In a Final Four full of Cinderella stories and newcomers, UConn is the exception.
It’s a team even casual fans are used to on this stage, as the Huskies have won four national titles in the past 25 years and are playing in their sixth Final Four.
They meet first-time Final Four contenders Miami in the second national semifinal in Houston on Saturday with an NCAA title shot at stake.
The winner meets San Diego State, who defeated Florida Atlantic in dramatic fashion in the early semifinals game.
While UConn might not look like a juggernaut on paper, having finished 4th in the Big East and securing a 4th place finish in the NCAA tournament, they have been by far the most dominant team in the tournament so far, beating their four tournament opponents on average 22.5 points. The Huskies have used a combination of player development and the transfer portal to build a team with no particular standouts, but one with a perfect blend of size, athleticism and versatility.
They were driven forward by forward Adama Sanogo, who is averaging 20 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game in the tournament, and guard Jordan Hawkins, who shoots 51.6% from 3-point range in tournament play.
Miami will be a significant outsider in this game, but that’s no different than in the last two games against No. 1 Houston and No. 2 Texas. The Hurricanes did business in those games with sharp shots from Nijel Pack (27 points vs. Houston) and Jordan Miller (26 vs. Texas). Not to mention fellow guard Isaiah Wong, who led the team as top scorer all season. This is a team that has chances to score all over the pitch which will make it difficult on Saturday.
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