Since the midway point in the regular season, UConn and Purdue have both been ranked within the top three in college basketball. They dominated their opponents and earned one seeds in March Madness, and now the two will battle for college basketball supremacy. Both teams have run through anyone in their way during the NCAA Basketball Tournament, but the National Championship Game is sure to be a war. In this article, we will explain how you can watch UConn take on Purdue in the championship game.
When and where is the National Championship Game?
UConn will take in Purdue at 9:20 p.m. ET on Monday, April 8. The Final Four is at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
How to watch UConn vs. Purdue
The National Championship Game will be broadcast by TBS. You can also stream the game with Paramount+. Ian Eagle will be on play-by-play duty with Grant Hill and Bill Raftery providing color commentary. Tracy Wolfson will be reporting from the sideline.
Date: Monday, April 8 | Time: 9:20 p.m. ET
Location: State Farm Stadium — Glendale, Arizona
TV channel: TBS | Live stream: Paramount+
Odds: UConn -6.5
UConn vs. Purdue storylines
No team has won back-to-back championships since March Madness extended to a 68-team format. In fact, no program has repeated as champions since the Florida Gators did in 2006-07. Becoming a repeat champion puts a team in rare territory, as only seven different programs have ever accomplished that feat.
UConn, last year's NCAA Basketball Tournament winners, have a great chance to be the first back-to-back winners under the 68-team format this year. The Huskies are favored to beat Purdue in the National Championship Game, and they have looked unstoppable so far during March Madness.
So far, UConn has won their tournament games by 39, 17, 30, 25, and 14 points, respectively. Even against an Alabama team that has the top offense in the nation, the Huskies won with ease. Donovan Clingan is locking down the paint and has played at the level of a tournament Most Outstanding Player Award winner.
Clingan will have his hands full against Purdue, though, as the Boilermakers have the best center in the nation. Zach Edey was just announced as the Player of the Year for the second straight season. Edey became the first player to be the AP Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons since Ralph Sampson won it three years in a row in the early '80s.
Edey has somehow managed to take his game to new heights during March Madness, too. He is the first scoring leader since Oscar Robertson to lead his team to the Final Four, and he just became the first Big Ten player ever with five double-doubles during a March Madness run. The big man has put up monster numbers in March. He is averaging 28 points and 15.4 rebounds per game during the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
Of course, he hasn't faced a defender like Clingan, but Edey has proven that he can win a battle of the bigs. Last round, Edey scored 20 points despite being matched up against the 275-pound D.J. Burns. Additionally, he limited Burns to only eight points. While the championship game will showcase two of the greatest big men in the sport, both centers do have plenty of talent around them.
Stephon Castle is a likely lottery pick, and Tristen Newton is UConn's scoring leader. Cam Spencer and Alex Karaban both average scoring figures in the double digits as well for the Huskies. For Purdue, Edey is surrounded by a bunch of great shooters. Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Mason Gillis all shoot at least 43% from deep, which is a lethal combination with Edey's interior presence.
Purdue has never won the National Championship Game. In fact, the last time they made it to the title game was in 1969. UConn, on the other hand, has five championships to their name, all of which have come since 1999. The Huskies have been the best program this century, and they will want to continue building their legacy. No one has been able to stop Zach Edey, though, and Purdue will be hungry for their first national title. Regardless of the outcome, the National Championship Game is sure to be a thriller.
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