The Sweet 16 has turned the 2023 version of the NCAA Tournament on its head. When the bracket was revealed last Sunday, the two most popular candidates to cut down the nets were Alabama and Houston. Both teams lost decisively Friday night, which has left the door wide open for the remaining contenders.
Amidst the unbelievable chaos and drama of this particular tournament, only one team has effortlessly cruised to the Elite 8.
Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies have won their three tournament games by an average of over 20 points. The closest contest the Huskies have endured so far was the Round of 32 clash with St. Mary’s, which wound up being an unchallenging 70-55 victory. After whalloping Arkansas Thursday night, Hurley’s squad is preparing for what should be its toughest test yet this Saturday in primetime against Gonzaga.
After the exits of Alabama and Houston, the winner of this matchup will likely become the betting favorite to cut down the nets next Monday. While that hardly means a thing in this tournament, the coaches and players in each of these locker rooms would be lying to you if they claimed they weren’t aware of the massive championship opportunity that lies ahead.
This has the makings of a game that could wind up being historic. UConn is undoubtedly on a tear, but the Bulldogs are led by one of the most dominant scorers in college basketball history and have a legitimate chance to win their first national championship. The Huskies are currently 2.5 point favorites in Vegas, but the Bulldogs have already proven to be more than capable of playing the role of the underdogs after ousting UCLA Thursday from a similar spot.
If UConn wants to clinch a spot to its first Final Four since 2014, here are three keys for this appetizing matchup.