Biggest March Madness Moments: Archangels and the Broken Brackets
By Malia Hickman
As March Madness comes to an end, there’s another year of broken hearts and hopeful optimism for fans and teams continue to pick teams to cheer for. Nothing more exciting to see than underdogs win. Here are some of my favorite moments from March Madness.
1) Kentucky losing
I don’t dislike Kentucky, but seeing an underdog win in the most fashionable way is a sight to see. Jack Gohlke is an American hero. A story written out of the books, Gohlke has taken over 300 shots from beyond the arc. The second most from any Division I basketball player. Gohlke is now a celebrity, famous, and a true inspiration to the point Yale beat Auburn. I will never forget Mr. Jack Gohlke for making March Madness entertaining. A game I couldn’t turn my head away from. It brings tears to my eyes to see them not make it any further than the second round, but he will always be in every sports fans’ heart.
2. Audi Crooks
An amazing performance that needs to be spoken loudly about. A freshman who scored 40 points and came back from a 20 point deficit! The ability and composure to continue to keep battling till the end. The grit, spirit, tenacity is what she brings to a team. I wish they continued further into the tournament, but things don’t always go as planned. I can’t wait to see Crooks play next year where she will dominate once again.
3. Caitlin Clark
Another amazing female basketball player, she has been one of the few players that has brought popularity to womens sports. She has broken numerous records: including NCAA all-time scoring record, Achieved most 30-points games by any Division I player, also became the first female basketball player to score 1,000 points in multiple times. She has many other records but she has differently brought back the spark for women’s sports and hopefully still continues to grow as time passes.
As I’ve been verily positive I would also like to talk about the heartbreak.
1) BYU Men’s Basketball Team
I had so much hope and faith in this team. Once again, I can only have faith in Jesus Christ. I’ve seen this team dominate time and time again, and easily believed they were going to bounce back from the Big Twelve tournament. I was dead wrong…DEAD. WRONG. I once again was let down by the Cougars. I already thought the football season was bad. This may have topped that. At times I wish I was a bandwagon fan — I wouldn’t have the false hope and disappointment happening on a yearly basis. I hope to see this team be better next year, or I may pass away from heartache.
2. UVA Men’s Basketball Team
If I had to punish a sport’s fan, it would be watching the pathetic output UVA put up against Colorado State. I don’t know what’s more disappointing: seeing this team score 14 points in the first half or realizing this team won the national championship four years ago. I would think after winning a national title the dynasty would continue. I was wrong. UVA may have fallen off worse than Villanova. This team used to be exciting to watch in 2019 but per usual it’s becoming a recurring theme UVA likes to exit out the first round in the most irritating way. UVA basketball is on its way to be like the football team…trash. I will not be watching the UVA men’s basketball team for the next five years. I need to reevaluate my eyes.
3. Arizona and UNC basketball
I would have loved the game of the century to happen, but it never did. It’s like both were expected to win so they didn’t show up. Caleb Love has an okay game but still I thought this guy was going to play his heart knowing his teammate RJ Davis seemed to have had a good time with his ex. The motivation clearly wasn’t there for Caleb Love. If you thought Caleb Love wasn’t there, RJ Davis said “hold my beer.” Having more points than Caleb Love but still wasn’t at his best. And from this it really came to hit them hard making Alabama send them home in the most traumatic way possible. I would really like this game to happen for drama purposes but of course every team I cheer on loses.
There are no flaws in the women’s tournament. If anything, it’s more entertaining than the men’s tournament. I hope to continue to see the popularity of women’s basketball rise. As we continue to see teams win and lose, more archangels will rise and busted brackets break. Let me know what you think of these teams in the comments below. Should UVA basketball be put in the Division III after their last performance?
