UConn wins back-to-back NCAA championships: UConn is the first team to win an NCAA Tournament title since Florida in 2006-07.
UConn won its sixth national championship in program UConn wins back-to-back NCAA championships history and second in a row Monday night as the No. 1 seed Huskies defeated No. 1 The win marked UConn’s 12th straight double-digit win streak in NCAA Tournament action, a streak of historic dominance dating back to last year’s tournament opener.
The Huskies are the first team to win college basketball’s national championship since Florida did it in 2006 and 2007. Purdue held on early behind a heavy dose of two-time Naismith Award winner Jack Eddy, but the Boilermakers couldn’t hold the momentum as the Huskies took away their perimeter punch.
Purdue ranks No. 2 nationally in 3-point shooting percentage at 40.6%. The Boilermakers average 8.3 per game from beyond the arc on 20.6 attempts. On the interior, UConn relied heavily on 7-foot-2 center Donovan Klingan, who capped his career with a big offensive night, to protect the 7-4 AD, his efficiency waning after a 6-of-9 start.
After losing to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of last year’s Big Dance, the Boilermakers are chasing their first Final Four trip since 1980 and first title game appearance since 1969. In the end, UConn’s systematic dominance carried the day, leaving the Huskies in no doubt who was the best team in college basketball heading into the 2023-24 season. This time UConn wins back-to-back NCAA championships.
Here are three takeaways from UConn’s historic win…
UConn wins back-to-back NCAA championships: Huskies complete (another) historic run
UConn became the second school (joining UCLA) to win back-to-back title games by at least 15 points. In 12 NCAA Tournament games last season, the Huskies won every game by double-digits. Not only did UConn repeat as champions, they did so historically and dominantly. In the transfer portal era, it may go down as one of the final teams to get over the hump a second time and repeat as champions.
UConn lost three players to the NBA from last year’s title team and became the first team in nearly two decades to repeat. UConn coach Dan Hurley was already considered one of the best coaches in the sport before tonight, and just another title on his coaching resume boosted his profile. – CS
UConn wins back-to-back NCAA championships: Purdue’s scope problem
UConn’s defensive game plan did a perfect job of taking away Purdue’s perimeter shooting. It also highlights the Boilermakers’ lack of star power in the backcourt. Braden Smith and Fletcher Lower each took big steps as sophomores at Purdue, and Lance Jones proved to be a key, veteran transfer addition from Southern Illinois. All three have been instrumental in taking the boiler makers to this stage. But they were outclassed in size and talent by UConn. The trio shot 6 of 20 from the floor and Lauer went scoreless for the first time in his career.
While Smith’s 12 points made him Purdue’s second-leading scorer behind Eddy, who finished with 37, his contributions waned in crunch time. Smith was 5 wickets in the second half. In total, players other than Eddy made just 9 of 29 shots for the Boilermakers. Someone like former Purdue star guard Jaden Ivy would have been useful for the Boilermakers in this matchup. But with no dynamic perimeter weapons on its roster, Purdue played right into the hands of UConn’s defensive tactics. – DC
UConn wins back-to-back NCAA championships: UConn executed the game plan perfectly
The Huskies’ game plan was simple: Don’t let anyone but Eddie beat them. Eddy finished with 37 points and teammate Braden Smith was the only other player to score in double figures (12) (UConn wins back-to-back NCAA championships). The Boilermakers were one of the top 3-point shooting teams coming into the night, and a handful of those wide-open opportunities came from Eddie being double-teamed.
The Yukon elected to guard Eddie man-to-man with the Klingon, and they rarely sent double teams to him. Purdue finished 1 of 7 from beyond the arc and that performance prevented any chance of a comeback. Eddie Clingan and backup forward Hassan Diarra got into foul trouble, but it didn’t matter as they stuck to the plan. It worked. This is why UConn is champion again. – CS (UConn wins back-to-back NCAA championships)