While everyone turns their attention to the upcoming NBA playoffs, let’s relive some of this year’s March Madness, one of the best NCAA tournaments we’ve had in recent memory. The tournament was filled with compelling storylines, surprising upsets, instant classics and everything else a college hoops fan could ask for.
Here we highlight five teams that made the Big Dance for one reason or another and made their mark this season, each team embodying everything we love about sports.
FAU:
The season for most college basketball programs begins in November. The 2023-24 season for the Florida Atlantic Owls kicks off on a cold March Friday afternoon in Brooklyn, New York. It’s the first round of the NCAA Tournament and they’ll be facing a tough Northwestern team; if they lose, their season is over. Not to gloss over their 25-8 record entering this game, but another deep run in the Big Dance has been a singular focus for this program since last April.
FAU, under head coach Dusty May, is one year removed from the best season in program history. The 2022-23 Owls posted a 35-4 record, falling in a heartbreaking buzzer-beater to San Diego State in the Final Four. It’s been an impressive run for the Owls, who didn’t advance past the quarterfinals of their conference tournament until last year, since coach May took over in 2018.
The Final Four is a run for mid-level trainers, but guarantees high-end opportunities to follow; the same goes for mid-majors who lead their teams into deep tournaments. At the end of last year, Coach May had his own number of suitors looking to fill vacancies. But instead of joining the annual coaching carousel, he redoubled his commitment to the program he helped build and signed a lucrative 10-year extension to stay put. Several of his players, such as standouts Jonelle Davis and Alijah Martin, among others, certainly had their share of high-profile suitors as well. But they didn’t even enter the transfer portal. FAU returned every eligible player from last year’s roster this season (the only player they lost was Michael Forrest, who graduated). In NIL country and a transfer portal, this is almost unheard of – FAU was one of five Division I schools to do so.
FAU leads by one halftime; With about six minutes left in the second half, the Owls trailed by nine points. It’s a neutral site, but the crowd really likes Northwestern. Coach May, in a navy blue long-sleeved shirt and khakis, stands on the sidelines, cool, calm and collected. Nothing about his demeanor suggested even the slightest hint of anxiety. His tendency to stay consistent in high-pressure moments translates to his players on the court.
They go over the lead—a layup here, a three-pointer there, a few floaters and free throws—and boom. The score is equal to 58. With seven seconds left on the clock, it’s FAU’s ball. Jonelle Davis, the reigning Player of the Year and a unanimous first-team All-AAC selection, drives the ball up the field. Coach May signals him to attack the sideline. defenders struggled to stay in front of him all game. Jonelle opts for the stretch three instead. It tips the defender and falls. Zeros on the clock. Off to extra time.
The game got away from FAU in overtime. Northwestern ran away with the lead and eventually the win.
In a program like FAU with such a high standard of excellence, there is no room for moral victories. But real college basketball fans should celebrate this team tenfold. This team represents the essence of college basketball: Loyalty. Obligation: Friendliness. Keep going even when things get tough. Building a legacy. Sacrificing personal interests for the greater good. “The relationship we had as a unit, just the unselfishness with which we play and our togetherness was a big factor in everyone coming back,” said Brian Greenlee, a senior guard who transferred to FAU after spending his freshman season at Minnesota. :
It’s amazing that college athletes are able to cash in on their likeness. It’s just sad that this happens so often at the expense of honesty. It’s easier than ever to get swept up in the glitz and glamor that surrounds the game. But the FAU squad understands that all that glitters is not gold. Or maybe they realize that FAU is a gold mine in itself.
“There was probably more money and opportunities for players, but just the idea of ​​bringing back the same group that likes to play with each other and try to do something special was more important than chasing the money,” he says. Greenlee. “At the end of the day, the money will find you if you’re a good player.”
Vladislav Goldin, a young 7-1 big man who transferred to FAU after his freshman season at Texas Tech, echoed Greenlee’s sentiment. “It’s more than just zero or whatever,” he says. “We came (back) because we love each other and it will pay off in the future.”
They may not have accomplished their goal of repeating their magical run from a year ago, but this is one of the most respected teams in this new era of college basketball. they are the last of a dying breed.
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Throughout the offseason, Dusty May’s name had been tossed around as a top priority for many top athletic directors looking to make a coaching change; All season long, FAU has ignored the rumors. But just one day after their first-round exit, it was reported that he would agree to become the next head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, turning down offers from Louisville, Vanderbilt and West Virginia.
He leaves an FAU program worlds better than when he inherited it. It will be interesting to see if Coach May can maintain the same success in the more competitive Big Ten and bring back the Michigan program. Now that he’s at one of the nation’s most resourceful facilities, it’s hard to imagine he’ll have a hard time attracting high-profile recruits and transfers. But he’s a big fish in a big pond now, unlike his situation at FAU, so keeping the five-star happy and committed to a team-first approach will be the new challenge Coach May must take on.
If his ability to maintain an entire roster after an average Final Four run is any indication, it’s clear the Hoopers love playing for him and are willing to sacrifice personal gain to be part of something bigger than themselves. That’s what basketball is all about. Well, that’s what should to be everything.
State of North Carolina
This is obvious. NC State was 17-14 and riding a four-game winning streak in the ACC Tournament. But how March Madness is created doesn’t matter. NC State unexpectedly won its first two games in the ACC Tournament against Louisville and Syracuse. It wasn’t until they beat Duke in the quarterfinals that the basketball world began to sense that there might be some March magic around the Wolfpack. They would go on to beat UVA in an overtime thriller before punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament by upsetting UNC in the ACC Championship. That momentum (and some stellar performances from DJ Burns and DJ Horne) carried them all the way to the Final Four, where their Cinderella story ended against Purdue. They haven’t been to the Final Four since 1983. The ACC (and college basketball in general) is better when NC State thrives; let’s see where they go after this unprecedented and historic season.
Long Beach State
Long Beach State, led by head coach Dan Monson, hadn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2012, and no one expected this year to be any different, not even their athletic director. At the end of the regular season and just before the start of the Big West Tournament, the AD informed Coach Monson that he would be relieved of his duties after the season. The decision alone wasn’t extraordinary, though schedule it has been and has been met with much criticism from the college circle community. Well, Coach Monson’s football players responded best. After he shared the news with his team, they put their heart into their coach and went on to win three straight to win the Big West Championship and earn a spot in March Madness. It’s not very often that a coach gets fired ahead leading his team to a championship run. Long Beach State lost in the first round to a tough Arizona team, but they did the unthinkable and fired a well-respected coach in dream fashion. “I’m proud, I’m happy, I’m thinking … mostly proud,” coach Monson said in a press conference after his loss in Arizona. “I am proud of my tenure. I pride myself on doing it the right way. I am proud of the student-athletes who left here, came in as young men, and left as men. Came with no college and left with a college degree. Came in here with skill development, leaving here with enough skills to play pro.”
Oakland
Another obvious choice. Oakland was the biggest bracket this year. They scored 14 points in this year’s tournament and had to face a 3-point Kentucky team that many picked to win. In pregame interviews, Oakland’s confidence was on full display. When the game started, it was clear why they were so confident. You can point to the fun matchup zone they play that contained Kentucky’s offensive firepower. You can point to a few lucky breaks that have come their way. But mostly, you can point to this year’s most famous “overnight celebrity” created by the tournament’s success: Jack Golke. He connected on 10 threes en route to 32 points and Oakland’s victory. Coming off Oakland’s bench, Golke was transferring from Division II Hillsdale College. This one performance on the brightest stage positioned Gohlke to become a NIL star with deals worth tens of thousands of dollars. Golke’s hot streak continued in the Round of 32, where he connected on six triples in a loss to NC State. But by then they had already outgrown it. Led by coach Greg Kampe, who has been Oakland’s head coach for 40 years, this team will go down as the biggest first-round upset in tournament history. Some will take pride in changing the power of college hoops. their win led to a messy divorce between John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats that will likely have a major impact on the college basketball landscape.
Grambling State
Many teams had “firsts” in this year’s tournament. Certainly none mean more to their respective programs than Grambling State. Despite their impressive historical success, this was the first time Grambling State made the Big Dance in program history. Not only did they win the tournament, but they also won the top four and advanced. Just having a tournament can boost a program immeasurably, let alone winning a game. For HBCUs, it’s gotten even bigger. Coach Donte Jackson and the Tigers have been knocking on the door for quite some time. This year they finally got in. Despite their Round of 64 loss to the eventual Championship runners-up, Purdue, Grambling State (and other HBCUs) can be sure to put the college basketball world on notice; all the right reasons.
Photo via Getty Images.
