Four Big Brand Teams Fight It Out In The Final Four

By: Althea Jackson De Rosa

The 2022 March Madness has left its viewers at the edge of their seats. We got to see a number 15 seed team, St. Peters, go head to head with championship teams and knock them out of the tournament. 

St. Peter’s journey came to an end in the Elite Eight when they played North Carolina. North Carolina has brought their A-game to every single match-up; they even took out the defending champs, Baylor, in the second round. 

In just two more days, the last four teams will face off to see who will make it to the championship on Monday, April 4th, 2022. As teams are getting ready and coaches come up with new plays to sike their opponents out, we get to reminisce about the time we had with one of the greatest coaches of all time, Mike Krzyzewski; otherwise known as Coach K. Coach K began coaching at Duke in 1980 and brought the school five national titles, 13 final four appearances, 15 ACC tournament championships, and 13 ACC regular-season titles. 

Coach K. is trying to secure one more title before he retires this season, and it isn’t going to be easy as Duke is matched up to go against their rivals North Carolina this Saturday. North Carolina, which is the number eight seed, has battled their way to the final four with its new head coach, Hubert Davis. 

Davis is looking to receive his first national title for his first year as head coach for North Carolina. Duke and North Carolina will fight for a spot in the championship, but there will be extra tension because it is the first time in history both teams are competing against each other in the final four. 

Along with the two rivals playing this Saturday, we will get a chance to see the number one seed, Kansas, and number two seed Villanova. Coach Jay Wright for Villanova is seeking his third championship, and Bill Self, coach for Kansas, is hoping to win his second title. 

As we await the tip-off on Saturday, we can only hope that some of the star players keep the same energy since the beginning of the tournament. Unfortunately for Villanova, Justin Moore will have to sit out due to a tearing his Achilles while playing against Houston on Sunday. 

Moore has been a huge asset to his team, averaging 15 points, 4.9 rebounds, and a total of 34minutes per game. The Villanova team will be looking at starting point guard Collin Gillespie to continue to give the efficiency and power he has all season. 

Gillespie also averages 34 minutes, 15 points, and 3.9 rebounds per game. The Kansas Jayhawks will need to stay humble even though their opponents are down a starting player. 

The number one seed team will need the Naismith player of the year, Ochai Agbaji, and David McCormack to stay on top and come out strong from the tip of the game to try and ensure a spot in the championship.