AGREED! For me this was the final. Edey v Klingan was great, but the Purdue guards were tired & FLOPping & FLAILing too much, bad taste. In spite of UConn's moving screens, 'Bama was solid bunch of competitors. Consolation final was Oakland vs NC State, IMO, also lots of fun.

Couldn’t agree more. Not saying Hurley was phased by Bama, but after the game it seemed like he knew this was the best team he’d face

Purdue would've been a 9 point favorite over a team they already beat if Bama won this game.

@@jw2589 they weren’t beating Bama given how good Bama was playing. Had UConn on the ropes until the last 2 minutes. Purdue UConn game was over all the 2nd half. If you ask Hurley who the better team was he’d say Bama. Watch his post game interview before and after playing both teams

Been calling that since the final four. Alabama would have beaten Purdue had they faced them again. They were a much improved team later in the season. Heck, Purdue had a difficult time betting them earlier in the season. Purdue would have been favored but Bama would win the game.

Wouldn't quite say on the ropes, Uconn lead the whole game. They made them sweat and earn it, didn't pull away until under 3 minutes..

@31:05 Illegal wide base, shuffling *moving screen*, *player goes down*, no call. Huh, how does Spencer the UConn shooter get open so often?

37:38 Shuffling the feet, *moving screen* by Klingan, once again, Spencer open (finally hits one).

1:10:48 THEY CALLED ONE!

Im too young for Chris Smith. I started with Donyell and Donny Marshall...

I was also late for Chris Smith, but once I saw a few Ollie-oops and Sheffer-oops to Allen for some *mean* baseline dunks on bigs from Big East teams, I was hooked...

UConn 1990 grad here. I have been a fan since before then. In my last year of living in the dorms on campus, I was watching the final of the NIT in 1988 (when they won it all - "We're #65! We're #65!") on TV in my friend's (my roommate's girlfriend) dorm room in Shippee. It was all female, all floors then. With ten seconds left on the clock, UConn was going to win the game, and I opened the window and stuck my head out to hear the reaction when the final buzzer sounded. It was one of the most incredible sounds I ever heard. A spontaneous dull roar came from EVERY direction. It seemed other-worldly. I will never forget that. BTW - I was on campus when Gampel Pavilion was built. I wanted to nickname it "The ConnDome," but it did not catch on. 😂 Ah, youth...