NCAA Tournament: 5 key storylines for Florida Atlantic vs San Diego State matchup

Can either team win the title?

The Death Star hanging over these rebel proceedings is the UConn Huskies. Dan Hurley’s club has Genghis Khan’ed their way through the bracket, pillaging everything in its way. The Huskies destroyed Iona, dominated Saint Mary’s, humiliated Gonzaga, and made Arkansas coach Eric Musselman keep his shirt on, all of which are no easy feats. Can either Florida Atlantic or San Diego State hang with the Huskies and realistically cut down the nets?

In short, absolutely. Though Connecticut has looked unbeatable of late, it’s worth remembering that at one point this season they lost six of eight games, and they split the season series with the same Creighton team that San Diego State just beat. The Huskies also struggle in close games, which is one area where both the Owls and the Aztecs excel.

If San Diego State were to meet UConn, their pace and defensive ability would be the complete opposite of what UConn saw in the Gonzaga and Miami games leading up to the final. Both of those teams feature high-octane offenses but little defensive prowess. As we saw against Gonzaga, UConn never struggled to score. That just doesn’t happen against San Diego State

If Florida Atlantic were to face the Huskies, they have the size to not get completely overwhelmed. Vladislav Goldin would need to play the best game of his career to contain Adama Sanogo, but the Owls allow the second-lowest assist rate in the country, which could negate UConn’s ability to move the ball and get easy buckets. Incidentally, Florida Atlantic guard Jalen Gaffney spent the first three years of his career at UConn, which could make for an interesting subplot.

Should Miami pull the upset, the spread would certainly be closer, and the title would truly be up for grabs. A possible matchup with Florida Atlantic could play out much the way the Kansas State game did, with both teams providing plenty of points and highlights. San Diego State, with its senior leadership and defensive mentality, is similar in a lot of ways to the Houston team that Miami defeated in the Sweet Sixteen. The Aztecs have faced explosive backcourts this tournament, though, and are still alive to talk about it.

No matter which teams meet on Monday night, I think we’re going to get a good title game. Either Florida Atlantic, San Diego State, or Miami will get their first national championship, or UConn will cement one of the most dominant tournament runs we’ve seen, and reign for the first time since the Shabazz Napier “Hungry Huskies” of 2014. In a tournament that has provided so many surprises already, I’m ready for anything.