ROAD TO THE TITLE GAME
It will be a battle between the two most dominant programs in men's college basketball this season as No. 1 seed UConn will face fellow No. 1 seed Purdue in the NCAA National Championship game as UConn aims for a chance to repeat.
Purdue will be heading to its first national championship game since 1969, when it lost to UCLA. The Boilermakers have never won the national title. Here are what the lineups will look like and what it took to get to the title game on Monday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
Purdue (34-4)
Projected starting lineup: Guard Fletcher Loyer, 6-4; guard Braden Smith, 6-0; guard Lance Jones, 6-1; forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, 6-9; center Zach Edey, 7-4
Road to the final:
First round vs. Grambling State, 7850: The 50 points allowed were the fewest since March 21, 2019, vs. Old Dominion (61-48 win).
Second round vs. Utah State, 106-67: Purdue's 106 points are the most in any game since November 2017 and the most in the NCAA Tournament in school history.
Sweet 16 vs. Gonzaga, 80-68: Guard Braden Smith recorded his eighth double-double of the season with 14 points, 15 assists, and eight rebounds. Elite Eight vs. Tennessee, 72-66: Center Zach Edey scored a career-high 40 points with 16 rebounds and became the first player since Indiana State's Larry Bird to have at least 900 points and 450 rebounds in a season.
Final Four vs. North Carolina State, 63-50: Edey became the first player in NCAA tournament history with 20 points and 10 rebounds in six straight games.
UConn (36-3)
Projected starting lineup: Guard Cam Spencer, 6-4; guard Stephon Castle, 6-6; guard Tristen Newton, 6-5; forward Alex Karaban, 6-8; center Donovan Clingan, 7-2
Road to the final:
First round vs. Stetson, 91-52: The Huskies raced out to a 52-19 halftime lead and began to empty their bench around the five-minute mark of the second half.
Second round vs. Northwestern, 7558: Center Donovan Clingan posted a dominant 14-point, 14-rebound double-double with a career-high eight blocks.
Sweet 16 vs. San Diego State, 82-52:
In the rematch of last year's national championship, the Huskies once again came out on top as Stephon Castle, Tristen Newton, and Cam Spencer combined for 51 points.
Elite Eight vs. Illinois, 77-52: UConn opened the second half with a 25-0 explosion, part of a 30-0 overall run that blew open a tight game.
Final Four vs. Alabama, 86-72: UConn led Alabama by four points at halftime, but outscored the Crimson Tide by 10 points in the second half to clinch a spot in the championship.
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