The UConn Huskies capped off one of the most dominant runs in NCAA Tournament history, defeating the Purdue Boilermakers 75-60 on Monday night to win their second consecutive national championship.
Led by 20 points from grad senior point guard Tristen Newton, the Huskies became the first team to repeat as champions since Florida in 2006 and 2007.
UConn’s suffocating defense held Purdue to just 33% shooting and 1-of-7 from three-point range. The Huskies’ length and athleticism smothered Purdue’s guards all night, forcing 17 turnovers.
“We were the best team in the country,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said after the game. “Purdue was the second-best team. Play to our identity and we’ll be champions.”
Edey Battles Valiantly in Defeat
Purdue’s 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey, the two-time National Player of the Year, scored 37 points on 25 shot attempts but got little help from his teammates.
The rest of the Boilermakers combined for just 23 points as UConn’s defense keyed in on shutting down Purdue’s perimeter threats.
Edey’s matchup with UConn’s 7-foot-2 sophomore Donovan Clingan was the game’s marquee battle.
Clingan held his own defensively and contributed 11 points and 8 rebounds for the Huskies.
“Donovan can match his length and has a significant edge in athletic ability that should be key to defending him,” wrote USA Today’s Erick Smith in his pregame prediction.
A Tournament of Blowouts
UConn’s title run was defined by its sheer dominance. The Huskies won their six tournament games by a combined 140 points, shattering the previous record of 121 set by North Carolina in 2009.
Their average margin of victory of 23.3 points per game is the highest ever for a champion. The Huskies were equally dominant in last year’s title run, winning all six games by double-digits.
UConn is the first team to win consecutive championships without a single-digit victory since UCLA in 1972.
Hurley Joins Elite Company
The championship is the sixth in UConn’s storied history and the second under 50-year-old head coach Dan Hurley.
Hurley has quickly built a dynasty in Storrs, guiding the Huskies to four straight Sweet 16 appearances and back-to-back titles in his five seasons.
Hurley joins an exclusive club of coaches to win multiple championships, including Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams, and his own brother Bobby, who won two titles at Duke in the early 1990s.
“I’m probably going to steal a couple things from them next year,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said of Hurley’s program. “UConn is a very, very good basketball team.”
What’s Next?
For Purdue, the loss extends the program’s title drought that dates back to 1932. The Boilermakers were seeking their first championship after losing in their previous title game appearance in 1969.
UConn will now set its sights on a three-peat, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since UCLA’s seven straight titles from 1967-73.
With Newton, Clingan, and star freshman Stephon Castle all expected to return, the Huskies will likely enter next season as the prohibitive favorites to cut down the nets once again.“This is UConn basketball,” Hurley said amidst the postgame celebration. “This is what we do.”
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