Emma LaPointe, Editor-in-Chief

I’ll admit that before college, I had no interest in sports reporting. My former sports editor would invite me to the press box, and I would laugh it off, but now I wish I had accepted.

I am a Tucson girl through and through, which also means I am a Wildcat through and through. The two are very hard to separate when the entire city revolves around the team. I grew up with people reminiscing on the 1997 and 2001 glory days. I would be lying if I said I didn’t cry watching us win the Final Four, which I watched from the floor, because we started winning the second I did.

From the second I watched this team beat the University of Florida, I started to dream big, and that dream kept becoming more and more real. The whole airplane here was unreal. The Tucson International Airport was the busiest I have ever seen, with a sea of red and blue. Every flight we took had a mix of orange, blue, red and orange. No matter where you went, everything was dedicated to basketball, and I felt an immense sense of pride and excitement when I saw the big block “A” on someone’s hat or shirt.

While obviously, this game did not turn out the way any of us wanted, and I cried multiple times while trying to stay professional, I really would not trade this experience for anything. Watching professional journalists do their job will never get old. I got to see the backstage experience of one of the largest venues and I got to step foot on a Final Four basketball court. All of this felt so incredibly surreal. The roar of the crowd, the “U of A” chants and the amount of hard work and passion it takes for the entire world to be able to see this event from their homes or on their personal devices is so incredibly admirable. Sometimes, being a reporter, editor or photographer can feel so stressful and overwhelming — but it truly is one of the craziest jobs out there. I cannot help but feel so incredibly blessed.

So, same time next year?

David Mooradian, KAMP Student Radio

Just a 15 minute drive away from downtown Indianapolis is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The speedway is home to the Indy 500, which is referred to as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” In true Indy fashion, what I observed at the Final Four was unquestionably the greatest spectacle in college sports. 

Arizona’s home court, the McKale Center at ALKEME Arena, is a very strong college basketball venue. With a capacity of around 15,000, the average Wildcats game is lively if not raucous and fine details are attended to between stoppages. However, there is simply no comparison between an Arizona home game and the Final Four. 

For starters, both games are played on an elevated court deck, which is fit onto what is normally the Indianapolis Colts football field. The CBS/TBS Pregame show, featuring stars such as Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal, was on stage wedged behind one of the baskets. Unlike most college games, which are played in front of 10-15,000 fans, these games are played in front of 70,000 fans. 

Furthermore, during the 50 minute gap between games one and two, the Chainsmokers performed a quasi-Super Bowl Halftime show. Before and after the concert, choruses of cheers and jeers were exchanged from the four fanbases which were all well-represented in Indianapolis. To me, the back-and-forth between fanbases helps distinguish the event from other games. There are four fanbases, not two. This means unexpected alliances are formed and subsequently broken when the complexion of the tournament changes. 

On a personal note, sitting alongside some of the most preeminent sports journalists in the country was a privilege. During the Final Four, to my left sat Bob Kravitz, who is arguably the most reputable sportswriter in the state of Indiana. To my right was NBC Broadcaster and writer John Fanta, who is one of the network’s lead broadcasters in college basketball. A personal highlight came at the conclusion of the Arizona game when both men complimented me on my broadcast of the Arizona-Michigan game. 

Aside from the history and hardware on the line, the sheer magnitude of the event is unmistakable. The NCAA has clearly made a concerted effort to make the Final Four their own version of the Super Bowl. It is hard to say it is not working. The city of Indianapolis was energized and bursting with visitors. Seven weeks before the Indy 500, the city hosted the NCAA’s hand-crafted spectacle and Indianapolis’s experience showed. 

Jasmine Creighton, News Editor

My experience going to the NCAA Final Four to see the University of Arizona play was something I will never forget. 5 days away from home and everything I knew for an amazing chance to see history. Before this week, I had only been on an airplane a handful of times. 

As we traveled across the country, seeing all the dedicated UA fans travel with us was the least surprising to me. I knew we would be surrounded by supporters, students and alumni who spent years supporting their team, and will continue to do so no matter how many times they win or lose, because that’s the Wildcat way. 

Indianapolis is an amazing city. I attempted to familiarize myself with the culture by watching the 1986 movie “Hoosiers” but since I never finished it, I just had to see for myself. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I admired the city. Green grass, beautiful architecture, and a cool breeze made the experience even better. For a place whose culture can be defined by sports, Indianapolis definitely knows how to do it without overshadowing all the other cool things it has to offer. 

During my time on the trip, I had the pleasure of doing what I love most: talking to people. Interacting with different fans from different places was by far my favorite experience here. The UA attracts people from all across the world, but it was special to talk to people who love the game and their schools, even past graduation or even if they never attended at all. 

On game day, I got to experience one of the busiest, chaotic, and amazing days of my time as a reporter for the Daily Wildcat. Being able to see the amount of effort and dedication that is put into making this experience happen made me deepen my admiration for sports and the people who write about it. The photographers, broadcasters and writers all worked alongside each other and were all very nice and welcoming to everyone there.

I may not be a sports reporter, but I love basketball, our Wildcats, and the news. The Wildcats had an amazing season, and the fact that I got to experience the end of the road first-hand was truly one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had.  This opportunity was one in a lifetime, and it showed me how much is possible, and how much my career was the perfect choice for me. 

Haziel Richardson

My experience traveling to the Final Four was great. I learned not only how to report but how to handle myself throughout chaos. I also think that the people around me were huge in my success, as they were extremely supportive and patient with me. It felt amazing just getting to do what I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. 

What I also think was amazing was seeing how all the desks worked with each other. I liked seeing what different people at different desks do, since I haven’t really seen much of that throughout my time at the Wildcat. It was an overall amazing experience and a great way to help end my senior year 

Ava Widener, Sports Editor 

This experience felt like a dream. After covering the men’s basketball team all season, witnessing their success on the national stage was unforgettable. Walking out of the tunnel for the first time, the bright lights and loud music overwhelmed me, and I felt like I had peaked in that moment, trying to act cool but failing completely.

I was lucky enough to watch both Final Four games from the back of the hoop. Unfortunately, it was behind the University of Michigan student section rather than the Arizona one, but nonetheless, it was a great time because you could feel the Zona Zoo energy all the way across the court.  

Even though the game did not go as we hoped, I couldn’t help smiling the entire time. Not only was going to the Final Four itself so cool, but going with media was a whole different experience. I was able to witness the best in the business, whether that be journalists, broadcasters, photographers, or videographers in their element and hopefully envision my future. 

We went into the Arizona locker room post-game, where I got the opportunity to talk to Motiejus Krivas, Addison Arnold, Tobe Awaka and Sven Djopmo. I learned so much from asking them some simple questions, but also got to observe all these national and local media outlets, which was a great experience. 

While we were at the tournament, I also noticed so many strong women who were with the media. It was refreshing and inspiring to see all these hard working women in this space that is historically male-dominated. 

The Wildcat pride and camaraderie in Indianapolis were extremely apparent. We often wore Arizona memorabilia and greeted fellow fans with “bear down.” It showcased the strong support of the Arizona fan base, who traveled to back the Cats. The city buzzed with excitement, reflecting how special it was to be there.

As someone who wants to work in this field in the future, I felt so lucky to be able to have this opportunity and experience that gave me a taste of what is hopefully to come if I continue working hard. I’m always so proud to be a Wildcat and I felt honored to represent at the Final Four. 

Bear down!

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