The top-seeded UConn Huskies (33-3) face off against the five-seed San Diego State Aztecs (26-10) in the 2024 NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. A rematch of last season’s NCAA Championship Game, this is one of the most anticipated showdowns of March Madness so far.
Will San Diego State exact its revenge on the Huskies, or will UConn win and get one step closer to becoming the first back-to-back National Champion since 2007?
UConn’s Elite Backcourt
The tournament’s No. 1 overall seed is led by a pair of All-Big East guards Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer. The two seniors have been on a tear all year and were the top two scorers on the team in the regular season. Newton makes an impact all over the court. He leads the team in assists with 6.2 per game and also logs the second most rebounds per game with 6.8. Spencer is a gunner with an elite range. He hit 44% of his threes on the year, ranking third overall in the nation. The tandem has combined to average 29.5 points in the first two games of the tournament and is crucial to the UConn Huskies’ deep run.
Can Anyone Stop San Diego State’s Jaedon LeDee?
Jaedon LeDee is having a moment. The senior forward led the team in both scoring and rebounding in the regular season, logging 21.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, but he’s taken his game to a new level in the tourney. In the Aztecs’ wins over UAB and Yale, LeDee is averaging 29 points and 8.5 rebounds on an insane 68% field goal percentage. He is San Diego State’s superstar, and if UConn can slow him down in this matchup, it will be tough for the Aztecs to find enough scoring.
A Look Back at Last Year’s National Championship Game
The 2023 title game ended with the UConn Huskies winning 76-59. The aforementioned Newton paced all scorers with 19 points and also added 10 rebounds. The story of the game, however, was UConn’s defense. They held San Diego State to just 32.2% from the field, including a dismal 6-23 on three-point attempts. The Aztecs offense struggled to score from the jump and LeDee was held to just seven points in the loss. UConn built their lead up to 16 points in the first half, and while San Diego State did get the game within five points with just over five minutes remaining, UConn pulled away late and ended up clinching their fifth national championship.
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Daniel Willon is a sportswriter based in Southern California. A lifelong Chargers, Lakers, and UCLA fan, he’s covered everything from football to surfing. Follow him on X @dwillsports.
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