The stage is finally set, here are some first impressions and standout stories of Indianapolis and the teams that made it here to the Final Four.
The end of the college basketball season is upon us. The first game of the Final Four is not until Saturday at 6 p.m., but the excitement and action was already in full swing in Indianapolis on Friday. This is a city that is no stranger to hosting big sporting events like this one. In fact, this is the ninth Final Four that has taken place in Indy.
Fans wearing merch representing not only the four teams playing this weekend, but other teams too, swarmed the streets of downtown Indianapolis early on Friday morning. Outside of the games and open practices, the city has provided plenty of events and activities for these fans to experience. One of these is a music festival that is free to attend that features headliners Twenty One Pilots, Zac Brown Band, Megan Maroney, and Post Malone. The city has also posted the world’s largest sports bracket on the side of the JW Marriott. The March Madness bracket was updated regularly throughout the tournament.
It’s safe to say that Indianapolis has not taken the responsibility of hosting the Final Four lightly. After all, in 49 states it is just basketball.
Now moving on to first impressions of the teams, starting with three seed Illinois. They were the first team to take to the court for the weekend and their practice did not disappoint. Of all the teams in the Final Four, the University of Illinois is the closest to Indianapolis. Their fans took advantage of this and showed out for their team, even just to watch their practice. Brandon Lee hit a half court shot to end their practice and the stadium erupted. As the team left, they took the time to wave to fans, thank them, and sign posters and other items. The team’s gratitude for their fans was evident as they left the stadium. With Illinois being just under two hours away from Indianapolis, it would not be surprising if the majority of the fans tomorrow are in support of the Fighting Illini.
The UConn Huskies punched their ticket to the Final Four thanks to freshman Braylon Mullins, an Indiana native. As the team was being announced during their practice, to no surprise the fans erupted when Mullins’ name was announced. While much of the buzz this past week has surrounded Mullins and the fact that he would be returning home for the chance to win a national championship, the rest of the UConn team is just as excited and ready to be here. In today’s day and age of college basketball, it is special to be able to see a true freshman play and contribute just as much as upper class men and more experienced players. In a press conference before their practice on Friday, head coach Dan Hurley explained that this age range is part of the identity of not only this team, but the whole program.
“You know at UConn, I think our teams are always going to have balance,” Hurley said.
Hurley also explained that despite some hard losses throughout the season, his team remained resilient. That resilience has led them to Indy where they will have the chance to fight for their seventh national championship.
UConn is not the only team left with some strong ties to the state of Indiana. Michigan’s head coach Dusty May is from Terre Haute, IN and was a student manager under Bobby Knight at Indiana University. In a press conference on Friday he expressed how excited he was to be back.
“It’s really cool to just be back here in a full-circle moment. But I’ve been gone so long. Yesterday probably the coolest part was looking up and seeing all the Colts players that I grew up idolizing and watching every Sunday,” May said.
May’s Michigan squad had a solid showing at their practice on Friday and as one of the two No. 1 seeds left, lots of eyes are on this team and how they will perform this weekend.
Some standout news coming from Arizona on Friday is something fans should be excited about for their Wildcats. Head coach Tommy Lloyd put the rumors to rest regarding his position next season. He announced that despite the talk of Michael Jordan having reached out to him about the North Carolina job, he would be staying with Arizona.
“Arizona basketball, you guys know what it means to me, and when I say it’s a special place, that always comes from the bottom of my heart,” Lloyd said.
Lloyd explained that his team should not be worried about the rumors that were going around and instead put all of their focus on the task at hand.
From practices to press conferences to fans running around the Circle City, Friday of the Final Four did not disappoint. The first game will tip off Saturday in Lucas Oil Stadium at 6:09 pm where Illinois and UConn will face off. The second game will start 50 minutes after the conclusion of the first and feature Michigan and Arizona.