Will this national championship rematch be different?
No. 1 UConn takes on No. 5 San Diego State in the East Region semifinal on Thursday in Boston. Tip off is scheduled for 7:39 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised on TBS.
It's a rematch of last year's national championship game. The Huskies beat the Aztecs 76-59 in that game for the program's fifth championship.
This marks the fourth rematch of the previous year's national championship game in the NCAA tournament.
What's different this time around in UConn-San Diego State? How did teams fare in those rematches?
SN's MARCH MADNESS HQ
Live NCAA bracket news | TV schedule | Printable PDF
Revisiting UConn-San Diego 2023 championship game
UConn and San Diego State made the national championship in the 2023 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, which was loaded with upsets in the early rounds.
UConn was a No. 4 seed and beat No. 5 Miami 72-59 in the national semifinals. Lamont Butler's buzzer-beater gave No. 5 San Diego State a 72-71 victory against No. 9 FAU in the other Final Four matchup.
A FINAL FOUR WALK-OFF BUZZER BEATER!!!!
— 🏀🚢🎶TITANIC HOOPS🏀🚢🎶 (@TitanicHoops) April 2, 2023
Lamont Butler’s game winning jumper is even better with Titanic music!!! San Diego State will play for a National Championship Monday night!
What a moment for @GoAztecs @Aztec_MBB!!!
🏀🚢🎶
pic.twitter.com/wCRbEi1iJ1
The Huskies beat the Aztecs 76-59 in last year's national championship game. San Diego State had a 10-6 lead in the first half before missing 14 consecutive shots from the field. San Diego State went 11 minutes and four seconds without a field goal.
UConn led 36-24 at halftime and was never threatened in the second half. Guard Tristen Newton had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and center Adama Sanogo scored 17 points with 10 rebounds. The victory gave Danny Hurley his first national championship as head coach.
MORE: Coach K, Billy Donovan discuss UConn's challenge to repeat
How is San Diego State different in 2023-24?
The Aztecs lost three starters from last year's team under coach Brian Dutcher. Nathan Mensah played 25 games for the Charlotte Hornets this season, and Matt Bradley is playing overseas. Keshad Johnson transferred to Arizona.
Forward Jaedon Ledee – who had seven points in 18 minutes off the bench in last season's championship game – is the Aztecs' star player. Darrion Trammel and Butler are the returning starters from last year's team. Micah Parrish also played 16 minutes in last year's game and was 0 of 5 from the floor.
Transfers Jay Pal (Campbell) and Reese Dixon-Waters (USC) have been role players for San Diego State – which at 26-10 isn't quite as consistent as last year's team – which finished 32-7.
The Aztecs have seen a slight increase in scoring (74.7 ppg.) and a slight increase in points allowed (66.2 ppg.). San Diego State beat No. 12 UAB 69-65 and No. 13 Yale 85-57 to reach the Sweet 16. Ledee averaged 29 points per game in those victories.
MORE: Betting trends to know for UConn-SDSU | Sweet 16 picks
How is UConn different in 2023-24?
The Huskies are better with a 33-3 record and the top overall seed in the 2024 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. UConn finished 31-8 last season.
Guard Jordan Hawkins – who had 16 points in last year's championship game – was the No. 14 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He averages 8.5 ppg for the New Orleans Pelicans. Sanogo went undrafted but has played four games with the Chicago Bulls this season. Andre Jackson plays for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Newton (15.3 ppg.) and Alex Karaban (13.7 ppg.) are the returning starters, and center Donovan Klingan (12.8 ppg.) has been a force all season. Rutgers transfer Cam Spencer averages 14.4 ppg., and freshman Stephen Castle adds 10.8 ppg. The Huskies have one of the most-balanced starting lineups in the country. Hassan Diarra, Samson Johnson and Jaylin Stewart are part of an eight-man rotation. UConn had a little more depth last season, but they are averaging 81.8 ppg. and allowing 63.9 ppg. Those numbers are better than 2023.
UConn beat No. 16 Stetson 91-52 and No. 9 Northwestern 75-58 to get to the Sweet 16.
National championship rematches
There have been three instances where there was a rematch of the previous national championship game in the NCAA tournament.
UConn vs San Diego State will mark the 4th Tournament rematch of the previous year's title game — and the first prior to the Final Four.
— Jared Berson (@JaredBerson) March 25, 2024
2024 UConn vs San Diego St in S16
2007 Florida vs UCLA in Final Four
1991 UNLV vs Duke in Final Four
1962 Ohio St vs Cincy in National Final
A look at those rematches
Ohio State vs. Cincinnati (1961-62)
Cincinnati prevented Ohio State from winning back-to-back national championships. Cincinnati also was a Final Four team in 1960 with a team led by Oscar Robertson. The next two years were even better. The Bearcats beat the Buckeyes 70-65 in the 1961 national championship game despite 27 points from Jerry Lucas. The teams met in the national championship game again in 1962. Cincinnati won again, 71-59. Paul Hoge and Tom Thacker scored 22 and 21 points, respectively, to knock off an Ohio State team that featured Lucas and John Havlicek. Neither team has won a national championship since that legendary three-year stretch.
Duke vs. UNLV (1990-91)
This is the most-notable of the three rematches. UNLV hammered Duke 101-71 in the 1990 NCAA national championship game, and the Runnin’ Rebels had a 34-0 record in the rematch at the 1991 Final Four. Forward Larry Johnson was a consensus All-American, and UNLV was heavily favored under Jerry Tarkanian. The Blue Devils, however, were ready the second time around and pulled off a 797-77 upset. Christian Laettner had 28 points and 11 rebounds, including the free throws that provided the final margin. Anderson Hunt’s 3-pointer at the buzzer missed, and Duke went on to win the first of back-to-back national championships.
DECOURCY: How Bobby Hurley's three vs. UNLV turned the tide
Florida vs. UCLA (2006-07)
The Gators are the last team to win back-to-back national championships, and they went through the Bruins twice to do it. Florida beat UCLA 73-57 in the 2006 NCAA championship game. Joakim Noah scored 16 points with nine rebounds, and Al Horford added 14 points with seven rebounds. The teams met in the Final Four rematch the following season, and Florida won 76-66 with a similar formula. Corey Brewer scored 19 points in the rematch, and the Gators beat Ohio State 84-75 in the national championship game.
