UConn basketball defeated Alabama, 86-72, in the Final Four to advance to the National Championship game on Monday.
The stage is finally set. It will be Purdue, fresh off a victory today over NC State, going up against UConn. Two 1-seeds going at it, and one of the more intriguing matchups of the season.
But that’s for Monday. Here are my 3 Takeaways from tonight’s game.
Takeaway #1: Huskies looked flat at first, assured everyone in the end
UConn basketball went into the half with the smallest lead they’ve had at the half all tournament.
The Crimson Tide were hitting their shots, a scorching 8-of-11 from beyond the arc. Five different Alabama players had made a three at the half, a well-balanced effort. It looked like the Tide were going to be the team to find the chink in UConn’s armor.
Then the Huskies woke up.
Going into the second half with a four-point lead, the Huskies outscored the Tide 42 to 32, running away with the game. All the momentum went to the Huskies, as five UConn players finished in double figures.
Donovan Clingan was slow out of the gate but put on a high-flying performance in the second half. The 7-2 center finished with 18 points, most of which coming from dunks, and four blocks. Clingan is on a tear, just in time for him to go head-to-head with the nation’s most talented big man in the next round.
UConn basketball grad assistant Rich Kelly told me after the game that the halftime speech from head coach Dan Hurley was rather somber. Kelly said that Hurley exuded confidence, saying that the Huskies know how good they are. They just needed to be patient and their shots would eventually fall.
And fall they did.
Takeaway #2: The threes stopped raining for ‘Bama
8-for-11 from behind the arc in the first half. 2-for-12 in the second.
Mark Spears dropped 24 points in the losing effort and was responsible for three of those three-pointers. Grant Nelson was electric, dropping a 19-point, 15 rebound double-double. Hofstra transfer Aaron Estrada added 13 points of his own.
But once the threes stopped falling, those were really the only contributors the Crimson Tide had.
You just have to chalk it up to good defense. UConn stepped up defensively in the second half, getting hands in shooters’ faces and making good decisions on help defense. It was more like the UConn we are used to this season.
I would like to note, though, that you can’t really fault UConn for the first-half air raid. Alabama got hot. That’s all there was to it. It is tough to maintain 73% from the three-point line, though, which allowed UConn to take over.
Alabama had a heck of a season. 25 wins, most of the season spent in the Top 25, and the first Final Four appearance in school history is nothing to scoff at. They just ran into a UConn team who seemed to have a date with destiny.
Takeaway #3: Edey vs. Clingan will decide the National Championship
We alluded to this before. It cannot be more true.
Obviously, we know what Zach Edey brings to the table. He is a huge part of the Boilermakers’ offense and rebounding. Clingan is also a big contributor, but not in the way that Tristen Newton affects games.
In this scenario, however, Newton could score eight points on Monday and it will have little to no effect on the outcome.
Can Clingan stop Edey? How does Edey fare in the post against one of the nation’s best big men? How does Edey defend a big as talented and as tall as Clingan? Sure, Edey has defended 7-footers, but none with the build and talent of Donovan Clingan.
Even saying “Can Clingan stop Edey?” is a bit ridiculous. A better question: Can Clingan affect enough shots to slow down Edey’s production? Another: Can UConn basketball play in transition enough to keep Edey out of plays around the rim?
Clingan is a huge part of the Husky defense in his own right. How does battling with Edey affect his help defense inside? Will either of these guys get tired?
Those are just a few of the questions that pop into my head when thinking about this matchup on Monday. One thing is for sure: I will be watching the Clingan-Edey matchup very closely.