UConn tops Purdue for 2024 national title, repeats as champions
π UConn surges past Purdue for back-to-back titles
UConn made it look inevitable again.
For the second year in a row, the Huskies dominated on their march to a title β and now they're the first team to win consecutive national crowns since Florida in 2006 and 2007. The latest victim was Purdue and Naismith winner Zach Edey, as UConn won the battle of No. 1 seeds, 75-60, Monday night in Glendale, Arizona.
The Huskies won their six tournament games by 140 points β or 23.33 per game. It was a sequel to the 2023 run, when UConn won the national title with a winning margin of 20 per game.
Tristen Newton led UConn (37-3) with 20 points and seven assists, but he had plenty of help. Stephon Castle had 15, Cam Spencer had a busy night with 11 points and eight rebounds and Donovan Clingan had 11 points and five boards.
Though Edey finished with 37 points and 10 rebounds, his teammates finished only nine of 29 from the floor (31 percent). Purdue, which hoped to follow 2018-19 Virginia by going from losing to a No. 16 seed one year to cutting down the nets, made only one of seven 3-point attempts. The Boilermakers (34-5) were the No. 2 3-point shooting team in the nation.
UConn is now 6-0 in national championship games β all since 1999.
π UConn surging ahead, nearing another title
The Huskies are putting Purdue into danger zone, leading 51-38 with 11:31 remaining in the game.
UConn is outscoring the Boilermakers 15-8 as Purdue has gone cold from the field. Zach Edey has 20 points but went empty from the floor for a stretch while UConn has pushed its lead. Tristen Newton is up to 16 points, with Cam Spencer filling the stat sheet (nine points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal).
πͺ UConn halfway to back-to-back titles
UConn is 20 minutes away from another crown, as the Huskies take a 36-30 lead into the break.
The Huskies are shooting 48.4 percent, with Tristen Newton (11) points leading one of four players with at least seven points.
On the other side, it's been the Zach Edey Show. The Purdue center has 16 points and is 7 of 12 from the field with five .rebounds and two blocks.
π It's getting intense as UConn remains in front
It's getting physical and tense on the court, with some big blocks, dunks, rebounds and shots in this first half. UConn is up 30-25 with 3:49 until halftime.
Purdue's Edey is continuing to do his thing, scoring 16 points on 11 shots. But the other Boilermakers are only 4 for 13. Meanwhile, UConn is shooting close to 50 percent overall, led by Tristen Newton's 9 points.
Clingan gets the friendly bounce!
β NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB)
Hot start for both as Edey takes over
Well this is fun. The anticipated showdown has happened so far, with Purdue star Zach Edey an early force with 11 points on seven attempts to keep the Boilermakers within two at 18-16 with 11:28 left in the first half.
UConn has started strong as well, with Cam Spencer hitting an early 3-pointer.
ZACH EDEY SLAMS IT HOME π€
β NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB)
We're less than 30 minutes from tip!
The wait is almost over. We're about 30 minutes away from the start of the national championship game in Glendale, Arizona.
We'll find out soon if UConn can finish off back-to-back dominant title runs. Follow along right here all night long.
"Are you ready to make history?" π₯ is joined by , , , and to deliver "The Message" to UConn and Purdue ahead of the National Championship π£οΈ
β NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB)
πΆ:
π What the stats say
Here's a look at what UConn and Purdue have done all season long.
| UCONN | 2023-24 STATS | Purdue |
|---|---|---|
| 36-3 (18-2 Big East) | Record (Conf) | 34-4 (17-3 Big Ten) |
| No. 1 | NCAA tournament seed | No. 1 |
| 81.6 | Points per game | 82.9 |
| 49.8 | Field goal percentage | 48.9 |
| 36.0 | 3-point percentage | 40.6 |
| 74.2 | Free throw percentage | 71.9 |
| 38.9 | Rebounds per game | 40.8 |
| 18.7 | Assists per game | 18.7 |
| 9.6 | Turnovers per game | 11.4 |
| Tristen Newton - 14.9 ppg | Scoring leader | Zach Edey - 24.9 ppg |
| Donovan Clingan - 7.4 | Rebounds leader | Zach Edey - 12.2 |
| Tristen Newton - 6.2 apg | Assists leader | Braden Smith - 7.5 apg |
β‘οΈ How they got here
The Boilermakers and Huskies have won five games in the NCAA tournament to get to Monday's championship game. Here's how they've advanced through each round:
|
No. 1 UCONN |
ROUND |
NO. 1 Purdue |
|---|---|---|
| Def. No. 16 Stetson, 91-52 | First Round | Def. No. 16 Grambling, 78-50 |
| Def. No. 9 Northwestern, 75-58 | Second Round | Def. No. 8 Utah State, 106-67 |
| Def. No. 5 San Diego St., 82-52 | Sweet 16 | Def. No. 5 Gonzaga, 80-68 |
| Def. No. 3 Illinois, 77-52 | Elite Eight | Def. No. 2 Tennessee, 72-66 |
| Def. No. 4 Alabama, 86-72 | Final Four | Def. No. 11 NC State, 63-50 |
πΊ How to watch UConn vs. Purdue
The 2024 NCAA tournament comes to an end Monday night, as UConn and Purdue face off for the title. The Huskies are going for their sixth title and second in a row, while the Boilermakers are looking to win their first.
- Time: 9:20 p.m. ET on Monday, April 8
- Location: State Farm Stadium - Glendale, AZ
- Stream:
- TV channel: TBS/TNT/truTV
- Location: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
π Complete championship history
| YEAR | CHAMPION (RECORD) | COACH | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | SITE | TITLE GAME REPLAYS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | UConn (31-8) | Dan Hurley | 76-59 | San Diego State | Houston, Tex. | |
| 2022 | Kansas (34-6) | Bill Self | 72-69 | North Carolina | New Orleans, La. | |
| 2021 | Baylor (28-2) | Scott Drew | 86-70 | Gonzaga | Indianapolis, Ind. | |
| 2020 | Canceled due to Covid-19 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2019 | Virginia (35-3) | Tony Bennett | 85-77 (OT) | Texas Tech | Minneapolis, Minn. | |
| 2018 | Villanova (36-4) | Jay Wright | 79-62 | Michigan | San Antonio, Tex. | |
| 2017 | North Carolina (33-7) | Roy Williams | 71-65 | Gonzaga | Phoenix, Ariz. | |
| 2016 | Villanova (35-5) | Jay Wright | 77-74 | North Carolina | Houston, Texas | |
| 2015 | Duke (35-4) | Mike Krzyzewski | 68-63 | Wisconsin | Indianapolis, Ind. | |
| 2014 | Connecticut (32-8) | Kevin Ollie | 60-54 | Kentucky | Arlington, Texas | |
| 2013 | Louisville (35-5)* | Rick Pitino | 82-76 | Michigan | Atlanta, Ga. | |
| 2012 | Kentucky (38-2) | John Calipari | 67-59 | Kansas | New Orleans, La. | |
| 2011 | Connecticut (32-9) | Jim Calhoun | 53-41 | Butler | Houston, Texas | |
| 2010 | Duke (35-5) | Mike Krzyzewski | 61-59 | Butler | Indianapolis, Ind. | |
| 2009 | North Carolina (34-4) | Roy Williams | 89-72 | Michigan State | Detroit, Mich. | |
| 2008 | Kansas (37-3) | Bill Self | 75-68 (OT) | Memphis | San Antonio, Texas | |
| 2007 | Florida (35-5) | Billy Donovan | 84-75 | Ohio State | Atlanta, Ga. | |
| 2006 | Florida (33-6) | Billy Donovan | 73-57 | UCLA | Indianapolis, Ind. | |
| 2005 | North Carolina (33-4) | Roy Williams | 75-70 | Illinois | St. Louis, Mo. | |
| 2004 | Connecticut (33-6) | Jim Calhoun | 82-73 | Georgia Tech | San Antonio, Texas | |
| 2003 | Syracuse (30-5) | Jim Boeheim | 81-78 | Kansas | New Orleans, La. | |
| 2002 | Maryland (32-4) | Gary Williams | 64-52 | Indiana | Atlanta, Ga. | |
| 2001 | Duke (35-4) | Mike Krzyzewski | 82-72 | Arizona | Minneapolis, Minn. | |
| 2000 | Michigan State (32-7) | Tom Izzo | 89-76 | Florida | Indianapolis, Ind. | |
| 1999 | Connecticut (34-2) | Jim Calhoun | 77-74 | Duke | St. Petersburg, Fla. | |
| 1998 | Kentucky (35-4) | Tubby Smith | 78-69 | Utah | San Antonio, Texas | |
| 1997 | Arizona (25-9) | Lute Olson | 84-79 (OT) | Kentucky | Indianapolis, Ind. | |
| 1996 | Kentucky (34-2) | Rick Pitino | 76-67 | Syracuse | East Rutherford, N.J. | |
| 1995 | UCLA (31-2) | Jim Harrick | 89-78 | Arkansas | Seattle, Wash. | |
| 1994 | Arkansas (31-3) | Nolan Richardson | 76-72 | Duke | Charlotte, N.C. | |
| 1993 | North Carolina (34-4) | Dean Smith | 77-71 | Michigan | New Orleans, La. | |
| 1992 | Duke (34-2) | Mike Krzyzewski | 71-51 | Michigan | Minneapolis, Minn. | |
| 1991 | Duke (32-7) | Mike Krzyzewski | 72-65 | Kansas | Indianapolis, Ind. | |
| 1990 | UNLV (35-5) | Jerry Tarkanian | 103-73 | Duke | Denver, Colo. | |
| 1989 | Michigan (30-7) | Steve Fisher | 80-79 (OT) | Seton Hall | Seattle, Wash. | |
| 1988 | Kansas (27-11) | Larry Brown | 83-79 | Oklahoma | Kansas City, Mo. | |
| 1987 | Indiana (30-4) | Bob Knight | 74-73 | Syracuse | New Orleans, La. | |
| 1986 | Louisville (32-7) | Denny Crum | 72-69 | Duke | Dallas, Texas | |
| 1985 | Villanova (25-10) | Rollie Massimino | 66-64 | Georgetown | Lexington, Ky, | |
| 1984 | Georgetown (34-3) | John Thompson | 84-75 | Houston | Seattle, Wash. | |
| 1983 | North Carolina State (26-10) | Jim Valvano | 54-52 | Houston | Albuquerque, N.M. | |
| 1982 | North Carolina (32-2) | Dean Smith | 63-62 | Georgetown | New Orleans, La. | |
| 1981 | Indiana (26-9) | Bob Knight | 63-50 | North Carolina | Philadelphia, Pa. | |
| 1980 | Louisville (33-3) | Denny Crum | 59-54 | UCLA | Indianapolis, Ind. | |
| 1979 | Michigan State (26-6) | Jud Heathcote | 75-64 | Indiana State | Salt Lake City, Utah | |
| 1978 | Kentucky (30-2) | Joe Hall | 94-88 | Duke | St. Louis, Mo. | |
| 1977 | Marquette (25-7) | Al McGuire | 67-59 | North Carolina | Atlanta, Ga. | |
| 1976 | Indiana (32-0) | Bob Knight | 86-68 | Michigan | Philadelphia, Pa. | |
| 1975 | UCLA (28-3) | John Wooden | 92-85 | Kentucky | San Diego, Calif. | |
| 1974 | North Carolina State (30-1) | Norm Sloan | 76-64 | Marquette | Greensboro, N.C. | |
| 1973 | UCLA (30-0) | John Wooden | 87-66 | Memphis State | St. Louis, Mo. | |
| 1972 | UCLA (30-0) | John Wooden | 81-76 | Florida State | Los Angeles, Calif. | |
| 1971 | UCLA (29-1) | John Wooden | 68-62 | Villanova | Houston, Texas | |
| 1970 | UCLA (28-2) | John Wooden | 80-69 | Jacksonville | College Park, Md. | |
| 1969 | UCLA (29-1) | John Wooden | 92-72 | Purdue | Louisville, Ky. | |
| 1968 | UCLA (29-1) | John Wooden | 78-55 | North Carolina | Los Angeles, Calif. | |
| 1967 | UCLA (30-0) | John Wooden | 79-64 | Dayton | Louisville, Ky. | |
| 1966 | UTEP (28-1) | Don Haskins | 72-65 | Kentucky | College Park, Md. | |
| 1965 | UCLA (28-2) | John Wooden | 91-80 | Michigan | Portland, Ore. | |
| 1964 | UCLA (30-0) | John Wooden | 98-83 | Duke | Kansas City, Mo. | |
| 1963 | Loyola (Ill.) (29-2) | George Ireland | 60-58 (OT) | Cincinnati | Louisville, Ky. | |
| 1962 | Cincinnati (29-2) | Ed Jucker | 71-59 | Ohio State | Louisville, Ky. | |
| 1961 | Cincinnati (27-3) | Ed Jucker | 70-65 (OT) | Ohio State | Kansas City, Mo. | |
| 1960 | Ohio State (25-3) | Fred Taylor | 75-55 | California | Daly City, Calif. | |
| 1959 | California (25-4) | Pete Newell | 71-70 | West Virginia | Louisville, Ky. | |
| 1958 | Kentucky (23-6) | Adolph Rupp | 84-72 | Seattle | Louisville, Ky. | |
| 1957 | North Carolina (32-0) | Frank McGuire | 54-53 (3OT) | Kansas | Kansas City, Mo. | |
| 1956 | San Francisco (29-0) | Phil Woolpert | 83-71 | Iowa | Evanston, Ill. | |
| 1955 | San Francisco (28-1) | Phil Woolpert | 77-63 | LaSalle | Kansas City, Mo. | |
| 1954 | La Salle (26-4) | Ken Loeffler | 92-76 | Bradley | Kansas City, Mo. | |
| 1953 | Indiana (23-3) | Branch McCracken | 69-68 | Kansas | Kansas City, Mo. | |
| 1952 | Kansas (28-3) | Phog Allen | 80-63 | St. John's | Seattle, Wash. | |
| 1951 | Kentucky (32-2) | Adolph Rupp | 68-58 | Kansas State | Minneapolis, Minn. | |
| 1950 | CCNY (24-5) | Nat Holman | 71-68 | Bradley | New York, N.Y. | |
| 1949 | Kentucky (32-2) | Adolph Rupp | 46-36 | Oklahoma A&M | Seattle, Wash. | |
| 1948 | Kentucky (36-3) | Adolph Rupp | 58-42 | Baylor | New York, N.Y. | |
| 1947 | Holy Cross (27-3) | Doggie Julian | 58-47 | Oklahoma | New York, N.Y. | |
| 1946 | Oklahoma State (31-2) | Henry Iba | 43-40 | North Carolina | New York, N.Y. | |
| 1945 | Oklahoma State (27-4) | Henry Iba | 49-45 | NYU | New York, N.Y. | |
| 1944 | Utah (21-4) | Vadal Peterson | 42-40 (OT) | Dartmouth | New York, N.Y. | |
| 1943 | Wyoming (31-2) | Everett Shelton | 46-34 | Georgetown | New York, N.Y. | |
| 1942 | Stanford (28-4) | Everett Dean | 53-38 | Dartmouth | Kansas City, Mo. | |
| 1941 | Wisconsin (20-3) | Bud Foster | 39-34 | Washington State | Kansas City, Mo. | |
| 1940 | Indiana (20-3) | Branch McCracken | 60-42 | Kansas | Kansas City, Mo. | |
| 1939 | Oregon (29-5) | Howard Hobson | 46-33 | Ohio State | Evanston, Ill. |
*Louisvilleβs participation in the 2013 tournament was later vacated by the Committee on Infractions.