Day 24 Without Sports 😭: Here’s how 2020 Final Four would’ve turned out if it happened

Here we are on Day 24 of our sports drought, with no live games (outside of Belarus, that is) and we’re living in a world where virtual reality sports and 2K tournaments are the new norm. 

Had a global pandemic not forced the NCAA tournament to be canceled, we’d be in a state of contentment from two weeks of March Madness bliss and ready to take in two epic Final Four games. But what if it did actually take place? How would those national semifinal games have shaken out? USA TODAY Sports simulated the entire bracket on Selection Depression Sunday. Here’s how those two games and the national championship would’ve gone:

National semifinal Game 1 (at Atlanta) — Dayton 58, Oregon 55. The Flyers had a storybook 29-3 season behind national player of the year Obi Toppin. But coach Anthony Grant’s team was so much more than just Toppin, with a cast of veterans and a deep bench that would’ve made Dayton a tough team to stop. But the Flyers have been tested big-time by Pac-12 regular-season champ Oregon, a surprise Final Four party crasher as a No. 4 seed having knocked off Gonzaga and Michigan State in our projected West Regional. Ducks senior guard Payton Pritchard had an All-American season and he would’ve challenged Dayton’s backcourt. But the Flyers still have a wide array of weapons that shoot it well from beyond the arc in close-game scenarios, including Jalen Crutcher, who nailed a game-winning 3-pointer in a Jan. 17 win over Saint Louis. In this simulated Final Four game, Dayton gets the victory on a game-winning three — again. 

National semifinal Game 2 (at Atlanta) — Kansas 62, Florida State 60. The Jayhawks were one of the most dominant teams entering the postseason in the last decade and would have been the No. 1 overall seed had the field of 68 been announced. Point guard Devon Dotson and big man Udoka Azubuike were a formidable inside-out tandem, but it was the utility players and role guys who helped shape one of coach Bill Self’s best teams ever. All that said, KU would’ve narrowly gotten past No. 2 seed Florida State, the ACC regular-season title winner that uses an array of length and athleticism to offset gifted offensive teams. Dotson would’ve been the difference-maker, though, scoring a game-winning bucket to lift the Jayhawks into the national title game. 

National championship: In the title game between Kansas and Dayton, this would be a rematch from an overtime thriller between the two teams on Nov. 27 in the Maui Invitational. In that game, KU prevailed on the neutral court duel, 90-84, behind 31 points from Dotson and 29 points from Azubuike.  

In the rematch, Kansas again would’ve won, although this time it would’ve been even closer in a 66-65 decision. The difference would’ve been how much better the Jayhawks’ supporting cast got over the course of 2019-20 to again beat a Dayton team that went undefeated in Atlantic 10 play. 

Sports video of the day

We’ve survived 23 days so far without sports, going on 24. To commemorate No. 23 we tip it to ESPN for LeBron James’ top 10 plays: 

What to watch on TV 

► Baseball throwback: 2001 World Series Game 7 between the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks, 7 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1. 

â–º College basketball classics: CBS Sports Network continues to showcase some all-time gems. Here’s a look at its Final Four slate (all times Eastern):

• 8 a.m.: 1985 title game, Villanova vs. Georgetown 
• 11 a.m.: 2016 title game, North Carolina vs. Villanova
• 1 p.m.: 1997 title game, Arizona vs. Kentucky
• 3 p.m.: 2012 title game, Kansas vs. Kentucky 
• 5 p.m.: 1988 title game, Kansas vs. Oklahoma
• 7 p.m.: 2003 title game, Syracuse vs. Kansas 

► NFL rewind: A 2010 Sunday Night Football showdown between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens airs at 7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network, followed by the 2011 SNF showdown between the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers at 9:30 p.m.

► Golf classics. NBC will air the 2019 Augusta National Women’s Amateur at 1 p.m. ET and then the PGA Men’s Tour 2019 Valero Texas Open (Third Round) at 3:30 p.m. afterwards. 

Story time! Here are some of our best

KD OUSTED: The NBA 2K Players Tournament began, with Kevin Durant exiting early 

TOM BRADY’S SIDEKICK: These prospects could be solid fits 

QB BATTLE: Bears declare Foles, Trubisky will have to fight to be starter

DABO SWINNEY: Clemson coach says ‘zero doubt’ season won’t start on time

SUPER BOWL: NFL weighs changing host city

BURDEN LIFTED: How Staples Center fund is helping concession workers 

NANCY ARMOUR: How Giannis Antetokounmpo is crashing Fresno State’s Twitter tournament

INEVITABLE: WNBA postpones its summer season

This day in sports history

1937: Byron Nelson captures his first major by winning the Masters. 

1974: Hank Aaron ties Babe Ruth’s home-run record by hitting his 714th.

1983: North Carolina State upsets Houston in the national title game with a tip-in at the buzzer. 

1986: Wayne Gretzky sets the NHL record for points in a season – breaking his own mark set in 1982. He’d finish the year with 215 points, the record to this day. 

1988: Danny Manning leads Kansas to a national title game victory over Oklahoma. 

1994: Arkansas takes down Duke to win the national championship 

2005: North Carolina captures its first title under Roy Williams with a championship game victory over Illinois. 

2011: Jim Calhoun captures his third national championship as UConn beats Butler. 

2016: Kris Jenkins beats the buzzer to give Villanova a dramatic title game victory over North Carolina.  

Sports we are missing today

NBA

• Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Clippers
• Los Angeles Lakers at Sacramento Kings

MLB

• Chicago White Sox at Boston Red Sox
• Toronto Blue Jays a tNew York Yankees
• Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers
• Cincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh Pirates
• Seattle Mariners at Kansas City Royals
• Oakland Athletics at Minnesota Twins
• Baltimore Orioles at St. Louis Cardinals
• Arizona D’Backs at Chicago Cubs
• Milwaukee Brewers at Philadelphia Phillies
• Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants
• New York Mets at Washington Nationals
• Tampa Bay Rays at Texas Rangers
• Miami Marlins at Atlanta Braves
• San Diego Padres at Colorado Rockies
• Houston Astros at Los Angeles Angels

NHL

• Winnipeg Jets at Arizona Coyotes
• Carolina Hurricanes at Boston Bruins
• Philadelphia Flyers at Buffalo Sabres
• Edmonton Oilers at Calgary Flames
• St. Louis Blues at Colorado Avalanche
• Tampa Bay Lightning at Detroit Red Wings
• Washington Capitals at Florida Panthers
• Dallas Stars at Los Angeles Kings
• Minnesota Wild at Nashville Predators
• New Jersey Devils at New York Islanders
• Chicago Blackhawks at New York Rangers
• Pittsburgh Penguins at Ottawa Senators
• Anaheim Ducks at San Jose Sharks
• Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs
• Vegas Golden Knights at Vancouver Canucks

MLS

• Chicago Fire FC vs. New York Red Bulls
• Orlando City SC vs. Montreal Impact
• FC Dallas vs. Los Angeles FC
• Columbus Crew vs. Toronto FC
• New England Revolution vs. Colorado Rapids
• Minnesota United vs. San Jose Earthquakes
• Houston Dynamo vs. Portland Timbers
• Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Real Salt Lake
• Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Sporting Kansas City

Follow reporter Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.  

Article source: http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~/620826740/0/usatodaycomsports-topstories~Day-Without-Sports-%F0%9F%98%AD-Heres-how-Final-Four-wouldve-turned-out-if-it-happened/