Men’s March Madness: UConn defeats Alabama, will face Purdue in men’s NCAA championship game

CNN
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Sixty-eight groups started March Insanity, and now we all know who’s going to the NCAA males’s championship recreation on Monday.

Defending champion UConn stepped nearer to creating historical past with an 86-72 Remaining 4 win over Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday. The No. 1 seed is now one victory away from changing into the eighth program to win back-to-back titles because the Huskies are set to face Purdue within the championship recreation on Monday night time.

No. 1 seed Purdue defeated NC State 63-50 earlier Saturday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It marks the primary time the Boilermakers have reached the title recreation since 1969.

Monday’s recreation will mark the tenth time since 1979 that two No. 1 seeds will meet within the nationwide championship recreation.

Purdue and UConn will face off at 8:49 p.m. E.T. Monday and can be found to observe on TBS, TNT and tru TV.

Defending champion and No. 1 seed, the UConn Huskies, edged previous No. 4 seed Alabama within the Remaining 4 on Saturday at State Farm Stadium.

It began out as a back-and-forth recreation for a lot of the first half and a big a part of the second earlier than UConn pulled away late within the recreation, successful their eleventh straight NCAA match recreation by double-digits.

The Huskies have been led by defending champ Stephon Citadel, who completed with 21 factors. Star heart Donovan Clingan added 18 factors in a recreation the place all 5 starters scored in double-figures.

“A battle of the giants and I believe it’s simply nice for faculty basketball,” Huskies males’s basketball head coach Dan Hurley advised the TBS broadcast, referring to the matchup between Clingan and Purdue heart Zach Edey.

It is going to all come to a head when the Huskies subsequent face-off in opposition to the Purdue Boilermakers on Monday, as they give the impression of being to seize a sixth nationwide title in addition to change into the eighth program and second in additional than three many years to earn back-to-back NCAA nationwide championships.

“Us and Purdue have clearly been the 2 greatest groups within the nation the final two years, and I believe it’s simply nice for faculty basketball to get the 2 large canine enjoying on Monday night time,” Hurley stated.

The primary recreation of the day on Saturday noticed the high-flying No. 1 seed face the plucky underdog driving a wave to the Remaining 4.

The Purdue Boilermakers have bounced again from final yr’s disappointment – being the sufferer of the match’s second-ever 16-over-1 upset defeat – in emphatic trend.

On Saturday, the Boilermakers led the entire manner by way of behind star Zach Edey’s 20 factors, 12 rebounds and 4 assists.

The Wolfpack, who made the Remaining 4 for the primary time since 1986, have been led by guard DJ Horne, who completed with 20 factors.

The crew’s resounding victories within the opening two rounds set the tone earlier than spectacular wins over No. 5 Gonzaga and No. 2 Tennessee booked the crew’s spot within the semifinals, this system’s first since 1980.

It’s been 44 years of steady heartbreak for Purdue, who’ve constantly succumbed to unhealthy luck and shock defeats to fall in need of expectations.

Head coach Matt Painter says he has needed to study from previous experiences to succeed in this level.

“I assumed we needed to be extra expert,” he stated. “By doing that, not all people will get to play as a lot and even play in any respect, and that’s troublesome as a result of they’ve meant rather a lot to our program, and so they’ve carried out plenty of actually good issues.”

This time spherical, Purdue has arguably the single-most dominant participant within the males’s match within the type of Edey.

The 7-foot-4-inches Canadian heart has been virtually unstoppable for opposing defenses, whereas additionally offering a stout final line of protection.

When requested about his ideas on doubtlessly successful this system’s first-ever championship, Edey stated it’s the one the crew’s been speaking about for 4 years.

“Settle for that problem and whoever comes up within the subsequent recreation shall be an incredible crew,” Edey advised the TBS broadcast. “We’re going to lock in our recreation plan and execute.”

Coming off a powerful season final time spherical, the 21-year-old has actually flourished on this yr’s March Insanity, scoring 30, 23 and 27 factors within the opening three video games of the match.

His greatest recreation got here when his crew wanted it most, scoring 40 and recording 16 rebounds as he helped raise Purdue to victory within the Elite Eight over Tennessee.

In the meantime, DJ Burns Jr. has spearheaded NC State’s extraordinary run, capturing the hearts and minds of many neutrals along with his nimble footwork, deft contact and persona.

Like Edey, Burns’ most spectacular efficiency got here within the Elite Eight, scoring 29 factors because the Wolfpack upset No. 4 Duke and booked their first Remaining 4 since 1983 – the identical yr they gained their second, and final, nationwide championship.

Burns embodied the never-say-die angle NC State had constantly displayed on this yr’s match, beating the No. 6 and No. 2 seed in addition to Duke alongside the best way.

“It’s a miracle run, however we’re not stunned,” head coach Kevin Keatts stated earlier than the crew’s loss. “We don’t come into this match saying, hey, let’s simply attempt to be right here. We got here (to the regional) to win it, and we did. Now we’ve got to maneuver on to our subsequent stage.”