University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
San Diego State University
Huskies Face San Diego St. For National Championship
4/3/2023 12:08:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UConn Athletic Communication / April 2, 2023
HOUSTON, Texas – The UConn men's basketball team has played 7,600 minutes of basketball during the 2022-23 season, but the next 40 – the last 40 of the season – are the most important.
With the entire college basketball world watching on Monday night (9:20 p.m. EDT, CBS), the Huskies (30-8) will go after their fifth NCAA National Championship, challenging San Diego State (32-6) at NRG Stadium in Houston. A fifth national championship would put UConn in the rarefied air that only UCLA (11 titles), Kentucky (8), North Carolina (6), Duke (5) and Indiana (5) share.
"Obviously, we're thrilled to be playing on Monday night," UConn coach Dan Hurley said. "But the euphoria, the excitement of Saturday night now turns into the preparation and the San Diego State team."
Any team that reaches the NCAA championship game is obviously on a winning streak. The Aztecs, champions of the South Regional, have won nine in a row and 15 of their last 16 games, including a 72-71 squeaker in Saturday's semifinal against Florida Atlantic on a buzzer-beater by guard Lamont Butler.
UConn, the West Regional champion, has won its last five and 11 of its last 12. The #10/#12 Huskies have won every tournament game by double digits, including a 72-59 triumph over Miami in Saturday's semifinal.
Both teams are well-aware of the other's strengths.
"As you enter into your preparation for them, you just have so much respect for how well they are coached," Hurley said. "Their defensive abilities, their physicality, their rebounding, the depth – both front court and perimeter. And obviously, the most experienced team that you could possibly play against at this point."
The Aztecs start four seniors and a junior and bring three more seniors off the bench. SDSU's calling card is defense – it is holding opponents to just 63.1 points per game, while averaging 71.5. Senior guard Matt Bradley leads the team scoring at 12.7, the only player averaging double figures. Senior guard Darrion Trammell averages 9.7, while Butler, a junior, averages 8.7. Senior Nathan Mensah is the top rebounder at 5.9 rpg and senior forward Keshad Johnson (7.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg) completes the starting unit.
San Diego State Coach Brian Dutcher has done his studying of UConn as well.
"We have to control them in transition," Dutcher said. "They're as good a three-point shooting team in transition that we've played all year – and the three-point shot is such a weapon. And we have to do a good job in the low post on (Adama) Sanogo. He's strong and tough. And (Jordan) Hawkins is an NBA guard, so we have to make sure we concentrate on him. It's just a lot of things."
Sanogo has had an outstanding tournament, averaging 20.2 points and 9.8 rebounds in the five games. Hawkins, fully recovered from his bout with a stomach virus, is averaging 16.4 points per game in the tourney. Forward Alex Karaban (8.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg), guard Tristen Newton (7.6 points, 5.0 reb, 5.8 assists), and guard Andre Jackson Jr. (7.4 points, 6.0 reb, 7.0 assists) make up the remainder of the starting unit.
In the tournament, the Huskies hold a plus-20.6 points per game advantage over opponents and a plus-10.8 rebounding advantage per game.
Hurley expects Monday's game to be the Huskies' most difficult test.
"With the experience and the physicality, and the age and just how well-coached the San Diego State team is and the teams they've beaten to get here, we expect a much different type of game, much more of a fight," Hurley said.
Both teams have earned their chance at the National Championship. And, according to the UConn coach, the answer is pretty simple. Â
"I think it's just going to come down to who outplays the other."
