The Final Four: The Pursuit of College Basketball Glory
CONTENTS Introduction March Madness 1 From the Basement to the Big Time A History of the College Basketball Championship 2 Down to the Wire The Greatest Games of the Final Four 3 Unforgettable Memorable Moments of the Final Four 4 Looking Ahead The Future of the Final Four Source Notes Glossary Further Reading Index 5 7 16 36 54 60 61 62 63
INTRODUCTION March Madness The clock ticks down the seconds 5 4 The roar of the crowd is deafening A player drives toward the basket stops steps back 3 2 1 The shot goes up Camera flashes fill the arena The clock strikes 0 as the ball banks off the backboard and drops toward the rim Few sporting events can match the pure excitement of the Final Four After a tough regular season and weeks of battling through the National Collegiate Athletic Association NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Championship tournament four teams gather to try to stake their claims as the best in the land For more than three-quarters of a century the Final Four has given fans thrills chills and more than a share of heartbreak It’s college basketball’s biggest stage and only one team can survive Opposite page The Duke Blue Devils and the Wisconsin Badgers battle in the 2015 NCAA title game 5
