BOSTON – The top-seed UConn men's basketball team (33-3) heads north for the Sweet 16, taking on five-seed San Diego State (26-10) in a rematch of the 2023 National Championship game. Tip-off on Thursday for the East Regional Semifinals from the TD Garden is set for 7:39 p.m. and will air on TBS with Kevin Harlan, Dan Bonner, Stan Van Gundy and Andy Katz on the call.
The Huskies are in the Sweet 16 for the second-straight season, a feat last accomplished by the program in a run of three-straight from 2002-04. The rematch with SDSU marks the fourth time in NCAA Tournament history that a title game rematch has occurred in the following tournament. UConn is 12-6 all-time in the Sweet 16.
UConn is 2-0 all-time against San Diego State, with both meetings coming in memorable NCAA Tournament fashion. In the first meeting in the 2011 Sweet 16, Kemba Walker tied the UConn single-game NCAA Tournament record with 36 points in a UConn win en route to the program's third national title. Last season, Tristen Newton and Adama Sanogo both recorded double-doubles in the National Championship as Connecticut claimed its fifth national title.
Connecticut advanced to the Regional round with two wins last week in Brooklyn, taking down 16-seed Stetson on Friday and nine-seed Northwestern on Sunday. In the win over the Wildcats on Sunday, Newton had 20 points and 10 assists while Donovan Clingan recorded a 14-point, 14-rebound double-double with a career-high eight blocks. Clingan became one of three players in NCAA Tournament history to post such a statline, joining David Robinson in 1986 and Hakeem Olajuwon in 1983.
UConn is led this season by Newton, a consensus First Team All-American who averages 15.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. His double-double against NU was his 11th of the season and he has also posted a pair of triple-doubles. Cam Spencer is second on the squad with 14.4 points per game and is one of the most efficient shooters from deep in America, ranking fifth in the country with a 44.0 percent mark from 3-point range. Alex Karaban adds 13.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, while Clingan adds 12.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per games on 64.8 percent shooting. BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Stephon Castle gives UConn five players averaging double-figures with 10.8 points per game.
San Diego State advanced to the Sweet 16 with wins over 12-seed UAB and No. 13 Yale last week in Spokane. Jaedon LeDee leads the Aztecs with 21.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, earning AP Third Team All-America honors this year. Per Kenpom, San Diego State boasts one of the top-10 defenses in America and holds opponents to 66.2 points per game.
Should the Huskies advance, they will take on the winner of No. 3 Illinois and No. 2 Iowa State in the Regional final on Saturday.
Players Mentioned
- F
- 6' 9"
- Junior
- C
- 7' 2"
- Sophomore
- F
- 6' 8"
- Redshirt Sophomore
- G
- 6' 5"
- Graduate Student
- G
- 6' 6"
- Freshman
- G
- 6' 4"
- Graduate Student
Players Mentioned
- 6' 9"
- Junior
- F
- 7' 2"
- Sophomore
- C
- 6' 8"
- Redshirt Sophomore
- F
- 6' 5"
- Graduate Student
- G
- 6' 6"
- Freshman
- G
- 6' 4"
- Graduate Student
- G
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