Clark, Edey headline March Madness Final Four action on TSN
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Canada's Zach Edey, with Purdue, and Caitlin Clark of Iowa have been stellar in leading their teams to the Final Four, which begins Friday on TSN.
The action begins on the women's side as No. 1 South Carolina look to continue their perfect season against No. 3 seed NC State.
Women's Final Four coverage on TSN
The Wolfpack enter as underdogs for the third straight game. They defeated No. 2 Tennessee in the Sweet Sixteen, and were impressive in a 76-66 victory over No. 1 Texas in the Elite Eight.
South Carolina will be the biggest challenge of all though, as the undefeated Gamecocks recovered from a 79-75 scare against Indiana in the Sweet Sixteen to blow by Oregon 70-58 in the Elite Eight.
Their run at the first undefeated season since 2016 came to an end at this point last year, when South Carolina fell to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Final Four. Coach Dawn Staley is looking to use that loss as motivation this season.
"I think God has a funny way of dealing with people, and I'm one of his, and for us to lose the way we lost last year and for him to bring us to this point today makes me believe a little bit deeper," Staley said to ESPN after their victory against Oregon.
"I know that when you're at your worst and your weakest moments, he's at his best, and he started working on that the day that that buzzer sounded last year during this time."
The Hawkeyes take on the University of Connecticut Huskies in the second half of the women's Final Four on Friday, starting at 9:30pm ET / 6:30pm PT.
Clark was dominant in the Elite Eight, leading Iowa to a 94-87 victory over defending-champions LSU with a 41-point, 12-assist performance.
“A lot of people counted us out at the beginning of the year with the people we lost," Clark said after their victory against LSU. "And all we did was work really hard. To get back here is really hard. This regional was loaded with so much talent. The job’s not finished.”
Standing in their way is UConn, who finished tops in the Big East and ranked No. 10 in the country. They are led by Paige Bueckers and Canadian Aaliyah Edwards.
Bueckers was named Naismith College Player of the Year as a freshman in 2020-21, and UConn's legendary head coach Geno Auriemma made waves when he said Bueckers was "the best player in America" following their second-round win over Syracuse.
The two will have a chance to settle that claim with a spot in the March Madness final on the line on Friday.
Men's Final Four coverage on TSN Saturday
Edey and the Purdue Boilermakers, who entered the tournament as the top seed in the West Division and the No. 3-ranked team in the country, have a chance to make their first final since 1969.
Edey was masterful in their Elite Eight victory over No. 2 Tennessee, contributing 40 points and 16 rebounds in the 72-66 victory.
The Toronto native is a favourite to earn his second-consecutive Naismith College Player of the Year award after averaging 25.0 points and 12.2 rebounds per game this year.
Purdue entered as a top seed in last year's tournament, but suffered only the second defeat at the hands of a No. 16 seed in tournament history when they lost to Fairleigh Dickinson in last year's opening round.
"We've been through it all as a team. It kind of happens when you come back," said Edey.
Their opponent, NC State, came out of the South as an 11 seed, defeating Duke 76-64. This is the Wolfpack's first trip to the Final Four since 1983, the last time they won the tournament. DJ Burns scored 29 points in the victory over Duke.
The second Final Four matchup pits Alabama, No. 4 out of the West, against top-seeded UConn.
This is already uncharted territory for Alabama's men's basketball program - usually known for its football dominance - as their previous best showing at March Madness was a trip to the Elite Eight in 2004.
Senior guard Mark Sears, who averaged 21.5 points per game in the regular season for Alabama, was strong in leading the Crimson Tide to an 89-92 victory over Clemson in the Elite Eight. He led the way with 23 points.
UConn look to continue their quest to repeat as NCAA champions after winning their fifth March Madness tournament last season.
Donovan Clingan and Cam Spencer each contributed double-doubles in their 77-52 victory over Illinois in the Elite Eight.
UConn entered as the top seed in the East Division, and won their four games to reach the Final Four by an average of 27.8 points per game.