About 24 hours prior to leading his team to the men's Final Four and a 30-0 record, Gonzaga star Jalen Suggs FaceTimed his good friend and Connecticut star Paige Bueckers just after she had carried the Huskies to the women's Final Four with a game-high 28 points in a 69-67 win over Baylor in San Antonio on Monday.
Suggs said he'd planned to congratulate Bueckers -- the two are former high school stars from Minnesota -- for the achievement but instead left their conversation feeling inspired for his regional final matchup the following night.
"Last night, [Bueckers] said some things that really helped me," said Suggs, who finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in his team's 85-66 win over USC in the Elite Eight.