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APRIL 7, 2022 | NORTHERNIOWAN.COM | VOLUME 118, ISSUE 47

College basketball crowns its champions

Tribune News Service

Kansas won their second national championship under head coach Bill Self, defeating North Carolina on Monday night.

DREW HILL

Sports Writer

Both the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments finally came to a close this past weekend. After nearly three weeks of edge-ofyour-seat action, upsets and dominant performances, the champions have cut down the nets and made their mark on history. In the women’s Final Four, with the semifinal games being played on Friday and the championship on Sunday, familiar faces dueled it out. First, No. 1 overall-seed South Carolina took down Louisville 72-59 behind 23 points and 18 rebounds from player of the year Aliyah Boston. Then, in a tight game, Connecticut (UConn) upset the defending champion Stanford Cardinal 63-58 to set up a championship game with South Carolina. Unlike the Final Four game between Stanford and UConn, this game was not very close, with South Carolina winning 64-49 to claim its second championship of the last five tournaments, with the other in 2017. Coincidentally, 2017 was the first time in five years that UConn did not win a championship, snapping a four-in-a-row streak that began in 2013. The last time the UConn women had a national title drought five years or longer was before 1995, the first of their women’s championships. The men’s Final Four started off with a near blowout, as the lone surviving oneseed, the Kansas Jayhawks, took down Villanova 81-65. Villanova was missing key starter Justin Moore, who was injured in their previous game, and it showed in the defeat. The other semifinal game was a legendary matchup sports commentators and reporters dream of: Duke versus North Carolina. Strangely, despite incredible NCAA tournament success among both teams, with the teams combining to claim nine of the thirty championships from 1991-2021, the two rivals had never faced in the NCAA tournament. What made the game even more monumental was that this was the last game of Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, arguably the greatest coach in NCAA basketball history, with 1,202 wins. The teams had split the season series, with each team winning at the other’s home court. The first half saw both teams go back-and-forth in a battle of explosive offenses. With Duke leading in the second half, North Carolina did what they have done all tournament, nailing three three-pointers in a row, followed by two more baskets to take a 47-41 lead. Duke responded with a 6-0 run to tie the game. Both teams kept battling in the second half. With North Carolina up by one with about 25 seconds left, guard Caleb Love hit a three-pointer to extend the Tar Heels’ lead to four. Love made three out of four free throws to close out the game and give North Carolina an 81-77 win over their hated rivals. It was a game that neither team will soon forget. The title game looked like it would not be quite as exciting at several points. North Carolina proceeded to close the half on an 18-3 run to take a 40-25 lead into halftime. They were 46-0 when leading by ten or more at the half in the NCAA tournament, and all momentum favored the Tar Heels going forward. However, Kansas had no plans to roll over and quit. In less than ten minutes, the Jayhawks tied the game at 50. Less than a minute later, they had a six-point lead at 56-50. North Carolina kept fighting, and they finally regained the lead at 69-68 with about 1:40 to go. Kansas’ David McCormack nailed a hook shot to give Kansas back the lead. On the next play, Armando Bacot, North Carolina’s star who became the first player to get a double-double in six games in the NCAA tournament, injured his ankle, which forced him to sit out the rest of the game. With him out, McCormack scored another hook shot to give Kansas a 72-69 lead. North Carolina missed two threes, and then threw the ball out of bounds to give it to Kansas with 4.3 seconds left. The game appeared to be over. Following a KU turnover Love missed a lastchance three, and Kansas won the championship. It was Kansas’ first championship since 2008. They made history by overcoming the largest deficit in championship history, being down 16 at one point. If North Carolina had won, they would have made history by being just the second ever eight-seed to win a championship. Now that the tourney is over, college basketball fans are left asking, “What next?” It’s going to be a long eight months until college basketball starts again in November.

GOLF What does Tiger’s return mean for the Masters?

HUNTER FRIESEN

Sports Writer

Is there some unknown deep-seated hatred toward March Madness from some of our biggest athletes? NFL quarterback Tom Brady stole the spotlight from Selection Sunday when he announced his surprising un-retirement and return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for one more season. And now this past Saturday, on the day of the Final Four, golf superstar Tiger Woods made headlines when he announced that he would be a game-time decision for playing in this weekend’s Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. Of course, I am kidding. But it does seem that athletes around the world are jealous that college basketball gets a whole month dedicated to them. And never mind that the term “game-time decision” has never been used to describe a golf player. Tiger’s comments may seem a bit like he’s trying to lead us on. One could say it’s a conspiracy by the Masters brass to drum up interest in their annual tournament. It’s not an unsubstantiated theory considering Tiger’s previous win at the tournament in 2019 drew 10.81 million viewers, while last year’s tournament without him attracted 9.45 million. But even if Tiger participates in this year’s tournament (which is getting more and more likely by the day), will he be able to compete for his sixth green jacket? It’s only been 13 months since he was injured in a brutal car accident that resulted in substantial damage to his right leg, along with other minor injuries. You never know how Tiger will play these days. He’s had on and off results at tournaments over the years, with some missed cuts and some wins. This year’s prestigious event is packed to the brim with previous tournament winners and highly-decorated stars. Since Tiger’s relative demise over the years due to injuries, golf has seen a surge in parity. Every tournament has at least a dozen names with an equal chance of winning, and The Masters will be no different. Cameron Smith and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler are the ones at the top of the betting odds. Each has been surging at the smaller tournaments over the past few months but hasn’t had much success in the majors. On the opposite side sits Brooks Koepka, who seems to always overperform when the lights are brightest. He’s finished in the Top 10 twelve times in the past 16 major tournaments, including four victories. The previous World No. 1, Jon Rahm, is a beacon of consistency, as he’s finished in the Top 10 in each of his previous four Masters. The same goes for Tony Finau. He’s had a bit of a rough stretch these past few months but could make the necessary adjustments before this weekend. The one fan-favorite who will not be playing this year is three-time winner Phil Mickelson, who’s still embroiled in controversy over his actions and comments over the previous months. Apart from his surprise PGA Championship win last year, Phil hasn’t been as competitive as he used to be, so it’s not like this weekend’s event lost one of its top contenders. It’ll be interesting to see who will don the coveted green jacket this Sunday. I could quadruple the length of this article and still leave off quite a few names worth mentioning. It just goes to show that there isn’t a better tournament out there to get golf back on the menu for sports fans around the world.

Tribune News Service

Tiger Woods recently announced that he would be playing in this year’s Masters tournament, a little over one year after he was in a major car accident resulting in multiple injuries.

BASEBALL

APRIL 7, 2022 | NORTHERNIOWAN.COM | VOLUME 118, ISSUE 47

MLB season preview: storylines and what to watch

DAVID WARRINGTON

Sports Writer

Another MLB Opening Day is upon us, and with it comes 30 teams who all have clear visions of a deep postseason run this fall. After an extended labor stoppage that had people wondering if we would get a 2022 Opening Day at all, it is refreshing for fans and players alike for regular-season games to be getting underway. The Atlanta Braves, the reigning champions of baseball after winning the World Series a season ago, expect to compete among the league’s best once again. They did lose longtime first baseman Freddie Freeman when he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but with that, they did gain first baseman Matt Olson from the Oakland Athletics to try and cut their losses at first base, as well as picking up closer Kenley Jansen and reliever Collin McHugh, who had a 1.55 ERA a season ago. They were also without star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. for their postseason run last year. His return should give Atlanta a big boost as they vie for back-toback championships. The reigning American League Champions are the Houston Astros, who were just a couple of games shy of a championship last year. Many expect the Astros to compete deep into the postseason again this year, despite the offseason departure of All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa. Kyle Tucker had a breakout season for Houston last year, and rookie shortstop Jeremy Pena has the potential to be a respectable replacement for Correa. A lot of Houston’s fortunes will be on the shoulders of starting pitcher Justin Verlander. Verlander, who turned 39 in February, has been a dominant pitcher in the MLB for well over a decade. Whether or not he can continue that dominance as he pushes 40 will go a long way towards determining what kind of season the Astros will have. A team that came one series short of the World Series last year, the Los Angeles Dodgers, is seen by many as the favorite to go all the way to a championship this season. The aforementioned Freeman is now wearing the Dodger blue, and they also picked up closer Craig Kimbrel this offseason to add to what was an already stacked lineup last year. If the Dodgers can stay healthy and get production from their starting rotation, they should be in good shape when October rolls around. An interesting storyline to follow this season will be that of the St. Louis Cardinals. After winning 17 games in a row late in the year, the Cardinals barely squeaked into last year’s playoffs before falling to the Dodgers in the Wild Card Game on a walk-off. This season will be something of a last dance for the Cardinals. Yadier Molina, who has been the catcher for the Cardinals since 2004, signed a one-year contract extension with St. Louis this offseason and confirmed that he plans to retire once this season concludes. Adam Wainwright, a starting pitcher for the Cardinals since 2005, hasn’t officially said one way or the other about retirement, but the 40-year-old did say this is likely his last season. Add in the return of Cardinals legend Albert Pujols, who is also retiring after the year, and the three players who won World Series for St. Louis in 2006 and 2011 will have one more chance in 2022. Heading into the 2022 MLB season, there are countless storylines to watch and 30 teams vying for a World Series championship. 18 of those teams will get their journey started on Thursday, with the other 12 starting their season on Friday.

Tribune News Service

The 2022 Major League Baseball season will begin on Thursday, April 7. Many teams are looking to get into the swing of things following the lockout over the offseason.

BASKETBALL Preview: 2022 NBA playoffs are fast approaching

CADEN SHEA

Sports Writer

The NBA regular season is quietly coming to an end, which can only mean one thing: the NBA playoffs are approaching. Many teams have been working the whole season just for this moment. Stars will be made, legendary moments will occur and a champion will be crowned. It’s time to look at some of the most intriguing teams and stories that will emerge from the playoffs. The Western Conference is led by the defending conference champions, the Phoenix Suns. This Suns team has the best record in the league (by a lot) with a current record of 62-16. They have looked like the most dominant force in the league led by Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton. Don’t be surprised if they make another deep run in the tournament this year, possibly capped off holding the trophy. A surprising team is in the No. 2 slot in the West: the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies went from being a team that routinely missed the NBA Playoffs to being one of the best teams in the league. Led by all-star point guard Ja Morant, the Grizzlies look to become one of the teams to watch out for in the future. The No. 3 slot in the West belongs to the Golden State Warriors. This team has been plagued with injuries the whole year. When one star player comes back, it seems like another one gets injured. Despite all this, the Warriors are sitting at the No. 3 slot in their conference. If players like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson can be healthy by the start of the playoffs, this will be one team that will definitely be a must-watch. The last team in the West that has definitely clinched a playoff spot so far is the Dallas Mavericks. With players like Luka Doncic, Spencer Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson, this team is dynamic and fun to watch. Doncic is a guy that can elevate his team to win on any given night. The Mavericks are looking very good at the No. 4 spot. There are a bunch of teams in the West that are still trying to make it, whether that be clinching a playoff spot or getting into the play-in tournament. These teams are the Denver Nuggets, the Utah Jazz, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Los Angeles Clippers, the New Orleans Pelicans and the San Antonio Spurs, in that order. One of the most surprising teams on this list is the Lakers. This team was hailed as a super team going into the regular season, boasting players like LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, but were officially eliminated from playoff contention on April 5, completing one of the most disappointing seasons in the history of the franchise. The Eastern Conference is also very competitive at this time. The Miami Heat are currently in control at the No. 1 seed. Boasting players like Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry, this team looks to get back in the championship this year. Not far behind them, however, are the Jayson Tatum-led Boston Celtics. This team has been very chippy and have earned every game to get them to this point. This Celtics team will be very fun to watch in every game they play in these playoffs, but the current NBA champions are not far behind them, however. The Milwaukee Bucks are looking to defend their crown against anyone who tries to take it from them. The Bucks are captained by a once-in-a-generation player in the form of Giannis Atntetokounmpo who is wanting to keep his championship and legacy in these playoffs. The East is filled with competition throughout the playoffs. The new-look 76ers team with James Harden and Joel Embiid are sitting at the No. 4 seed and could also be true contenders. The Chicago Bulls have been the surprise story of this whole tournament with players like DeMar DeRozan and Zach Lavine stepping up and playing incredible basketball. The NBA play-in tournament begins on April 12 and will determine the No. 7 and eight seeds in each conference, with the playoffs beginning on April 16. This season has a lot of intriguing storylines and will be interesting to see how things unfold over the course of the next few months.

Tribune News Service

The Phoenix Suns have been the best team in the NBA all season long and will look to get back to the NBA Finals after losing to Milwaukee last year.

APRIL 7, 2022 | NORTHERNIOWAN.COM | VOLUME 118, ISSUE 47

Today's Horoscope

April 7, 2022

Today's Birthday (04/07/22). Fortune flows through friendship, teamwork and collaboration this year. Disciplined, steady participation realizes shared dreams. Spring profits allow support for a shared endeavor this summer. Joint ventures pay off next autumn, providing ease with a winter financial challenge. Pull together for fun, ease and victory.

To get the advantage, check the day's rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) –Today is an 8. Fill your home with love. Beautify your spaces. Cook up something fragrant and delicious. Talk with family about upcoming plans. Listen carefully. Teamwork pays off.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) –Today is a 9. Follow fascinating ideas. Read, research and study. You can see what wasn't working. Make adjustments. Edit and refine. Add illustrations, maps and link sources.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) – Today is a 9. Financial deals come together naturally. Discuss possibilities and set the budget. Words and actions align. Follow rules carefully. Take care of business.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) – Today is a 9. Develop practical personal plans. You know what you want. Dare to dream big. Talk about it with people you trust. Advance with help from friends.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) – Today is a 7. Sink into peaceful reverie and let your mind wander. Listen to good music. Put things away while you organize plans. Align your course and vision.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) – Today is a 9. Friends are a big help. Pull together for a common dream. Teamwork attracts good fortune. Talk about the plan. Reinforce the basics. Strengthen support structures.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) –Today is a 9. Your work is gaining attention. Polish portfolios, websites and resumes. Smile for the cameras. Discover fringe benefits. Your status and influence are on the rise.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) – Today is an 8. Enjoy a dreamy situation. Love and luck come together. Make long-distance connections. Discuss possibilities and align on the best direction. You're learning something fascinating.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) – Today is a 9. Take advantage of lucrative conditions. Collaborate to harvest what you can. Stick to practical financial priorities to maximize savings. Build for the future.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) – Today is a 9. Love feeds your spirit. Pull together with your partner. Contribute to strengthen collaborative efforts. Support each other. Shared dreams can get romantic.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) – Today is a 9. Keep practicing. A dream lies within reach. Adapt and adjust with expert support. Nurture yourself for optimal physical performance. You're building strength and endurance.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) – Today is an 8. Creative muses inspire your artistry. Discover unimagined beauty. Fun and romance blossom naturally. Have fun with someone attractive and interesting. Share a delicious treat.

Visit our website for more information: northerniowan.com

Syphilis is on the rise in Iowa.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection. Early numbers show a 75% increase in syphilis cases in Iowa from 2020 to 2021.

It’s more common and easier to get than you might think. Syphilis is curable but can cause serious health problems without treatment. Talk to your doctor about whether you are at risk. Find a testing location near you: gettested.cdc.gov