Conn-quest

Do you think Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen have room for one more passenger on their trip to the moon? I don't want to be around to listen to Rob Dauster crow about UConn's title.

No? OK then. Let's dive into the Huskies' historic night.

1. UConn leaves no doubt

For about five minutes on Monday night, it looked like San Diego State would defy the odds in the NCAA Tournament Championship game.

Then it couldn't make a shot.

And it became clear that it wasn't a question of whether UConn would win its fifth national title, but by how much.

The Huskies' 76-59 win showcased everything that made them so dominant at times this season, particularly during their run in the Big Dance. Offensive balance. Nasty interior defense. Explosive offense. And a relentless ability to recover from too many turnovers. UConn had it all. That's why it won it all.

“We cemented ourselves in history,” forward Alex Karaban said. “No one is going to forget about this team. If we'd lost, people may have forgotten about us. But we won. We won, and no one can take this away.”

Junior big man Adama Sanogo — named Final Four MOP after 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting with 10 boards — was the focal point. Whenever he established post position, there wasn't much San Diego State could do to counter him. Jordan Hawkins provided the daggers, scoring 16 points, including a timely 3-pointer (more on that in a bit), and Tristan Newton, who stuffed the stat sheet with 19 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 turnovers, was frisky and relentless. 

“I’m not going to lie,” SDSU guard Matt Bradley said, “they have a lot of weapons. They were pretty good.”

Add it all up, and UConn (31-8) became the fifth team since the tourney expanded in 1985 to win all six tourney games by double digits, and joined UCLA, Kentucky, UNC, Duke and Indiana as the only programs with at least five titles. UConn's won all of those since 1999 (UCLA and IU have combined for one in the last 35 years), ending any discussion of them as a potential "blue blood." 

Being a blue blood doesn't mean the Huskies were perfect. But they were awfully close and only had to overcome two times of doubt during the game.

The first four minutes when San Diego State didn't miss a shot — but never led by more than four points — and with about five minutes remaining when the Aztecs (32-7) cut a massive 16-point lead to five on a Keshad Johnson free throw. But Hawkins' 3-pointer 15 seconds later ignited one last UConn run, a 9-0 spurt that cemented the win.

Otherwise, the second half was a series of failed offensive trips from SDSU and consistent production from UConn. Even when the Aztecs cut it to five, the outcome wasn't really in doubt. Not that it was much different from the rest of the tournament. UConn only trailed for 31 of 240 total minutes in six games — and only 55 seconds in the second half of games.

For coach Dan Hurley (remember, he saw this coming), it's an ideal end to rebuilding one of the sport's storied programs. 

"It's a dream come true for all of us," he said. "I sold a vision ... that I could put together a special group of people, a coaching staff and unbelievable players like this. It feels great to come through. 

"This was our vision. This was our dream. This what we talked about when we recruited these guys that we could do something big like this."

2. San Diego State just couldn't hit a shot

The Aztecs had a shot. It just didn't last very long.

They hit their first three attempts and four of the first five in building a 10-6 lead three and a half minutes into the game. Then, whether it was the UConn defense, or nerves — or both — the shots just stopped falling. 

SDSU didn't hit a field goal for more than 11 minutes of the first half. That four-point lead turned into an 11-point deficit, then a 16-point deficit just a few minutes later. It stayed a double-digit lead for most of the game. Even when the Aztecs made their run in the second half, it was a fleeting moment. Their players believed. But the shots weren't going down. 

“Wow, this is happening,” said guard Darrion Trammell said of Hawkins' 3. “We’re going to be the team that’s overcome another deficit. We can come out and win this game. We never lost hope. We’re a mature group, and we understood, you’ve just got to keep chipping at the lead. It’s all not going to come at once."

SDSU hit just 32.2 percent from the field and were 6-of-23 from deep (26.1 percent). Its go-to guys, Trammell, Matt Bradley, and Final Four hero Lamont Butler, combined to shoot 12-of-31 for 34 points.

It is the end of a terrific season for the Aztecs, but it feels like the culmination of something bigger for the program. After all, before Steve Fisher arrived in 1999, the program was a dead zone, seen as one of the worst in D-I. He built it into a consistent winner — he never won fewer than 22 games and twice topped 30 in 11 consecutive seasons — before handing it over to Brian Dutcher in 2018.

Dutcher has continued that success, going 151-47 in six seasons, including a couple more 30-win seasons. This won't be a one-off run to the title game. This is a program built to last, and that'll play with the college hoops powers.

“That’s a really good team that beat us tonight,” Dutcher said. “Like I said, if we find a team that beats us, we’ll tip our hat to them. They beat us, and they were the better team. They’re deserving national champions, but I love my team and I love my locker room.

“There’s a brotherhood in that locker room that will never be divided by a margin of victory or not winning at all. That brotherhood will last a lifetime.”

3. More portal prizes than ever before

Before we dive into our Way Too Early Top 25 for 2023-24, it's important to cover the thing that'll determine how next season plays out because the transfer portal had some doozies on Monday.

Three guards — Max Abmas, LJ Cryer and Tylor Perry — put their names in the portal, and all three are players who can instantly impact a program.

Start with Cryer, the junior guard from Baylor. He averaged 15 ppg and shot 41.5 percent from beyond the arc this season in 31 games, a tick down from where he was as a sophomore (46.8 percent), though it was on 80 more attempts. He's the type of player defenses must account for on every possession because of his ability to turn a game with any open looks. 

Cryer isn't a great defender, but he's savvy and experienced. Few players will have more suitors.

Abmas might be that guy, though.

The senior guard from Oral Roberts had yet another season where he averaged more than 20 points a game, and he did it by scoring efficiently with career highs in assists (four per game), rebounds (4.4), and just two turnovers per game. He's also performed well against high-level opponents. 

Oddly enough, Abmas only ranks 29th on EvanMiya.com's transfer rankings. Seems too low.

Also too low on those rankings? Perry. The guard from North Texas is a winner (56 wins in two seasons), productive (17.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 2 apg this season) and a clutch performer who was the Conference USA POY.

That's the same league as FAU's star guards and Jelly Walker from UAB. Pretty heady stuff. Will Perry join his former Mean Green coach Grant McCasland at Texas Tech? Seems likely, though one would think he'll garner lots of overall interest.

Transfers in new spots:

• Moses Wood to UW

• Stephen Clark to S. Carolina 

• Ebenezer Dowuona to GT

4. A Way Too Early Top 25

This probably isn't the first Way Too Early Top 25 you've seen. It certainly won't be the last. 

So why do it at all? It's basic table stakes for any media entity that covers college hoops. Even if — as the previous headline made clear — there will be lots of roster changes to come, and many will affect the top 25 candidates.

So. To that end, the list below certainly favors teams with a significant number of returning players because, right now, they're the only "certainties" for 2023-24. (Immediately regrets making this list.)

1. UConn: Until guys declare for the NBA, it's the team to beat with a solid returning cast and a top-five incoming class.

2. Marquette: Everyone's back for the Big East regular-season champs.

3. Purdue: National titles after not winning a game in the prior NCAA Tournament: these seven teams.

4. Duke: The top incoming recruiting class paired with two to three returning players.

5. FAU: Everyone's back from a 35-win Final Four team

6. Michigan State: The core players return, along with a top-five freshman class.

7. Houston: Might be too high for a team moving to the Big 12, but the pieces are there.

8. Creighton: If all five starters return, this is probably too low.

9. Miami: They'll likely have four starters back but need to add some more size.

10. Kentucky: An elite recruiting class (what else?), but is that enough anymore?

11. Kansas: They'll need to add some scoring punch from the portal.

12. San Diego State: Bradley and Nathan Mensah are gone, but if everyone else returns ...

13. Arizona: Even if Azuolas Tubelis goes pro, the Cats will keep winning.

14. Alabama: They'll lose talent, but we know coach Nate Oats will reload.

15. UCLA: Mick Cronin's teams win. Only question here is who stays for next season.

16. Texas: Coach Rodney Terry gets to do it his way, and has two incoming 5-stars.

17. Arkansas: The Hogs re-load every offseason. Nothing new.

18. Saint Mary's: Higher than the Zags for now because of their returning players.

19. Gonzaga: See above.

20. Missouri: Too high until the Tigers learn to play defense? Nah.

21. Iowa State: They'll bringing in talent, and we know they'll play defense.

22. Baylor: Might be an LJ Cryer overreaction and too low.

23. Texas A&M: Seems fair that Buzz Williams' team keeps winning in 2023.

24. USC: Lotta talent in LA.

25. North Carolina: Addition by subtraction with Caleb Love.

FWIW, I'll compile all the other Way Too Early rankings for tomorrow's Daily and see how effective the groupthink is.

5. One Shining Moment + some stats

For those who didn't stay up to the end of Monday's coverage, you're welcome.

Probably coulda done without another shot of shirtless Eric Musselman. And, for those interested, here are the programs that have been featured the most in One Shining Moments through the years.

Anyway, some other nuggets from last night's game and the tournament:

• As mentioned above, UConn's one of six programs with five national titles. But it's only one of three to win those in a 25-year span.

• The Huskies held their final four Big Dance opponents to below 35 percent shooting from the field, a first in college hoops.

• In SDSU's first five games of the tournament, it shot nearly 50 percent on contested shots in the paint. Against the Huskies, it was 1-of-11.

• They outscored opponents by 120 points during the tournament, the fourth-largest margin in tourney history.

• UConn is the only team to win a title in the last 16 tournaments that wasn't a 1- or 2-seed.

• The Huskies also finished 17-0 against non-conference opponents.

• It's the eighth straight season the champion has finished with a better offensive efficiency rating than a defensive rating.

• Who was the top official this season?

Finally, in Jim Nantz's final NCAA Tournament, two pieces of content for you: His final call, and a profile of Nantz that posted yesterday. 

Jim Boeheim: Unfiltered

OK, fine. You're probably thinking, 'When has Jim Boeheim ever had a filter?' Fair point. But it's still captivating to listen to the recently retired Syracuse coach discuss his favorite coaching memories, his insights into today's game, and much more.

Subscribe to The Field of 68 on YouTube here and subscribe here to AFTER DARK.

Links as you contemplate taking a break from college hoops or refreshing Verbal Commits' Twitter feed all day:

• Bob Knight was hospitalized over the weekend, but has since been released.

• Butler is losing eight players and its top five scorers from this season.

• UMass Lowell coach Pat Duquette inked a multi-year extension.

• Michigan State picked up a 4-star guard for its 2024 class.

• Maryland added a key assistant with DMV ties.

Thanks for reading The Field of 68 Daily! If you have a news tip or feedback, email us at [email protected].