UConn remains the men’s college basketball powerhouse that doesn’t make any sense

With a 76-59 win over San Diego State that by no means actually felt unsure, the 2022-23 Connecticut Huskies accomplished some of the dominant nationwide championship runs within the historical past of the NCAA males’s basketball event.

The numbers, and I’m guessing you’ve seen a few of them by now, are staggering.

The primary stat is the only: UConn is the primary crew within the historical past of the event to win six video games by 13 factors or extra. A 72-59 Closing 4 win over Miami, which additionally by no means actually appeared 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 grew to become 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.

We may go on right here, however the gist is all you want. Connecticut was Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Capote: Certain, there have been another different individuals doing a little good and funky issues at occasions, however … come on.

All the pieces about UConn’s run to this system’s fifth nationwide championship screams “dominant No. 1 seed that seemed like a nationwide champion all season lengthy.” And but, that isn’t remotely the case right here.

Picture by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photos

Along with being the primary crew in 12 years to begin a season unranked and finish it on prime, Connecticut’s commanding three-week steamroll by means of the NCAA event really snapped a streak of 4 consecutive No. 1 seed nationwide champions. The Huskies, in the meantime, grew to become simply the second No. 4 seed to ever minimize down the nets, becoming a member of the 1996-97 Arizona Wildcats.

No school basketball crew owned its non-conference opponents extra, as UConn gained all 17 video games it performed towards non-Massive East foes, and gained all 17 of these video games by double digits. In convention play, nonetheless, the Huskies went 13-7, tied for fourth place, and received bounced by Marquette within the Massive East event semifinals. These two details make them simply the fifth nationwide champion ever that didn’t win both a daily season or postseason league championship.

These eight losses that UConn finishes the season with? Probably the most by a nationwide champion since … UConn misplaced eight in 2014, which was probably the most since … UConn misplaced 9 9 2011. After that, it’s important to go all the way in which again to Kansas’ “Danny and the Miracles,” which misplaced 11 video games earlier than its stunning run to the 1988 nationwide championship.

If you happen to’re sensing a pattern right here, there’s a purpose.

Connecticut’s all-time profile as a top-tier school basketball program isn’t simply distinctive, it’s in its personal galaxy. It additionally doesn’t appear to make a rattling little bit of sense.

Whereas most of faculty basketball’s prime applications tout not less than a few nationwide championships from an period the place solely a handful of groups performed within the NCAA event or when the game wasn’t totally built-in, UConn is the other. Nearly your complete historical past of this system — which now features a excellent 5-0 report in nationwide championship video games — is proscribed to 1990 and past.

Earlier than 1999, UConn had by no means performed in a Closing 4. Since then, the Huskies have made it to the game’s largest stage six occasions, and minimize down the nets on all however a type of journeys. Their 5 nationwide titles are two greater than some other program over the identical time span, and Monday evening’s win made them the primary program to make use of, in succession, three coaches who all gained nationwide championships (solely three different colleges — Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina — have gained titles underneath three totally different head coaches, interval).

Nonetheless, there are many individuals who will argue that UConn has not been the most effective males’s basketball program of the twenty first century, and people arguments aren’t with out some benefit.

Seven occasions within the final 14 years, Connecticut hasn’t even made the NCAA event. In 5 consecutive seasons from 2016-17 by means of 2020-21, the Huskies did not win greater than 19 video games. They completed with a dropping general report within the first three of these seasons.

UConn has not been a No. 1 or a No. 2 seed within the Massive Dance since all the way in which again in 2009. They’re the one program to win a nationwide championship as a non-top 2 seed since third-seeded Florida captured the 2006 nationwide title … and once more, they’ve executed it thrice.

And about these three championships: They’ve all come towards tremendous weird fellow nationwide finalists.

In 2011, UConn took down Eighth-seeded Butler in a sport the place the Bulldogs shot the bottom share of any crew in NCAA event historical past — not simply nationwide championship sport historical past, however any sport within the historical past of the NCAA event. Three years later, the Seventh-seeded Huskies took care of Eighth-seeded Kentucky in an excellent unusual conflict of the not-so-titans. Then there was Monday evening, the place Danny Hurley’s crew stored San Diego State from changing into the primary 5-seed nationwide champion ever, and the primary non-power convention champion since 1990.

Hell, even the 2004 crew performed a third-seeded Georgia Tech squad that was a shock finalist to most.

The ‘99 upset of top-seed Duke was legit, although, and it was spectacular. First half Ricky Moore ceaselessly.

Whereas Connecticut nonetheless doesn’t rank as a prime 25 crew within the historical past of the game should you’re simply going off of all-time wins, no program has been extra seen on the primary weekend in April to youngsters and 20-somethings than the Huskies. Distinction that with the truth that there are 48-year-olds studying this proper now (thanks, by the way in which) who’ve solely seen UCLA win one nationwide championship, and 28-year-olds who’ve by no means seen it occur.

The final word query here’s what can we make of this program that has been to 11 fewer regional finals than Kansas and 11 fewer Closing 4 appearances than Duke, however now has as many (Duke) or extra (Kansas) nationwide championships than each? Shit, I don’t know. But when there’s a weird school basketball season that appears to be hurdling uncontrolled in direction of a weird NCAA event, I do know they’re my choose.