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Not each nice basketball faculty has an important soccer program and never each nice soccer faculty has an important basketball program (some colleges haven’t got both). However there are a handful of colleges that can look again fondly on the 2023-24 faculty yr as an important one for each of their prime athletics packages.
In keeping with ESPN’s Mike Greenberg, seven colleges gained each a bowl sport in school soccer and an NCAA Event sport. The seven are Arizona, Kansas, Duke, Tennessee, Oregon, Clemson and Northwestern.
Arizona went 10-3 below head coach Jeff Fisch, simply lacking the Pac-12 Championship Recreation, however beat Oklahoma within the Alamo Bowl to complete because the No. 11 staff within the nation. Their basketball program was the Pac-12 common season champion and is at present heading to the Candy 16 after wins over Lengthy Seashore State and Dayton.
Kansas went 9-4 this yr – one among their finest seasons ever – and ended the yr with a Assured Charge Bowl win over UNLV to complete No. 23 within the ultimate AP ballot. Invoice Self’s basketball staff went 23-10, struggling a loss within the Spherical of 32 to Gonzaga after beating Samford within the First Spherical.
Duke went 8-5 and ended their season with a Birmingham Bowl win over Troy. On the basketball aspect, they’re 25-8 and beat Vermont within the First Spherical. They face James Madison within the Second Spherical tomorrow.
Tennessee completed third within the SEC East and went 9-4 on the season, rating No. 17 general, after beating Iowa 35-0 within the Citrus Bowl. Rick Barnes’ basketball gamers had been the SEC common season champions and face future SEC rival Texas within the Spherical of 32 after beating Saint Peter’s within the First Spherical.
Oregon narrowly misplaced the Pac-12 Championship Recreation on the soccer aspect earlier than successful the Fiesta Bowl over Liberty and completed No. 6 of their ultimate yr within the convention. The basketball staff, however, completed the job and gained the Pac-12 title to safe their NCAA Event berth, then surprised South Carolina in an upset. They face Massive East big Creighton tonight.
Clemson completed in the course of the pack in each the common season for soccer and basketball. They beat Kentucky within the Gator Bowl en path to a No. 20 end within the nation, and opened their NCAA Event account with a win over New Mexico.
Northwestern overcame a ton of preseason adversity to go 8-5 with a win over Utah within the Las Vegas Bowl to finish David Braun’s first yr on the helm. On Friday, the Wildcats beat final yr’s Remaining 4 Cinderella Florida Atlantic for his or her third NCAA Event win in historical past.