College Sports

It’s Selection Sunday, so who’s ready to go dancing?

Posted March 17, 2024 6:00 am

Orrin Schwarz

Follow @Orrin_Schwarz

Men’s NCAA Tournament announcement, 5 p.m., CBS

Women’s NCAA Tournament announcement, 7 p.m., ESPN

Illinois

Illinois' Coleman Hawkins (33) signals in the final seconds of play in beating Wisconsin in an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Andy Manis) AP

The Fighting Illini threw a scare into their fans with a rocky first half against Nebraska on Saturday in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, trailing by 11 points at halftime. They looked like a team that could lose to anyone. But in the second half the Illini looked like a team that could beat anyone, winning by 11 points to earn a tournament championship berth at 2:30 p.m. Sunday against Wisconsin. Saturday’s victory might have pushed Illinois into a No. 3 seed when the brackets are announced immediately following the tournament final.

Northwestern guard Boo Buie (0) drives the ball along the baseline during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Indiana, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024, in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler) AP

Northwestern

OK, so the Wildcats flamed out early in the Big Ten Tournament, losing their first game to Wisconsin. They have struggled in March, in large part due to injuries to a few starters, but most bracketologists believe they’ve done enough to slip into the tournament. Still, there might be a few Wildcats chewing their finger nails today until they hear the school name called.

Costumed Cinderella greets a young guest at an event marking the inclusion of Disney's “Cinderella” into the National Film Registry on its 70th anniversary, Thursday night, June 20, 2019 at the Library of Congress in Washington. (AP Photo/Oscar Wells Gabriel II) AP

Cinderella

In college basketball terms, which lower seed will overcome its underdog status to shock a Final Four hopeful and maybe make the Final Four itself? There always seems to be at least one Cinderella in the NCAA Tournament, and often there are more. Last year fifth-seeded San Diego State beat No. 9 Florida Atlantic to reach the championship game against No. 4 UConn. Those top seeds didn’t seem to mean much.

Iowa

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) cheers while checking out of the game during the second half of an NCAA college basketball quarterfinal game against Penn State at the Big Ten women's tournament Friday, March 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) AP

The player everyone wants to watch in the NCAA Tournament this year? Caitlin Clark, of course. She’s already declared this is her last season of college basketball, but she has yet to win the NCAA Tournament, her Hawkeyes losing the championship game to LSU last season. Is this the season Clark adds the only thing missing from her incredible college resume, a national championship.

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