2023 NCAA Men's Final Four

Florida Atlantic 71-72 San Diego St

While watching the tourney it struck me that FAU was not a fluke--indeed, I expect teams like this to dominate the next few tourneys. What are they? A mid-level powerhouse filled with juniors and seniors that know their game and know who they are, as opposed to Freshman-phenom-led bluebloods that have to reinvent themselves every few weeks. FAU was a good team but here in this game, they just lost track of how much time was left, I'd say, because that's what happened to me while watching the game. Spoiler alert: San Diego State stole the game on a buzzer beater and that was their only lead in the 2nd half of the game. But, like FAU, I was already moving on to the next game, when on the final possession, it dawned on me, ''oh shit, San Diego can win this!" And, well, they did. We love buzzer beaters, love the drama, and that's all great, but...man, San Diego State was not as good as FAU and were not a better opponent to UConn in the final. Fun game, fun conclusion, one that will be in the reel with all the classic tourney moments for a while, but not the right conclusion because FAU was the better team and the more worthy finalist. 

Miami 59-72 Connecticut

Yeah, we love the upsets and tumult of the tourney but then when you end up four so-so teams at the end, it doesn't seem worth it. Miami was not particularly good, they could not hang with UConn at all and this game was rather boring. Yeah, I'm making it sound like UConn was a powerhouse--no! Oh, no, not at all. They have a big guy down low (Adama Sanogo) that was unstoppable (at the NCAA level) and a nice wing shooter (Jordan Hawkins) and, uh, that was it. UConn kinda fell asleep in the 2nd half and got away from the obvious game plan of feeding Sanogo, which allowed Miami to get back into it, but Miami was never going to win this game, they just didn't have enough, but UConn did have a stretch of trying to give it away. 

San Diego St 59-76 Connecticut

Okay, I'll say it: this UConn team is the least impressive champion of my lifetime. Indeed, that is such an easy call, I haven't bothered to come up with another candidate. Again, Adama Sanogo is a nice college player (I don't see him at the next level at all) and Hawkins is a nice wing shooter (probably his ceiling would be the next Kyle Kuzma) and that's it; don't be fooled that their long-armed defense kept San Diego State at bay--San Diego State had no offense at all and had no business being anywhere near the final game. UConn won the tourney--I don't begrudge them their championship, I'm just saying, this is the least impressive champion I've ever seen. And now they've got 5, good for them (but FAU has a better shot of being back next year than UConn--and would've given UConn a better match than San Deigo State ever could have!).