Huskies keep repeat hopes alive
GLENDALE, Ariz. – Tristen Netwon waited for the ball screen out top, then hit cutting big man Donovan Clingan down the lane for an emphatic dunk. The Connecticut bench exploded.
Although it took longer than usual, the Huskies pulled away from Alabama on Saturday night to post an 86-72 win at State Farm Stadium. UConn advances to face Purdue in Monday night’s national championship, giving the Huskies a chance to become the first program to repeat as men’s basketball national champs since Florida in 2006-07.
The final step will not be easy. The Boilermakers beat NC State 63-50 in Saturday night’s first national semifinals matchup, a contest in which they did not trail.
The title contest will feature a battle of big men – 7-foot-4 Zach Edey of Purdue and 7-2 Clingan. It also will showcase two coaches who kept their teams in the top five of the AP poll for the entire season. UConn spent seven weeks at No. 1, Purdue spent five.
Entering Saturday, UConn had not been challenged in this tournament. The Huskies had beaten Stetson, Northwestern, San Diego State and Illinois by an average of 27.8 points. Their only hiccup came on the trip to Phoenix as mechanical and weather issues delayed the team’s arrival until 3 a.m. on Thursday.
That changed against Alabama. For 30-plus minutes, the Crimson Tide tested the Huskies (36-3), With 12:44 left in the second half, Grant Nelson hit a soft jump hook to tie the contest 56-56. Then the game turned.
UConn guard Stephon Castle hit two foul shots and scored off penetration. Samson Johnson rolled to the basket and dunked. Alex Karaban put back a miss. Eight straight points. UConn had its largest lead at 64-56. Alabama coach Nate Oats called time. It didn’t matter.
UConn played with poise in the final minutes, limiting the 3-point barrage that had hurt the Huskies in the first half. Steady from the opening tip, Castle led UConn with 21 points. Clingan added 18 points, five rebounds and four blocked shots. Newton had 12 points and nine assists. Karaban and Cam Spencer each contributed 14 points.
UConn shot 53 percent in the second half.
Alabama, competing in the first Final Four in program history, finished 25-12. Mark Sears led the Crimson Tide with 24 points. After making 8 of 11 from 3-point range in the first half, they made just 3-12 in the second.
On Monday, UConn and coach Danny Hurley will try to repeat as national champs. During the past 50 years, this has been a near-impossible task. Other than Billy Donovan’s Florida Gators, the only other program to repeat during that time is Duke, which did so in 1992. Hurley’s older brother Bobby was a standout point guard on those teams.
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UConn’s dominance is almost too stunning to believe
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Hassan Diarra brought his hand to his mouth, checking for blood. Alabama’s Rylan Griffen had caught him with a swinging elbow on a move to the basket in the waning moments of a game already decided. Now Diarra was on the court, hoping no teeth were jarred loose. The shot to the head mightn’t have been so bad if Diarra weren’t defending this meaningless possession as if his entire life depended on it. But he was.
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Stephon Castle waited his turn, which arrived vs. Alabama
GLENDALE, Ariz. — In so many ways, Stephon Castle is the Connecticut Conundrum. You already have to account for consensus All-America point guard Tristen Newton, honorable mention All-Americans Donovan Clingan and Cam Spencer and big-shot specialist Alex Karaban. Got all that covered? Oops, well, here comes the five-star freshman like a rattlesnake coiled in tall grass, selectively striking whenever anyone gets too distracted by the family of grizzly bears trying to eat them.
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UConn has now won 11 straight NCAA Tournament games by a combined score of 883-641.
- Average margin of victory: 22.0
- Average margin in 2024: 24.4
- Closest win: by 13 (2x)
We'll have No. 1 in KenPom vs. No. 2 in KenPom on Monday night for the title. Last time that happened was 2021 when Baylor and Gonzaga played for the championship.
The wild thing: neither Purdue nor UConn played great, and both won going away.
Cling Kong dropped the hammer. Power slam, super swat, power slam, and the Huskies are close enough to taste a second straight trip to the title game.
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The big question now — can Alabama be the first team in 12 NCAA Tournament games to not lose to UConn by double-figures?
Alex Karaban with the potential dagger. Mark Sears with the not-so-fast. On and on it goes.
Mark Sears walked into this Alabama timeout at the 7:34 mark of the second half looking like he could barely walk. Total exhaustion. The Tide's top guard has played all 32 minutes tonight and has helped keep them standing after all these UConn punches. His last bucket — a falling, crashing, scooping layup against contact, with an ensuing free throw — gave him 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting, to go with three assists and only one turnover.
If Connecticut is playing on Monday night, it will be in large part because of Cam Spencer's endless hustle and effort. He has chased down and rebounded over taller players and generally fought to corral so many big offensive boards and loose balls.
Every single time UConn tries to plunge the dagger, Mark Sears answers. That was a TOUGH and-one, and it's back to six.
Sears has 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Every bucket of his has come at a gotta-have-one moment.
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The back-and-forth is so good. Alabama comes back. Connecticut stretches the lead back out. Over and over. Alabama goes 9-1 run. UConn answers with 8-0. The latest push stretched the Huskies' lead to 64-56 with 10:27 left, but we already know Bama can wipe that in about 90 seconds because we've seen it already. Stephon Castle remains incredible for UConn, now with a game-high 21 points, while Grant Nelson has sent a jolt into the Tide.
Ten minutes left in Phoenix. Mandatory viewing.
Connecticut is just an absolute soul-crushing behemoth.
Alabama had it tied at 56. Then, 97 seconds later, it's 64-56 Huskies.
With 10:26 to go, UConn is trying once again to drop that hammer.
Grant Nelson is hooping his ass off tonight. Goodness.
Had Clingan on his heels, attacking and scored going right at him. Now 11 points, 11 boards in 18 minutes.
And still cannot get over that poster over Cling Kong.
Oh. My. WORD.
Where did THAT come from, Grant Nelson?! He just put Donovan Clingan on a poster. A filthy, filthy poster.
The UConn bench wants blood. Every possession to start the half is being treated like the most important play of the season, with Dan Hurley and assistants Kimani Young and Luke Murray up and stomping the court, demanding max effort. And they're getting it.
Huskies win the first stanza of the half 11-7 and stretch the lead to 55-47 with 15:31 to go. Any time this team scores on back-to-back possessions, you can feel the opponent grab their seats and pray to hold on. A big five minutes coming here for Alabama.
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Dan Hurley meeting his players at half court, slapping hands and screaming, "Let's GO!" after Bama cut the lead to one and ... Castle to Clingan, Karaban 3, Castle slam on a Netwon drive/lob. Blink, 55-47 UConn, 15:31 to go.
That was some big-time stuff from Mark Sears to keep Bama breathing. After the corner 3 snapped a 12-4 UConn run, he went 1-on-1 against the entire UConn defense to finagle a scoop shot with 1 second remaining in the half and keep it to a 44-40 halftime deficit.
There is a thing you can absolutely feel in the building Connecticut is approaching killshot mode. It was getting there, the Huskies on a 12-4 run to begin separating.
But that was a YUGE Mark Sears 3. At least delayed the hammer drop.
