The Final Four is an annual event, but this year’s edition includes a unique event. The Connecticut and NC State men’s and women’s basketball teams both reached their respective NCAA Tournament semifinals, marking the first time two schools have sent both teams to the Final Four in the same year.
The UConn women’s team advanced with an 80-73 victory over USC on Monday in Portland, Ore., marking the Huskies’ 23rd Final Four appearance in program history.
South Carolina was the last school to send both of its programs to the Final Four in 2017. The men’s team lost to Gonzaga, while the women’s team beat Stanford in the Final Four and won the national championship against the Mississippi State.
Not surprisingly, the Wolfpack and Huskies have been here before.
Final Four men’s and women’s teams reunited
Year | Team | Men’s result | Women’s result |
---|---|---|---|
1983 |
Lost the Final Four to NC State |
Lost the Final Four to USC |
|
1999 |
National title lost to UConn |
National title lost to Purdue |
|
2002 |
Lost the Final Four to Indiana |
National title lost to UConn |
|
2003 |
Lost the Final Four to Syracuse |
Lost the Final Four to UConn |
|
2004 |
Won national title against Georgia Tech |
Won national title against Tennessee |
|
2005 |
Lost the Final Four to UNC |
National title lost to Baylor |
|
2006 |
Lost the Final Four to UCLA |
Lost the Final Four to Duke |
|
2009 |
Lost the Final Four to Michigan State |
Won national title against Louisville |
|
2011 |
Won national title against Butler |
Lost the Final Four to Notre Dame |
|
2013 |
Won national title against Michigan |
Lost the Final Four to UConn |
|
2014 |
Won national title against Kentucky |
Won the national title against Notre Dame |
|
2016 |
Lost the Final Four to UNC |
National title lost to UConn |
|
2017 |
Lost the Final Four to Gonzaga |
Won national title at Mississippi State |
In the men’s tournament, defending champion UConn won first place overall and defeated Stetson, Northwestern, San Diego State and Illinois to return to the Final Four. The Huskies will face No. 4 seed Alabama on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona.
Free daily sports updates straight to your inbox. Register
Free daily sports updates straight to your inbox. Register
Buy
The No. 3 seed UConn women’s program returns to the Final Four for the third time in four years after beating Jackson State, Syracuse, Duke and USC. Coach Geno Auriemma’s team will face Iowa on Friday in Cleveland.
GO FURTHER
NCAA Tournament Power Rankings: UConn is the clear No. 1 for the Final Four
The NC State women’s team also plays Friday in the Final Four against No. 1 seed South Carolina. The Wolfpack cruised past Chattanooga, Tennessee, Stanford and Texas to reach the national semifinals.
Meanwhile, the NC State men’s team beat Texas Tech, Oakland, Marquette and Duke to reach the Final Four, where they will face Purdue.
Required reading
(Photo by DJ Burns: Joe Sargent / Getty Images; Photo by Aziaha James: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)