Fortitude of fabulous four is fueling them toward the ultimate glory. Due to both their men’s and women’s teams qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, Duke, UConn, Gonzaga, and NC State have a strong case this year. But if fans have learned anything from March Madness, it’s to count the chickens before they hatch. And there is a long pattern and process behind this twisted belief.

Since its inception in 1939, March Madness has grown in popularity and is now one of the most anticipated sporting events. In the single-elimination NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, 68 teams battle it out for the national title throughout seven rounds. The Selection Committee releases the complete NCAA tournament bracket and the newest roster joining the Sweet 16 on Selection Sunday. The Final Four, the penultimate phase, goes on to eliminate competitors until a single national champion is crowned in the second week of April.

March Madness transcends divisions

Top seeds North Carolina and UConn earned an easy win by a margin of at least 16 points. While the experienced Blue Devils proved the potential with a 93-55 victory against James Madison, still the only double-digit seed in the field NC State was largely pushed to victory by D.J. Burns’s 24 pts; all in the second round of the 2024 men’s NCAA tournament entering March Madness. 13 of the top 14 teams by Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency rankings, including Iowa State, Duke, Alabama, and Gonzaga, made it to the Sweet 16.

An update on X posted by @TheAthletic further highlighted, “Twenty-one schools sent teams to both the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments in search of March immortality. Only four programs still have teams in both brackets heading to the Sweet 16: Duke UConn Gonzaga NC State.”

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Both men’s and women’s national collegiate basketball tournaments offer the same number of qualifying teams after the NCAA Women’s Tournament expanded to include the ‘first four’ two years back. There are still significant differences between the men’s and women’s tournaments, most notably the women’s tournaments starting on campus sites for the first four and first and second rounds. Further, looks like the ACC sent a clear signal that this wasn’t the down year for the league by sending a national-best four teams to the Sweet 16.

Women’s Sweet 16 qualifiers

After the first weekend of the 2024 NCAA Tournament for women’s basketball, UConn and South Carolina were considered among the favorites. In the opening round, South Carolina defeated Presbyterian in an impressively perfect 91–39 match.

It was also the first time South Carolina had won straight tournament matches by a margin of forty points or more. In the dying moments on Monday night, UConn managed to make it to their 30th consecutive Sweet 16 appearance.

Exceeding Expectations, NC State Coach Kevin Keatts Reflects on Advancing to Sweet 16 and Fairytale March Madness

Gonzaga defeated Utah by closely contested 77-66, to advance to the Sweet 16. When the teams meet in March Madness next phase, one of No. 3 UConn and No. 7 Duke Blue Devils will earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. So which team are you betting on?

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