Tag: UConn Huskies

UConn defeats Purdue to win second straight national championship

The UConn Huskies defeated the Purdue Boilermakers, 75-60, to win their second straight national championship in the NCAA Tournament.

College basketball has a repeat national champion for the first time since 2007 after Danny Hurley and the UConn Huskies defeated Matt Painter’s Purdue Boilermakers, 75-60, on Monday night in Glendale.

The Huskies become the first repeat champion since the Florida Gators went back-to-back in 2006 and 2007, and the third total since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The other was Duke in 1991 and 1992, led by point guard Bobby Hurley – Danny’s brother and the current head coach at Arizona State.

UConn, who lost five of their eight leading scorers from last year’s championship squad, secured the title on the back of a full team effort on the defensive end, holding Purdue to 44.4% shooting from the field and just 1-7 from the three point line.

Zach Edey was left in single coverage all night long, and while he had a productive night – finishing with 37 points and 10 rebounds on 15-25 shooting – the supporting cast for the Boilermakers did not step up to help him out.

Meanwhile, for the second year in a row Tristen Newton led UConn in scoring in a national championship victory, dropping 20 points and seven assists and cementing himself as among the best NCAA Tournament performers of all-time.

Newcomers Cam Spencer (11 points, eight rebounds) and Stephon Castle (15 points) had great games as well, while Donovan Clingan focused his effort on the defensive side of the ball while chipping in 11 points and five rebounds.

UConn not only won back-to-back titles, they finished the 2024 NCAA Tournament with the largest total margin of victory of all-time, and have now won every game they played in the last two tournaments by 13 or more points – a level of dominance that puts this program squarely in the dynasty conversation.

On the Purdue side, this ends their quest to do what Virginia did in 2019 – win a championship the year after losing to a No. 16 seed. It also keeps the Big Ten’s streak of not winning a national title alive, which dates back to 2000 when Tom Izzo and Michigan State got it done.

How to buy Purdue vs. UConn NCAA Men’s National Championship game tickets

Want to watch Purdue and UConn play for the title in person? Limited tickets for the Men’s NCAA Championship game still remain for as little as $192.

After almost three weeks of true basketball madness, chalk reigns supreme in the men’s bracket, as No. 1 Purdue and No. 1 UConn will play for a national championship.

The Boilermakers turned No. 11 NC State’s Cinderella run into the proverbial pumpkin behind 20 points and 12 rebounds from Zach Edey, though the Wolfpack have every reason to hold their heads high after a fantastic tournament run.

No. 4 Alabama played UConn closer than any team so far in the NCAA Tournament, but the Huskies were too much when it mattered most, closing the game on a 30-16 run, and defeating the Crimson Tide 86-72.

SHOP: Purdue vs. UConn NCAA Finals tickets

In a college basketball season marked by upsets, two of the best teams, with two of the best big men in the country will square off with a national title on the line.

The National Championship Game will be played in Glendale, Ariz on Monday, April 8 at 9:20 p.m. EDT, and limited tickets still remain.

Don’t miss the chance to see history, either with Purdue’s first NCAA Tournament title or UConn’s back-to-back championships.

At the time of publication, National Championship Game tickets were still available for as little as $192.

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Iowa Hawkeyes vs. UConn Huskies garners ESPN’s largest-ever basketball viewership

Another record for Iowa. A total of 14.2 million people tuned in to Iowa vs. UConn, making it ESPN’s most-viewed basketball game ever.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are no stranger to entering unchartered territory and they have done so once again. Their Final Four victory over UConn once again set the gold standard for basketball.

Iowa and UConn battled to a 71-69 Hawkeyes’ victory that punched their ticket to a second national championship game in a row, and they did so in front of one of the biggest audiences ever.

The stadium was sold out, but even more eyes watched on TV. The Iowa Hawkeyes and UConn Huskies’ Final Four matchup set the record for ESPN’s most-viewed basketball game — men’s, women’s, NBA or WNBA — of all time with 14.2 million viewers.

Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic reported this game was ESPN’s second-largest audience for a non-football game in network history.

These monster numbers continue to demonstrate the massive growth that the women’s college basketball game is experiencing. Fans are flocking to arenas and countless eyes are tuning in on TV to see stars take the court time and time again.

While this game has shattered every record, the national championship on Sunday afternoon against the South Carolina Gamecocks will be broadcast on ABC. It could elevate every record to an untouchable level.

Nonetheless, the Iowa Hawkeyes have been a draw for fans nationwide to tune in and see them play. The numbers they are putting up for ratings this postseason continue to prove so.

Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.

Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7

Alabama basketball releases high-energy Final Four trailer

Not ready for the Final Four of March Madness? Watch this trailer by Alabama basketball as the team prepares to take on UConn and you’ll be ready to take the court alongside them.

The day has come for the college basketball national championship matchup to be decided. As the NC State Wolfpack take on the Purdue Boilermakers and the Alabama Crimson Tide take on the UConn Huskies in the Final Four of the 2024 March Madness Tournament.

Though Alabama is not the favorite in this matchup, with even the staff at Roll Tide Wire being split on score predictions, the team seems ready to roll.

As Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats has said during this week, there’s not much stress on his team. They feel as if they are playing with house money. They are happy to be where they are at but don’t feel the pressure that UConn likely faces to get to the national championship game. That ease of mind could be a real game changer when it comes time to tip-off.

On social media, Alabama basketball shared a trailer for the game against the Huskies and it has fans ready to line up alongside the team to take the court.

Narrated by Alabama alum and ESPN personality Rece Davis, the Crimson Tide is ready to roll into the Final Four with the mentality of ‘Why stop now?’

 

Former Kentucky legend meets with Alabama basketball team ahead of Final Four

Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team heard from a March Madness veteran who knows what it’s like to play in the Final Four.

Alabama basketball is heading into uncharted waters tonight as they will play in the program’s first-ever Final Four. The Crimson Tide beat the No. 1 seeded UNC Tar Heels in the Sweet 16 and the No. 6 Clemson Tigers in the Elite Eight here to earn a date with the No. 1 overall seed and defending national champion UConn Huskies. The Huskies have opened as an 11.5-point favorite with most experts predicting a blowout in favor of Dan Hurley’s squad, but this Alabama team seems relaxed.

Superstar for the Phoenix Suns and former Kentucky G Devin Booker stopped by to speak with the Tide in Phoenix this week. Booker was on the 38-0 Kentucky team that was widely regarded as one of the best teams ever before their shocking upset to Wisconsin in the Final Four. So, Booker knows better than anyone that anything can happen on this stage regardless of the David vs. Goliath story. Booker has gone on to be a First-Team All-Pro and 4x All-Star.

On top of sharing some words of encouragement for Nate Oats’s squad, Booker was kind enough to drop off some signature shoes for the ‘Bama players. Regardless of how the game goes, this has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the players and fans alike.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Best photos from Iowa’s legendary Final Four win vs. UConn

Iowa is back into the national championship game. The best photos from the night that was and the celebration that ensued.

The Iowa Hawkeyes (34-4, 15-3 Big Ten) punched their ticket back to the national championship game with a thrilling come-from-behind victory over the UConn Huskies (33-6, 18-0 Big East).

After trailing by as many as 12 early, Iowa rallied and topped UConn, 71-69, to advance to a second straight national championship game.

Sophomore forward Hannah Stuelke led Iowa with 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting. Senior guard Caitlin Clark added 21 points, 16 of which came after halftime.

“Couldn’t be happier with our performance tonight in the second half. First half was a little rough for us, but you know, we really kept believing, and I’m just so proud of the character of these young women to maintain their composure through some pretty tough times in the first half.

“And we got it to within six at halftime and we felt good about that. I thought Hannah Stuelke was amazing tonight. But we’re really thrilled to be playing in the championship game for the second year in a row,” Iowa head women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder said afterward.

Iowa’s only other double-figure scorer was graduate guard Kate Martin who fought through a bloody nose to knock down two of the game’s biggest shots in the game’s closing moments.

With Iowa moving on to the national championship game, let’s look back at the incredible night that was with the best photos from Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland.

March Madness: Final Four strategy for the $2.5K USA TODAY’s Women’s NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool

Win $2.5K in the Women’s NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool: Final Four pick and prediction.

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The 2024 Women’s NCAA Tournament is on to the Final Four, starting Friday from Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Only 88 entries in USA TODAY’s Women’s NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool contest remain out of the 3,754 who signed up.

The semifinals are Friday on ESPN with the winners facing off in Sunday’s championship at 3 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN).

NC State (31-6) meets tournament favorite South Carolina (36-0) in the early-window game at 7 p.m. ET. The nightcap will feature UConn (33-5) and G Paige Bueckers against Iowa (33-4) and G Caitlin Clark at an approximate tip time of 9 p.m. ET.

Monday night was one for the ages, as all eyes were on women’s basketball, especially for the battle between LSU and Iowa. Clark was on another plane, draining 9 3-pointers in an amazing shooting performance, as she continues to re-write the record books. Clark ended up with 41 points in 40 minutes, while also doling out 12 assists with 7 rebounds, 2 steals and a blocked shot as the Hawkeyes eliminated the defending champion Tigers 94-87.

Clark and the Hawkeyes will have their hands full with Bueckers and the Huskies, who showed freshman phenom G Juju Watkins and USC, the No. 1 seed in their region, the door in an exciting Elite 8 matchup.

As for the USA TODAY’s Women’s NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool contest, I made 3 correct picks in the 1st round for 12 points but stumbled in the 2nd round and was eliminated. No. 4 seed Indiana won for me, but my other pick of 4th-seeded Kansas State lost to 5th-seeded Colorado.

Despite the loss, I still offered picks for the Sweet 16, hoping to assist you on your chase for the $2.5K 1st-place prize. Only having to make 1 pick this round, I rebounded with LSU (3 points) upsetting UCLA Saturday in a 78-69 thriller. For what it’s worth, I won with UConn (3 points) in the Elite 8 against USC.

As an employee, I wasn’t eligible to win this contest, but there’s no rule against me helping you.

A rules reminder: Remaining entries are required to pick 1 team in the Final Four and then the National Championship Game winner — if you still have an eligible team to select.

Points are earned equal to your winning teams’ seeds.

Here is my strategy of which team to pick for the Final Four.

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Final Four pick

PICK 1: IOWA HAWKEYES (33-4)

Who they play: UConn Huskies (33-5)

When: Friday, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)

I’ve already picked NC State and UConn in this Tournament, so I am left with just 2 top seeds. There just aren’t a lot of points available in the Final Four. If you need points, you might want to roll the dice on a No. 3 seed if you haven’t picked that team yet.

Iowa-UConn is going to be a fun game. Clark vs. Bueckers will get all of the headlines, but here’s UConn coach Geno Auriemma leading another team to the precipice of a national title, while the Hawkeyes are trying to get back to the championship game — they lost to LSU in the title game a year ago.

UConn was impressive against USC, shooting 48.3% (28-of-58) from the field, including 46.7% (7-of-15) from behind the 3-point line in an 80-73 victory.

If there is an Achilles’ heel, the Huskies managed to go just 63.0% (17-of-27) from the free-throw line, and that simply won’t do in a close game. Plus, UConn was minus-2 in the turnover department, but made up for it by outrebounding USC 42-41, while dishing out 7 more assists to improve to assist-to-turnover ratio.

Along with Clark scoring 41 against LSU, the Hawkeyes were 46.4% (32-of-69) from the field, hitting 41.9% (13-of-31) from behind the 3-point line. G Sydney Affolter hit a pair of triples, and ended up with 16 points and 5 rebounds, while G Kate Martin was good for 21 points and 6 rebounds with 2 steals and a perfect 4-of-4 night from the free-throw line.

Friday against UConn won’t be easy for Iowa, but the Hawkeyes should get back to the title game, setting up a potential classic against South Carolina — as long as the Gamecocks remain undefeated and push past upstart NC State.

Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

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College Sports Wire: Men’s hoops / Women’s hoops / High School

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The irony of where Alabama basketball is preparing for the Final Four

Alabama basketball is gearing up to take on UConn in the Final Four of March Madness in a gym that you wouldn’t believe.

Alabama Crimson Tide basketball won the West Region as the No. 4 seed and is now preparing to take on the top-seeded UConn Huskies in the Final Four. This unprecedented March Madness run by the program is not over yet, as head coach [autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] and his team look to advance to the national championship game.

Though UConn arrived in Phoenix, the site of the Final Four, very early Thursday morning, the Crimson Tide has been there since Tuesday, preparing for the biggest game in the program’s history.

A series of photos shared to social media by the Alabama men’s basketball account shows the team, and its many stars like [autotag]Mark Sears[/autotag], [autotag]Grant Nelson[/autotag], [autotag]Nick Pringle[/autotag], [autotag]Jarin Stevenson[/autotag] and others, at their temporary practice facility.

The irony of it all is that the Crimson Tide is practicing at the home of Grand Canyon University, the team Alabama defeated in the round of 32 of this year’s tournament.

In response, the Grand Canyon men’s basketball account quoted to post and said “Just lock up when you’re done.”

Alabama defeated Grand Canyon in a physical battle that resulted in a low-scoring thriller that ended with a final score of 72-61.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama basketball as the team gets ready to face the UConn Huskies in the Final Four of March Madness.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

UConn’s Final Four flight delay saga is over after they took an Allegiant plane to Arizona and fans made so many jokes

The defending champs had a rough time traveling to the Final Four.

It was a rough start for UConn in the men’s 2024 Final Four … and the ball hasn’t even been tipped yet in their matchup against Alabama.

The three other teams left in the NCAA tournament are already in Arizona, but the Huskies were scheduled to leave on Wednesday evening and couldn’t due to mechanical problems, then there were issues with the flight crew not being able to fly until Thursday, and finally, a smaller plane arrived.

It was an Allegiant plane that required UConn to send fewer folks in their traveling party, so people worried about leg room for this team full of tall people. But the plane has landed as of Thursday morning, so there’s that.

Here are the jokes made:

Can Alabama upset top-seeded UConn in the Final Four?

Alabama to face top-seed UConn in first-ever Final Four appearance.

For the Alabama Crimson Tide, their run through the NCAA Tournament has been nothing short of special.

Making the first Final Four appearance in program history, Alabama started their run through March Madness with two victories over double-digit seeds, Charleston and Grand Canyon, and then backed that up with a pair of wins over the North Carolina Tar Heels and Clemson Tigers. Two of the biggest victories in program history, North Carolina was the No. 1 seed in the West Region, while their win over Clemson in the Elite Eight avenged a home loss to the Tigers from earlier this year.

Next up for Alabama is the Final Four, which, as mentioned above, is the Crimson Tide’s first-ever trip to college basketball’s biggest stage. This is also where a date with the top-seeded UConn Huskies awaits. This will likely be Alabama’s toughest test faced so far this season.

UConn, who are also the defending national champions, are the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies enter this matchup sitting at 35-3 overall for the season, as well as 18-2 in Big East play. The Big East regular season and tournament champions, UConn also ranks No. 9 nationally in points per game allowed to opponents at only 63.3 PPG, and have a strong offense that averages 81.4 PPG.

A deep team, UConn has five different players averaging in double-figures, led by All-American guard Tristen Newton. The Huskies also have a true difference maker inside in 7-foot-2 center Donovan Clingan, along with others in double-figures that include Cam Spencer, Alex Karaban, and Stephon Castle.

In what is the first meeting between the Crimson Tide and Huskies since an 82-67 victory for UConn back in 2022, can Alabama potentially pick up the upset to advance to their first national championship game ever?

Prediction: UConn 85, Alabama 78