The Sportsletter - UConn On Top 🏆

BY JEFF YODER

APR. 4, 2023  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Good Morning,

After 67 games of March Madness, we have a champion. The UConn Huskies danced past everyone to win six games in three weeks, all by double digits. Last night's finale was no exception. And there's no debate -- UConn is officially a blue blood.

Fun Fact: LSU’s Angel Reese and UConn’s Jordan Hawkins are cousins, and they both just won the NCAA Tournament. "The cookout gone be lit." Read More

Letter Rip!

BRACKETS

The Leaderboard

That’s a wrap on our March Madness Bracket Challenge. Congrats to Peter F.! His bracket ranked 1,510th overall (100th percentile). Thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s NCAA Tournament pool. Our top-3 winners should be on the lookout for an individual email in the next 24 hours to claim your prizes.

The Sportsletter Bracket Winners

1. Peter F. — 119 Points (UConn)

2. Jeff J. — 111 Points (UConn)

3. Ronel P. — 104 Points (UConn)

Honorable Mention

4. Ethan G. — 103 Points (UConn)

5. Rabin C. — 101 Points (UConn)

6. Ravi O. — 98 Points (UConn)

7. Gregg S. — 96 Points (UConn)

Check Your Bracket

NCAAM TOURNAMENT 🏆

UConn's Tourney Takeover

Image via Giphy

Heart, Hurley & The Huskies: How 4-Seed Connecticut Won Every NCAA Tournament Game by Double Digits En Route to Their 5th National Championship

Blue bloods, make room. Connecticut belongs. The 4-seed UConn Huskies ran wild through their first five games of the NCAA Tournament to the tune of five straight double-digit wins, and Monday’s national title game against #5 San Diego State was no different. Connecticut beat SDSU (76-59) with another dominating performance that puts them in the conversation for one of the best NCAA titles runs of all-time. Head coach Dan Hurley gets his first title for the resume, but it’s UConn’s fifth championship in program history.

How the Title Game Was Won

UConn’s 1st-Half Run: The title game started with a bang for San Diego State as the Aztecs jumped out to a four-point lead before the first media timeout (10-6), but it was all Huskies for the next ten minutes. UConn went on a 20-4 run to take a double-digit advantage (26-14) and ride it into halftime.

Down the Stretch: In the second half, SDSU clawed back within striking distance. They went on a 14-4 run to pull within five points (60-55) with five minutes to play, but UConn answered with big shot after big shot to put together a 9-0 run and eventually ice the game.

UConn senior Tristen Newton (19 points) had his best game of the tournament when it mattered most, and Adama Sanogo took home the Most Outstanding Player award for the tournament. Sanogo averaged 19.6 points and 9.8 rebounds over the six games.

Watch: #4 UConn def. #5 San Diego State (76-59) to Win 5th National Championship

Team Stats

Field Goal Shooting: UConn (43.4%) | SDSU (32.2%)

3-Point Shooting: UConn (35.3%) | SDSU (26.1%)

Free Throws: UConn (88.9%) | SDSU (75%)

Rebounds: UConn (40) | SDSU (34)

Turnovers: UConn (13) | SDSU (12)

Top Performers

T. Newton (CONN): 19 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists

A. Sanogo (CONN): 17 points, 10 rebeounds

J. Hawkins (CONN): 16 points

K. Johnson (SDSU): 14 points

L. Butler (SDSU): 13 points

D. Trammell (SDSU): 13 points

One of the Blue Bloods 🖐️

Photo: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images

Where UConn Ranks in NCAA History

The Huskies now own five titles in just six Final Four appearances — all in the last 24 years — tying Duke (5) for the winningest program in the NCAA Tournament since its expansion (1985). UCLA (10), North Carolina (2) and Kentucky (5) won many of their titles prior to the tourney’s expansion.

UConn’s National Titles (5)

1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023

Programs With 5 or More NCAA Titles

UCLA: 11

Kentucky: 8

North Carolina: 6

Duke: 5

Indiana: 5

UConn: 5

Other Blue Bloods With 3 Or More: Kansas (4) & Villanova (3)

How the Huskies Made History 🐺

Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images

UConn’s Untouchable March Madness Run

The Huskies didn’t just win the NCAA Tournament, they demolished every opponent by double figures. UConn won all six games in March Madness by an average margin of victory of 20.0 ppg — the third-highest in NCAA Tournament history among teams that played all six games. And with a 17-point win in the title game, UConn becomes just the fifth team since the tourney expanded to win all six games by double digits. The previous four were all No. 1 seeds.

Teams to Win Every Game by 10+ Points

2000 Michigan State

2001 Duke

2009 North Carolina

2018 Villanova

2023 UConn

UConn’s 2022-23 Season Review

The Huskies may seem like a surprise juggernaut as a 4-seed that dominated March Madness, but their full season recap paints a bigger picture. UConn was 14-0 to start the year en route to the No. 2 ranking in the country. They lost six out of eight in December and January before finding their footing again in February. And as we know, seeds don’t matter, and the hottest team who comes together in March can make a run. The Huskies are now officially a certified blue blood program.

The nets have been cut. One Shining Moment has been played. And after 67 games over 18 games, the UConn Huskies are the champs of March Madness!

Additional Storylines

CBS Sports: UConn Slams Home March Madness With 5th National Title

SI: The Biggest Keys to UConn’s Latest National Championship

ESPN: ‘5 Of The Thangs’: Numbers & Reactions from UConn’s Title Win

B/R: UConn Makes Case for Best Men’s Basketball Program With 5th Title in 24 Years

FOX Sports: College Basketball Power Rankings: All-Too-Early Top-25 for Next Season

🎥 OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

🏒 NHL: Wild Lose Shootout But Still Clinch

The Wild lost in a shootout to the Golden Knights last night (4-3, S/O), but Minnesota still clinched a playoff bid. They’re the fifth Western Conference team in the last four days to join the playoffs joining the Golden Knights, Stars, Kings and Oilers.

Other NHL Highlights

Stars def. Predators (5-1)

Kraken def. Coyotes (8-1)

⚾️ MLB: Padres Go Back-to-Back for Walk-Off

The Padres delivered Monday’s big moment in MLB with a 9th-inning comeback to beat the D-Backs (5-4). After Evan Longoria hit the go-ahead homer for Arizona in the top of the 9th, David Dahl hit a game-tying home run for the Padres in the bottom before Ha-Seong Kim hit the walkoff. Dahl and Kim were the 8 and 9 spots in the lineup.

Other MLB Storylines

Yordan Alvarez Fastest Astros Player to 100th HR

Rays Starters Now Boast 0.39 ERA in 4-0 Start

Masataka Yoshida Hits 1st HR for Red Sox Over Green Monster

THE STORYLINES

🏀 NBA CBA 101

On Saturday, the NBA and its players agreed to coexist peacefully with a new collective bargaining agreement. The deal ensures that we won't have a lockout until 2029 at the earliest, but labor stability is just about the only constant at play here. (CBS Sports)

⚾️ Numbers From MLB Opening Weekend

Major League Baseball's season is already going by pretty quickly. Literally, yes — the pitch clock works. With that, a look at the numbers that matter during a crisp first weekend that brought little rain, pain and few extra innings. (USA Today)

⛳️ The 2023 Masters Preview

Between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, LIV vs. PGA, and Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy continuing to play hot potato with the No. 1 world ranking, there are plenty of compelling storylines as the golf world descends on Augusta National. (ESPN)

📰 THE HEADLINES

• Famous Indiana Coach Bob Knight Admitted to Hospital With Acute Illness (SI)
• QB Lamar Jackson Reveals Why He Didn’t Attend Ravens Playoff Game (CBS Sports)
• Vince McMahon Sells WWE to Endeavor to Form $21 Billion Brand With UFC (B/R)
• Nike Unveils Paint-Splattered USWNT Kits for 2023 Women’s World Cup (Yahoo! Sports)
• The Masters Weather Forecast Looks Like Rain & Thunderstorms This Weekend at Augusta (USA Today)

• LSU-Iowa NCAA Women’s Championship Game Shatters Viewership Records (ESPN)

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Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

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