Tag: 2024 March Madness

Former Texas A&M men’s basketball player becomes back-to-back national champion at UConn

Hassan Diarra officially hit the individual jackpot by parlaying a spot on the Aggies bench into becoming a back-to-back national champion.

On Monday night in Arizona, a former Texas A&M men’s basketball player officially hit the individual jackpot by parlaying a spot on the Aggies bench into becoming a back-to-back national champion.

After two seasons in College Station, guard Hassan Diarra entered the transfer portal in 2022 and eventually chose the University of Connecticut as his next home. Choosing to play for Dan Hurley and the Huskies was ultimately a wise one as Diarra won his second consecutive title earlier this week.

In 13 minutes of action, Diarra tallied 9 points on 4-of-6 field goal attempts and 1-of-2 from 3-point range with 2 rebounds. In a battle of top seeds, UConn beat Purdue 75-60.

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Despite being in his fourth collegiate season, Diarra has the option to return to school for one more year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It appears very likely that he joins his peer, women’s hoops star Paige Bueckers, in coming back for one more year with the Huskies.

Diarra’s most memorable moment in Aggieland came during the 2022 SEC Tournament second round when he hit an overtime game-winner against Florida.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

UConn’s Final Four flight delay saga is over after they took an Allegiant plane to Arizona and fans made so many jokes

The defending champs had a rough time traveling to the Final Four.

It was a rough start for UConn in the men’s 2024 Final Four … and the ball hasn’t even been tipped yet in their matchup against Alabama.

The three other teams left in the NCAA tournament are already in Arizona, but the Huskies were scheduled to leave on Wednesday evening and couldn’t due to mechanical problems, then there were issues with the flight crew not being able to fly until Thursday, and finally, a smaller plane arrived.

It was an Allegiant plane that required UConn to send fewer folks in their traveling party, so people worried about leg room for this team full of tall people. But the plane has landed as of Thursday morning, so there’s that.

Here are the jokes made:

Rebecca Lobo catches a lot of flak for her random joke ripping the city of Albany

“Good luck finding something to do in Albany.”

Sorry, Albany citizens. This was not the best of jokes from Rebecca Lobo.

Toward the end of the thrilling Iowa win over LSU in the 2024 March Madness Elite Eight, ESPN’s Ryan Ruocco talked about how Caitlin Clark didn’t want to go out with her family in the host city of Albany, choosing to stay in her hotel room and telling her parents and brother to “just go find something to do in Albany.”

Lobo’s response: “Good luck finding something to do in Albany.”

The response included a local TV network responding and a lot of replies on X (formerly Twitter). Lobo herself later said there was “no shade” meant for the city.

But the damage had been done:

Paige Bueckers classily consoling JuJu Watkins after UConn’s win is what March Madness is all about

This is truly what March Madness is all about. All class here from Paige Bueckers.

It’s the end of the road for USC freshman guard JuJu Watkins … this year.

Because we just witnessed a record-breaking, unreal season despite falling short in women’s March Madness after the loss to UConn. She had a 51-point performance this year, proving that the Caitlin Clark comparisons aren’t far off.

After USC lost in the Elite Eight matchup on Monday, her UConn counterpart Paige Bueckers came up to her and consoled the tearful Watkins, and that’s when March Madness is at its best — opponents showing love and encouragement to each other.

Here’s the moment captured by ESPN’s cameras for the world to see:

Jason Sudeikis did a ‘you can’t see me’ celebration during epic LSU-Iowa March Madness clash

Ted Lasso was loving what he saw in Albany.

Comedian Jason Sudeikis was in attendance for one of the best games of the year as the Ted Lasso star took in the Elite Eight matchup between the LSU and Iowa women’s basketball teams. Monday night’s highly anticipated game was a rematch of the 2023 National Championship game, which was won by Angel Reese and the Tigers.

MORE: Ryan Ruocco delivered the funniest call of a thrilling Caitlin Clark 3-pointer during LSU vs. Iowa

Sudeikis is no stranger to supporting women’s hoops, with the Horrible Bosses actor frequenting games on both the pro and college level. Late in the fourth quarter, Sudeikis could be seen replicating the “you can’t see me” celebration made famous by wrestler John Cena and adopted by a lot of athletes, including Iowa’s incredible star Caitlin Clark.

The celebration was the same as the one Reese used to taunt Clark in last year’s loss, but the record-setting Hawkeye got revenge in 2024 with a 94-87 victory to make the Final Four.

How to buy Iowa 2024 NCAA Women’s Final Four tickets

Iowa women’s basketball is headed back to the Final Four. Want to watch Caitlin Clark finish her career in person? Tickets still remain for as little as $416.

Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes are headed to the 2024 Final Four.

No. 1 Iowa defeated No. 3 LSU 94-87 in a rematch of last year’s National Championship game.

Clark led the Hawkeyes with 41 points 12 assists and seven rebounds.

SHOP: Iowa Hawkeyes Final Four tickets

Iowa will take on the winner of Monday night’s Elite Eight matchup between JuJu Watkins and the USC Trojans and Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies.

Limited tickets to the women’s Final Four are still available, and at the time of publication are available for as little as $416.

The Final Four will be played on Friday, April 5 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Final Four tickets give access to both Iowa’s game and the matchup between No. 1 South Carolina and No. 3 North Carolina State.

Weekend passes are also available, giving access to both Final Four games on Friday and Sunday night’s National Championship. Weekend passes are available for as little as $878.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Iowa Final Four tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/9OX9gG9″]

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop women’s Final Four weekend passes” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/bxmP5ZG”]

How to buy Iowa 2024 NCAA Women’s Final Four tickets

Iowa women’s basketball is headed back to the Final Four. Want to watch Caitlin Clark finish her career in person? Tickets still remain for as little as $416.

Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes are headed to the 2024 Final Four.

No. 1 Iowa defeated No. 3 LSU 94-87 in a rematch of last year’s National Championship game.

Clark led the Hawkeyes with 41 points 12 assists and seven rebounds.

SHOP: Iowa Hawkeyes Final Four tickets

Iowa will take on the winner of Monday night’s Elite Eight matchup between JuJu Watkins and the USC Trojans and Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies.

Limited tickets to the women’s Final Four are still available, and at the time of publication are available for as little as $416.

The Final Four will be played on Friday, April 5 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Final Four tickets give access to both Iowa’s game and the matchup between No. 1 South Carolina and No. 3 North Carolina State.

Weekend passes are also available, giving access to both Final Four games on Friday and Sunday night’s National Championship. Weekend passes are available for as little as $878.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Iowa Final Four tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/9OX9gG9″]

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop women’s Final Four weekend passes” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/bxmP5ZG”]

How to buy Iowa 2024 NCAA Women’s Final Four tickets

Iowa women’s basketball is headed back to the Final Four. Want to watch Caitlin Clark finish her career in person? Tickets still remain for as little as $416.

Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes are headed to the 2024 Final Four.

No. 1 Iowa defeated No. 3 LSU 94-87 in a rematch of last year’s National Championship game.

Clark led the Hawkeyes with 41 points 12 assists and seven rebounds.

SHOP: Iowa Hawkeyes Final Four tickets

Iowa will take on the winner of Monday night’s Elite Eight matchup between JuJu Watkins and the USC Trojans and Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies.

Limited tickets to the women’s Final Four are still available, and at the time of publication are available for as little as $416.

The Final Four will be played on Friday, April 5 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Final Four tickets give access to both Iowa’s game and the matchup between No. 1 South Carolina and No. 3 North Carolina State.

Weekend passes are also available, giving access to both Final Four games on Friday and Sunday night’s National Championship. Weekend passes are available for as little as $878.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Iowa Final Four tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/9OX9gG9″]

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop women’s Final Four weekend passes” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/bxmP5ZG”]

DJ Burns trolls Duke’s Jared McCain with an Instagram story with the TikTok star

DJ Burns trolled the Duke player and TikTok star after the March Madness win to clinch a Final Four spot.

DJ Burns is the biggest star now thanks to 2024 March Madness.

The NC State forward dominated Duke and fans loved his classy moments after he helped the Wolfpack clinch a Final Four berth.

But he did a little trolling after the win over the Blue Devils, too. He threw in an Instagram video with Duke’s Jared McCain — a TikTok star! — getting fooled and he used a little clip of McCain dancing.

Burns later said it was “all love” and that he was having fun, but this qualifies as trolling. Here’s the clip that everyone was sharing after he posted it:

How to buy NC State 2024 NCAA Men’s Final Four tickets

Want to watch NC State’s first Final Four since 1983 in person? Tickets still remain for as little as $262.

For the first time since 1983, the North Carolina State Wolfpack are going to the Final Four.

No. 11 NC State continued its magical postseason run, defeated No. 4 Duke 76-64 behind 29 points from senior DJ Burns.

NC State will take on No. 1 Purdue in the National Semifinals on Saturday, April 6 at 6:09 p.m. EDT in Phoenix, Ariz.

SHOP: NC State vs. Purdue Final Four tickets

The NC State men join the NC State women, who clinched a Final Four berth earlier today with an upset of No. 1 Texas.

Purdue advanced to the Final Four after defeating No. 2 Tennessee on Sunday afternoon and advancing out of the Midwest Region.

Tickets to the Final Four are still available, and at the time of publication are available for as little as $262.

Final Four tickets give access to both North Carolina State vs. Purdue game and the matchup between No. 1 UConn and No. 4 Alabama.

Weekend passes are also available, giving access to both Final Four games on Saturday and Monday night’s National Championship. Weekend passes are available for as little as $470.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NC State Final Four tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/mVRGvP0″]

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Final Four weekend passes” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/W4n5v8Q”]