Tag: Final Four

Notre Dame loses two rotational players to transfer portal

Notre Dame widely is expected to compete for a Final Four berth during the 2024-25 season.

Notre Dame widely is expected to compete for a Final Four berth during the 2024-25 season. However, a couple of players have chosen to take their talents elsewhere. Forward Natalija Marshall has announced that she will enter the transfer portal:

https://www.instagram.com/natalijamarshall/p/C5meAvQN9Ro/?hl=en

This news dropped only two days after sophomore guard KK Bransford also announced she was entering the transfer portal:

https://www.instagram.com/kkbransford/p/C5dqbVFunv3/?hl=en

Marshall will leave the Irish despite starting their final four games of this past season for the injured [autotag]Kylee Watson[/autotag]. In three seasons with the Irish, Marshall averaged 4.1 points and 1.3 rebounds a game.

Bransford is out after only two years with the Irish. In her 66 games, she made 19 starts and averaged 7.5 points and 3.8 rebounds a game.

[autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] already is down two players whom she played regularly. That hurts regardless of the talent coming in via the transfer portal and the 2024 recruiting class. Whatever the reason though, this is a sure sign that the new season already is here.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Wisconsin basketball ruined John Calipari’s tenure at Kentucky

What’s your memory of Wisconsin’s win over Kentucky in the 2015 Final Four:

The headline may be a bit of hyperbole. But with today’s news that longtime Kentucky head coach John Calipari was leaving for the job at Arkansas, it’s time to revisit how Wisconsin basketball plays into his legacy.

Calipari is one of the more prominent figures in the sport. Head coach experience since 1988, 855 total collegiate wins, Final Four appearances with UMass and Memphis before moving to Kentucky, the catalyst behind the one-and-done era, four Final Fours at Kentucky and one national championship.

Related: Evaluating the Big Ten’s next targets for conference expansion

The resume speaks for itself. But it’s also entirely empty since Wisconsin’s Final Four win over undefeated Kentucky back in 2015 — which is a large part of the reason Calipari is leaving for Arkansas.

A win over Wisconsin that year likely means an undefeated 40-0 season for the Wildcats — which would have cemented Calipari and that team in college basketball history. It also would’ve made the head coach a two-time national champion, something not many can boast.

2015 was Calipari’s best Kentucky team — current NBA star Devin Booker was its sixth man, for reference. It was also the most important  team to his legacy as a head coach. The trophy case is empty for that season, which is a large reason why Kentucky fans have wanted change for the last several years.

Calipari still dominated the recruiting trail and sent stars to the NBA every season. Despite that, he’s somehow had little-to-zero March Madness success after 2015. For that reason, we’re connecting his departure from Kentucky with the biggest win in Wisconsin basketball history.

For anybody who wants to re-live that legendary night, here are some of the best photos:

Celebrate UConn’s 2024 national championship with USA TODAY commemorative cover

Get your hands on the ultimate piece of gear to celebrate UConn’s back-to-back National Championships

The University of Connecticut is once again atop the college basketball mountain.

The Huskies defeated Zach Edey and the Purdue Boilermakers 75-60, dominating the NCAA Tournament for a second-consecutive season.

There are many ways to celebrate this monumental achievement, and USA TODAY is offering a piece of history with the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship commemorative cover.

SHOP: UConn 2024 commemorative cover

Whether your a lifelong Huskies fan, recently hopped on the bandwagon, or just want to celebrate the greatness of a dynasty, this cover can become the ultimate piece of wall art.

Fans can get the cover framed, or as a variety of prints including wooden, canvas, acrylic, and metal.

Never forget the moment that UConn won back-to-back national championships, with this ultimate symbol of Huskies fandom.

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Celebrate South Carolina’s national championship with commemorative cover

Get your hands on the ultimate piece of gear to celebrate South Carolina’s 2024 National Championship

There is only one word to describe the 2023-24 South Carolina women’s basketball team: PERFECT.

The Gamecocks defeated Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes 87-75, putting the finishing touches on an undefeated season with a national championship.

There are many ways to celebrate this monumental achievement, but USA TODAY and the Greenville News are offering a piece of history with the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship commemorative cover and a keepsake eight-page extended championship edition.

SHOP: South Carolina commemorative cover

Whether your a lifelong South Carolina fan, recently hopped on the bandwagon, or just want to celebrate this incredible level of women’s basketball, this cover can become the ultimate piece of wall art.

Fans can get the cover framed, or as a variety of prints including wooden, canvas, acrylic, and metal.

Never forget the moment the Gamecocks completed their undefeated season and won the 2024 National Championship, with this ultimate symbol of South Carolina fandom.

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We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. FTW operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Top images from Alabama’s battle against UConn in the Final Four

Alabama’s memorable March Madness run has come to an end. Relive the excitement from the game against UConn in the Final Four.

The Alabama Crimson Tide had a memorable and unprecedented March Madness run that culminated in the program’s first-ever Final Four appearance. However, head coach [autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] and his team couldn’t get beyond the extremely well-rounded UConn Huskies to advance to the national championship game against Purdue.

This year’s Alabama team was heavily doubted heading into the 2023-2024 regular season, as the roster had high turnover, the coaching staff was basically brand new across the board and the defense took a significant step in the wrong direction.

Nobody expected the Crimson Tide to be as dominant as they were in March, and yet they shocked the nation, their fans, and everyone but themselves by making it to the Final Four.

Photo gallery from Alabama vs. UConn in the Final Four of March Madness

Alabama’s Final Four run comes to an end with 86-72 loss to UConn

The Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball had its Final Four run cut short with a 86-72 loss to the UConn Huskies in the semifinal matchup

The magical run for [autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team came to an end on Saturday night with a tough 86-72 loss to the UConn Huskies in the Final Four.

The final score does not indicate how close the game actually was, but UConn’s talent, depth, and championship pedigree were on full display down the stretch.

Mark Sears led the Tide with 24 points while Grant Nelson played a tough and physical game with 19 points and 15 rebounds.

Alabama will head back to Tuscaloosa with plenty to build on in the future as Coach Oats has the Crimson Tide rolling in the right direction.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on X (Twitter) @Blackwood89.

Did you know Caitlin Clark is a big Tar Heels fan?

Did you know Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark grew up a huge UNC basketball fan?

All the attention in the college basketball world is on Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark, who’s amongst the best to ever don a college uniform.

Clark has been balling out since her elementary school days in Des Moines, Iowa, but this season has undoubtedly been her best. Not only did she break Kelsey Plum’s NCAA Division-I women’s scoring record, but she now holds the NCAA Division-I all-time scoring record after later passing Pistol Pete Maravich,

As a result of her All-Star level play this year, which includes a college-leading 31.7 points per game, Clark’s Hawkeyes are in the Final Four for the second-straight season. Iowa will be playing for its first national title on Sunday, April 7, holding off a late charge from UConn Friday to advance.

Though Clark is an  Iowa basketball legend, did you know she actually grew up a UNC fan?

We can credit this to two Tar Heel legends: Mia Hamm, arguably the greatest women’s soccer player our National Team has ever seen and Harrison Barnes, who grew up approximately 40 minutes north of Clark in Ames.

“I was a big Harrison Barnes fan growing up, but I was also big Mia Hamm fan, too,” Clark said in a Tar Heel Tribune article. “Harrison Barnes was like ‘it’ in the state of Iowa.”

This sentence for the Tar Heel tribune article shows you how much Clark truly loved North Carolina: She had her mom repaint her entire room Carolina blue and navy blue. She had Carolina stuff all over her room.

As much as she loves UNC, was there ever a shot she’d don the Tar Heel Blue herself?

“I didn’t really want to go there and play women’s basketball, but I loved their men’s basketball and their soccer because I grew up playing soccer,” Clark said. “So, yeah, I was a big North Carolina basketball fan growing up.”

Just imagine if Clark chose UNC. Can you imagine how much more of a basketball school it’d be?

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Alabama basketball releases high-energy Final Four trailer

Not ready for the Final Four of March Madness? Watch this trailer by Alabama basketball as the team prepares to take on UConn and you’ll be ready to take the court alongside them.

The day has come for the college basketball national championship matchup to be decided. As the NC State Wolfpack take on the Purdue Boilermakers and the Alabama Crimson Tide take on the UConn Huskies in the Final Four of the 2024 March Madness Tournament.

Though Alabama is not the favorite in this matchup, with even the staff at Roll Tide Wire being split on score predictions, the team seems ready to roll.

As Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats has said during this week, there’s not much stress on his team. They feel as if they are playing with house money. They are happy to be where they are at but don’t feel the pressure that UConn likely faces to get to the national championship game. That ease of mind could be a real game changer when it comes time to tip-off.

On social media, Alabama basketball shared a trailer for the game against the Huskies and it has fans ready to line up alongside the team to take the court.

Narrated by Alabama alum and ESPN personality Rece Davis, the Crimson Tide is ready to roll into the Final Four with the mentality of ‘Why stop now?’

 

Former Kentucky legend meets with Alabama basketball team ahead of Final Four

Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team heard from a March Madness veteran who knows what it’s like to play in the Final Four.

Alabama basketball is heading into uncharted waters tonight as they will play in the program’s first-ever Final Four. The Crimson Tide beat the No. 1 seeded UNC Tar Heels in the Sweet 16 and the No. 6 Clemson Tigers in the Elite Eight here to earn a date with the No. 1 overall seed and defending national champion UConn Huskies. The Huskies have opened as an 11.5-point favorite with most experts predicting a blowout in favor of Dan Hurley’s squad, but this Alabama team seems relaxed.

Superstar for the Phoenix Suns and former Kentucky G Devin Booker stopped by to speak with the Tide in Phoenix this week. Booker was on the 38-0 Kentucky team that was widely regarded as one of the best teams ever before their shocking upset to Wisconsin in the Final Four. So, Booker knows better than anyone that anything can happen on this stage regardless of the David vs. Goliath story. Booker has gone on to be a First-Team All-Pro and 4x All-Star.

On top of sharing some words of encouragement for Nate Oats’s squad, Booker was kind enough to drop off some signature shoes for the ‘Bama players. Regardless of how the game goes, this has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the players and fans alike.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo wins Dawn Staley Award as top guard

Add yet another honor for the freshman phenom.

[autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] began her collegiate career when Notre Dame faced South Carolina in Paris to open this past season. That meant she got to make her debut with Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley watching from the opposite sideline. She aced her first exam, leading all scorers with 31 points in an Irish loss. Now, Staley gets to honor her.

Hidalgo has been named the winner of this year’s Dawn Staley Award, given to the country’s top guard. She unseats Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, who had won it each of the previous three seasons. She is the second Irish player to win the award after [autotag]Skylar Diggins[/autotag], who was the first honoree in 2013.

Staley, whose Gamecocks are in the Final Four trying to complete a perfect season, said the following about Hidalgo:

“The Dawn Staley Award goes to the player who demonstrates exceptional skills, leadership, and performance at the guard position. Hannah Hidalgo’s court vision, passing ability, ball-handling and ability to create scoring opportunities for herself and her teammates combined with her relentless defense is unmatched. She is the embodiment of a two-way force on the basketball court and the essence of what the award represents. In a season where there are several deserving candidates Hannah has separated herself from the group.“

Hidalgo will receive her award during a virtual ceremony April 11, and it’s great to know that she still is collecting hardware even with the Irish’s season over. That trophy case is gonna be awfully crowded by the time she’s done in South Bend.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89