From 68 teams to two, we saw it all this year–whether it was 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson's upset of No.1 Purdue, No. 9 FAU's Final four run, or, 13 seed Princenton's unprecedented and resilient postseason, we've been given a treat in this year's Men's March Madness tournament. But all good things must come to an end and after Saturday's Final Four games, we are left with only one more matchup tonight.
So, who's going to cut down the net and be the next champion? Can SDSU win their first ever championship, also becoming the first 5 seed and Mountain West team to claim the trophy? Or, will Uconn claim their first title since 2014?
From previews to predictions, here's everything you need to know ahead of tonight's game.
Men's National Basketball Championship
#4 Uconn vs. #5 SDSU
Monday, April 3, 2023 – 9:20 P.M.
NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
Uconn is back in the championship game for the first time since 2014, and they've done it in a dominating fashion. In each of their five tournament games, they've won by double digits, making them the first team to do so since Villanova in 2018. In fact, the Huskies average win margin in the tournament at (20.6 PPG), is the 8th largest in tournament history, and, most recent, since well… Villanova (20.67), back in 2016.
After a midseason slump, this Huskies squad has looked more and more like the team that began the season 14-0. Led by junior star forward Adama Sanogo, and sophomore guard Jordan Hawkins, the Huskies not only can dominate you on the scoresheet, hitting shots from deep, but they can also dominate you in the rebounding game. Most importantly this team possesses height in the paint, with Sanogo who is one of the best finishers, and someone that can now hurt you from the three point line.
However, the team looking to thwart perhaps the hottest squad in college basketball is riding tons of momentum themselves. All thanks go to San Diego State junior guard Lamont Butler who cemented himself in March Madness history on Saturday, hitting a buzzer beater against #9 FAU to send the Aztecs to their first ever championship appearance.
The Aztecs, who trailed by as many as 14 in the second half, came alive in the game's most important moments. As had been the case all season, SDSU's defense came up once again, limiting the Owls to just four points in the final four minutes, sealing the victory at 72-71.
Related: Cinderella Stories: 5 of the Best Upsets in Men's March Madness History
Now, as they have done all season, the Aztecs' strong defense and well-balanced offense will look ahead to another tough task. The game-changer in this one will be SDSU's ability to score. While they do possess one of the top defenses in college basketball, taking on a red-hot Huskies team, which has won three tournament games by at least twenty points and the rest by a minimum of 13 will be no easy task. At the moment, you have to be extremely consistent, and play two full halves of basketball to beat the Huskies.
While SDSU is quite capable of pulling this off, I expect the Huskies to continue their dominance and add another trophy to the collection and their first since 2014. I'm taking the Huskies by 11
Prediction: Uconn 83 SDSU 72
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* Originally published on April 3, 2023, by Nicholas Nathanson
