What seemed inevitable became reality Monday night at NRG Stadium as UConn completed its dominant march to the top of college basketball with a 76-59 win over San Diego State in the national championship game. The No. 4 seed Huskies earned their fifth title in program history by suffocating the No. 5 seed Aztecs' offense and systematically finding good looks against SDSU's typically strong defense.
In the end, they were required to hold off a vigorous San Diego State rally in the second half in what amounted to the toughest challenge the Huskies faced in the Big Dance.
The win draws UConn even with Duke and Indiana in a tie for fourth place in the race for most titles in men's college basketball history. All of the Huskies' championships have come in the past 25 years, extending UConn's edge as the most-decorated program of the past quarter-century.
Over that span, the Huskies have now won titles with three different coaches as Dan Hurley joined predecessors Kevin Ollie and Jim Calhoun in taking UConn to the sport's zenith. Eight players from the roster he constructed following last season's first-round exit from the NCAA Tournament were part of Monday's rotation, and each of them scored in the first half alone as the Huskies built an early 16-point lead.
San Diego State used several big runs late in the second half to cut UConn's lead down to as little as five points. But UConn responded at every turn and flipped a switch when its lead fell to 60-55, rattling off a 9-0 run to put the game out of reach.
Here are three takeaways as UConn is back atop the college basketball mountain.
1. UConn shows its mettle
San Diego State came out of the gates hot on Monday and immediately put UConn on its heels, but UConn responded to go up 12 at halftime. The Aztecs mounted a big run late to cut the lead to five points, but each time UConn was seemingly cornered and facing the heat, it responded with resounding excellency, including an impressive 9-0 run fueled by a Jordan Hawkins 3-pointer after SDSU chopped its deficit to five points.
"Coach drew something up for me, so I knew he trusted me to take that shot," said Hawkins. "I had the easy part. All credit to my teammates for getting me open and for coach in trusting me."
2. SDSU fights to the end
Championship-level resiliency would not have been required of UConn on Monday if San Diego State did not demand it. SDSU trailed big for much of the second half and could not consistently string together good-enough offense to pull off the upset, but it had big stretches where it made the Huskies work for it. UConn's length and size disrupted the Aztecs' rhythm in a big way -- they finished 3-of-10 shooting on layups -- but to close the deficit to five late despite all its struggles speaks to the fortitude this team has played with all season.
"They were great offensively," said SDSU coach Brian Dutcher. "Eventually, they made a timely basket or two, we didn't. Their length bothered us around the rim. They had their way with the entire field this tournament. ... We don't give in, though. I like the grit of my team."
3. Elite territory for the Huskies
How's this for a stat? UConn finishes the season with a 17-point win, giving it 17 wins on the season against non-Big East foes -- all of which came by double figures. In the process, it became the first team of the modern era to win all six NCAA Tournament games by at least a 13-point margin.
The win also gave UConn its fifth men's basketball national championship and improved it to 5-0 (!) in national championship game appearances. It helps the Huskies draw even with Duke and Indiana for the fourth-most all-time national championships with five and gives them the most this century, with four of their five coming since 2004.
"Dream come true for all of us," said Hurley after the game. "This was our vision, this was our dream. It feels great to come through on promises made to players and the university."
But the top-seeded Huskies — who can beat opponents in so many different ways — were ultimately too much en route to an 82-52 win. UConn dominated the glass and leaned on its own stingy defense to secure an overwhelming victory in a rematch of last season's national title game against the fifth-seeded Aztecs.
The Aztecs have appeared in the NCAA Division I tournament 16 times, with a combined record of 13–16. They have reached the Sweet Sixteen four times, in 2011, 2014, 2023, and 2024; in 2023 they reached the Elite Eight, the Final Four, and the National Championship, all for the first time.
UConn men's basketball is advancing to the next round of the NCAA Tournament with an impressive win over San Diego State. It's the largest margin of victory in the Sweet 16 since 2017 - with a 82-52 score. "Just a great group of guys," head coach Dan Hurley said after the game.
It is the Huskies men's team's sixth championship overall, and they have won every time they made it to the finals, including in 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014 and 2023. UConn also became just the eighth program in men's college basketball history to win consecutive titles.
The Huskies actually have a pristine 5-0 record in men's NCAA Tournament championship games. The Huskies have seven Final Four appearances, including the current 2024 run.
The city does have one major league title to its name: the 1963 American Football League (AFL) Championship won by the San Diego Chargers, when the AFL was an independent entity prior to the AFL–NFL merger in 1970.
San Diego State University's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #105. Its in-state tuition and fees are $8,290; out-of-state tuition and fees are $20,170. San Diego State University is a public institution that was founded in 1897.
In a rematch of the 2023 National Championship, UConn dominated San Diego State once again to advance to the Elite Eight. Watch the extended highlights from the Huskies' dominant Sweet 16 victory here.
The most recent UConn bowl game occurred on December 19, 2022, when the Huskies faced the Marshall Thundering Herd in the 2022 Myrtle Beach Bowl. A loss in that game brought Connecticut to an overall bowl record of three wins and four losses, a .
The Huskies are favored by 11.5 points in the latest UConn vs. San Diego State odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 136.5.
UConn was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School, a moniker it would hold until 1899 when it became Connecticut Agricultural College. After a period of growth in the early 20th century, the school was renamed Connecticut State College in 1933 when it began awarding Bachelor of Arts degrees.
Basketball media writers often debate which men's programs are considered blue bloods. The men's programs of Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA, UConn, UNC, and Indiana are often included when listing blue bloods. UConn's women's team is also considered a blue blood, as is Tennessee.
With the TASS force in their senior season and Taurasi emerging as a star in her sophom*ore year, UConn rolled through all its opponents throughout the year and maintained an undefeated record going into the NCAA Tournament.
Hurley will have a base salary of $400,000 each year, as well as a $1 million annual retention bonus. He will also earn $6.375 million for the 2024-25 season for “speaking, consulting and media obligations,” according to UConn's press release, which added that figure will increase each year.
South Dakota State has produced successful teams and individuals through its history. Along with its 22 conference regular season titles and 17 Summit League postseason tournament titles, the Jackrabbits have compiled: 27 NCAA Division I Championship appearances. 11 NCAA National Championships across Division I and II.
scored 21 and JT Toppin posted a double-double to propel sixth-seeded New Mexico to a 68-61 victory over No.5 seed San Diego State in the championship game of the Mountain West Conference Tournament on Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center, earning the Lobos an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Football. San Diego State University's football team is part of the highest level of American collegiate football, the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I (which was formerly known as Division I-A). SDSU is 10–9 all time in post-season bowl games.
SDSU is recognized for its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. About 54 percent of students are of color, the university recognized for our military and veteran program and ranked as a top college for LGBTQ students.
Introduction: My name is Melvina Ondricka, I am a helpful, fancy, friendly, innocent, outstanding, courageous, thoughtful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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