Billy Donovan ought to really feel uncomfortable.
This has nothing to do with something taking place in Chicago, and every part to do with issues taking place in Boston.
Thursday night time, the UConn Huskies placed on absolute present inside TD Backyard, pasting San Diego State by 30 in a rematch on final 12 months’s nationwide championship sport that Danny Hurley’s staff received by 17. Whereas, 12 months later, there are a handful of various components on each groups, the dominant efficiency was the newest piece of proof added to a case that has been mounting over the previous few months: A UConn nationwide championship feels much more inevitable in 2024 than it did in 2023.
No staff in males’s faculty basketball has pulled off back-to-back nationwide championships since Donovan’s Florida Gators did the trick in 2006 and 2007. With an unprecedented stage of roster turnover within the sport because of NIL and the brand new switch portal guidelines, the widespread thought not too long ago has been that repeating success is harder now than at every other level within the sport’s historical past.
And but right here UConn is, three wins away a return journey to the promised land.
The scary factor, a minimum of to this point, is simply how simple the Huskies have made this look.
A 12 months in the past, UConn turned the primary staff within the historical past of the match to win six video games by 13 factors or extra. A 72-59 Remaining 4 win over Miami, which by no means actually gave the impression to be in jeopardy, was technically the hardest take a look at the Huskies confronted throughout March Insanity. If that weren’t sufficient, UConn additionally turned the primary nationwide champion in historical past to win all six of its video games by double figures whereas additionally holding all six of its opponents to 65 factors or fewer.
All the pieces about UConn’s run to this system’s fifth nationwide championship appeared to scream “dominant No. 1 seed that seemed like a nationwide champion all season lengthy.” And but, that wasn’t remotely the case.
Along with being the primary staff in 12 years to start out a season unranked and finish it on high, Connecticut’s commanding three-week steamroll via the NCAA match really snapped a streak of 4 consecutive No. 1 seed nationwide champions. The Huskies, in the meantime, turned simply the second No. 4 seed to ever lower down the nets, becoming a member of the 1996-97 Arizona Wildcats.
No faculty basketball staff owned its non-conference opponents extra, as UConn received all 17 video games it performed in opposition to non-Huge East foes, and received all 17 of these video games by double digits. In convention play, nevertheless, the Huskies went 13-7, tied for fourth place, and received bounced by Marquette within the Huge East match semifinals. These two info made them simply the fifth nationwide champion ever that didn’t win both a daily season or postseason league championship.
The eight losses that UConn completed the season with? Probably the most by a nationwide champion since … UConn misplaced eight in 2014, which was essentially the most since … UConn misplaced 9 9 2011. After that, it’s a must to go all the best way again to Kansas’ “Danny and the Miracles,” which misplaced 11 video games earlier than its shocking run to the 1988 nationwide championship.
A 12 months later, and the Huskies have been a extra conventional powerhouse.
UConn has the most effective total report of any staff within the nation at 34-3. They received the Huge East’s common season title after which dominated the league’s postseason match. On Choice Sunday, they have been named the NCAA match’s total No. 1 seed, a distinction which hasn’t resulted in a nationwide championship since Louisville went all the best way in 2013.
On paper, the one overwhelming similarity between this 12 months’s UConn staff and the nationwide champions from a 12 months in the past is how dominant each have been/have been to this point in March Insanity.
UConn’s 30-point win over San Diego State on Thursday night time was the most important margin of victory in a Candy 16 sport since 2017. The Huskies have received their three video games within the Huge Dance by a median of 28.7 ppg. They’ve trailed within the match for a grand whole of 28 seconds.
“We suck at successful shut video games,” Hurley joked after his staff’s newest beatdown. “You’ve received to go together with the choice.”
What Donovan had going for him at Florida 17 years in the past is a close to impossibility in right this moment’s faculty sport. His high 5 scorers from the 2006 nationwide title staff — Joakim Noah, Taurean Inexperienced, Corey Brewer, Al Horford, Lee Humphrey, Chris Richard and Walter Hodge — all determined to run it again for an additional 12 months in Gainesville.
Hurley was lucky sufficient to return three key contributors from his nationwide title squad, however his two main scorers — Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins — are each presently enjoying within the NBA. With out a key switch addition in Cam Spencer and a freshman in Stephon Fort who has performed past his years, a repeat probably wouldn’t be on the desk.
Whereas their hardest match video games nonetheless probably lie in entrance of them, what UConn has achieved already within the Huge Dance has bucked current historical past.
4 reigning nationwide champions groups since 2011 have earned No. 1 seeds the 12 months instantly following their title — Duke in 2011, Villanova in 2017, Baylor in 2022 and Kansas final season. Solely considered one of them even made it out of the match’s opening weekend. In truth, UConn is the primary reigning nationwide champion to advance to a regional remaining since … Florida went back-to-back in 2007.
None of this looks like a fluke. UConn has been a step higher than the remainder of the nation because the season tipped off in November. They aren’t good, however their mixture of depth, expertise, next-level expertise and training in Hurley leaves them with much less containers unchecked than any staff within the nation.
Illinois has the offense and a celebrity expertise in Terrence Shannon to beat the most effective within the Elite Eight. Alabama, ought to they advance previous Clemson, has the offensive firepower to run anybody out of the health club on any given night time. Purdue and Houston are proper there behind the Huskies when it comes to lack of weaknesses, and the Boilermakers additionally occur to have the most effective participant within the nation.
A UConn run to a second straight nationwide championship just isn’t inevitable. Watching the Huskies on Thursday night time, although, it definitely feels that approach.
