UConn won its sixth national championship in program history and second in a row on Monday night as the No. 1 seed Huskies beat No. 1 seed Purdue 75-60 inside State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The victory marked UConn's 12th straight double-digit win in NCAA Tournament action, a streak of historic dominance that dates back to the beginning of last year's tournament.
The Huskies are the first team to repeat as college basketball's national champion since Florida did it in 2006 and 2007. UConn is now tied with North Carolina for third for most national championships behind only Kentucky (8) and UCLA (11). Purdue held serve early behind a heavy dose of two-time Naismith Award winner Zach Edey, but the Boilermakers couldn't keep pace as the Huskies took away their perimeter punch.
Purdue entered ranked No. 2 nationally in 3-point shooting percentage at 40.6%. The Boilermakers averaged 8.3 makes per game from beyond the arc on 20.6 attempts. But the Huskies defended the 3-point line like hawks, limiting Purdue's attempts from beyond the arc. On the interior, UConn relied heavily on 7-foot-2 center Donovan Clingan to defend the 7-4 Edey who closed his career with a big offensive night, his efficiency waned after a 6 of 9 start.
The outcome denied Purdue its first-ever national title and marked a disappointing end to an otherwise successful redemption tour. After losing to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of last year's Big Dance, the Boilermakers followed up with their first Final Four trip since 1980 and first title game appearance since 1969. In the end, UConn's systematic dominance carried the day, as the Huskies left no doubt over who the best team was in college basketball during the 2023-24 season.
Here are three takeaways from UConn's historic win ...
The 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 all 12 NCAA Tournament games dating back to last season, the Huskies won every game by double-digits. UConn didn't just repeat as champions, they did so historically and dominantly. In the transfer portal era, this could go down as one of the final teams that was able 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 reloaded to become 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 another title to just coaching résumé raises his profile even further. — CS
Purdue's perimeter problem
UConn's defensive game plan to take away Purdue's perimeter shooting worked to perfection. It also highlighted the Boilermakers' lack of star power in the backcourt. Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer each took major strides as sophomores at Purdue, and Lance Jones proved to be a critical, veteran transfer addition from Southern Illinois. All three played pivotal roles in getting the Boilermakers to this stage. But they were outclassed in size and talent by UConn. The trio combined to make 6 of 20 shots from the floor, and Loyer was held scoreless for the first time in his career.
While Smith's 12 points made him Purdue's second-leading scorer behind Edey, who finished with 37, his contributions tapered off in crunch time. Smith went 0 for 5 in the second half. In total, players other than Edey made just 9 of 29 shots for the Boilermakers. Someone like former Purdue star guard Jaden Ivey would have been useful for the Boilermakers in this matchup. But with no dynamic perimeter weapon on its roster, Purdue played right into the hands of UConn's defensive strategy. — DC
UConn executes game plan to perfection
The Huskies' game plan was simple: Don't let anyone other than Edey beat them. Edey finished with 37 points, and his teammate Braden Smith was the other player to score in double figures (12). The Boilermakers are one of the top 3-point shooting teams coming into the night, and a handful of those wide-open opportunities came from Edey getting double-teamed. UConn elected to guard Edey man-to-man with Clingan, and they rarely sent double teams at him. Purdue finished 1 of 7 from beyond the arc, and that performance hindered any chance at a comeback. Edey got Clingan and backup forward Hassan Diarra in foul trouble, but it didn't matter because they stuck to the plan. It worked. It's why UConn is the champion again. — CS