Notes & Quotes: A coronation in the Desert

Four years after Dan Hurley warned us that “it’s coming,” the 2024 UConn Huskies have cemented themselves as a force of nature in college basketball and one of the best teams in the sport’s history after defeating Purdue in the national championship game, 75-60.

The victory continues a streak of 12 NCAA Tournament wins by 13 or more points going back to last year. The Huskies have the largest cumulative margin of victory for a champion in the modern era and are the first team to repeat as national champions since 2007 (Florida), reaching six all-time titles for the program.

The Huskies outclassed Purdue, but it was tight early. The Boilermakers went to their star center Zach Edey early and often, as he scored 16 first-half points. Hurley credited assistant coach Luke Murray for the game plan that led to their success. Though Edey scored 37 points, only one other player was in double digits with 12 points and their next-highest scorer had five.

“We didn't want to give up threes,” Hurley explained. “We didn't care if Zach took 25, 28 shots to get 30, 35 points. This whole game plan was no Smith, no Loyer, no Gillis, no Jones. Keep that collective group under 18, 20 points as a group.”

Edey tired out in a second half where he was less effective, especially out of the gate, and the Huskies overwhelmed Purdue the way they had done to so many quality opponents before this one. This is the team, after all, that tied for the highest average margin of victory in Big East regular-season play.

For the second year in a row, Tristen Newton led the Huskies in scoring in the national championship game, pouring in 20 points with seven assists and five rebounds to earn Final Four Most Outstanding Player. He hit a number of tough layups on or around Edey to make it happen.

In the battle of the nation’s top centers, Clingan finished with 11 points and five boards. He played 31 minutes and committed just one foul in the first half, hitting some foul trouble late in the game. Samson Johnson fouled out with 5:38 left and Clingan had four fouls at the time.

In response, Hurley went with a smaller lineup for a few minutes at the end of the game. The Huskies were already up big at the time and held on for the win.

UConn ties North Carolina with its sixth title, trailing only UCLA (11) and Kentucky (8) on the all-time list. Hurley has potentially set himself up to have the next great Big East dynasty at UConn, with Murray and associate head coach Kimani Young reportedly planning to return as well.

A closer look at the championship effort:

What Went Well

Five on Five: Zach Edey got his stats with 37 points and 10 rebounds, but the rest of the Boilermakers struggled. Purdue was just 1 of 7 on 3-pointers and its three starting guards combined for 17 points on 6-for-20 shooting.  

Castle: “Our game plan was to wear down their guards and keep them off the three-point line. I feel like when we played like that we were the best team in the country and we showed it.”

Clingan: “It’s really hard to beat us just scoring twos.”

Newton Stays Smooth: In his final collegiate game, Tristen Newton turned in another big-time performance. He distributed well with a team-high seven assists and hit some big shots, including a few late in the shot clock. From a barely recruited guard coming out of high school to one of the best to ever put on a UConn uniform - Newton has achieved elite status with the program. He ended the season as the team leader in scoring and assists per game.

Newton: “ I didn’t know what type of work was needed to succeed at UConn or any other high-level program. It took me about a week or two. I got extra shots in, got my cardio up, and look to my coaches and teammates (for guidance).’’

What Needs Work

Time to Reload: With the expected departure of all or most of the starting five, Hurley and his staff have some work to do to go for the three-peat. Hurley laughed off reports that he was headed to Kentucky, while associate head coach Kimani Young and Murray have both said they plan to return. Diarra and Johnson should be returning alongside Jaylin Stewart, Jayden Ross, and Solomon Ball, if they don’t get lured in by the portal. The Huskies add two freshmen but will have to be active players in the transfer market.

Hurley: “I know things are going to be a little crazy for the next 10 days. Unfortunately, we're going to head into the portal, like everybody else now. I've been dreading this moment. But now we’re here…

On the flight home tomorrow, we'll start talking about what the roster's going to look like. We're going to dive in and put together a roster that can play a comparable level of basketball to the one that you guys have witnessed the last two years.

We're going to be focusing on trying to put together a three-year run, not just a two-year run.”

Misc. Notes

Castle, Clingan, Spencer, and Edey were named to the All-Tournament team. … Hurley is 14-4 all-time in NCAA games. … UConn is 12-1 all-time in Final Four games. … Newton eclipsed the 2000-point mark in his collegiate career with a jumper at 7:12 of the first half. … Louisville (2013) is the last top seed to win the national title. … Purdue led for only 1:36 in this game. … The Huskies end the season with a program-record 37 wins.

Up Next

The Huskies held a ceremony in Gampel on Tuesday, where Tristen Newton was immortalized on the Huskies of Honor. They’ll have a parade on Saturday and lots of other major appearances on television and other places. Hurley is familiar with the post-championship circuit, but he also has a roster to rebuild.