And then there were four.

The last four teams of the 68-team field in the men’s and women’s basketball brackets are set to face off this weekend, each looking to punch their tickets to the national championship game. 

The women’s basketball matchups are scheduled to take place at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio, on Friday. In the opening game, the No. 1 seed South Carolina Gamecocks (36-0, 16-0 SEC) will go head-to-head with the No. 3 seed NC State Wolfpack (31-6, 13-5 ACC). Following that, the No. 1 seed Iowa Hawkeyes (33-4, 15-3 Big Ten) will face off against the No. 3 seed UConn Huskies (33-5, 18-0 Big East) later in the evening.

Daily headlines, sent straight to your inbox.

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with the latest at and around USC.

The Wolfpack is coming off a 76-66 upset win against No. 1 seed Texas (33-5, 14-4 Big 12) in the Portland 4 region. A blunder in the court setup left the continuation of the game in question before tipoff. Both teams discovered the 3-point lines were a different distance to the basket. 

Despite that, NC State shot 9-for-18 on 3-point attempts and held the Longhorns to 1-for-11 shooting behind the arc. Junior guard Aziaha James recorded seven of the nine made 3-pointers, adding to her overall total of 27 points for the game. 

South Carolina is led by potential lottery pick senior center Kamilla Cardoso, who is surrounded by a strong supporting cast. Head Coach Dawn Staley’s undefeated team showcases depth and physicality, evident even when its 3-point game wasn’t firing on all cylinders against No. 3 seed Oregon State (27-8, 12-6 Pac-12). 

Freshman guard Tessa Johnson’s impactful 15-point performance off the bench shifted the game, forcing the Beavers to adjust defensively and allowing the Gamecocks to dominate the paint with 44 points.

Star power will be in full force in the second game as Iowa — led by phenom senior guard Caitlin Clark — looks to punch its ticket past UConn Head Coach Geno Auriemma’s squad. 

In the Elite 8, Clark shredded No. 3 seed LSU’s (31-6, 13-3 SEC) defense for 41 points and 12 assists. Tiger graduate guard Hailey Van Lith questioned what else she could do to defend against her. The 2023 Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year leads the nation in scoring and passing with 32 points per game and nine assists per game. However, the Huskies’ defense looks to continue its upward trajectory after a rocky start to spoil Clark’s season. 

UConn secured the program’s 23rd Final Four appearance and 15th in the past 16 women’s NCAA tournaments. Redshirt junior guard Paige Bueckers — 2021 Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year — impressed against No. 1 seed USC (29-6, 13-5 Pac-12). It was a duel all night between star freshman guard JuJu Watkins, who racked up 29 points and 10 rebounds and Bueckers, who tallied 28 points and 10 rebounds. 

On the men’s side, State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, will play host Saturday. No. 1 seed Purdue (33-4, 17-3 Big Ten) will play No. 11 seed NC State (26-14, 9-11 ACC), and No. 1 UConn (35-3, 18-2 Big East) will play No. 4 seed Alabama (25-11, 13-5 SEC). 

In the opening match, the paint will witness a clash of titans. Standing at an imposing height of 7-foot-4, Purdue senior center Zach Edey squares off against Wolfpack graduate center DJ Burns Jr., who stands tall at 6-foot-9. These towering figures have left both opponents and spectators in awe with their extraordinary shot-making abilities.

Edey comes off a massive 40-point display and 16 rebounds, showcasing his elite post-up ability that No. 2 seed Tennessee (27-9, 14-4 SEC) failed to contain. But he may have finally met his match in the form of Burns. 

Following the 76-64 upset of No. 4 seed Duke (27-9, 15-5 ACC), Burns hopes to extend the Wolfpack’s Cinderella story further into the national championship game. The team becomes the seventh double-digit seeded team to make it to the Final Four since UCLA’s 2021 team. 

In the following game, the Huskies look to fend off the Crimson Tide to close out the round. 

The Crimson Tide’s high-octane offense will challenge the Huskies’ defense. Head Coach Nate Oats established his offensive scheme, emphasizing an early, perimeter-focused team that pushes pace on opponents — and it has paid dividends this year. They lead the nation in scoring offense with 90.6 points per game. 

Senior guard Mark Sears, who averages 21.5 points per game and has strong playmaking ability, looks to be a headache to UConn Head Coach Dan Hurley’s defensive plan. 

UConn is riding a thrashing in the second half of No. 3 seed Illinois (29-9, 14-6 Big 10). The game was tied at halftime, but Hurley and his squad came out stepping on the gas and never looked back. The Huskies went on a 30-0 run at one point against the No. 2-ranked offense in the country, ultimately winning the game 77-52. 

The Huskies must choose between playing superb defense and engaging in a shootout with the nation’s highest-scoring team. 

Fans are primed for an incredible weekend of basketball. On the women’s side, NC State will square off against South Carolina at 4 p.m., and UConn and Iowa will take place at 6:30 p.m. Friday. The winners will play on Sunday for a national championship. 

The men will play Saturday, with NC State and Purdue tipping off at 3:09 p.m. and Alabama and UConn at 5:49 p.m.. The winners will play in the championship game Monday.