UConn Huskies Win Fifth National Championship

Written by B. Keith Crear III | Photo credit, Associated Press-AP

Houston, TX- The University of Connecticut Huskies held off a crazy but entertaining second-half surge from San Diego State to clench the 2023 National Championship, 76-59 Monday night at NRG Stadium. UConn now has five national titles in its history, all of them since 1999.

With 45 seconds remaining, Huskies coach Dan Hurley couldn't contain himself. He let it all out and went nuts. The bottle anxiety, the years of beating himself through an unforgiving profession. He'd made it to the peak of his profession.

The best among those players is the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player: Adama Sanogo. He grabbed the loose ball as time expired and clutched it in his grasp. To be honest he might not let go of it until after the team parade. The way he grabbed that ball, there is no takin it from him.

The UConn's win crowned the team's status in college hoops as a powerhouse in college basketball. Now, the Huskies have as many national championships as Duke and Indiana. They also have more than Kansas, Villanova, Louisville and on and on.

This program clenched a fifth title and a 5-0 record in national championship games to bring a big win back to Connecticut . No program has a better record than UConn on the ultimate stage. For this team, it's journey here will be how it all played out in NRG.

This Huskies team was not favored to make an appearance in the tourny. They were picked to finish seventh in the Big East, and they lost four of their first six games. But they kept winning to earn a spot. They won 13 of their last 14 games, and they won the Big East tournament. Then they won six games in the NCAA tournament, including wins over top-seeded Baylor and top-seeded Gonzaga.

This is a team that never gave up. They never backed down. They never stopped believing in themselves. Importantly, in the end, they were rewarded for their hard work and their determination by bringing home the trophy and winning the 'Ship.