March Madness National Championship Game preview: UConn, Purdue set for classic matchup

The field of 68 teams that began March Madness is now down to just two as UConn and Purdue are set to face off for the national championship on Monday night. It became clear throughout the regular season that the Huskies and Boilermakers were the two best teams in the country and their presence in Phoenix for the last game of the year shouldn't come as a shock despite a topsy-turvy regular season.

There is a lot of history on the line as UConn attempts to become the first repeat national champions since the 2007 Florida Gators and Purdue looks to win their first title, replicating Virginia's accomplishment of following up a loss to a 16-seed in one NCAA Tournament by winning the next. Each team has a compelling argument to win it all, so let's examine how each side can win the title.

Why UConn will win the National Championship

The fact that the Huskies are in position to repeat is remarkable after returning just three players (Alex Karaban, Tristen Newton and Donovan Clingan) who played at least 10 minutes in the national championship win over San Diego State. The 2007 Gators famously saw their entire starting five stay in school for a chance to make history, so seeing Dan Hurley assemble a squad capable of winning it all with so many new pieces is highly impressive.

The most impactful player for the Huskies in this game will be Clingan, the 7-foot-2 big man who significantly alters the game on both ends of the floor. Opponents are afraid to attack the lane when Clingan, who has blocked 3.6 shots per game in the NCAA Tournament, and his ability to impact the offense as a rim-runner frees up UConn's perimeter players to get more open looks.

The Huskies have been battle-tested all year, playing a strong non-conference schedule that saw them play games against Texas, North Carolina, Gonzaga and Kansas and navigated a rugged Big East that was disrespected by the NCAA Tournament's Selection Committee to win both the regular season and tournament crowns. All of that experience has made March Madness a cakewalk for UConn, which has been so dominant that they haven't been forced to sweat out a game for more than 32 minutes yet.

Why Purdue will win the National Championship

Ever since they lost to 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson last March, people have wondered whether the Boilermakers could follow Virginia's path from embarassing March Madness defeat to national champions one year later. Thanks to the dominance of Zach Edey, the two-time National Player of the Year, Purdue is now 40 minutes away from matching that feat and becoming the first Big Ten team to win the national championship since Michigan State in 2000.

There hasn't been a more dominant player in March Madness than Edey, who has averaged 28 points and 15.6 rebounds per game in the NCAA Tournament while playing an average of 35 minutes a night, which is incredibly impressive for a player of his height. Edey's ability to command double teams on the interior and draw fouls has led to extra free throw opportunities for him while also creating open looks on the perimeter for the Boilermakers' strong group of guards and wings, which features six rotation players who are shooting over 42 percent from three-point range.

Purdue is also a sound defensive team, ranking 12th nationally in terms of defensive efficiency on KenPom and has yet to surrender more than 68 points in an NCAA Tournament game. Those results have featured some elite defensive performances against high-powered offenses like Gonzaga and Tennessee, which should give the Boilermakers confidence they can contain UCONN's high-powered attack.

UConn vs. Purdue National Championship prediction

This game is the first matchup of No. 1 seeds in the national title game since Baylor and Gonzaga squared off three years ago. That contest saw the Bears stunningly blow out the Bulldogs, who were bidding for the first perfect season since 1976, but this game figures to be far closer.

The spread favors UConn by 6.5 points but Purdue will be able to keep it close by taking advantage of the minutes Clingan doesn't play, which should lead to plenty of layups and Edey drives against backup Samson Johnson. The game will come down to the final minutes but UConn's championship mettle proves to be the difference in a hard-fought classic.

Prediction: UConn 69, Purdue 67