What we learned: UConn looks dominant, Alabama makes school history

The Final Four is almost complete.

Zach Edey posted a 40-16 double-double and Purdue overcame an 11-point deficit in the first half to defeat Tennessee. The Boilermakers are returning to the Final Four for the first time since 1980.

Matt Painter’s team will play the winner of an all-ACC South final pitting Duke against surging No. 11 seed NC State.

The other half of the bracket is all set. Alabama drained 16 3s to defeat Clemson last night. The Crimson Tide are going to the first Final Four in the program’s history.

Nate Oats’ team is paired with overall No. 1 seed UConn in one national semifinal. The Huskies advanced easily against Illinois to reach their second consecutive Final Four as they defend their 2023 title.

Sports Live projections: ESPN’s March Madness forecast

Sports Midwest Region: No. 1 seed Purdue 72, No. 2 seed Tennessee 66

Who is the best player in America? Both Zach Edey and Dalton Knecht made a strong case for the honor in their epic performances in Detroit in the Elite Eight on Sunday. Knecht finished with 37 points and a 6-for-12 clip from the 3-point line. He was the star who kept Tennessee’s dream alive. But Edey ended any argument — if there was a valid one — about America’s best player for the second year in a row.

His 40-point, 16-rebound outing in 39 minutes was one of the greatest performances by a player in the NCAA tournament in recent memory. It was a career high for Edey and the first time a player had finished with at least 40 points and 15 rebounds in the NCAA tournament in 34 years, per ESPN Stats & Info. Edey wasn’t just good on Sunday against Tennessee. He was legendary. Knecht is one of the best players in America and his effort proved as much. But Edey went to a different domain. If it wasn’t clear before, Edey will win his second Wooden Award. He deserves it.

What it means for Purdue: The Boilermakers might be the only team that has a chance to beat UConn and disrupt the momentum for the Huskies, who’ve been unstoppable for weeks. But the possibility of Edey facing Donovan Clingan could be one of the greatest matchups between a pair of big men in a long time. Purdue’s 3-point shooting also gives it a chance to extend UConn’s defense and put more pressure on the Huskies to defend Edey one-on-one. While the Huskies have looked unbeatable at times, if the Boilermakers can reach the national title game, they’ll have a chance.

What it means for Tennessee: The game and the season only confirmed one thing: Rick Barnes is a helluva coach. As he was recruiting Dalton Knecht from Northern Colorado, Barnes and his staff told Knecht that it would give a chance to go on a deep run and play at the next level. They delivered on that promise. Barnes just lost to the Wooden Award winner who had a career-high. There is nothing to be ashamed of with this Tennessee team that will continue to mold talent and play in the top tier of college basketball in the years ahead with Barnes on the sidelines, too. — Myron Medcalf

Sports East Region: No. 1 seed UConn 77, No. 3 seed Illinois 52

Can anyone score at the rim on Donovan Clingan and UConn? Clingan’s performance — especially defensively — on Saturday was otherworldly, one of the most dominant showings we’ve seen all season. It became evident very quickly that Illinois was going to struggle scoring in the paint. The Illini missed eight of their first 10 layups, with Clingan blocking three shots in the first half and altering several others. Illinois shot just 25% inside the arc. In Clingan’s first 17 minutes on the floor, Illinois scored four points. Perhaps the Illini should have opted to shoot more jumpers instead of driving at Clingan so often, but Terrence Shannon Jr. really struggled to make shots, and Coleman Hawkins couldn’t get going from the perimeter. Here’s the stat of the night: Illinois went 0-for-19 on field goal attempts contested by Clingan, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

What the win means for UConn: It’s going to take an awfully impressive performance to make UConn sweat in a game, let alone beat the Huskies. Illinois played as well as it could defensively for the first half and still lost by 25. UConn is simply playing with so much confidence at this point, it’s difficult to come up with a way for the Huskies to lose. The signs were there early on Saturday: UConn missed its first 10 3s and only shot 3-for-17 from behind the arc, Tristen Newton didn’t make a field goal, Stephon Castle scored just two points, Illinois battled with the Huskies on the glass — and again, UConn still won by 25.

What the loss means for Illinois: Illinois simply ran into a buzz saw in the second half against UConn, but the Illini potentially established how they want to look moving forward under Brad Underwood. They made a tweak midway through the season, becoming more of a five-out team with spacing and shooting. It turned Illinois into the nation’s second-best offense entering Saturday’s game. Even though Shannon, Marcus Domask and Quincy Guerrier are out of eligibility and Hawkins said after the loss that his Illinois career is likely over, it gives Underwood a blueprint for how he wants to attack the portal and the recruiting trail to build his roster moving forward. — Jeff Borzello

Sports West Region: No. 4 seed Alabama 89, No. 6 seed Clemson 82

Can Alabama beat UConn? After the Tide took down both North Carolina and Clemson in Los Angeles, all eyes turn to what they can do to stop the tournament’s seemingly unstoppable force. The Huskies trounced Illinois on Saturday with a 30-0 run, further cementing their status as the favorites to win it all for the second year in a row. How will Alabama keep up? If the Tide have showed us anything, it’s that they can get hot from beyond the arc and beat anyone with their shooting. Mark Sears will once again be key for Nate Oats’ team as it tries to craft an upset bid, but it will likely be up to the defense — which stifled Clemson in the second half — to be able to hang with another elite offense in UConn. The odds are not in the Tide’s favor, but so far that hasn’t stopped them.

What the win means for Alabama: Everybody knows Alabama is and will always be a football school, but the program’s first trip to the Final Four will be one to remember for a long time. What Oats has been building in Tuscaloosa has finally come to fruition. His eighth tournament win in four years is more tournament wins than Alabama has had over the past 26 years. And even though last season featured a 31-win team that stopped short of an Elite Eight, the lessons and experience gained in 2023 seem to be paying off now.

What the loss means for Clemson: Just over two months ago, the Tigers had lost three games in a row in conference play, finishing a stretch where they lost seven of 12. Any thoughts of making a deep tournament run seemed far from realistic. And yet Brad Brownell’s team was able to do just that, beating both No. 3 seed Baylor and No. 2 seed Arizona in the process. The season stopped short of program history, but it was still the first time Clemson made the Elite Eight since 1980. That’s no small feat. — Paolo Uggetti