NCAA Basketball Final: UConn Wins NCAA Championship Over Purdue
After the battles of March Madness and the thrilling games of the Final 4, the dust has finally settled as the University of Connecticut (UConn) defeated Purdue in the Men's NCAA Basketball Final to become the best collegiate basketball team in the United States.
The final happened at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with the UConn Huskies coming out triumphant over the Purdue Boilermakers with a final score of 75-60. Before March Madness even began, many had predicted that UConn would win, even though Purdue had one of the most sought-after NBA prospects today, 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey.
"You can't even wrap your mind around it, because you just know how hard this tournament is," said Huskies coach Dan Hurley during an interview after his team's big win. "What a special group of people."
Tristen Newton led the Huskies to the NCAA championship with 20 points, followed by Stephon Castle, who contributed 15 points to the UConn victory. The game was close throughout much of the first half, but according to NBC Sports, the Huskies started to pull away around the midway point of the second half.
Meanwhile, Purdue's big star, Edey, was dominant, scoring 37 points and 10 rebounds in the game. However, just like Caitlin Clark's performance in the women's game, his individual performance was not enough. However, many are looking forward to his bright future should he choose to go forward with this year's NBA Draft.
Back-to-Back NCAA Basketball Championship Win for the UConn Huskies
The win has made UConn the first team to win consecutive national crowns since Florida in 2006 and 2007, with the team making history with that win as it is also the Huskies' sixth national championship.
READ MORE: NCAA Basketball Final: South Carolina Remains Undefeated in Championship Win Vs. Caitlin Clark, Iowa
According to the official NCAA website, UConn won their six tournament games by 140 points with an average lead of 23.33 per game. This meant the Huskies cruised through the tournament in dominating fashion, even against #1-seeded Purdue and Naismith winner Zach Edey.
UConn is now one of only eight teams to win back-to-back NCAA Basketball Men's Championships. As for the number of NCAA men's titles they have won, they now tie North Carolina with six but still trail Kentucky, which has eight championships, and UCLA, which has 11 national titles.
Purdue Star Zach Edey Dominated UConn Center Donovan Clingan in Highly-Anticipated Match-Up
The center battle for the Men's NCAA Basketball Final was hotly anticipated as Purdue's Zach Edey and UConn's Donovan Clingan were considered the two best collegiate big men in basketball today. However, it was clear that even though UConn won the game, Edey won the battle below the rim as he dominated Clingan.
In addition to the 37 points he scored, Edey also had 10 rebounds as his double-double failed to land Purdue the championship. The game was actually won by the guards. as Tristen Newton, Stephon Castle, and Cam Spencer dominated Purdue's backcourt.
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Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: UConn vs. Purdue - 2024 men's National Championship extended highlights - March Madness