region
Alabama, the number four seed in the region, won the West region after defeating UNC (1) in the Sweet 16 and Clemson (6) in the Elite 8. Clemson (6) also went on an impressive run, defeating two schools that were a lower seed (Baylor and Arizona).
South Region
NC State, the best Cinderella story of the tournament, won the South region as an eleven-seed defeating Duke (4) in the Elite 8. Oakland (14) captured the attention of the country with their first-round win over Kentucky (3)
Midwest Region
The most “chalk” region in the tournament this season, one-seeded Purdue defeated Tennessee (2) to win the Midwest Region. The only higher seed to win a first-round game in this region was Oregon (11) who defeated South Carolina (6), but Oregon fell in the next round to Creighton (3).
Top Performers
East Region
Terrence Shanon Jr. (Illinois, 5th-year senior)
After averaging 23.0 points per game (ppg) during the regular season, Shannon continued his success on the court into March Madness, averaging 28.3 ppg in the first three rounds. He struggled in the Illinois Elite 8 matchup against Purdue but had a strong tournament overall.
West Region
Mark Sears (Alabama, senior)
After averaging 21.5 ppg during the regular season, Sears excelled in the tournament, averaging 24.2 ppg in the five games Alabama played. In addition to scoring, Sears averaged 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
South Region
DJ Burns Jr. (NC State, 5th-year senior)
After averaging 12.9 ppg during the regular season, Burns stepped up on the court in March Madness, averaging 16.2 ppg leading his team to the final four. He struggled against Purdue’s Zach Edey in the final four-matchup against Purdue but overall had a strong tournament, making a historic run.
Midwest Region
Zach Edey (Purdue, senior)
After averaging 25.2 ppg during the regular season, Edey stepped up on the court in March Madness, averaging 29.5 ppg leading his team on a run to the national championship. He struggled against UCONN in the championship but overall had a strong tournament.
