Caitlin Clark had another sensational game with 41 points to help Iowa spoil South Carolina’s perfect season with a 77-73 victory in the Final Four. The spectacular junior guard set a record for the highest-scoring semifinal game and became the first women’s player to post back-to-back 40-point games in the NCAA Tournament. She now has the Hawkeyes in a spot they’ve never been in before — one victory away from a national championship. 

Today is Saturday, April 1, the 91st day of 2023. There are 274 days left in the year. This is April Fool's Day.

Authors, journalists and filmmakers take what may seem mundane or complicated and bring it to life through engaging storytelling. Each year, I highlight interviews that stuck with me throughout the year.

The saying goes that defense wins championships. But it's largely been top-tier offenses winning the NCAA championship in March Madness. This weekend's Final Four in Houston features two highly rated offenses in Connecticut and Miami. It also features a defensive-heavy approach in San Diego State. According to KenPom data, 17 of the past 20 national champions have ranked in the top 10 for offensive efficiency. And 14 have ranked better at offense than defense.

One short year ago, college basketball was getting ready for the game of a lifetime: North Carolina vs. Duke at the Final Four. And this year? Well, to put it kindly, who the heck are these guys? The NCAA Tournament, the annual event that has made marketing gold out of the story of underdogs and an anyone-can-win-it free-for-all, has produced an extreme rendition of what happens when all that cherished unpredictability plays itself out to the end. In one Final Four meeting, it will be San Diego State against Florida Atlantic. In the other, it will be Miami vs. UConn. Of the four teams descending on Houston, only one has ever sniffed a Final Four before. It's the first time since 1970 that has happened.

All this buzz about how a wildly unpredictable March Madness led to a Final Four nobody could've possibly seen coming overlooked one small detail. That detail is UConn. When Connecticut tips off against Miami in the semifinal, it will be two wins away from the school's fifth national title since 1999. No other school has won more over that span. When the name "UConn" came up with a "4" next to its name three weekends ago on Selection Sunday, nobody raised too much of a stink. Four wins later it's becoming apparent this is a team that might have been underestimated.

Florida Atlantic and San Diego State are giving the Final Four a mid-major flavor. Their national semifinal marks the second time two mid-majors will meet in the Final Four since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The Owls qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time and have made it a memorable one, rolling all the way into their first Final Four. San Diego State also is in its first Final Four, riding one of the nation's best defenses through the bracket.

Getting a team through to the Final Four is a major boost for mid-major conferences financially, promotionally and for visibility on a national scale. The deeper a team goes in the bracket, the more money goes to their conference. The conferences use the money to upgrade league tournaments and on bolder promotion. Schools often use the windfall on athletic facilities and on-campus video production. The extra money is also a huge boon for better TV deals and exposure that allows them competitive opportunities previously out of reach.

Former Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius was denied parole Friday after it was decided that he had not served the "minimum detention period" required to be released from prison following his murder conviction for the 2013 killing of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. South Africa's Department of Corrections said in a statement that the parole board hearing Pistorius' application ruled he would be able to apply again in August 2024.

Shaka Smart was voted the AP men's basketball coach of the year after leading Marquette to regular-season and Big East Tournament titles. He received 24 of 58 votes from a national panel to beat out Kansas State coach Jerome Tang.

Purdue's Zach Edey was a near-unanimous choice as The Associated Press men’s college basketball player of the year. He received all but one vote from a 58-person media panel.

Cinderella teams make for great stories and busted brackets. They don’t necessarily make for great television ratings, though. 

Today is Friday, March 31, the 90th day of 2023. There are 275 days left in the year.