BetOnline customers haven’t seen anything like the UConn Huskies in a while.
Last season they stormed to the NCAA title, outscoring their opponents by an average of 20 points per game. No one got to within 13 of them.
This time around it’s a bit of the same, except to a greater degree. They have outscored the opposition by 27.8 points per contest, and that is dominant by any measure.
But upon examination, it looks better and better.
Let’s put it this way – Illinois has a damn good basketball team. They won 29 games. They captured the championship of the Big Ten, which is one of the top conferences. They beat ten teams that made it to the Big Dance. They have one of the best players in the country in Terrence Shannon.
And they were able to keep up with Connecticut.
For one half of the play.
The went into the locker room at halftime down just 28-23.
But after that, UConn became UConn, as it turns out.
They went on a 30-0 run shortly after the start of the second half. That’s THIRTY TO NOTHING against one of the nation’s best teams.
That’s about all you need to say.
But we’ll say more.
Here are the odds to win it all by: BetOnline
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | -190 |
| Purdue | +200 |
| NC State | +1600 |
| Alabama | +1600 |
You can bet these and other March Madness props at BetOnline, and don’t forget that before every game you can use Prop Builder to explore all the angles, as well as Odds Boosters to receive greatly enhanced payouts on pre-selected parlays!
Let’s lay out some reasons that UConn is the force that isn’t likely to be stopped.
Just look at the figures
UConn ranks #1 in offensive efficiency and #4 in defensive efficiency, They’ve got a machine at their controls.
And just check out the difference between what they shoot inside the arc (59%) and what they allow (43%). That represents a big opportunity to put distance between yourself and an opponent.
And if a team can shoot above 31% from three-point territory, they’re doing better than normal against the Huskies.
They don’t commit a lot of turnovers. They are 13th best in offensive rebounding percentage. They’ve done all this while controlling pace (315th in Adjusted Tempo). They are a complete package.
Tristen Newton could be the best player on the floor
Most serious college basketball followers are also followers of KenPom. That’s perhaps the most comprehensive site when it comes to college hoops analytics.
KenPom carries a “Player of the Year” ranking, which is constantly updating throughout the season. And in that ranking, Tristen Newton is #2, right behind Purdue’s Zach Edey.
Newton is a fifth-year senior who transferred from East Carolina. And although he is not really known for his three-point marksmanship, he can do a little of everything else.
For example, in the win over San Diego State, he had six offensive rebounds. He has reached double digits in free throws several times, so he puts pressure on the defense. In his last seven games, he’s had 51 assists and only 13 turnovers.
We should mention that he was uncharacteristically cold against Illinois, missing all six of his shots from the field. But he’s certainly due for a bounceback performance.
Clingan owns the middle
Donovan Clingan hails from Bristol, CT, and grew up in the shadow of ESPN headquarters. He was the outstanding high school player in the state of Connecticut. And averages of 30.3 points, 18.4 rebounds, and 6.2 blocks as a senior got him some big-time offers. He chose UConn to stay close to home.
The 7-2 human eraser played behind inside monster Adama Sanogo as a frosh on last year’s championship team. He is not the type who can go out there and give you 35 minutes a game. And that would probably impact the way the NBA looks at him. But we will say that he doubled his minutes per game as a sophomore.
Earlier in the tournament he blocked eight shots against Northwestern. Against Illinois, he was utterly dominant when he was on the floor. In 22 minutes, he scored 22 points, with ten rebounds and five blocks. Clingan shoots 65% from two-point range (which is where he usually stays). And he is the principal reason why the Huskies are second in the nation in two-point percentage defense.
Cam Spencer is the X-Factor
Cam Spencer, who has played at two other schools (Loyola-MD, Rutgers) before this, is a pure shooter. He is 44% accurate from beyond the arc, giving the Huskies some long-range capabilities. And he is a dead-eye shooter from the line, hitting 92%.
At KenPom, he is ranked #1 for individual Offensive Rating. That is quite a feat for a guy who isn’t the first or maybe even second option on a team.
But like we said, this team isn’t like any others we’ve seen for a while.
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