UCONN Repeats as NCAA Men’s Basketball Champion

The University of Connecticut concluded a dominant post season run with a decisive 75-60 win over Purdue in the NCAA championship game on April 8th, giving the Huskies their second championship in a row. UCONN won all six games in this year’s tournament run by double digits.

UCONN scoring was led by Tristen Newton with 20 points and Stephon Castle with 15. But, like that old saying goes, defense wins championships, and it did in this game. Purdue averaged over 80 points per game this season, and was held to 60 in this game. UCONN’s perimeter defense held the Boilermaker’s normally prolific outside shooting to just one three point basket made in seven attempts. That allowed Zach Edey to score 37 points, on 15 field goals and seven free throws, but the rest of the Purdue offense contributed just 23 points.

This was the sixth championship overall for the Huskies, which ties them for third with North Carolina in the number of championships, breaking a tie with Duke and Indiana which have five each. Kentucky is second with eight, and UCLA leads the pack with 11. UCONN is the first to repeat as champs since the 2006 and 2007 Florida Gators. Others with two in a row include Oklahoma State, at the time known as Oklahoma A & M (1945-1946), Kentucky (1948-1949), San Francisco in the Bill Russell days (1955-1956), Cincinnati, with Oscar Robinson in 1961-1962, Duke (1991-1992), and UCLA (1967-1973) under coach John Wooden. That seven in a row by the Bruins is going to be tough to beat.