UConn tops a dramatic men’s March Madness
The Huskies wrapped up their second consecutive title in dominant fashion.
By ADAM FREIBERG
While this NCAA Tournament did not feature USC, Trojan fans were still gifted with the excitement of an incredible March Madness.
The No. 1 seed UConn Huskies (37-3, 18-2 Big East) beat the No. 1 seed Purdue Boilermakers (34-5, 17-3 Big Ten) 75-60 Monday night to win their second consecutive national championship.
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The Huskies once again went through a tournament notorious for close games without playing any such games. They have now won every game of the past two tournaments by at least 13 points. This tournament, they set the all-time record for point differential at +140. They did not trail in a single second half all tournament, as well.
UConn’s back-to-back run is in historic territory as they become only the third team in the past 50 years to complete the remarkable feat. Head Coach Dan Hurley has now won multiple titles in just six years at the school. For context, legendary coaches like Jim Boeheim, Tom Izzo and John Calipari are still stuck at one.
While UConn’s games were never in doubt, this tournament had a lot to offer. There was the double-digit seed Final Four run with No. 11 seed NC State (26-15, 9-11 ACC), No. 14 seed Oakland University (24-12, 15-5 Horizon League) and graduate guard Jack Gohlke’s Cinderella story experience, and Purdue senior center Zach Edey’s redemption tour. From bracket-busting upsets to instant classics, let’s take a look at the best storylines from this year’s event.
First-round Upsets
What’s an NCAA Tournament without some David versus Goliath stories in the first weekend?
While this tournament went more chalk than usual, there were still a fair share of shockers. No. 13 seed Yale University (23-9, 11-3 Ivy League) took out No. 4 seed Auburn (27-8, 13-5 SEC) in a stunner, as did No. 12 seed Grand Canyon University (30-4, 17-3 Western Athletic Conference) against No. 5 seed Saint Mary’s (26-8, 15-1 West Coast Conference).
Oakland’s defeat of No. 3 seed Kentucky (23-10, 13-5 SEC) was the biggest upset of them all. Behind Jack Gohlke’s 10 3-pointers, the Golden Grizzlies were able to catch the young Wildcats team off guard. Oakland hails from Michigan — not California — and completely changed the outlook of its program off this win.
ACC Success
The ACC very much had a down year by its standards as a conference, netting just five teams into the Big Dance. NC State and No. 10 seed Virginia (23-11, 13-7 ACC) just barely made it, the former by winning the conference tournament and the latter through a First Four bid. However, the ACC proved it belonged, as it was the only conference to send three teams — NC State alongside No. 4 Duke (27-9, 15-5 ACC) and No. 6 Clemson (24-12, 11-9 ACC) — to the Elite Eight.
Mountain West Disappointment
Perhaps not a blockbuster storyline, but the Mountain West Conference deeply disappointed in the tournament this year. A record six teams from the conference received bids, yet only one made it out of the first weekend of the tournament: No. 5 seed San Diego State (26-11, 11-7 Mountain West). The Aztecs had the luxury of facing no teams higher than a No. 12 seed in their first two games before falling to UConn in the Sweet 16.
No. 10 seed Nevada’s (26-8, 13-5 Mountain West) epic collapse to Dayton was perhaps the most heartbreaking loss of the tournament as the Wolf Pack blew a 17-point lead in the final seven minutes of the game.
Thrilling Endings
This tournament was no stranger to crucial comebacks and frantic finishes. The second-round matchup between No. 3 seed Creighton (25-10, 14-6 Big East) and No. 11 seed Oregon (24-12, 12-8 Pac-12) certainly belongs in this category. The Bluejays overcame a late deficit to win a double overtime barnburner.
No. 4 seed Alabama (25-12, 13-5 SEC) and No. 1 seed North Carolina (29-8, 17-3 ACC) played an epic 89-87 game in the Sweet 16, as did No. 3 seed Illinois (29-9, 14-6 Big Ten) and No. 2 seed Iowa State (29-8, 13-5 Big 12) in their 72-69 nail-biting affair. Other memorable games include the Round of 32 overtime battles of NC State and Oakland, as well as No. 1 seed Houston (32-5, 15-3 Big 12) and No. 9 seed Texas A&M (21-15, 9-9 SEC).
Some of the chalk results earlier in the tournament led to even better matchups than usual later on in the tournament.
Boilermaker Redemption Tour
After losing to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson University in a monumental collapse last season, Purdue once again entered the tournament as a top seed, looking to avenge their disappointment. Led by two-time reigning National Player of the Year Zach Edey, the team cruised all the way to the national championship game. Edey averaged 30 points and 15 rebounds per game in one of the best tournament runs by a single player the tournament has ever seen. Unfortunately for Purdue, UConn proved to be too much for them to handle, but Matt Painter’s squad redeemed themselves on their way to their second national championship appearance in school history.
Money-Making Huskies
UConn’s unprecedented dominance proved to be a windfall for bettors all tournament long. The Huskies’ smallest margin of victory was 14 points in the Final Four against Alabama and they covered the spread in all six tournament games. This is the second consecutive tournament where they have achieved this feat, which has never been done before as long as lines have been tracked. Bettors rode the Huskies train all tournament long with a culmination of 73% of money being placed on them in the national championship game.
This was certainly a memorable tournament filled with exciting moments. The UConn Huskies’ second-straight title makes them the first team to go back-to-back since the 2006-07 Florida Gators.
