The NCAA has always taken careful steps to protect the legendary Final Four men's basketball franchise, including prohibiting others from using its iconic terminology. Hockey used to use it, but then it got shuffled into “Frozen 4” territory. As time went on, the NCAA wanted to uplift women's basketball and allowed women to use this sacred term as well.
What's interesting is that as time progresses, there's no question that women's Division I basketball has caught up and surpassed the men in terms of technical excellence and creative playmaking. Plus, they shoot 3-pointers as if they invented it.
Another interesting footnote to the wild and crazy climax of the NCAA's winter sports season is that somehow the NCAA convinced the world to use the first weekend of April as the basketball semifinals and finals, the Final Four for men's and women's basketball. I mean, I made a reservation for it. As such, the NCAA Hockey Tournament would be played up to the final four teams known as “Frozen 4,” after which games would be suspended before peak competition was allowed to end. Become. It has now grown to a popular status and fills large arenas. But that will have to wait for a decision in a week.
We have a lot of interest this year as the men's hockey Frozen Four will be held at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The semi-finals will be held on April 11th, and the two winners will compete again on April 13th to determine the winner.
This meant a two-week break from the start of heated competition in four regional tournaments across the country, resulting in a very surprising group of survivors converging on St. Paul. The first semifinal will see No. 2 ranked Boston University take on No. 3 Denver at 4 p.m., followed by a game between No. 1 Boston University and Big Ten powerhouse Michigan at 7:30 p.m.
If all six of Minnesota's Division 1 prospects are barred from their home facilities, you have to admit that there are probably fewer than four heavyweights in college hockey more powerful than the Frozen 4 players. Must be.
Men's Hockey Regional Championship Set Frozen 4
We were all hoping to see two or three Minnesota teams make it to the Frozen 4, but they fell like dominoes all the way to regionals or regionals . The Minnesota Gophers were the only team from the state to advance to the regional finals. It was in Sioux Falls, where the Gophers got some incredibly lucky breaks and scored, defeating Omaha 3-2 in the semifinals, but losing to Boston College 6-3.
In Springfield, Massachusetts, Cornell University came back to beat Maine 3-1 in the semifinals, and then Denver ran away from the University of Massachusetts 2-1 in overtime. In the final game, Cornell University used speed and strength to defeat Denver, and the Pioneers, who had battled with their NCHC rivals all season, were lucky to win 2-1 and move on from the Frozen Four in their matchup against BU. Obtained.
At Providence, Boston College played a tough first game against CCHA upstart Michigan Tech, then exploded in the third period to win 6-1. Defending NCAA champion Quinnipiac defeated Wisconsin 3-2 in overtime. Quinnipiac then gave it their all against BC, and the Eagles then fought back four times to catch up with the Bobcats, taking the lead only once in overtime, winning 5-4.
In Maryland Heights, Missouri, Big Ten rivals Michigan State and Michigan State battled it out in a classic championship game, with Michigan scoring 12 seconds apart on third-period goals from Dylan Duke and Gavin Brindley to seal the Big Ten title. They defeated the champion Spartans 5. -2.
We have another week to ponder the Denver vs. BU game and BC vs. Michigan game as we wait to see where the ice shards land. To the surprise of the NCAA, this year, rather than ignoring the hockey finals, the men's basketball finals will serve as an appetizer for the great Frozen 4.
And the NCAA women's basketball finals will likely feature a show that's more attention-grabbing, if not more deserving, than the men's.
Men's and women's hoop final four with interesting matchups
What could save the men's Final Four is that UConn, a powerhouse in women's basketball, will also play on the men's side and play Alabama in the second semifinal on Saturday (7:49 p.m. PT). The first semifinal at 5:09 p.m. will feature his double Cinderella story, with Purdue of the Big Ten reaching the Final Four for the first time and facing North Carolina State.
The story of the NC State Wolfpack men's team means the university has both a men's and women's team that will make the Final Four, but NC State has been sluggish for most of the winter, leading the Atlantic Coast They were struggling to finish 10th in the conference. NC State lost its final four games of the regular season. But once everyone got into the conference tournament, the Wolfpack started for no apparent reason and haven't lost since.
North Carolina State defeated arch-rival Duke 76-64 to win the South Division and extend the Wolfpack's winning streak to nine games through the playoffs. How refreshing to see that high-end basketball powerhouses aren't dominating the headlines this year as usual. Purdue would have been a Cinderella if NC State didn't have glass sneakers, too.
The women's Final Four will also feature North Carolina State and UW, with North Carolina State facing South Carolina, which has an impressive 36-0 record. The field was solidified Monday night as Iowa State defeated defending national champion LSU behind a 41-point performance from Caitlin Clark. In the night's other game, UW took a 12-point lead in the third quarter and allowed USC to catch up. However, former Hopkins High School star Paige Backers had a great performance with 28 points, leading the University Huskies to an 80-73 victory over USC.
For all the hype, there's nothing in either men's or women's basketball that can match the Clark vs. Buccaneer showdown between two of the best guards in women's basketball history.
The men's and women's basketball teams were so special that they had to convince us to hold off on Frozen 4 for another week. Heat up the TV, fill your popcorn bowl with fresh, and enjoy.
No, none of Minnesota's six teams made it to the Frozen Four. That's why you have to enjoy the joy of hosting the Frozen Four at the “State of Hockey” palace on West 7th Street in St. Paul. Just wait a week.
