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Women's March Madness: Two former Peoria POYs playing in the NCAA Tournament

Aaliyah Guyton is going dancing, so is Katie Krupa.

The former Journal Star basketball players of the year will play in the 2025 women's NCAA tournament this weekend. Guyton and Iowa faces Murray State at 11 a.m. Saturday, while Krupa’s Harvard team plays Michigan State at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

Here is how both made March Madness and their thoughts about making the field of 68:

Women's March Madness 2025: 35 players from Illinois who are part of the NCAA tournament

Katie Krupa, Harvard

Harvard junior Katie Krupa takes a shot in the 2024-25 season. The former Morton all-stater will be playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in her college career.

“It’s been such a fun past couple of days,” Krupa told the Journal Star, “just kind of soaking in it”

The former Morton all-stater’s route to the NCAA Tournament came by way of winning the Ivy League Tournament. She came off the bench to score three points in seven minutes as Harvard knocked off top-seeded Columbia, 74-71, to secure an automatic bid to the Big Dance.

This victory for the No. 3-seed Crimson (24-4) came after the teams had split the regular season series.

Krupa, the 2022 JS POY, says there was such a wide range of feelings following the victory, ranging from happy tears to tears of relief.

Background: How this Harvard-bound Morton girls basketball player has taken her game to the next level

“There’s so much emotion and hard work and dedication and sacrifice,” the 6-foot-1 junior forward said, “that’s gone into the entirety of the season, so if you can imagine all of that kind of bundled up into one moment is, I guess, how I would describe I think the team felt as a collective.

“… I’m just so extremely happy for these girls.”

Now, Krupa and 11th-seed Harvard gets a shot at No. 7 Michigan State (21-9), which received an at-large bid. They play Saturday in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“Our coaches do a phenomenal job with scout,” she said. “It’s pretty intense. It’s pretty detailed. At the end of the day, it’s all about us. … March is all about making plays and players making big plays. … It’ll be exciting to see who comes out on top from that aspect.”

Aaliyah Guyton, Iowa

Iowa guard Aaliyah Guyton (11) shoots against Wisconsin during a Big Ten conference game Sunday, March 2, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.

As for Guyton, this season has been a big-time godsend. The former Peoria High all-stater torn her ACL on Dec. 29, 2023, but was able to rehab her injury to the point where she missed just the first five games of her freshman season.

Her collegiate debut came on Nov. 24 where she played 2:32 and made a pair of free throws in Iowa’s 72-43 blowout of Washington State.

“It’s been a very long journey,” Guyton said, “but I was very blessed and grateful to be back, not just on time, but I was actually early. … (Playing in that first game) was really surreal. I was very much anxious and nervous, more than anything, but I was also happy on the side.

“It just reminded myself of when I was little and the excitement that basketball gave me.”

From there, the 2023 JS POY has played in the remaining 26 games, even making a one start. She averages 4.9 points per game, 1.2 rebounds and is shooting 39.4 percent from the 3-point range in 16 minutes a game.

“It’s been a lot of growing,” the 5-foot-7 guard said, “especially when it comes to accepting the role. This is my first time ever coming off the bench anywhere, but just being a competitor like that, that competitiveness and the fire in me never left. I just made sure I incorporated that in a different way.

“If it meant, doing what I can in the certain amount of minutes that I get coming off the bench — no matter how much time I get, no matter what the circumstance — those minutes are going to be the best minutes I can give to me.”   

Iowa, the two-time reigning national runner-up, lost in the Big Ten Conference Tournament quarterfinals, but picked up an at-large bid. The Hawkeyes (22-10) travel to Norman, Oklahoma, and will take on Missouri Valley Conference Tournament champion Murray State (25-7).

Guyton more than anything is looking forward to playing in the NCAA tournament

“Just taking it a game a time,” she said. “I’m really excited, personally, for my first NCAA tournament.”

Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Women's March Madness includes two former Peoria players of the year

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Topics

  • March Madness
  • Women's
  • March
  • Madness
  • NCAA

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