The mid-majors of March Madness continue to produce all kinds of high drama.
San Diego State’s Lamont Butler hit a mid-range jumper at the buzzer to beat Florida Atlantic 72-71 on Saturday night, sending the Aztecs to their first national championship game. San Diego State clawed back from a 14-point deficit to top the Owls, who had their stunning run to the Final Four as a No. 9 seed end in agonizing fashion.
The No. 5 seed Aztecs will play for the title on Monday night against UConn, which cruised past Miami in Saturday’s nightcap.
UConn - a No. 4 seed - has bulldozed through the tournament bracket with relative ease, winning all five games by at least 10 points. The Huskies won 72-59 on Saturday after Miami fell behind early and couldn’t catch up.
UConn was led by Adama Sanogo’s 21 points and 10 rebounds and has huge momentum heading into Monday’s title game.
Game to watch
PHOTOS: March Madness: Mid-majors bring high drama to Final Four
No. 5 San Diego State (32-6) vs. No. 4 UConn (29-8), Monday, 9:20 p.m. EDT (CBS)
There’s only one game left now. San Diego State brings its hard-nosed defensive approach to the title game, where it meets UConn. The Aztecs have a balanced roster with only one player - guard Matt Bradley - averaging more than 10 points per game. Bradley scored a team-high 21 points in the win over FAU. UConn is peaking at the perfect time and the Huskies are led by the duo of Sanogo and guard Jordan Hawkins.
Top seeds
The top four seeds were Alabama, Houston, Kansas and Purdue. Expectations for a chaotic tournament were met quickly: The Boilermakers were ousted by Fairleigh Dickinson in a first-round stunner and the defending champion Jayhawks lost to Arkansas the next day. Alabama and Houston didn’t survive the second weekend.
Award season
Purdue’s Zach Edey was a near-unanimous choice as The Associated Press men’s college basketball player of the year. The 7-foot-4 Canadian was sixth nationally in scoring at 22.3 points per game and second in rebounding at 12.8.
Shaka Smart is the men’s coach of the year after leading Marquette to regular-season and Big East Tournament titles. The Golden Eagles were a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and lost in the second round to Michigan State.
You want to know how AP selects the award winners? We got you covered.
Shining moments
Princeton used a late run to earn its first NCAA Tournament win in 25 years by ousting No. 2 seed Arizona and then beat Missouri to lock in its first Sweet 16 spot in 56 years. For Princeton and other teams, getting this far after pandemic-disrupted seasons was a milestone.
Furman celebrated its first tourney appearance since 1980 with a win over No. 4 seed Virginia on a deep 3-pointer by JP Pegues with 2.4 seconds left. Then came 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson’s win over Purdue as the 22 1/2-point underdog. The Knights joined UMBC in the record books as the only 16 seeds to knock out a No. 1.
Bragging rights
The SEC and Big Ten led the way by placing eight teams each in the 68-team field. The records for major and mid-major conferences through four rounds:
Atlantic Coast Conference (5 teams made tourney): 7-5. 0 remaining.
American Athletic (2): 2-2. 0 remaining.
Big 12 (7): 9-7. 0 remaining.
Big East (5): 11-4. 1 remaining (UConn).
Big Ten (8): 6-8. O remaining.
Mountain West (4): 5-3. 1 remaining (San Diego State).
Pac-12 (4): 3-3. 0 remaining.
Southeastern Conference (8): 9-8. 0 remaining.
West Coast (2): 4-2. 0 remaining.
Go deeper
Gun violence has cost lives and disrupted college sports all season, touching some of the top programs in college basketball, including Alabama. Coaches have been thrust into uncertain and unwelcome roles in trying to navigate the topic - as well as the fallout from the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
On a lighter note, if you feel you know March Madness pretty well, try this 25-question trivia quiz.
Players to watch
The NCAA Tournament is filled with great players and the AP All-America team is a good place to get familiar with the names. It’s also an event where guys you’ve never heard of can take a star turn. There are some NBA prospects in the mix.
Bet on this, too: Some player - maybe more than one - will have a chance to join the mustachioed Doug Edert (remember Saint Peter’s inspiring run last year?) and find a way to cash in on their celebrity.
How to watch
CBS will handle the national title game.
The NCAA has streamed games via its March Madness Live option and CBS games are being streamed on Paramount+. Fans of longtime play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz should soak up every moment: It’s his final NCAA Tournament.
Betting guide
UConn has opened as a hefty 7 1/2 point favorite over San Diego State, according to FanDuel Sports.
March Madness calendar
Where is the Final Four? In Houston, with the championship game on Monday. Basketball aficionados, take note: The women’s NCAA championship game is a four-hour drive away in Dallas on Sunday, featuring Iowa’s star guard Caitlin Clark against LSU.
Can’t get enough March Madness? Well, there is talk about expanding the tournament despite a host of challenges.
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