UConn basketball entered Monday's National Championship showdown against Purdue basketball as heavy favorites, and sure enough, many expect them to dominate. Former NFL star Dez Bryant is one of those people.
In fact Bryant is so confident about the Huskies' abilities that he even put his money where his mouth is. Apparently, the ex-Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowler bet $50,000 on UConn to win and cover the -6.5 spread that bookies gave them ahead of the showdown.
We dropping 50 bands on the natty 💰 and if it hits Dez Picks is sending someone in the community anywhere they want to go ✈️
Best Sports community on the planet ‼️ pic.twitter.com/2iAeoaApCy
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) April 9, 2024
UConn basketball has been the most dominant team in the NCAA Tournament all month long, so Dez Bryant's bet has merits. The Huskies have won all their past five games in the 2024 tournament by double digits, averaging a winning margin of 25 points. Their lowest winning margin was against Alabama in the Final Four where they edged the Crimson Tide by 14 points. Their biggest win, meanwhile, came in the first round when they destroyed Stetson by 39.
With that said, UConn has certainly proven they are more than capable of covering the spread on them.
Sure enough, however, UConn cannot afford to underestimate Purdue. Not with Zach Edey leading them and their defense improving throughout the tournament. Twice the Boilermakers held opponents to just 50 points–against Grambling State in the First Round and NC State in the Final Four–and no one has scored more than 70 points on them. The Huskies have scored at least 75 points in all of their March Madness outings this year, but they will surely be tested against the Boilermakers.
Zach Edey vs. Donovan Clingan could dictate UConn vs. Purdue
The biggest matchup in the contest is definitely the battle of the centers in Zach Edey and Donovan Clingan. Edey has undoubtedly been the single most dominant force throughout the competition, with teams trying and consistently failing to find a solution to stop him.
Edey is a double-double monster, so for UConn to beat Purdue, they will have to find a way to slow down the big man. Clingan will be tasked to do that, as the 7-foot-2 behemoth definitely posses the physique to match up against the 7-foot-4 Edey.
For what it's worth, Edey did open up about looking forward to the match-up, especially since it has been the talk of the town heading to their battle.
“He's a unique player in the way he can protect rim, block shots and move around,” Edey said of Clingan. “We've played big 7-footers my whole career…that's kind of like the Big Ten's thing. I'll be ready for him.”
While he's excited about his matchup with Clingan, Edey emphasized that he and the Boilermakers won't take a step back and just defend against UConn basketball. They will be the hunters and he promised they won't be hunted.
“We're the hunters all tournament. We haven't sat back and let teams attack us. We've been the aggressors most of the games,” Edey added.
It remains to be seen if Dez Bryant will be able to win his bet, but it will surely be difficult, especially against an equally tough Purdue squad brimming with talent.
At the time of writing, the UConn basketball vs. Purdue basketball game is at halftime. The Huskies lead 36-30, so Bryant's bet is still looking good. However, it's worth noting that Edey has been dominant for the Boilermakers with 16 points, five rebounds and two blocks at the half/
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