Tonight's national championship between No. 1 UConn and No. 1 Purdue has an old-school feel to it. In an era where guard play and the three-point shots have dominated college basketball, the headliners of tonight's game are neither ball handlers nor long-distance shooters but are big men who live in the lane and protect the rim. Centers Zach Edey of Purdue and Donovan Clingan of UConn are leading the pre-game chatter.
top of page
bottom of page
🔴 GO LIVE==►► CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE
🔴 STREAMING==►► CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE
UConn vs. Purdue in the national championship game On 8 April 2024UConn vs. Purdue national championship game gives us incredibly rare finale guaranteed to be legendaryThe 2024 NCAA tournament comes to an end Monday night, as UConn and Purdue face off for the title. The Huskies are going for their sixth title and second in a row, while the Boilermakers are looking to win their first.
Time: 9:20 p.m. ET on Monday, April 8Location: State Farm Stadium - Glendale, AZStream: March Madness LiveTV channel: TBS/TNT/truTVLocation: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
How they got hereThe Boilermakers and Huskies have won five games in the NCAA tournament to get to Monday's championship game. Here's how they've advanced through each round:
UConn vs. Purdue predictions and March Madness live updates: National Championship start time, channel and bracket
Connecticut is one win away from back-to-back national championships, while Purdue hopes to win its first NCAA Tournament.
What to know as UConn, Purdue play for national championshipConnecticut and Purdue face off for the national championship Monday in a fitting end to a season where they were among the most dominant teams all season long.
UConn (36-3) is one win from becoming the first school to repeat as national champion since Florida in 2006-07. The Huskies have won their five NCAA Tournament games by an average of 25 points, including an 86-72 win over Alabama in the national semifinals.
Purdue (34-4) is at the cusp of one of college basketball's all-time redemption stories, one season after falling to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round. The Boilermakers beat NC State 63-50 on Saturday.
Follow along for live coverage from The Athletic's staff inside the stadium.
Dana O'Neil's prediction: PurdueWhy? For starters, I’ve picked the Boilermakers at the beginning of the season and in the middle of the season, and I don’t plan to change now. This isn’t merely a push for a title; this is an all-out quest, and has been since that loss to Fairleigh Dickinson. Things have to happen to make this right; namely, the Boilermakers can’t play as sloppily as they did against NC State, and they have to hit their 3s. But presuming that happens — and the law of averages says Purdue can’t cough it up like that again (right?) — the Zach Edey experience is the differentiator. I get Donovan Clingan. He’s an incredibly talented big man. He’s not Edey.
Purdue 76, UConn 72
Doug Haller's prediction: UConnLove the matchup. Love the battle of big men. Love the Purdue redemption tour. But UConn is too strong. Tristen Newton controls the game. Donovan Clingan matches Zach Edey. And the Huskies pull away in the second half, winning every game by double digits for the second year in a row.
UConn 75, Purdue 64