The best time of the year in college hoops is finally coming to a close. LSU just cut down the nets as the Division I women’s college basketball champions and UConn and San Diego State University will face off for the men’s title.

There were plenty of ‘firsts’ that made this year of March Madness crazier than ever. LSU women’s basketball just won their first championship in program history, dominating Iowa 102-85. 

Also, for the first time in 15 years, UConn women’s basketball did not play in the Final Four — a truly dominant streak coming to an end. In fact, the two-seeded Huskies didn’t even make it to the Elite Eight, losing to number three seed Ohio State in the Sweet 16. Maybe the UConn men’s team can still bring a championship to campus.  

On the men’s side, this may have been the most unpredictable tournament of all time. In the very first round, number one seed Purdue was shocked, falling to number 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson University and becoming only the second number one seed ever to lose in the round of 64 (UMBC beat Virginia in the 2018 tournament). The number two-seeded Arizona Wildcats also lost in the first round to 15 seed Princeton. 

And the flurry of upsets did not stop. For the first time in history no number one seeds made it to the Elite Eight in the men’s bracket. 

But now, a women’s college basketball champion has been crowned in LSU, and the men’s championship game is upon us. In the women’s bracket, three-seeded LSU bullied two-seeded Iowa. Both these squads toppled number one seeds in the Final Four, with Iowa outlasting South Carolina and LSU taking down Virginia Tech. 

Junior Caitlin Clark has been incredible for Iowa, averaging an insane 31 points per game in March Madness. And the championship game was no different with Clark dropping 30. She really put the team on her back night in and night out. 

But LSU proved to be too much even for Clark and Iowa. The Tigers had a trio of seniors score 20 points or more. LaDazhia Williams scored 20, Alexis Morris scored 21, and Jasmine Carson scored 22. This level of sharing the ball is truly impressive. The Tigers thoroughly dominated the stat sheet and certainly won their national championship as a team. 

In the men’s bracket, UConn matches up against San Diego State University (SDSU). Both teams earned the right to play on the final night, but this was an unforeseen matchup at the start of the tournament. 

UConn has looked like the most dominant team in the tournament by far. The Huskies have made light work of all their opponents. They beat the 13 seed Iona by 24, the five seed Saint Mary’s by 15, the eight seed Arkansas by 23, the three seed Gonzaga by 28, and the five seed Miami by 13 in the Final Four. 

Star center Adama Sanogo has been the player to watch for the Huskies. The Junior won the Big-East league player of the year this season. And in March Madness he’s been on a tear, putting up just about 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. He might be the x-factor in the championship game.

The SDSU Aztecs haven’t looked as dominant as UConn, but they have lived by the expression “survive and advance.” Wins don’t need to look pretty, especially in March Madness. The Aztecs always find a way. In the Sweet 16, SDSU beat the favorite to win the whole tournament in one-seeded Alabama. 

Then, in the Elite Eight, the Aztecs beat Creighton by one point in overtime. With 1.2 seconds left Darrion Trammell was fouled and sunk the game winning free-throw. 

The Final Four matchup versus Florida Atlantic University was no different. The Aztecs clawed their way back in the second half after being down 14 points with under 15 minutes remaining. 

With 36 seconds to go, the Aztecs were down just one, 71-70. SDSU got a massive defensive stop with 10 seconds left. The Aztecs started a fast break the other way, deciding not to use a timeout. 

The ball found the hands of Lamont Butler for the final possession. Butler put up a shot with one second remaining. The entire gym held their breath. The horn sounded. Swoosh. Butler nailed the biggest shot in Aztec men’s basketball history and punched SDSU’s ticket to their first championship game appearance. 

Both teams had a very different path to the finals. UConn has a chance to win their fifth championship in program history and their fourth in 20 years. They’ve looked unstoppable, taking care of business every game. 

But SDSU is battle-tested. They’ve won in gritty, clutch ways. They always find a way to end up on top and are never out of the game. Now the Aztecs look to bring home their first championship in program history. 

UConn may be the favorite on Monday night, but it’s anyone’s game — that’s the beauty of March Madness.