The NCAA Tournament Championship game will feature two teams that have never won it all before No. 4 seed UConn and No. 5 seed San Diego State. Both teams boast elite defenses, ranking in the top 15 in adjusted defensive efficiency.
UConn has held its opponents to only about 59.2 points per game, while San Diego State has allowed only 61.8 points per game in the tournament.
The Huskies have a balanced offense led by junior forward Adama Sanogo (17.1 ppg) and sophomore guard Jordan Hawkins (16.3 ppg) while the Aztecs rely on senior guard Matt Bradley (12.5 ppg) and senior guard Darrion Trammell (9.9 ppg) for scoring.
Where and when to watch the UConn vs San Diego State Game?
The college basketball season will reach its climax on Monday night when the UConn Huskies and the San Diego State Aztecs will face off at the NRG Stadium in Houston for the national championship. The game will be aired on CBS at 9:20 p.m. ET.
Both teams are making history by playing after surviving a wild and unpredictable NCAA Tournament. The Aztecs pulled off a miraculous comeback against FAU in the Final Four, with a game-winning shot with 0.6 seconds left. The Huskies cruised past Miami with a dominant performance by Adama Sanogo, who had 21 points and nine rebounds.
UConn vs San Diego State Predictions
The game will feature two of the best defensive teams in the country, as well as two contrasting styles of play. The Huskies have a size and rebounding advantage, led by Sanogo, one of the best big men in the country. They also have a strong supporting cast of forwards who can crash the boards and finish around the basket.
The Huskies rank fourth in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage and ninth in defensive rebounding percentage, and they have outrebounded their opponents by an average of 10.4 boards per game in the tournament.
The Aztecs have a three-point shooting advantage, led by Matt Bradley and Darrion Trammell, who can both create their own shot and knock down threes. They also have a balanced scoring attack that can hurt teams from inside and outside.
The Aztecs rank 12th in the nation in three-point percentage and fifth in three-point defense, and they have made 10.2 threes per game in the tournament while holding their opponents to 6.4 threes per game. They have been underdogs in four of their five tournament games and have covered the spread in all of them. The Huskies have also been impressive against the spread, going 4-1 in the tournament and 22-14-1 overall this season.
The game will be a showdown of styles and a test of wills, as both teams look to make history and claim their first national championship. Will the Huskies use their size and defense to slow down the Aztecs’ offense and control the boards? Or will the Aztecs use their three-point shooting and toughness to keep it close and pull off another upset? Tune in on Monday night to find out.