North Carolina hosts multiple NCAA Tournament games this year

Oregon women's basketball coach Kelly Graves is happy that his team is playing in the NCAA Tournament at Duke. The Ducks have, in the past, found success there, advancing as a 10 seed in 2017. This time, it also means his family can watch both the Ducks and the Florida men’s team, where his son, Will, is a graduate assistant. Florida's game is in Raleigh, N.C., about 30 minutes from Duke. The Graves family met up at a hotel on Thursday night. They will have a hard time watching both games on Friday because Oregon's game starts just 80 minutes before Florida's. Graves shared the nostalgia of returning to Durham, saying, “Every family has those trips or memories that are just different.” This week, Tobacco Road is the main location for March Madness, hosting three women's first-round sites at Duke, North Carolina, and N.C. State, along with men's games at N.C. State. In total, 21 teams are participating in the area. Los Angeles hardly compares, hosting only two first-round sites, despite having top players like USC’s JuJu Watkins and UCLA’s Lauren Betts. Watkins expressed pride in the strong basketball culture in North Carolina. This year marks the first time that so much NCAA basketball is happening in one area. The "Triangle" had three women's sites in 1998, but no men's games. Logistics around hotels and transport have been manageable, with all teams staying nearby. North Carolina is known for its rich basketball history. The state has hosted more men’s NCAA Tournament games than any other, with 269 games overall. This weekend, there have also been 154 women's games in the state, ranking third behind Texas and California. Duke coach Kara Lawson highlighted the unique ability of the Triangle to support multiple teams. North Carolina coach Courtney Banghart noted the progress of the Tar Heels and Blue Devils since her arrival in 2019, and expressed hope for the region's basketball success. Meanwhile, the Duke men, the top seed in the NCAA Tournament, are preparing for their title quest after a short drive to Raleigh. Both Duke teams are in action on Friday, with the men's game in the afternoon and the women's in the evening, allowing fans a chance to attend both contests.