UConn accomplished something unprecedented in their program’s history. They repeated. They did it in a dominant fashion, with a total scoring differential of +140.
I was lucky enough to be in Arizona for the Final Four. Purdue’s fanbase traveled better than any school I have seen in the Final Fours I have been to, including Michigan State in 2009 when the Final Four was in Detroit. However, the overwhelming number of Purdue fans was not enough for their team to stop the Huskies.
In the final edition of Around March Madness this season, we recap the final three games of college basketball, along with the best players of the Final Four (Hint: most of them are UConn players).
Final Four
Edey, top-seeded Boilermakers make first national title game since 1969 over No. 11 seed NC State, 63-50
Last season, Purdue became the second No. 1 seed in tournament history to lose to a No. 16 seed (Virginia in 2018). This season, they dominated, losing just four games going into their first NCAA title game since 1969 and winning the Big Ten regular-season title. Zach Edey, who is now a two-time National Player of the Year, helped lead the Boilermakers to Monday night. The 7-foot-4 giant played all 40 minutes, scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Unfortunately for NC State, their Cinderella run ended on Saturday in Glendale.
Castle masterclass helps defending champs win over No. 4 seed Alabama, 86-72
Alabama is one of the best offensive teams in the country, led by an absolute problem of a guard in Mark Sears, averaging over 20 points per game coming into the contest. Even though UConn’s star freshman Stephon Castle could not keep Sears under his scoring average as he did with Illinois’s Terrence Shannon Jr. in the Elite Eight, he had one of his best offensive games of the season, scoring 21 points. The Crimson Tide drilled eight 3-pointers in the first half, but the Huskies were up by four at halftime and only allowed three baskets from long range in the second half.
National Championship
UConn wins sixth national title, completes repeat with 75-60 win over Purdue
This was one of the most anticipated championship games in the 21st century, with UConn and Purdue being the two best teams consistently all year with two 7-foot centers in Edey and Connecticut’s Donovan Clingan being a battle coined: “Cling Kong vs. Zachzilla.” Despite the Purdue legend scoring 37 points, the story was UConn’s perimeter defense. While Purdue is known as a strong 3-point shooting team, they only allowed seven attempts, with the Boilermakers only making one of those attempts. All-American guard Tristen Newton, now a two-time national champion, scored 20 points to complete one of the greatest two-year runs in college basketball history.
Final Four all-tournament team
Most Outstanding Player: Tristen Newton, G, UConn (16 PPG, 8 APG, 4 RPG, 41.6 FG%, 35.7 3P%, 87.5 FT% in two games)
The All-American who became the third Husky to receive the Bob Cousy Award (awarded to the nation’s best point guard) capped off the best season of his career by being named the Final Four most outstanding player. In both games in the Final Four, Newton was responsible for at least 30 points each game, scoring in double figures while recording at least seven assists in both games. He became a UConn legend this year as one of the program’s best guards ever.
Cam Spencer, G, UConn (12.5 PPG, 8 RPG, 3 APG, 2 SPG, 43.5 FG%, 44.4 3P% in two games)
One of the most impactful graduate transfers this season was huge in the Final Four. He scored five baskets in each of the two contests. Grabbing eight rebounds in each game may be the most impressive part of the final two games of Spencer’s collegiate career.
Stephon Castle, G, UConn (18 PPG, 5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1 SPG, 50 FG%, 70 FT% in two games)
If you didn’t think Castle was a top-10 pick in the NBA Draft before the Final Four, you should now. The five-star freshman was incredible, tying his career-high in points with 21 points in the national semifinal against Alabama. He followed up that performance with a 15-point outing in the championship game against Purdue. Send this guy to the NBA. He is ready.
Donovan Clingan, C, UConn (14.5 PPG, 5 RPG, 1 APG, 2.5 BPG, 59.1 FG%, 100 FT% in two games)
Arguably the best college basketball prospect in the upcoming NBA Draft, Clingan had quite the end to his legendary two-year career at UConn. The hometown hero scored 18 points and blocked four shots in the Huskies’ 14-point win over Alabama. In a season where he didn’t shine from the free throw line, he only missed five free throws during the six-game NCAA Tournament run.
Zach Edey, C, Purdue (28.5 PPG, 11 RPG, 2 APG, 2 BPG, 61.5 FG%, 75 FT% in two games)
Last, but not least, one of the greatest Purdue basketball players ever. Despite losing in the national championship game, the nation’s leading scorer proved his dominance with a 37-point outing against 7-foot-2 center Donovan Clingan. Edey had at least 20 points and a double-double in every game this tournament.