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What does this Final Four appearance mean to Illinois?

After crushing the glass slippers of the last Cinderella (and accomplishing what Florida couldn’t), Illinois made it back to the Final Four for the first time since 2005. That 2005 team was led by Dee Brown, Luther Head and Deron Williams, all of whom got drafted to the NBA and had varying levels of success. They sadly lost to Sean May’s UNC, and that is the only time Illinois has ever been in the final. The Fighting Illini have never won a National Championship, but they’ve come close a few times. Besides the 2005 Final, there’s also 1989 with Nick Anderson, where they lost in the Final 4 to Michigan thanks to a Sean Higgins buzzer beater. Then there’s the early 1950s, when they made the Final Four in 1951 and 1952, only to lose each game by just 2 points, neither on a buzzer-beater. They’ve come close, but have never been able to close the deal. Now, they’re in their strongest era outside of the early-to-mid 2000s. Before the hiring of head coach Brad Underwood, Illinois was very turbulent, to say the least. The team hadn’t made it to the NCAA tournament since 2013. After 2005, Illinois ranked 67th in wins, 6th in the Big Ten. They weren’t a punching bag; instead, they were mediocre. Even when Underwood arrived, he didn’t turn them around right away. They had a couple of lean years and finally became a legit threat in 2019-20, finishing a season ranked for the first time since 2006. Since 2020, they rank 15th in total wins. While not the cream of the crop, they no longer could be ignored. Especially after they won the Big Ten Tournament in 2021 and 2024, now, they have the highest single-season offensive rating in NCAA history, with a chance to go down as one of the greatest offences in college basketball history, led by a superstar freshman, Keaton Wagler. Wagler might be the perfect representation of this team. Wagler was ranked #261 in the 247 Sports Composite coming out of high school. On Rivals, he was ranked #179. Even when he looked like a star freshman, he remained overshadowed by other freshmen in his class, yet he has continued to prove himself at every turn, propelling Illinois to greater success, which very few saw coming. Obviously, the most significant part of this is Illinois’s chance to win their first ever National Championship. However, everything else that has gone into it, including the possibility of slaying a Big Ten giant in the final, would make it even sweeter.

Fighting Illini

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UConn Sweeps Top 3 of WNBA Draft: Today in Sports History

On April 14th, 2016, Breanna Stewart lead a UConn sweep of the first three picks in the WNBA draft, going first overall to the Seattle Storm. Moriah Jefferson went second to the San Antonio Stars (now the Las Vegas Aces) and Morgan Tuck third to the Connecticut Sun, the first time in draft history that three players from the same school went 1-2-3. It’s a first in any major sport. Stewart is now a 2x WNBA MVP, 3x WNBA Champion, 2x Finals MVP, 7x All-Star, 6x All-WNBA First Team member, 2016 ROTY, and is considered one of the Top 25 WNBA players of all-time. Jefferson made the 2016 All-Rookie team and finished as the ROTY runner-up behind Stewart. She's become a career journeyman, playing for five teams since 2020. Tuck didn't do much in the WNBA, but won the 2020 WNBA championship with Seattle. She is currently the general manager of the Connecticut Sun.

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What does this Final Four appearance mean to Arizona?

With their win over Purdue, Arizona returns to the Final Four for the first time since 2001. Future NBA all-stars and podcast hosts Gilbert Arenas and Richard Jefferson led that 2001 team. They eventually made it to the championship game, where they lost to Shane Battier and Duke. That is their most recent appearance in the championship game and 1 of just 4 times Arizona has ever made the final. The Wildcats have exactly 1 National Championship, thanks to the 1996-97 team that included Jason Terry, Mike Bibby, Michael Dickerson, and Miles Simon. To this day, that is Arizona’s only National Championship, and it is not for lack of trying. Out of every D1 men’s basketball team, Arizona has the 5th most wins in its entire history. The only schools ahead of them: Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas and Duke. That’s it. UConn, UCLA, Florida and every other school sit behind them. If we close the timeline to since their National Championship, it's a similar story. They are 6th, only behind the aforementioned schools plus Gonzaga. On top of all this, before the Elite 8, Arizona had the most wins ever in 5 years without a Final Four appearance. Now they have a Final 4 appearance. Arizona’s journey isn’t about overcoming deficiencies. It’s about proving they belong with the elites of college basketball. For decades, they have won as many games as the best programs in the country; all they’re missing is the sheer number of titles. Each team ahead of them in wins during the shot clock era has multiple National Championships. If the Wildcats can cross the finish line this year, they will put themselves in rare air. Only 3 teams in NCAA history have finished a season with 38 wins: 2008 Memphis with Derrick Rose, 2012 Kentucky with Anthony Davis, and 2015 Kentucky with Karl-Anthony Towns. Of those teams, only the 2012 Kentucky team won its national championship. Arizona currently has 36 wins. With everything Tommy Lloyd has accomplished, getting over the Sweet 16 hump could be the catalyst for a return to glory and a place among the greatest teams ever.

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What does this Final Four appearance mean to Michigan?

With the STEAMROLLING of Tennessee, Michigan made it back to the Final 4 for the first time since 2018. That 2018 team included Moritz Wagner (not Franz), Jordan Poole and Duncan Robinson, but lost in the championship game to a Jalen Brunson-led Villanova squad. That was the school’s 7th appearance in the final, yet the Wolverines have only 1 championship, back in 1989 with Glen Rice leading the way. Since that 1-year glory, the Wolverines have had many other chances to win it all, only to fall short of the ultimate prize. After John Beilein left, Michigan went through a brief down period. Some success, but nothing close to 2018. 2023-24 was THE disaster; they won just 8 games that season, and Juwan Howard was fired. It was the worst season in program history and had to be one of the lowest points Michigan basketball has ever been at. Then, Dusty May arrived. May had previously coached at FAU and said, “Our goal is to be enjoyable to watch” in his introductory press conference. Safe to say he has succeeded and then some. He has turned Michigan into a juggernaut, a monster that is looking to be more than just a really well-decorated bridesmaid, finally. After winning their Sweet 16 game, Yaxel Lendeborg said he believed they could become the greatest Michigan team ever. Fortunately, for the sake of this narrative, Michigan legend Jalen Rose is on TV and was naturally asked what he thought about that. His answer was simple. “You wanna have that conversation? Go cut down the net.” Well, this Michigan squad may have a case regardless. These Wolverines have already set the all-time Michigan record for most wins in a season and the highest winning percentage. Winning the National Championship would not only surely make them the greatest Michigan team of all-time, but also make them one of the best teams in College basketball history, all while finally making Michigan the bride.