Going Back-to-Back: How the UConn Huskies Pulled off a Repeat in the NCAA Final

Unlike any team in the contenders for the NCAA, UConn has prided itself in being a team-ball game. This meant that they are really sharing the ball well without much hassle and creating opportunities with one another. This was seen well when they came up with a promising victory against the Stetson Hatters, scoring 52 points in the first quarter alone – showing that they have the dominant touch in their games while holding the Hatters to just 19 at that time. The Huskies wrapped up the game with a 91-52 win over the 16th seed to move on to the second round.

The Huskies were matched up with the Northwestern Wildcats in the second round. This time, the team managed to come up with a promising win thanks to a dominant start, outscoring the Wildcats at 40-18 to begin the game, and finishing the game on a stable note at 75-58. This game saw the impeccable impact of Donovan Clingan on the glass, grabbing 14 rebounds along with 14 points. On top of that, it was also Tristen Newton who played the floor-general role for the team, scoring 20 points and dishing out 10 assists, making one key play after another that proved to be a pivotal part of the team’s early rally.

San Diego was one of the few teams that have managed to come up with a fighting force against the UConn Huskies. The first quarter saw them trail the Huskies by 31-40, mostly thanks to Jaedon LeDee’s hot touch on the three. UConn, however, went on to respond with their big three in motion as Cam Spencer, Stephon Castle, and Cam Newton stepping up big in the second half. It was also key baskets from Hassan Diarra that allowed UConn to stay on the prowl for a lead late in the game while their defense smothered San Diego’s chances away for an 82-52 win.

The Elite Eight was a different story – yet ended all the same. It was a dominant show for Donovan Clingan, who at the time was being hyped as one of the upcoming draft candidates in the NBA. The big man finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds, showing his incredible dominance in the paint while the Huskies struggled to pull away early. However, the second quarter saw them finish with 49 points in that frame alone, wrapping up a 77-52 win that has set the tone for how formidable the Huskies have been when it comes to responding against adversity while playing some of the best teams in the league.

Perhaps the closest game that the Huskies have played in the NCAA Tournament this year is their showdown against the Alabama Crimson Tide, who have been pulling off insane upsets so far. The first half had the Huskies leading by just 44-40 after an intense scoring affair to begin the game. It was also the first time that all five starters for UConn needed to score double figures to pull off a win, outscoring the Crimson Tide by 10 to close out an 86-72 win – the closest one they had for the whole tournament.

If we are going to talk about how we have seen the best of the best battle it out on the big stage, it does seem that this year was a promising campaign for NCAA with the two top seeds emerging all the way to the final. This has been hyped right from the start, and it does seem that many bettors were excited to see how this showdown would evolve as a promising game to look out for. However, the overreliance of Purdue on Zach Edey immediately backfired on them as it cost them the game from start to finish, all while the Huskies were firing well from all cylinders, with Tristen Newton putting up some of the most impressive finishes in the game. The Huskies finished the game with strong defensive stops, claiming a back-to-back title victory with a 75-60 win.