TAMPA, Fla. — As college basketball fans prepare for the chalkiest semifinals in NCAA basketball history, a question hangs over the men’s Final Four in San Antonio, Texas, and the women’s Final Four at Amalie Arena.
Have the transfer portal and name, image and likeness compensation killed Cinderella?
Our answer: Probably not. Chalk isn’t permanent marker.
The concern is justified after both tournaments featured few shocking losses. The lack of parity was most pronounced on the men’s side, where all four semifinalists (Auburn, Duke, Florida and Houston) are No. 1 seeds for the first time since 2008 and the second time ever.