UConn got the job done this year (I called it), but this sport is about much more than just the champs. Here are some of my favorite moments and storylines from this past season.
Jack. Gohlke.
Jack Gohlke is what March is about. The 6’3” 215 grad transfer played his first year of Division I basketball this season and cemented himself in March Madness history books with his elite performance in the tourney. Gohlke had 32 for Oakland in a shocking win over Kentucky (which sent Coach Cal to Fayetteville) on 10 3-balls. Unfortunately for Gohlke and the Golden Grizzlies, their run ended in the Round of 32 where an unstoppable force, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, met an immovable object, DJ Burns Jr. and NC State.
NC State
Talk about a team that got hot at the right time. The Wolfpack went into the ACC Tournament at 17-14 with no shot at an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament. So, they won 5 games in as many days, led by DJ Burns Jr. and DJ Horne to punch their ticket. Kevin Keatts was no longer on the hot seat, and Raleigh, NC was hoping their ACC Tournament run was no fluke. It wasn’t. They controlled all of their first round matchup against Texas Tech and held on to beat Oakland in OT of their next game, sending the Wolfpack to the Sweet 16. From there, they beat Marquette handily, and ran Duke out of the gym in the second half of their Elite 8 contest. NC State’s run came to an end against Purdue due to their inability to hit timely shots, but this will remain an all-time run.
Zach Edey & Purdue
Purdue had more pressure to perform this season than any other squad in the nation. The Boilermakers were able to handle it however, thanks to the dominant presence of the back-to-back National Player of the Year, Zach Edey. Edey averaged 25 and 12 and had an all-time great tournament run statistically, all while leading Purdue to the National Championship. Matt Painter proved the haters wrong this year, and got the Big Ten some respect back due to their success in March.
UConn
Dan Hurley completed one of the greatest two-year stretches in CBB history, leading the UConn Huskies to back-to-back national titles in dominant fashion. There was not a point after March that the Huskies were truly challenged. Their depth, experience, size, and athleticism set them miles apart from every team in their way. The Huskies’ starting lineup didn’t have a single hole, and this squad executed their sets to perfection all tournament long. UConn firmly established themselves as a blue blood (if they hadn’t already) and Hurley has put himself up there as a top coach in the sport. I’m going to go out on a limb and say the Huskies don’t three-peat, but it hasn’t been smart to bet against Dan Hurley in the past.
Coaching Carousel/NIL/Transfer Portal
I don’t know if I’d consider this section to be a storyline from this past season, but it needs to be mentioned. We’re in a wild time for college sports, but college basketball is incredibly wild. John Calipari somehow ended up at Arkansas because SMU fired Rob Lanier after going 20-13, and because Tyson Foods’ founder’s grandson likes Arkansas Basketball. Roddy Gayle Jr. started the entire 2023-24 season for Ohio State, but is now transferring to Michigan, and former 5-star Aden Holloway is leaving Auburn for Alabama. Jeremy Roach is leaving Duke after starting the past two seasons for the Blue Devils to go to Baylor (and a rumored $1.5 million NIL package). The sport is no longer about rivalries or storied programs, it’s about money. I don’t want to sound like an old-head here, but it is pretty sad to see what made college basketball so special begin to fade away (no pun intended). I still love the sport, but I don’t think it’s in a very good spot.
