For the fifth time since 1999, the NCAA National Championship trophy resides in Storrs, Conn. Here are the details on the most recent title for the Huskies.
A Dominant Tournament
UConn completed one of the most dominant NCAA Tournament runs in college basketball history Monday night, defeating San Diego State 76-59 to win its first national title since 2014.
The Huskies built a 16-point lead against the Aztecs and withstood a late surge that cut the margin to five late in the second half. Calm and confident throughout, UConn regained control after a big three-pointer by Jordan Hawkins and played mistake-free basketball in the final minutes to close out the win comfortably.
An Unforgettable Journey with Many Setbacks
While the Huskies dominated the competition throughout the tournament, winning every game by at least 15 points, they were not among the title favorites when this trip began three weeks ago.
Fourth-ranked UConn was losing at halftime of its first-round game, but quickly proved that the championship was within reach. As the favorites fell one by one, the Huskies never wavered and refused to crumble under the pressure of being heavy favorites entering the Final Four.
Despite UConn's success over the past 25 seasons, this outcome was far from assured when Dan Hurley took the reins of the program in 2018. The Huskies won just one NCAA Tournament game in the four seasons prior to Dan Hurley's hiring and the firing of renowned coach Kevin Ollie.
The success wasn't immediate. Hurley didn't make the tournament at UConn until 2021 and didn't win a tournament game until three weeks ago, but that inexperience never seemed to matter this season. Hurley is now a national champion, Adama Sanogo is the tournament's Most Outstanding Player and the UConn Huskies are the class of college basketball until further notice.
🐺 THE HUSKIES ARE THE CHAMPIONS! 🐺
Connecticut captures its fifth NCAA championship title 🏆 🏀
They defeat San Diego State Aztecs 76-59 in the final 🔝#ESPNenStarPlus pic.twitter.com/osjwAjtrF9
- ESPN.com.mx (@ESPNmx) April 4, 2023
The Beginning of a New Era for San Diego State
For San Diego State, the loss to UConn, far from being a failure, should be seen as a resounding success. While the Aztecs were unable to conclude the Cinderella story with a historic finish, the reality is that this season has been magical. The performances of the entire team coupled with the leadership of head coach Brian Dutcher, appears to be the beginning of a new era for the Aztecs.
This performance by San Diego State is very similar to Gonzaga's in 1999, precisely the year UConn won its first-ever title. That's why this loss may be the cornerstone in a Gonzaga-like success, or else what UConn's program has become over the past 25 years.
It remains to be seen if the Aztecs can transform this success into a new era where this program can excel beyond this magical season.
