March Madness Finale: Will UConn Repeat History or Can Purdue Pull Off the Upset?
Follow live coverage as UConn, Purdue play for the national championship today
The idea that the top two men’s college basketball teams will square off for the national championship at State Farm Stadium on Monday night is difficult to refute. KenPom has UConn and Purdue ranked 1-2. This season, they each topped the polls for a number of weeks.
Additionally, the narratives are excellent. After falling short against a No. 16 seed in the previous season, Purdue is searching for the ultimate comeback tale. The Huskies want to win two titles in a row, something they have not done since Florida in 2006–07. Donovan Clingan against Zach Edey.
What thereafter will transpire? For their predictions, we gathered our college basketball writers who are now in Glendale, Arizona.
Dana O’Neil
Why? First off, I have always selected the Boilermakers both early in the season and late in the season, and I have no intention of changing my mind at this time. Since that defeat by Fairleigh Dickinson, this has been an all-out quest rather than just a push for a title. To put this right, the Boilermakers must make their three-pointers and refrain from playing as carelessly as they did against NC State. However, if that occurs—and since Purdue is unlikely to cough it up so badly again, according to the law of averages—the Zach Edey experience sets them apart. Donovan Clingan is my. He is a large man with incredible talent. He is not Edey.
Final practice of the season. pic.twitter.com/MycsLLNlzp
— Purdue Men’s Basketball (@BoilerBall) April 7, 2024
Brian Hamilton
At the beginning of the NCAA Tournament, I predicted the Huskies to win again. If there was proof that I should, I would be prepared to change it up. however, I don’t. Actually, the way the backcourt is playing, especially on defense, has me wondering if this will be a tight game. All of us have witnessed Final Four games skewed by one or two early foul calls against large men. We are aware that, should it occur on Monday, Purdue would most likely die and that UConn would undoubtedly suffer. However, Stephon Castle and Tristen Newton have more secure wings and guards than Purdue can provide. UConn has depth, size, and several avenues for success. The Boilermakers must perform at an almost flawless level. That is a challenging request.
Brendan Quinn
When I consider how Purdue can pull this off, my mind is always filled with the picture of Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Lance Jones attempting to use their height, speed, and mental tenacity to go up offensive against the formidable trio of Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer, and Stephon Castle. Even though it is a small one, it is still an edge, and I can not think of any that would support the Boilers and close the difference. A close one, won by UConn. MOP is Donovan Clingan.
CJ Moore
Ben Middlebrooks of NC State provided us a preview of the kind of defender that can at least slow Zach Edey down. Middlebrooks was able to maintain his position, and his length prevented Edey from simply shooting over him. (Edey only had one basket when Middlebrooks was defending him.) The 7-foot-2 Donovan Clingan is the best defender in college hoops, so Edey will now have to deal with him. Clingan is the only player who can likely cover Edey one-on-one and prevent the open kickout threes that Purdue is used to Edey producing. Braden Smith, and his ability to create for teammates out of the pick-and-roll, is another important component of Purdue’s offensive scheme. Smith’s penetration is the source of some of Edey’s easier buckets. Because of UConn’s length in the paint, it is difficult to finish passes when you get close to the defense as well as to hit jumpers at the rim. I simply do not think Purdue can score enough points to stay in the game, and I do not think anyone can stop UConn’s offense for forty minutes. I am hoping for a close game, but I have a feeling that UConn will win in the end because that is how things always work out.
Kyle Tucker
Why the 13-point advantage? Because in their last 11 NCAA Tournament games, that is the closest any team has come to the Huskies. Many of us refer to Dan Hurley’s unstoppable train as “inevitable,” but that is about all there is to it. Regardless of how brilliantly you perform for the first, second, or third quarters of a game, the Huskies’ hammer will finally land in your head. After Clingan neutralizes Edey, UConn just outperforms the opposition at every other position. 2007 Florida: Put the bubbly away. There is company for you.
Brendan Marks
The difference between KenPom’s top two teams as of this writing is minus-6.5, favoring the defending national champions. The result was a three-possession game even though Purdue’s offense, which is headed by a two-time Wooden Award winner and a generational talent, is the third best in the nation. That pretty much says it all about how much of a woodchipper UConn has turned into. Edey might have twenty and thirty, but I fear what the UConn guards will do against Purdue’s will almost certainly be offensive. Give me the Huskies, the emerging dynasty in college basketball, and take pride in the fact that this is a single-digit game, especially in light of the fact that Connecticut has won its first five NCAA Tournament games by an average of 25 points.
Doug Haller
I adore the pairing. Love the big men’s battle. Loved the tour of Purdue’s redemption. But UConn has too much strength. The game is controlled by Tristen Newton. Zach Edey and Donovan Clingan are matched. And for the second consecutive year, the Huskies pull away in the second half, winning every game by double digits.
(Top photo of UConn’s Samson Johnson: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)