The 2024 Final Four has never seen the likes of such a Cinderella story. UConn, after cutting down the nets in 2023 is definitely not a surprise. Alabama, on the other hand has treated March as though they are playing on the football field. Purdue is one year removed from having the Heimlich maneuver revive them from the 2023 choke job losing to Farleigh Dickinson. The team that resembles Cinderella the most is the wolf pack from North Carolina State. They were beat down and given no chance, until they came together to put on a remarkable late winning streak. Though, Cinderella’s glass slipper still doesn’t DJ Burns’s size 21 triple wide feet.
The real underdog story has nothing to do with future NBA stars and slam dunks. Cinderella is not a fella, she’s the real deal and laces it up for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Caitlin Clark has not only single handedly revived women’s basketball but has also stolen the spotlight from the men’s Final Four. LSUs Angel Reese has stepped into the role of Clark’s ugly stepsister and was abruptly sent packing with her amusing head coach. Larry Bird didn’t win the National Championship and Caitlin Clark might not either, but both showed that true greatness can come from anywhere.
