This past weekend, the NCAA Men’s basketball championship occurred in Dallas, Texas. It started this past Saturday with the first Final Four game- The Florida Gators versus The Connecticut (UCONN) Huskies. The Gators came into the game as 6.5 point favorites, yet UCONN did not let the spread faze them, as they played relentlessly. Fueled by a December 2nd victory against the Gators, the bellicose Huskies showed that same aggression on Saturday – as they were able to pile up rebounds in order to prevent the Gators from scoring second-chance points. This resulted in the Huskies pulling out the upset 63-53.
The next Final Four game featured the Kentucky Wildcats squaring off against the Wisconsin Badgers. The Wildcats starred 5 true freshman, as many critics doubted their motivation and experience heading into the tournament. Despite being written off early on, the Wildcats showed their true talent early on in the tournament, and that trend continued against Wisconsin. Alike the Huskies, the Wildcats featured strong rebounding, as they were able to out rebound the Badgers 32-27. With the Wildcats down by two with 5.7 seconds left in the game, Freshman Guard Aaron Harrison rifled a three in the face of a Wisconsin defender, as it sank through the net the Wildcats clinched their spot in the National Championship.
The National Championship showcased what all of March Madness had determined- the two best teams in the Country: Connecticut and Kentucky. With Kentucky coming into the National Championship as only two point favorites, most analysts considered this game “a tossup”. The Huskies outplayed the Wildcats the entire game – they held a plus four turnover differential over the Wildcats, and were able to maintain the lead the entire game. Despite a resurgence at the beginning of the second half, the Wildcats became the sixth and final victim of UCONN’s blistering defense, as they held off the Wildcats to win their fourth championship, 60-54.