Texas Tech has a player from the home of Black Panther, sort of.
If you listen closely during player introductions for Texas Tech during the National Championship Game, you’ll hear Matt Mooney is from a place you’ve heard from before.
The fictional country of Wakanda is the home to Black Panther, but Wauconda is the real hometown of Red Raiders’ Matt Mooney.
The town is located about 45-50 miles north of Chicago, to the dismay of many, it is not actually the magical and technologically-advanced nation made popular in the Oscar-winning movie that came out last year.
But it’s close enough, and that’s good enough for fans to pick a side if they have no rooting interest in Monday night’s title game between Texas Tech and Virginia.
During the Final Four game vs. Michigan State, there were many who heard the player introductions and couldn’t believe what their ears were hearing.
Did they just say Matt Mooney is from Wakanda Illinois?
— Richard Barstein (@BuddyLove87) April 7, 2019
Wakanda has been located in Illinois this whole time?
— Klaynk Thompson (@P_MATIC) April 7, 2019
Just learned during introductions that Texas Tech guard Matt Mooney is from Wauconda, Illinois. pic.twitter.com/44VyeZrGy5
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) April 7, 2019
i looked up wauconda. the population stats make me wonder how many of the locals know why this is s hilarious.
— bomani (@bomani_jones) April 7, 2019
Texas Tech by 100 they have a dude from Wauconda #FinalFour
— Troell Embede (@NotoriousTroell) April 7, 2019
This is clearly an advantage that goes beyond the box score for Texas Tech. Virginia doesn’t have anyone from a fictional Marvel country, so if you’re looking to make a last-minute wager on the game, pick the team with a player from that “other” Wauconda.
It wouldn’t be a legit bad play because Mooney is coming off his best game of the year in the Final Four game vs. Michigan State. Mooney shot the lights out with four 3-pointers that led to him scoring a season-high 22 points. The game before that, he had 17 vs. Gonzaga.
You can watch Wauconda’s own take on Virginia in the National Championship Game on CBS at 9 p.m. ET.