SPOKANE, Wash. — The magic of March is that every tiny thing that has happened leading up to this point matters … but also, you should probably throw everything that’s happened so far out the window.
The habits that were built in practice? Crucial. But the season records? Unimportant.
Team chemistry and growth? Necessary. But stats and individual records? Blah.
It’s why Monday night’s Elite Eight game between UConn and USC remains compelling despite so much changing since Selection Sunday. The potential showdown was immediately circled by fans as the must-see rematch of the tournament, pitting the nation’s top two individual players — USC’s JuJu Watkins and UConn’s Paige Bueckers — against each other.
The teams advanced to deliver this matchup, but it won’t be the showdown that was expected. There will be no Watkins, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear in the second round. Yet, somehow, there’s more to unpack in the vacuum left in the tournament by Watkins’ exit.
Coaches consistently describe the Elite Eight as the toughest postseason hurdle. The Final Four is the hallowed ground of the NCAA Tournament. It’s nice to gain entrance to the Big Dance, but legends are made when only four teams remain. It’s why programs boast about their Final Fours, not…
