The No. 1 seeded Connecticut Huskies are headed to Glendale for the 2024 NCAA Men’s Final Four, taking place at State Farm Stadium.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!FINAL FOUR BOUND‼️#MadeForMarch | #MixForSix pic.twitter.com/5brogsETVP
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) March 31, 2024
Back-to-Back?
The Huskies (35-3) look to be crowned as the top men’s basketball program for the second straight season.
Last year, the team steamrolled through March Madness, winning six straight tournament games by double-digits and securing its fifth-ever National Championship title.
In this year’s tournament thus far, they have won all four matchups by 17 or more points.
UConn is coming off a dominant 77-52 victory against No. 3 Illinois in the Elite Eight, driven by a ridiculous 30-0 run.
THE FULL UCONN 30-0 RUN ‼️
Unbelievable. @UConnMBB 😱#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/T0Tbl2JlLV
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 31, 2024
In addition to Illinois, the Huskies have defeated No. 16 Stetson, No. 9 Northwestern, and No. 5 San Diego State on their road to the Final Four.
They now have a unique opportunity to become back-to-back National Champions.
This would be the first back-to-back occurrence in UConn Men’s history, and the first in the NCAA Men’s Tournament since Billy Donovan’s Gators did it in 2007-08.
Dominance Persists
Led by two lottery-projected 2024 NBA draft picks Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle, UConn has overwhelmed opposing teams.
Through five tournament games, 7-foot-2 Clingan is averaging 15.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game. The Connecticut native continues to be a matchup nightmare on both sides of the floor.
Donovan Clingan is ESPN's projected No. 3 pick after a steady rise through March. He's also in the conversation for No. 1 after a career-best showing in arguably the most impressive two-way performance of any player this season in the Elite Eight.
STORY: https://t.co/cCdvBvjZbs pic.twitter.com/V7hmJtCpaw
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 1, 2024
Despite being reigning champions, the Huskies have been criticized and doubted during this run.
Head coach Dan Hurley heard outside criticism and emphasized how that has further fueled his team.
“As defending National Champs and what we’ve done since last February and how we’ve played in this tournament, we feel like we earned a certain level of respect from media and opposing players when they face us right now because we’ve been that good,” Hurley said.
Hurley and the Huskies are now 66-11 over the last two seasons and look to make history in Glendale.
Final Four Matchup
While they have been here before, the experience remains surreal for Clingan and the Huskies.
“I grew up dreaming of playing for the University of Connecticut so being able to wear this jersey every day and play for such a historic program is special,” Clingan said. “Everyone dreams of this as a young basketball player and there’s only a certain percentage of people that make it to this level.
UConn will face No. 4 Alabama (25-11) for another shot at the National Championship.
The Crimson Tide are coming off an impressive 89-87 win against No. 1 North Carolina. Alabama is the top offense in all of college basketball and will be UConn’s toughest challenge yet.
Tip-off in Glendale will happen on Saturday, April 6 at 5:49 p.m. MST.
A victory on Saturday would earn the Huskies a spot in the title game, alongside the winner of No. 1 Purdue and No. 11 NC State.
‘Cactus Basketball Hoops’ unveiled ahead of 2024 NCAA Men’s Final Four
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Saleh Awwad is a writer/reporter covering the Arizona State Sun Devils, Phoenix High School Sports, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @SalehAwwad_
