‘5 OF THEM THANGS’: Numbers and reactions from UConn’s title win

The UConn Huskies are national champions again.

Tristen Newton led all scorers with 19 points as the 4-seed Huskies knocked off the 5-seed San Diego State Aztecs 76-59 in the 2023 NCAA tournament championship game. Connecticut jumped out to a lead midway through the first half and never relinquished it despite a strong effort by San Diego State later in the second half.

It’s the fifth men’s NCAA tournament title for UConn and the first since 2014. The Huskies weren’t remotely title favorites at the beginning of the season — Las Vegas sportsbooks had them and San Diego State both at 60-1 odds to win the title, according to ESPN Stats & Information. UConn wasn’t even ranked in the AP Top 25 to start the season. This is only the seventh time in history that a team unranked in the preseason poll went on to win it all. The last time that happened? 2011, with — you guessed it — the UConn Huskies.

This win also gives UConn an unusual record — it’s the fourth time it has won the tournament while in the state of Texas, giving it the most title wins by a team in a single state in NCAA tournament history.

One more odd coincidence — Angel Reese, who led the LSU Tigers to their first women’s title Sunday, and UConn guard Jordan Hawkins are cousins. Good week for that extended family.

Connecticut luminaries celebrated the win on Twitter.

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