Back-To-Back: UConn Destroyed Everyone, Finished The Most Dominant Tournament Run We've Seen In Decades
There's no other way to put what we just saw. Domination, all-time great, elite, whatever you want to use here for this UConn team. This version solidified itself as one of the greats in recent memory. They also had the most dominant Tournament run I've probably ever seen in my life.
I have no idea where they rank best team wise. They are in the top tier with teams like 1996 Kentucky, 2001 Duke, 2007 Florida, 2009 UNC, 2012 Kentucky, 2018 Nova. But their Tournament run was something we've never seen before. Look at that point differential. They led by 15 I believe in every single game. It's not like they were playing scrubs too. They played a Big 10 team in the second round, championship rematch in the Sweet 16, an elite offense/Big 10 Tournament champ in the Elite Eight, another elite offense in the Final Four, the No. 2 overall team in the title game. Didn't matter.
The thing about this UConn team? They do everything. There's no weakness. Every game someone seemed to be 'off' and it didn't matter. They didn't shoot the ball from three great all Tournament, didn't matter. They're deliberate as shit in the half court, but even more efficient in transition. I'm not sure I can remember a team being that good at both. That's before you talk about the defense.
Don't get me wrong, Edey got his, especially in the first half. But they cooled him off late in the 1st and the entire 2nd. They shut down all the guards. Hurley said it perfectly:
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This Tournament shouldn't be easy. You play that Tournament 10 more times and UConn wins it probably all 10. That's how dominant they were. It snaps the back-to-back streak since Florida. Hurley got his second. UConn gets its sixth. Just one of the most dominant runs we'll ever see for 6 games that matter.
The title game showed it all. You had guys in foul trouble and it didn't matter. Diarra gets them started in the first half. Newton was an All-American for a reason. Spencer did every little thing. Clingan wore down Edey. Everyone just contributed. Just a ridiculous showing that locked down Purdue, made the game over after a damn good first half. It looked like we were going to get a classic title game and then UConn just flipped a switch. Their guard play was too much. Hurley just ran circles in the second half with his sets and scheme to get looks.
Dominant from start to finish.