UConn Amazes March Madness Fans With 30-0 Run in Dominant Elite 8 Win vs. Illinois
Mar 31, 2024
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MARCH 30: Donovan Clingan #32 of the Connecticut Huskies celebrates a basket against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the second half in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at TD Garden on March 30, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
UConn played like a team ready to repeat as NCAA champions on Saturday night at TD Garden in Boston.
The No. 1-seeded Huskies downed the No. 3-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini 77-52 to clinch a berth in the Final Four against the winner of Saturday's matchup between Clemson and Alabama.
UConn's win was spearheaded by an incredible 30-0 run that started near the end of the first half and extended into the second half. Once the Huskies began cooking, there wasn't much Illinois could do to stop them.
Big man Donovan Clingan was unstoppable for the Huskies on Saturday, finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds and one assist. He was a major reason why the team went on its 30-0 run.
Cam Spencer finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds and five assists and Hassan Diarra finished with 11 points, three rebounds and two assists.
While UConn was dominant overall, March Madness fans were particularly impressed with its unprecedented 30-0 run:
Update from press row here, via the great Phil Chardis (former UConn writer-turned-SID): UConn's 30-0 run tonight is the program's longest since it started a game vs. New Hampshire 32-0 in 1990.
Iām definitely no UConn fan, but going on a 30-0 run to open the 2nd half of an Elite 8 game is mind-boggling. UConn will most certainly repeat as National Champions if they keep playing like this. #MarchMadness
UConn was the team to beat entering this year's NCAA Tournament, but they proved on Saturday why they should be the most feared program in the country at this point in the season.
If the Huskies end up repeating as champions, they'll be the first team since Florida in 2006 and 2007.
No. 1 UConn Routs San Diego State in NCAA Title Game Rematch, Overwhelms CBB Fans
Mar 29, 2024
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MARCH 28: Hassan Diarra #10 of the Connecticut Huskies drives to the basket against Miles Byrd #21 of the San Diego State Aztecs during the second half in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at TD Garden on March 28, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
In a rematch of the 2023 national title game, UConn cruised past San Diego State 82-52 in the men's NCAA tournament on Thursday.
Despite some first-half struggles, the Huskies pulled away during the final 20 minutes to advance to the Elite Eight. The Aztecs cut the deficit to 35-31 just before halftime, although they weren't able to get any closer throughout the duration of the game.
Senior guard Cam Spencer led the Huskies with 18 points, shooting 6-of-12 from the field while adding five rebounds and three assists. He also connected on two of his four attempts from behind the arc.
Stephon Castle recorded his first career double-double, as the freshman guard scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 28 minutes on the floor.
College basketball fans were impressed with the dominance shown by head coach Dan Hurley's team.
The Huskies show again that this is their tournament, outscoring the Aztecs 42-21 to pull away and advance to the Elite Eight in blowout fashion. Cam Spencer led the way with 18, Tristen Newton had 17 and Stephon Castle posted 16 and 11.
After finishing with a record of 33-3, UConn has shown no signs of slowing down in the tournament. The Huskies have won each of their three March Madness games easily, outscoring opponents 248-162.
The defending champions are now set to face off against the winner of Thursday's matchup between Illinois and Iowa State.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 24: Alex Karaban #11, Donovan Clingan #32, and Hassan Diarra #10 of the Connecticut Huskies react during the second half against the Northwestern Wildcats in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Barclays Center on March 24, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Vanessa Bryantāthe widow of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryantāgifted the No. 1-seeded UConn men's basketball team pairs of yet-to-be released Kobe sneakers on Wednesday.
As seen in the following video on the UConn Men's Basketball X page, the players were taken by surprise and expressed gratitude for the offering:
According to TMZ Sports, the shoes given to the UConn players were Nike Kobe 6 "Italian Camo" Protros, which will not be available to the public until next month.
TMZ added that the Italian Camo aspect of the shoe is meant to pay tribute to Kobe's time in Italy, as he was raised there for part of his childhood while his dad played professional basketball in the country.
It was also noted that Kobe and his late daughter, Gianna Bryant, were fans of the UConn men's and women's basketball teams and attended games together, which is why Vanessa chose the Huskies for the gesture.
UConn surprised the college basketball world by winning the national championship last season, but it wasn't able to sneak up on anyone this season.
Even so, head coach Dan Hurley's squad has been the team to beat throughout the year, posting a 33-3 record and earning the No. 1 overall seed in the 2024 NCAA tournament.
The Huskies dominated in their first two tourney games, blowing out No. 16 Stetson 91-52 and No. 9 Northwestern 75-58.
On Thursday night at 7:39 p.m. ET, UConn will play its Sweet 16 game, and it will be a rematch of last year's national championship game against fifth-seeded San Diego State.
A win over the Aztecs would mean a trip to the Elite Eight and a matchup with either No. 2 Iowa State or No. 3 Illinois this weekend for a spot in the Final Four.
Paolo Banchero Responds to Greenberg, Doubts UConn or Any CBB Team Could Win NBA Game
Mar 27, 2024
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - MARCH 23: Paolo Banchero #5 of the Orlando Magic looks on against the Sacramento Kings during the third quarter at Kia Center on March 23, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
ESPN's Mike Greenberg said on Monday's edition of Get Up! that he believes UConn's men's basketball team would make the NBA's Eastern Conference playoffs.
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero was asked about that take in an interview with Zion Olojede of Complex and politely disagreed with Greenberg's assessment.
"So he said UConn could make the playoffs in the East?" Banchero asked. "No, I don't think any college team could. I don't know if any college team would win a game in the NBA, honestly."
The 33-3 Huskies, the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, are coming off dominant wins to open their March Madness run courtesy of a 91-52 victory against Stetson and a 74-57 result versus Northwestern. The defending national champions have accomplished that feat despite losing last year's top two scorers in Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins.
This isn't the first time that a sports commentator has posited whether a college basketball or football team could fare well against a pro side, and it won't be the last. This question was often raised in the 2010s when Alabama was dominating college football and whether it could beat whomever the worst NFL team was at the time.
The bottom line is that it would be incredibly difficult for college teams to compete with even the worst pro ones. Pro teams feature players who excelled on the college level and were often the best (or close to the best) on their teams. College teams feature numerous players who will never set foot on an NBA court.
Could UConn maybe steal a game right now from, say, the last-place 12-60 Detroit Pistons, who are depleted with injuries and playing very shorthanded? Perhaps.
But when healthy, this team also features plenty of good-to-great college basketball players who are excelling in the NBA, including Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren. If a healthy Detroit and UConn played 10 times, the guess here is the Pistons win nine or 10. Saying UConn would make the playoffs is far-fetched, as that would mean winning around 40 games, give or take, just to make the play-in.
As good as UConn is, the Huskies aren't historically dominant, nor do they feature a host of future NBA stars. But they are a great college team that could very well win back-to-back national championships. They'll continue that pursuit Thursday in a national championship rematch with San Diego State.
Donovan Clingan, UConn Dominate Northwestern, Impress March Madness Fans in Win
Mar 25, 2024
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 24: Donovan Clingan #32 of the Connecticut Huskies defends against Blake Preston #32 of the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Barclays Center on March 24, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The defending NCAA tournament champions are back in the Sweet 16.
Top-seeded UConn dominated Sunday night in a 75-58 victory over No. 9 Northwestern in the second round of the 2024 NCAA tournament.
Hereās how dominant UConn is: The Huskies have shot 2-for-20 from 3 and are still winning this game by 18 and pulling their starters off the floor with 1:34 left.
Folks, it looks like Northwestern brought a Bjork CD to Mongolian throat singing fight tonight
It took Clingan less than 16 minutes to record a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Clingan finished the outing with 14 points, 14 rebounds in addition to his eight blocks to prove why he's ranked No. 10 in Jonathan Wasserman's latest 2024 NBA Mock Draft for Bleacher Report.
Folks, Donovan Clingan is inevitable. His presence takes away almost anything near the rim. Thus far: 10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks. You can negate some 3-pointers. You can have great guards. But he's just an exception on the floor that opponents don't have an answer to.
A healthy Donovan Clingan is a problem for anyone in this tournament. UConn's 7-2 sophomore center is a triple double -- points, rebounds, blocks- waiting to happen.
After dominating in the first half, UConn's scoring rate decreased late in the second to allow Northwestern to claw their way within 20 points of the lead.
The Huskies' dominant victory, despite the late-game offensive slowdown and poor shooting rate on threes, led fans to predict another deep tournament run for the defending champions.
Sunday night marks the first time the Huskies have made it to consecutive Sweet 16 rounds since the team made three straight from 2002 to 2004.
UConn fans will now turn to watch the Round of 32 game between No. 13 Yale and No. 5 San Diego State, the winner of which will advance to face the Huskies.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 22: Donovan Clingan #32 of the Connecticut Huskies dunks the ball during the first half of the game against the Stetson Hatters during the first round of the NCAA Menās Basketball Tournament at Barclays Center on March 22, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
It was business as usual in the first round of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament for the UConn Huskies.
The defending champions entered the tournament having won seven consecutive games, including the Big East Championship Game, and strolled into the tournament as the No. 1 overall seed. That set up a date with No. 16 seed Stetson University and the Huskies did not take their foot off the gas pedal, exploding for a dominant 91-52 victory to advance to the second round.
The Huskies took a huge 52-19 lead at halftime and managed the big lead throughout the second half against the Hatters. This was the second-largest halftime lead in the NCAA Tournament in 20 years:
UConn's 33-point halftime lead is the second-largest NCAA tournament halftime lead in the last 20 years, per @ESPNStatsInfo. Gonzaga led Fairleigh Dickinson by 36 in 2019. https://t.co/rL7YfvfEy9
— March Madness Menās Basketball TV (@MM_MBB_TV) March 22, 2024
Stephon Castle had 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting and 1-of-2 from three-point range while also adding five rebounds and four assists. Cam Spencer had 15 points, five rebounds and three assists, Donovan Clingan had 19 points with eight rebounds and four assists and Tristen Newton had 13 points, eight assists and three rebounds.
This game is all but, to quote the late great Chuck Hearn, in the refrigerator, but certain people (Hurley) will probably find fault with something later on. The perfectionism is a beautiful thing sometimes.#UConn is up 74-42 with 7:15 to go. #BleedBlue
The Huskies have passed the first test, but their next opponent showed some toughness in its first round matchup.
Connecticut will face Northwestern in the second round. The Wildcats took down Florida Atlantic, a team that reached the Final Four last season, 77-65 in overtime. The winner will advance to the Sweet 16 games in Boston.
UConn Wins Big East Title vs. Marquette, Hyped by CBB Fans as NCAA Tourney Favorites
Mar 17, 2024
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 16: Jaylin Stewart #3 and Hassan Diarra #10 of the Connecticut Huskies react in the first half against the Marquette Golden Eagles during the Big East Basketball Tournament Final at Madison Square Garden on March 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
For the first time since 2011, the UConn men's basketball team is Big East Champions.
Marquette held its own for a significant portion of the matchup, but the Huskies had a dominant fourth quarter en route to a 73-57 victory
The Huskies held a 26-24 lead at halftime and Marquette even took a 33-32 lead with just over 15 minutes remaining. However, the Huskies completely took over from this point, stalling the Golden Eagles offense and exploding for 47 second half points to earn the decisive victory.
The win improved UConn to 31-3 on the season and has it looking like an excellent candidate to repeat as national champions during this year's NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.
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Fans took to social media to hype up the Huskies and claim that it deserves the No. 1 overall seed for March Madness.
I don't know how anyone doesn't pick UConn in their March Madness pool. Obviously anything can happen, but UConn, at its peak, is a head above everyone else.
I don't think anyone can beat UConn. Huskies are just on a completley different level than any other team 2 biggest competitors Purdue lost + always lose early in March. Houston just got destroyed Cougars still talented but Huskies have sizable gap other them both
UConn is absolutely the team to beat and gonna be my pick to win it all lol. They look just like they did a year ago.
— miami hurricanes advocate (@miasportsfan305) March 17, 2024
UConn entered the game ranked No. 2 in the country. Houston was ranked No. 1, but notably lost to Iowa State in the Big-12 tournament, so the victory for the Huskies could help it grab that coveted top seed.
Wherever it ends up in the bracket, UConn should be a popular pick to repeat, and it now goes into the tournament with some impressive hardware already on its resume.
Lakers' LeBron James Hypes Rip Hamilton for Halfcourt Shot in College GameDay Video
Feb 24, 2024
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 29: Richard Hamilton provides commentary before Game Two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors during the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 29, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
After Rip Hamilton nailed a halfcourt shot on ESPN's College GameDay on Saturday, LeBron James was quick to hype up the NBA legend.
Hamilton, who played at UConn from 1996 to 1999, was making an appearance at his alma mater for the Huskies' matchup with Villanova on Saturday when he attemptedāand drainedāa halfcourt shot.
Hamilton was a standout at UConn, averaging 19.8 points per game during his three-year college career. He was then selected with the seventh pick in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards after his time with the Huskies.
Hamilton had a successful 14-year NBA career between the Wizards, Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls, putting up 17.1 points per game throughout his tenure.
Hamilton is now hoping the Huskies can have as much success as he had on GameDay as they take on Villanova. UConn has been the team to beat this season, sitting at 24-3 on the year and ranked No. 1 in the latest Associated Press poll.
Dan Hurley Headlines 2024 Men's College Coach of the Year Late-Season Contenders
Feb 23, 2024
HARTFORD, CT - FEBRUARY 17: UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts to a play during the game as the Marquette Golden Eagles take on the UConn Huskies on February 17, 2024 at the XL Center in Hartford, CT (Photo by Williams Paul/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
UConn's Dan Hurley, Houston's Kelvin Sampson and Purdue's Matt Painter were among the 15 finalists named for the 2023-24 Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Award on Friday.
Hurley, Sampson and Painter, whose teams occupy the top three spots in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, all have a chance to be named College Coach of the Year for the first time.
Hurley, who is in his sixth season as the head coach at UConn, has the Huskies in position to potentially repeat as national champions.
As a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament last season, Connecticut surprised the college basketball world by going the distance and beating San Diego State in the national championship game to win its fifth national title since 1999.
This season, Hurley has the Huskies off to a 24-3 start, which is good for the No. 1 ranking in the country and the status of national championship favorites.
Sampson's Houston team is ranked No. 2 in the nation with a 23-3 mark, including a victory over No. 6 Iowa State this week.
Sampson is trending toward leading the Cougars to their third consecutive 30-win season and their fourth straight year with 28 or more wins.
Since 2021, Houston has gone to the Elite Eight twice and the Final Four once, and it may finally have the pieces to go all the way to the national title game and win the first national championship in school history.
Purdue, which was named the No. 1 overall seed in the nation by the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee during its first look at the top 16 seeds for the 2024 NCAA tournament last weekend, is once again a national title contender this season under Painter.
At 24-3, the Boilermakers are ranked third in the AP Top 25 and have been the clear top team in the Big Ten this season.
Purdue won 29 games in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, but it was ousted in the Sweet 16 of the 2022 NCAA tournament by 15th-seeded Saint Peter's and then shocked in the first round last season, becoming only the second No. 1 seed to ever lose to a No. 16 seed in the form of Fairleigh Dickinson.
With superstar center and reigning Naismith College Player of the Year Zach Edey leading the way, though, Purdue has a chance to bounce back from the upset and go on a deep NCAA tourney run.
Dayton's Anthony Grant is the only finalist who has won the Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Award previously, as he was victorious in 2020.
Grant's Flyers are ranked No. 16 in the nation with a 21-5 record, and they trail Richmond and Loyola Chicago by just a half-game for the Atlantic-10 Conference lead.
The winner of the 2023-24 Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Award is scheduled to be announced prior to the Final Four, which is being held in Phoenix in April.
No. 15 Creighton Impresses CBB Fans With Dominant Upset Win Over No. 1 UConn
Feb 21, 2024
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 17: Creighton Bluejays guard Steven Ashworth (1) passes to a teammate during the men's college basketball game between the Butler Bulldogs and Creighton Bluejays on February 17, 2024, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Down goes No. 1.
The No. 15 Creighton Bluejays defended home-court advantage with a dominant 85-66 victory over the top-ranked UConn Huskies in Tuesday's Big East men's basketball showdown at the CHI Health Center. Creighton's victory snapped a 14-game winning streak for the reigning national champions.
UConn is still 24-3 overall and 14-2 in Big East play, which puts it in line for a No. 1 seed come Selection Sunday even with this uncharacteristically poor performance.
It was a more important result for Creighton, which defeated the No. 1 team for the first time in program history and continues picking up momentum at the right time with four straight conference wins. The Bluejays are 20-7 on the season and 11-5 in Big East play.
lol I don't even think Connecticut can be mad about this? Creighton is just burning the nets out. Running good stuff to get free but like, my god the fire in the nets for creighton
Creighton's now made nine straight shots, five of them threes, and all of them with Donovan Clingan on the bench. The Jays can absolutely fill it up when they get hot.
The issue for UConn tonight is that they haven't been able to get many clean looks out of their offense. Creighton's done a terrific job fighting over screens and utilizing Kalkbrennar to negate anything going to the rim. Clinic defensively. https://t.co/v0lmrI9n5b
It obviously helps that Creighton basically hasnāt missed, but the Bluejays have consistently gotten open looks they want. UConnās defense has been much more porous than normal
Creighton jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first half and was in full control throughout the majority of the contest. The story for much of the game was its three-point shooting, as the home team ended up 14-of-28 from long range.
It also played impressive defense on the perimeter and held UConn to an ugly 3-of-16 shooting from three-point range.
Steven Ashworth led the way for the Bluejays with 20 points and seven rebounds, while Ryan Kalkbrenner (15 points and six rebounds) and Trey Alexander (16 points and four assists) played impressive supporting roles.
Tristen Newton did what he could for UConn with a double-double of 27 points and 12 rebounds, but he was the only member of his team to score more than 12.
Creighton will look to keep things rolling when it travels to St. John's on Sunday, while the Huskies will attempt to bounce back and further solidify their hold on a No. 1 seed when they host Villanova on Saturday.
