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A national champion will be crowned in Houston on Monday when the Connecticut Huskies and San Diego State Aztecs take center stage at NRG Stadium.
San Diego State Aztecs vs. Connecticut Huskies (-7.5, 132.5)
Both teams are stout on defense with Connecticut ranking 12th in the country in points allowed per possession and San Diego State ranking 16th in this category with both teams having different defensive strengths.
The Huskies lead the country in rebound rate in games away from home while San Diego State is third in the country in opponent 3-point shooting percentage.
Connecticut relies heavily on 3-point shooting for their offense, getting 36.8% of their points in games played away from home on 3-point shots, the 37th-highest rate among the 363 Division I teams.
There aren’t a lot of weaknesses with the Huskies as they are also eighth in the country in points scored per possession on offense, but can often times their biggest enemy is themselves.
On offense, Connecticut ranks 262nd in the country in turnovers per possession away from home while committing a foul on 23.9% of possessions away from home, which ranks 277th.
The Aztecs are 64th in the country in total free throws made per possession in games played away from home and all five of their top scorers shoot at least 72.3% at the free throw line.
San Diego State enters Monday having surrendered 64 points or fewer in nine of their last 10 games and with nine different players averaging at least 16 minutes per game, the Aztecs will use their depth to keep Monday’s title game tight and give themselves a chance to pull off the upset.
The Play: San Diego State +7.5
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