Whatever critics Dusty still had May have just been permanently silenced

INDIANAPOLIS — Dusty May quietly built up a record of 66-56 over four years at Florida Atlantic University from 2018 to 2022.

Taking the Owls to two secondary-level postseason tournaments, it was fair to question whether the former Bob Knight manager during his time as an undergrad at Indiana would be able to translate a then-largely unknown skill set to a higher level.

Then 2023 happened.

FAU, a No. 9 seed in the East regional, shocked the college basketball universe with a run out of nowhere to the Final Four. And had Lamont Butler not hit a jumper at the buzzer, May would have led the Owls to the national championship game against Dan Hurley and UConn. You’ll hear those names again later in this column. Still, while the eyes of the sport opened upon Boca Raton, some naysayers remained.

FAU got lucky, they said. FDU beating Purdue opened up the bracket. The Cinderella run wouldn’t have happened if the Boilermakers didn’t lose, they argued.

How did May follow up a generational 35-win campaign? With another 25 victories and second straight NCAA Tournament berth. The Owls lost in the first round to Northwestern, but the point was largely made. Dusty was largely accepted as a hell of a basketball coach, and parlayed his success into becoming Juwan Howard’s successor at the University of Michigan. While the general reaction to May’s hire in Ann Arbor was exceedingly positive, rightfully so, a small crowd of skeptics refused to vacate its premises.

Michigan’s a different animal, they said. What worked in Conference USA and the American would never work as well in the Big Ten.

“Michigan could have done so much better,” one particular media type posited. “Warde Manuel (Michigan’s athletic director) will realize this four years from now when he’s once again in the market for a new coach.”

If a Sweet 16 appearance and a 27-win season in year one amid the maize and blue didn’t coax whoever still doubted May out of the rocks they had crawled under, this season left no doubt. This season proved it impossible to question whether Dusty had the juice or the chops to succeed at a high-major level.

Thirty-seven wins. A national championship, Michigan’s first since 1989, going through the most consistent winner in the sport this decade to get it, putting down Dan Hurley and UConn to do so.

That guy who said May would get fired in year four? Yeah, he’s a freaking idiot. You know how I know?

Because that idiot is me.

Far too often for my own good, I get too stubborn in my twisted thoughts and defend my opinions passionately, no matter how off-base they can be. It makes me a target for the inevitable “told you” more often than it should, but if you can poke fun of yourself enough and own your mistakes, you’re better off for it in the long run. And right here, right now, in this moment, it shouldn’t have taken a national championship against the program I’ve covered more this season than anyone else for me to be truly sold on Dusty May as a talent evaluator and basketball coach. But perfect, I am not.

In fact, I had similar thoughts two decades ago about Brad Stevens at Butler, thoughts that needed my in-person meeting with Brad at Atlantic 10 media day back in 2012 for me to do the 180 and come all the way around. Coincidentally, spending the past weekend around Dusty and Michigan at the Final Four allowed me to see just how Brad Stevens-esque May is. And that is definitely not a bad thing.

“We just try to create an environment that will prepare our players to play well in games,” May said Sunday when asked about what his players glean from practices. “Our practices are designed to challenge them, to make them think, figure out solutions on their own, to lean on their teammates when things aren’t going well.”

“We feel like if we don’t play well in games, it’s because of our poor planning in the weight room, conditioning, individual workouts, team workouts, whatever the case. I think that’s one of the reasons we play with a level of looseness at the biggest moments, because we feel like we’ve either won or lost these games a long time ago.”

If that’s not a line out of the Gospel according to Brad, I don’t know what is.

But what I do know is Dusty May is writing his own book of how to succeed in college basketball and develop minds just as strong as the talent he coaches. It shouldn’t have taken this long to realize, but again, nobody is perfect.

So rather than question whether or not he can do it at a high level, the best advice in this moment is to heed the lyrics of Michigan’s classic fight song, “The Victors.” That’s a tune that gets played every Saturday in the fall over here since this writer is a Michigan football fan, so here goes, with a modified cadence:

Hail to the Victor valiant. Hail to the conquering hero.

Hail, hail, to Dusty May. A leader, and, for the next year with a national championship trophy in tow, the best.

Hurley at peace with how UConn went out in narrow title game loss

INDIANAPOLIS — Dan Hurley wears his heart, and by extension, his emotions, on his chest.

It is included in the total package that makes the UConn head coach equal parts charming and polarizing across the sports world. Those who accept him for who and what he is understand the galaxy from which he comes, and know there is a sense of love and passion attached to the demonstrative, life-and-death stakes at which he competes. Others who care not to learn about why he is the way he is view his atypical comportment as anti-establishment, and frequently gripe about it when given the opportunity.

Hurley was no different Monday night, after his UConn team was upended by Michigan in the national championship game, thwarting the Huskies’ attempt to win three titles in four seasons for the first time since UCLA turned the trick over a half-century ago. In a game where the physicality of the Wolverines caught UConn off guard defensively, leading to several fouls in the first half, one might expect Hurley to raise issue with the game’s officiating. Those concerns were eventually moot, as any perceived slight was replaced by a sense of pride and acceptance in getting a chance to be among the sport’s final two for one night.

“I’ll take how we went out,” he said, calmly embracing his group’s effort. “It was a soldier’s death and we all went out on our shield.”

“It’s a team I’ll never forget, and just grew to love. Your heart breaks for how far the group came. What they were able to deliver for our fans, for our staff, students, for the state, your heart breaks, but that’s the risk you’ve gotta be willing to take.”

Hurley expounded upon that mentality in the book he wrote last season, calling it a fight-or-flight decision in which he always chooses to fight. Together with three seniors playing their final games in Alex Karaban, Tarris Reed, Jr. and Malachi Smith, the Huskies fought. They fought for the final two months of the season, even after suffering their first conference loss after an 18-game win streak.

“This team’s been fighting since February,” Karaban recollected. “Losing to Marquette, losing to St. John’s, people doubted us. People didn’t think we were the same UConn Huskies, but we fought, we battled, and we really came together for this final stretch.”

By his own admission, Hurley can be a complicated individual to get to know. Circling back to his emotional tendencies, the coach admitted he cried on the way into Lucas Oil Stadium, merely being aware of what was at stake. His pride intact, unlike his suit jacket, Hurley smiled as he made his peace with how his players will be remembered in their final battle, staring straight into the eyes of a Michigan team that had left flaming wreckage of everyone in its path, daring it to wreak the same level of havoc.

“It’ll hit me later,” he cautioned. “Right now, it’s like, when you shot as bad as we shot versus that team of destruction, you’re probably supposed to get run off the court. But just how hard that team fought to give themselves a chance, to battle back and have a chance to cut it to four in transition, and put game pressure on them late, how can you be anything but proud? Crushing, but proud?”

Alexander the Great: UConn’s winningest gladiator leaves arena for last time dejected, but with no regrets

INDIANAPOLIS — It seemed only appropriate for Alex Karaban to fight his final battle in a championship arena.

After four years, two national championships, and more victories than any player to ever don the Connecticut jersey, anything less than the grandest stage would have felt like an injustice.

Monday night, Karaban took on all comers for the 151st and final time in the UConn coat of arms. His challengers, clad in maize and blue, set out for the unenviable task of denying college basketball’s most prolific winner this century. In a fluid landscape, Karaban stood alone as the last of a dying breed, the loyal soldier who eschewed financial windfalls and professional opportunities to finish what he started in the Nutmeg State.

His work concluded for the final time in a football stadium, vanquished by the University of Michigan, but no less impressive for what it has been and how it will ultimately be defined when time passes to allow a greater appreciation for his legacy.

“I care about winning,” he said after UConn fell to Michigan, 69-63, halting his quest to win a third championship and close his college career atop the sport. “I want to do everything — I have done everything — in my power to help this program win. That’s all I wanted, to give everything I’ve got, leave everything I’ve got out there, and try to do everything to help us win.”

Karaban did exactly that Monday, putting together a workmanlike 17 points and 11 rebounds. And just as he did in his Gampel Pavilion finale five weeks earlier, when he scored 23 points after joining the ranks of the Huskies of Honor, he played the entire 40 minutes, not once exiting the heat of battle until he had no other choice after the sound of the final buzzer.

“I figured, let me play him into the ground one more time,” Dan Hurley opined. “Let me just play that guy into the ground one more night, like I have throughout his career. He deserved to play 40 minutes. Everyone owes everything to that guy.”

Karaban’s teammates spoke glowingly of their senior comrade throughout the season and especially leading up to Monday’s swan song. The desire to win for him was tangible, a tacit agreement that transcended the lines of combat. When the fight was over, the tone of the song honoring UConn’s hero was a predictable dirge, but not one without pleasant melodies along the way.

“It’s tough,” Tarris Reed, Jr., a fellow senior looking to complete his career on top like Karaban, reflected. “He’s the most passionate, competitive, loyal person I’ve ever met. The love he has for the game, for us, I’ve never met a person like AK that shows up every day. Good game, bad game, bad day, good day, getting yelled at by (Hurley), getting yelled at by us. He’s an everyday guy, honest guy, who’s gonna show up whenever for his team. He gave it his all, just a true heart of a champion.”

“I might cry up here just talking about the impact he’s had,” Solo Ball added. “He’s just always there, and he’s the same person every single day. He doesn’t change.”

Karaban’s stoicism and professionalism are throwbacks to a bygone era in sports. A consummate teammate, consistently giving more of himself than taking from others, his demeanor is a stark contrast from most modern athletes today. It might not play as well on Madison Avenue, but the soft-spoken, lead-by-example mentality has improved the quality of Connecticut basketball.

“He’s the greatest winner in men’s basketball history at UConn, in a place where it’s hard to make history,” Hurley declared. “Heartbreak is good, though. Heartbreak means you’re in a fight.”

“At the end of the day, it sucks,” Karaban later assessed. “All I think about is UConn basketball, and I just want success for this program. I’m proud of everything I’ve done at UConn. I’m proud of who I’ve become as a person, and I’m ultimately leaving UConn in a better place now from where I started. I came back ultimately to win (and) fell short, so it hurts a lot right now.”

The finality of a valiant effort may be the loneliest feeling in life. One’s desired objective is crushed, and the appreciation for the struggle put forth gets lost in translation. Karaban admitted so much in the wake of his coda Monday, hinting that while he may make peace with how he lowered the curtain, the ulcer of a squandered opportunity still eats at him.

“I think in the future, I’ll be proud,” he suggested. “Right now, it stings. Right now, you lost out on the opportunity to win three national championships in four years. It sucks, but hopefully my legacy will be remembered at UConn, will be remembered in college basketball. And I hope everyone appreciates that.”

Heroes get remembered. Immortals never grow old. Alex Karaban’s legacy will safely fall into the latter category.

It seems only appropriate, after all.

UConn’s valiant fight comes up just short as Michigan takes national title

INDIANAPOLIS — In the aftermath of last year’s season-ending loss to eventual national champion Florida, Dan Hurley admitted there was honor in how his UConn team bowed out of the NCAA Tournament.

One year later, on the championship stage for a third time in four seasons, against arguably the best team in the country for a majority of the year, the Huskies departed in much the same fashion.

UConn battled to the death, not once letting a Michigan team that had bludgeoned its NCAA Tournament opposition with hammers prior to Monday night’s title tilt escape. The Wolverines led by as many as 11 points in the second half, but the Huskies made sure the outcome was not decided until the final seconds of what goes into the record books as a 69-63 loss at Lucas Oil Stadium.

“It’s hard to be upset with your team,” a humble yet emotional Hurley reflected. “We lost the game because we didn’t make enough shots, but it’s hard to be upset with your team when they get 22 offensive rebounds versus that team. It’s hard to be disappointed in your team when they fight so hard.”

UConn (34-6) kept the pressure on Michigan in the first half, leading on several occasions, but was handicapped by foul trouble in the opening stanza. Silas Demary, Jr., Tarris Reed, Jr. and Solo Ball all accumulated two fouls before halftime, forcing Hurley to steal minutes from his reserves against a stronger and more physical Wolverine front line. A flagrant-1 foul assessed to Alex Karaban for a hook and hold against Morez Johnson, Jr. shifted momentum toward the end of the frame, putting Michigan in front to stay, but the Huskies remained within four points at the intermission.

All told, UConn was on the short end of an 11-5 difference in fouls called through the first 20 minutes, but Hurley refused to blame the officiating on the final result.

“That’s an all-star group there,” he said of the officials. “It’s such a physical game, Michigan is so physical. It’s not the reason why we lost the game. A problem for our team has been undisciplined fouling at times, but it’s hard to ref that game. If I could have those three guys ref every game the rest of my career, I would sleep well at night.”

UConn was never able to get over the hump in the second half, but the Huskies did battle back when it appeared Michigan had finally broken free. The Wolverines opened an 11-point lead seven minutes into the second half after hitting their first 3-point shot of the night, but between Reed, Alex Karaban and Braylon Mullins, UConn refused to stay down until the final seconds, when a gritty last stand came up empty and delivered a championship to Ann Arbor for the first time since 1989.

“They’re legit,” Hurley conceded, praising Michigan. “They definitely deserved to win the national championship, they’re clearly the best team in the country this year. They’re just so hard to score against at the rim, they just made it so tough on us. That was probably what got us, more than the missed threes.”

While UConn’s bid to be the first school since UCLA to win three championships in a four-year span was denied, the realization of making it to the final night of the season was not lost on the man responsible for steering the Huskies there, despite the adversity he and his group endured over five months to get there.

“This is where you wanted to be,” Hurley emphasized. “It’s hard to have a level of disappointment where it literally just came down to we just didn’t make enough shots. Eventually, it’ll hit you that you were close to pulling off what would have been an historic third championship, but this team just gave us so much this year. We just didn’t make enough shots.”

UConn is anything but an underdog even if Michigan is championship favorite Monday

INDIANAPOLIS — Early prognostications, as well as the preliminary point spreads for those of you who engage in that activity, have labeled UConn as an underdog in Monday’s national championship game against Michigan.

But while the Wolverines are in the midst of what could ultimately be an historic run to a potential second title in program history, the Huskies should only be dismissed at one’s own risk. In fact, Dan Hurley has already rendered that a non-factor in terms of how he will fuel his team one last time this season.

“Not at all,” the UConn coach said when asked if he would use the public perception of how Monday’s game will play out as a motivator. “When you get down to winner-take-all at this point, it’s just something that doesn’t even probably register.”

“You don’t have to be the best team, you don’t have to have the best season to win this tournament. There’s been plenty of times in the history of this tournament where the best team hasn’t won it. You’ve just gotta be better for one night, and obviously for us, we need to play the game a certain type of way where we obviously can’t get into a certain type of game with Michigan. The good thing for us (is) it’s not a seven-game series.”

Michigan boasts a combination of length and athleticism few teams in the country can match, plus a three-headed frontcourt monster of Big Ten Conference Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson, Jr., and 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara. The Wolverines also possess a playmaking point guard who can stand up to Silas Demary, Jr. in North Carolina transfer Elliot Cadeau, something Hurley also warned of being a tall task for the Huskies.

“They’re an incredibly dominant team,” Hurley said. “Incredibly well-coached, talent up and down the roster, physically imposing, all those things. They’ve just been dominant, just scary with the size, scary with the rebounding. We’ve gotta make them work defensively.”

“It’s going to be a great challenge,” center Tarris Reed, Jr. said of facing his former team with a championship on the line. “They play with a lot of tremendous size, especially in the frontcourt. It’s gonna be a challenge for us guarding them, and (for) them guarding us. That’s the beauty of basketball.”

The games are not played on paper, which lends further credence to Hurley’s dismissal of the underdog label. Furthermore, UConn’s track record and brand creates an expectation base and a pressure unique to its program, something he says has shaped his team for how to handle situations such as the one it encounters Monday.

“We’re not the underdog,” he reiterated. “We’re not the underdog story (where) you get a Sweet 16 berth and everybody’s kissing your butt, telling you that you’ve had an amazing season. We don’t have the benefit of going in under the radar. I do think when you get to those pressure moments in the tournament or in big spots, that becomes beneficial because you’re playing under pressure the whole year.”

“When we lose a game, our fans are brutal on social and obviously I’m disliked by a number of different programs. When we lose, the celebration that goes on, and the mocking, that’s kind of like, loud external (noise), so I don’t know that we necessarily feel Ike a huge underdog. Obviously, we acknowledge Michigan’s greatness and the team that they are, but we’re a 34-win team coming into the game tomorrow night.”

Tarris Reed’s journey from Gateway City to national champion now 40 minutes from completion

INDIANAPOLIS — It began at Chaminade College Preparatory School, a program in the suburbs of St. Louis with an alumni base that reads like a Who’s Who of sports superstars the likes of Bradley Beal, Jayson Tatum, and Brady and Matthew Tkachuk.

It continued at Link Academy in Branson, a town more closely associated with country music than basketball. From there, it spent two years at the University of Michigan, coincidentally now his final opponent Monday night.

That, in a nutshell, is the journey of Tarris Reed, Jr., UConn’s senior center who stands 40 minutes from a national championship that seemed unattainable two years ago, but is now within reach as the Huskies face his former team in the final climb back to a summit they occupied for two years.

“That’s what I wanted coming out of the portal,” Reed said of what now lies before him, the main objective that lured him to Connecticut. “I wanted to go to a school where winning is a big part and everybody just cares about it more than money or your individual accolades, and that’s the main thing I got on my visit. Just being around them and talking to them, they were all about, ‘we want to make it to a Final Four, we want to make it to a national championship,’ rather than worrying about themselves. That’s all I was looking for when I entered the portal.”

Ironically, Reed was not looking to enter the portal when Dusty May took over for Juwan Howard at Michigan two years ago. Even though the Wolverines battled through an 8-24 season, Reed was still interested in staying in Ann Arbor despite May potentially bringing 7-foot center Vlad Goldin with him from Florida Atlantic.

“He basically said, ‘Coach, I know Vlad is coming with you,’ May recalled on Sunday. “‘Do you think you can make that work?’ I said, ‘Tarris, you both are really good. It won’t be easy, we haven’t played like that before, but I’m very confident that because of both of your skill sets and talents, we can figure it out.’”

The dual-center attack did end up coming to pass, just not with Reed involved, as Danny Wolf transferred to Michigan from Yale before becoming an NBA Draft pick. Still, the former Wolverine left enough of an impression during his time in maize and blue that two of his former teammates reminisced on the positive vibe he brought to the locker room over his two years there.

“He’s one of the best people that I’ve been around in my collegiate career,” Nimari Burnett shared. “He’s always been just a happy person, someone who’s always joyful of the moment and just a joyful teammate even during that year where things weren’t as happy. He brought joy, he brought enthusiasm. He’s just a great person.”

“T-Reed is the light that you want to see in the world,” Will Tschetter echoed. “He’s always been a bright spot, whether he’s been at this program or at UConn. It’s been great to follow his journey and see his development, how he’s stayed true to himself.”

In the NCAA Tournament, Reed has unlocked the “big bear” aggressiveness head coach Dan Hurley has clamored for over the past two seasons, averaging 20.8 points and 13 rebounds per contest over UConn’s five games. Even without his 31-point, 27-rebound masterpiece in the first round against Furman, those numbers still equate to impressive averages of 18.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. The timely resurgence prompted his coach to quip about his relationship with his big man, once thought to be tempestuous as Reed worked on channeling his tenacity, now reaching a better standing than ever before.

“Now we’re best friends,” Hurley joked. “It’s really improved since he’s been on a tear. But I’ve been saying…go back six weeks, go back two months, go back three months. Our season is going to be determined by what Tarris Reed does, which Tarris Reed we get.”

“He’s a force,” May conceded. “That’s the one thing (UConn has) gotten out of him. He’s relentless. He plays now like their coach coaches. That’s a real testament of (Hurley) finding the right environment for him. I can’t say enough good things about Tarris, because I watched about 20 games of him at Michigan. I see where he is now to where he was, and you don’t make that jump without a lot of hard, intentional work.”

Reed has become cognizant of the finality of his career, something that has not been talked about much while his teammate, Alex Karaban, chases a third championship to conclude his own tenure at UConn. But the chance to cut down the net and be a part of history means just as much, if not more, to the 6-foot-11 gentle giant who committed to the Huskies during their national championship parade two years ago. The opportunity to be a participant this time, rather than a special guest, continues to fuel him.

“You really want to get that national championship,” Reed reiterated. “Coming to UConn on a parade, seeing the whole city of Hartford, city of Storrs all connected together, to want to be in a championship parade with a group of guys with the resilience we had this year. It would be great just to end on a national championship, so I’m going for it all.”

“It’s amazing,” Solo Ball said of his teammate’s career arc. “His story is amazing, just coming from Michigan, being there and not having the best team season, then coming here and being able to come back. That’ll be a motivational story. He’s deserving of everything that’s coming his way, and he works incredibly hard every single day, day in and day out. So deserving of everything.”

Fittingly, Karaban’s grand finale comes on the stage it was meant for

INDIANAPOLIS — From the moment Alex Karaban agonized about whether he would ever wear No. 11 for the Connecticut Huskies again last March, a moment like this was meant to be.

Karaban would not — COULD not — go out slumped in a chair, disconsolate after a second-round loss. If 2023-24, when both he and head coach Dan Hurley jointly and separately debated their futures, was unclear, then last year was the total opposite. The consummate teammate, who has interwoven himself into every possible fabric in the Gampel Pavilion walls over his four-plus years in the program, would be back for one more shot.

One more rally. One more night.

That one more night comes Monday, when Karaban and UConn vie for a third national championship in four seasons, something unprecedented in the ever-changing state of college basketball today. And given what the final foe in an all-time career, a Michigan team that has met almost all of its opposition this season with sweeping destruction, represents, the conclusion of an epic that could never end prematurely feels almost perfect to be one final titanic battle.

“No better ending,” Karaban said when asked to describe the gravity of how much it means to walk away the ultimate winner. “It’s what I came back for, to win another national championship and leave a legacy that’s unmatched in college basketball. So to have the opportunity to do that and to help UConn possibly win a seventh national championship, and then put myself in an extremely rare category that leaves my legacy untouched when I leave college basketball? It’s a dream.”

Karaban’s time in Storrs has been, more often than not, the sweetest dream for UConn fans. As comforting as a warm blanket, as soothing as a cup of tea, the senior has almost always known what buttons to push, exactly what to do to create a joyous memory. It is that innate quality that has compelled his teammates, young and old, to do this for him, one last time.

“Obviously, I’ve been with AK all these years,” Jayden Ross prefaced before highlighting the importance of winning a second title alongside Karaban. “Since I’ve been here and ever since the first day, (he’s) taken everybody in under his wing. We all get behind him in this program, he’s such a huge part to what we do. Nobody deserves it more than him, man…he just works so hard. So there’s definitely a lot of motivation that we have to go out on Monday and try and get the job done for him, because he just deserves it.”

“I think AK just holds the standard with this program,” Braylon Mullins echoed. “That’s the guy you look up to on the court. He’s been through it twice, and just knowing that he’s been through it twice, you can use him as an outlet. To make history Monday for him, I think that’s what we’re all trying to accomplish, and it would be so special for him.”

It would be equally as special for Hurley to win a third championship alongside a player he has called his most unique in terms of bonds he has built with those he has coached. Hurley, never one to shy away from feelings, has already cited the emotional nature of the Monday night stage. He takes it one last time, arm in arm with UConn’s winningest player, where they will stand together for the national anthem before going to war for the final battle.

“We’re getting to the maximum number of games,” the coach pointed out, finding value in squeezing every opportunity out of the ride. “And I just can’t describe to you, I cried the last two times on the way to the stadium, on the way to that last game. The feeling of having outlasted everyone but one other team, there’s a lot of honor in that. It’s an emotional last game. This is gonna be for all of us.”

It could be no other way.

Demary uses his sword to extend UConn’s season another night with another clutch play late

INDIANAPOLIS — Throughout the season, Dan Hurley has praised the impact of Silas Demary, Jr., calling his point guard the warrior his UConn team needed after a year where the head coach described last year’s iteration of the Huskies as “soft.”

The junior floor general has embodied the concept of a fighter on and off the floor, playing through an ankle sprain suffered three weeks ago to still make a difference as a two-way leader, doing whatever he deems necessary in the heat of hardwood combat.

Demary elaborated on his mentality Friday, explaining how he had grown comfortable with fitting in as needed, based on circumstances of in-game situations. Twice in the past seven days, the Georgia transfer has arguably been the most instrumental piece of the puzzle for UConn, but not with his offense.

Last Sunday, it was Demary’s deflection of a Cayden Boozer outlet pass that set the wheels in motion for Braylon Mullins to defeat Duke with his 35-foot prayer in the final second to send the Huskies to the Final Four. On Saturday, Demary had a sense of déjà vu.

With UConn clinging to a 63-59 lead approaching the final minute of regulation against Illinois, Alex Karaban lined up a potential dagger of a 3-point attempt that fell off the mark. Demary scooped up the offensive rebound and fired it to Mullins, who buried a triple with 52 seconds remaining that put the Huskies up seven. The Illini would answer with a three of its own from its own star freshman, Keaton Wagler, but never scored again as UConn closed out a 71-62 victory to advance to Monday’s national championship game.

“It’s definitely nothing but sheer effort,” Demary said. “Just to get that rebound was a big-time play in the game. I think it was probably a minute and some change to go (in the game). (The) first one to the ball gotta make those big-time effort plays, those 50-50 plays.”

“Just knowing that, being on a bum ankle, but still being able to give it my all and leave everything out there for my teammates, just making sure I’m not shorting them, it’s a great feeling.”

Hurley said Demary would likely be operating at 90 percent capacity, at best, leading up to this weekend’s matchups inside Lucas Oil Stadium. Whatever mobility issues Demary may still have were masked by his never-say-die mindset, which has brought the Huskies from a disappointing early exit last March to one of the last two teams standing this April.

“It was everything we were lacking last year,” Hurley said of Demary’s mentality. “What he’s done for our basketball team, just a guard like him…ball hawk, incredible toughness on the backboard, his on-ball defense. He’s a shell of himself offensively. He’s really gutting it out and the courage he’s shown, I think, has been inspiring for the group.”

UConn one step away from immortality after outlasting Illinois to reach national title game

INDIANAPOLIS — The stairway to seven has one more rung to climb.

Three weeks ago, some doubted whether the University of Connecticut would even get out of the NCAA Tournament’s first weekend after a humbling and deflating loss to St. John’s in the Big East tournament championship.

Twenty-one days later, the Huskies are playing for a national championship for the seventh time in program history, and third in four seasons, after a 71-62 victory over Illinois in Saturday’s national semifinal.

“(I’m) just obviously thrilled,” an elated Dan Hurley said after his UConn team received 17 points and 11 rebounds from Tarris Reed, Jr., the third double-double for the senior in the NCAA Tournament, and 15 points from Indiana native Braylon Mullins in the victory. “There’s no better feeling than being on that bus on Monday night, just being one of the last two teams standing. It’s just a cool experience.”

The Huskies (34-5) jumped on Illinois early, with Mullins picking up where he left off after Sunday’s iconic game-winning shot to beat Duke and send UConn to the Final Four. The freshman knocked down a pair of threes in the opening minutes, then settled in as his team built an 18-9 lead against a tentative Illini offense.

“Coming into the game, I knew I needed to shoot it with confidence,” Mullins said as he played 30 minutes from his hometown of Greenfield, Indiana. “Seeing the first two go in, it just boosts all the confidence for you to keep shooting. I think it just happened within the game.”

Illinois (28-9) would recover from that onslaught, however, uncorking a 13-3 run to take its one and only lead after a Tomislav Ivisic three put the Illini ahead by a 22-21 margin. The advantage was short-lived, though, as a Reed basket just three minutes and ten seconds later put UConn ahead again, ultimately to stay.

The Huskies would fire a 13-2 salvo to respond, beginning with Reed’s go-ahead score, retaking a double-digit advantage that was an eight-point margin at halftime, at 37-29. Following the interlude, UConn would eventually pad its cushion to 14 points, when a Jaylin Stewart triple made the score 57-43 with 9:44 remaining in regulation. The run made sure the Illini remained stymied, unable to ignite an offense that entered Saturday’s contest as the most efficient in the nation, per KenPom.

“We make those shots against everybody else,” head coach Brad Underwood lamented. “Maybe it’s the (UConn) uniforms, I don’t know. Those are point-blank shots that we missed. When you miss some easy ones, then it stresses your defense.”

Illinois had one last rally left, ripping off 10 unanswered points to get within four as UConn’s offense stagnated, but a Reed hook shot and Solo Ball one-handed slam doubled the margin in short order. The Illini would get no closer than four after Mullins and Keaton Wagler traded threes, with the Huskies closing the game out in the final minute to underscore the common theme of staying together through adversity.

“I’m extremely proud,” Alex Karaban said, praising his teammates. “We could have backed down and really could have given into their run, and they had all the momentum. They definitely were heavily favored in the crowd as well.”

“We’ve been in that position before, too, just knowing when a team comes back, what to do and how to respond. I thought we did a great job.”

UConn will have a tall order on paper no matter who it faces on Monday, be it Michigan or Arizona, each of whom combine to represent the two most dynamic offenses in the country. Regardless of what happens in the second semifinal, the Huskies will be formidable simply by being themselves.

“That’s just a testament to the coaches giving us confidence,” Silas Demary, Jr. reflected. “When it’s winning time, we try to connect as much as possible and have each other’s back throughout the whole time. Even when (Illinois) had that run late in the second half, we told ourselves, ‘we’re fine, let’s just respond.’ And I think we were able to do that.”

“We’re a tough program,” Hurley added. “We’re a group of fighters. It’s not appealing to everyone, but we’re a group of fighters. We’re incredibly tough, we’ve got incredible will, we go into these games ready for battle. It means everything for us to show up as warriors for our battles.”

UConn needed a warrior, but has received all that and more from Demary as Huskies return to Final Four

INDIANAPOLIS — Dan Hurley knew what he needed in the transfer portal after last season’s letdown and second-round NCAA Tournament exit.

The UConn coach had just seen Hassan Diarra navigate the Huskies’ quest for a third consecutive national championship while battling injuries, and also oversaw a regression on the defensive end that needed to be fixed. His qualification for the point guard spot was simple: Hurley needed, in his own words, a warrior.

Enter Silas Demary, Jr.

The former Georgia Bulldog entered the portal in the aftermath of the 2024-25 season, where he was part of a team that returned to the NCAA Tournament. Demary had his share of high-profile suitors, with UConn’s Big East nemesis St. John’s at the top of the list after visiting with head coach Rick Pitino on the Red Storm’s New York campus. But the tone and tenor of his first contact with the Huskies and Hurley’s staff effectively shut the door on the Raleigh, North Carolina native playing anywhere else but the basketball capital of the world.

“It goes back to that first Zoom call we had,” Demary reflected Friday, recalling the recruiting process that led him from Athens, Georgia to Storrs, Connecticut. “That’s what made me even want to take a visit. Just talking to them, we were talking about non-basketball related stuff. Seeing how that was, and then when I got on my visit, Kimani (Young) saying, ‘there goes my point guard,’ it was just a match from the start.”

The son of a football player, the junior Demary has natural football-like instincts about him on and off the court. One in particular, while on his official visit, caught Hurley’s eye and sold him before any actual live-game scenarios could play out.

“He led us in prayer,” Hurley, who often speaks passionately about his relationship with God, said. “He had only known us for a couple hours, and he had the staff and his family hold hands before we had the recruiting dinner. We prayed together before our meal, we all held hands, and he led the prayer. That’s when you knew the guy has got some special quality about him. To do that at your recruiting dinner, with people you don’t know, at UConn? Impressive leader.”

What has stood out to Demary’s teammates is how well he was able to immerse himself into the breach he now charges into on a nightly basis. One of UConn’s elder statesmen has frequently come away impressed by his fearlessness in tackling that situation and finding his way through the haze to bring the Huskies to the doorstep of a seventh championship, and third in four seasons.

“I could just tell how serious he was and how much he wanted to win,” Alex Karaban said of his impression of Demary after preliminary conversations with his now-teammate. “And I just thought he’d fit in perfectly to where he’s someone like me, that could help lead other guys to really help be a voice in this locker room, too.”

“There’s always been a vision with Silas to really be a guy like Tristen (Newton) and really be that lead guard for us, a bigger guard in a way, to lead the defense and control the offense. He’s done a great job of that, and he’s had a great mindset, too. He knew the situation he was coming into. He knew how hard he was going to get pushed, and I think he’s lived up to the expectation and more.”

A former point guard himself, Hurley did not readily admit to seeing a little of himself in Demary, but a closer look at the two reveals further similarities. As the son and younger brother of a hall of fame coach and NBA player, respectively, Hurley’s own upbringing mirrors that of the floor general he now trusts to carry out his will.

“He’s got great presence about him, and again, it comes from the family,” Hurley said of Demary. “We’re only having the success we’ve had the last couple years because of the pedigree of the people that we bring in here. (Demary) comes from a great family, incredible inner circle with a dad (who’s a) former football player, so he’s got a football player DNA in terms of his physicality and that warrior mentality, which is not always something with basketball players.”

The family aspect of the business, something ingrained in the coach since childhood, has also helped Demary’s evolution. Almost a year later, the prayer he once led continues to be answered, with he and his UConn teammates standing two wins away from the intentions broached before the Lord being considered a divine mandate for immortality in Husky basketball history.

“I think I’ve just grown a lot as a point guard,” he said with a humble smile. “Seeing the floor, reading the floor…I have 220 assists this year. I’d never done that previously in my career, so to be able to show my evolution of running a team, facilitating and then being able to still impact the game on the defensive side of the ball and pretty much doing anything the team needs.”

“Whether that’s defending the best player, if this is a night where I have to score, then I score. When I need to get other guys going, I will. Just being able to showcase my whole overall game, that’s a testament to the coaches (who) help put me in a position to be successful. I’m just grateful for them even wanting me to come be a part of their program and this team, and I’m grateful to have a great impact on this team, too.”

Reloaded Illinois has earned UConn’s respect as Huskies and Illini prepare to face off again

INDIANAPOLIS — The last time UConn and Illinois met in the NCAA Tournament yielded an historic run from a championship team, but also a turning point for the team on the receiving end of that outburst.

The Fighting Illini gave up the iconic 30-0 run that solidified the Huskies’ dominance that Saturday night in Boston en route to a successful national championship defense, but head coach Brad Underwood now looks back at that moment as the beginning of what he terms a reload rather than a rebuild over the past two seasons in Champaign.

“I don’t think we’ve rebuilt. I think we just reload,” he reiterated Thursday, two days before Illinois faces UConn again in the program’s first Final Four since battling North Carolina to the wire in a classic championship matchup in 2005. “It’s looked different. I’ve said all along: You just have to keep knocking on the door, and our opportunities were going to come.”

Illinois’ 77-52 loss to UConn in the East regional final two years ago may seem like a game where some coaches might be content with burning the tape before tipping their hats in concession. Not so for Underwood, who praised the experience of going through the pain of defeat for painting a more intricate picture of what it takes to advance further.

“We learned a lot from that game,” he said. “I thought that team was a Final Four team that just happened to play a damn good basketball team in the Elite 8, so we didn’t get there. But I think we grew from that from the standpoint of understanding how hard it is, what that looks like.”

“It’s hard to argue with what Danny has done throughout his time there and the consistency. That’s the one thing we’ve tried to match, the consistency, and not ever look at it as a rebuild, but just a reload.”

The method in which the Illini has refilled its chamber has not gone unnoticed in the opposing locker room, either. UConn’s elder statesman complimented the work Underwood has done in returning Illinois to the national stage, and knows he and his teammates will not have it easy inside Lucas Oil Stadium Saturday night.

“They’re an elite program,” Alex Karaban said of Illinois. “You don’t (just) make the Elite 8, you’re there for a reason, and Coach Underwood’s done a great job there. They’ve just really established themselves as one of the best teams in the Big Ten, but nationally, too. They find talent, they do a great job of bringing in freshmen out of high school and really develop them throughout the years, but at the same time, find portal guys that fit in perfectly for them. So I have a lot of respect for Illinois, I really love what Coach Underwood does there, and it’s always exciting to play a well-respected program.”

UConn always carries a deep admiration for whomever it is matched up against, but head coach Dan Hurley expressed a strong appreciation Thursday for the parallels between his own career and that of Underwood’s, which started in the junior college ranks before taking him to the Big Ten. Hurley, who sent a tweet after the Huskies’ win over Illinois in November indicating he hoped to see the Illini again on this stage, elaborated on the respect factor.

“I’ve been a fan of Brad since his time at Stephen F. Austin,” Hurley shared. “(Thomas) Walkup, some of those great teams that made runs in the tournament. I just love the toughness his teams play with, I love their offensive design and the way that they play. He’s a coach’s coach, a JUCO guy the way old-school coaches used to build their career. I take a lot of pride in being a high school coach that had to work his way to here, and I kind of look at it the same with him.”

Illinois’ toughness has ramped up since the 74-61 UConn win at Madison Square Garden on November 28, one in which both teams fought injuries and the Huskies had Tarris Reed, Jr. and Braylon Mullins on minutes restrictions, with the latter making his season debut that afternoon. Therefore, not much can be truly gleaned on film, but the basic understanding of what lies ahead is something that UConn is prepared for.

“You take away concepts from that game,” Karaban advised. “You take away how physical they are, how badly they want to rebound, how elite they are rebounding. (Keaton) Wagler played 10 minutes and now he’s turned into an All-American candidate. (David) Mirkovic played like, 15 minutes. Offensively, they really have one through five out there, guys that could shoot. It’s a really tough team to play against. They present different challenges.”

Not only does Illinois represent another overly physical adversary for the Huskies Saturday, but there is also the mental hurdle of overcoming the high of Sunday’s regional final win over Duke and Mullins’ game-winning shot. Both he and Hurley acknowledged the moment and a need to move past it, one more bluntly than the other.

“You can’t live too long on the high of a moment,” Mullins admitted. “I think I just have to flip the page and focus on the next game. Illinois is just very impactful on the offensive end with their size, and they have really good players all the way around. We’ve gotta figure out how to limit them and just figure out how to play the hardest on the court.”

His coach mentioned the need to pull everyone back together two days later, diverting full focus on the primary objective.

“We came here for rings, not watches,” Hurley deadpanned. “Everyone that comes to the Final Four gets a beautiful watch, but only one group is gonna get a ring. So get off social media, stop injecting the dopamine into your arm, and get serious about the preparation and practice. We don’t hang banners for Final Fours at UConn, we hang national championship banners.”

“If you want to hang a banner, you gotta get your eyes off social media, get your face out of the phone and get locked in on Illinois. Illinois is one of the best teams in the country, and they’re as big a threat to winning this tournament as any of the four teams.”

Two iconic shots for one iconic program: Bob Heussler relives Tate George and shares perspective on Braylon Mullins

INDIANAPOLIS — If you are a dyed-in-the-wool Connecticut basketball fan, or just a connoisseur of sports history, it is perfectly natural either way for Braylon Mullins’ shot to beat Duke and send UConn to the Final Four this past Sunday to rekindle memories of March 22, 1990.

Husky supporters will never forget the latter date, as it was on that night in East Rutherford, New Jersey that Tate George sent the dream season to the doorstep of a Final Four, receiving a full-court pass from Scott Burrell and sinking a turnaround jumper to defeat Clemson at the buzzer and advance UConn to the Elite 8. Ironically, it was Duke who ended the Huskies’ hopes two days later, on a buzzer-beater of its own by Christian Laettner to vault the Blue Devils into the national semifinals before losing to UNLV in the championship.

Mullins’ shot exacted a measure of revenge for UConn, who erased a 19-point deficit Sunday to reach the Final Four for the eighth time in program history, and drew admiration from the man responsible for painting the word picture on George’s iconic shot 36 years ago.

Bob Heussler, who had the radio call of the George buzzer-beater for UConn, had a chance to watch the shot while calling a Brooklyn Nets game Sunday, and was gracious enough to share his memories of 1990 and offer perspective on the significance of Mullins’ heroics in comparison. Due to the breadth and wealth of information Heussler shared, my conversation with him will be transcribed, uncut, in a question and answer format to lead into coverage of UConn’s latest pursuit of a championship:

Jaden Daly: Bob, 36 years later, people still talk about Tate George and your iconic call of that shot to send UConn to the Elite 8 at the Meadowlands. Does it amaze you that it still gets this much play, this much love, this much traction so many years later and so many national championships later?

Bob Heussler: In a way, it does, because it’s been such a long time as you said. Thirty-six is pretty amazing. Thirty-six years, Jaden. That’s a lot of water over the bridge, as my good friend Chris Russo would say. But the fact is, first of all, you’re talking about UConn, rabid fan base and they have fans who are steeped in the program’s history. And that year, the dream season, was the season that kind of accelerated everything for UConn basketball. It had been, certainly, success before then, but now we’re talking about one of the elite programs, and that’s a defining moment in the ascent of the program. And it is an incredible moment.

We’ve had a lot of great shots and great endings, and we just saw one the other day for UConn. But that one, that stands the test of time because what they had done was the opposite of what happened the other day. The other day was Duke that blew the 19-point lead. That night against Clemson, it was UConn that had blown the 19-point lead in the dream season. This was not the script. You weren’t supposed to be blowing a 19-point lead against Clemson and not make it to, in this case, a regional final, but it appeared they had until a miracle. And it really was. It was a miracle. The pass was as miraculous as the shot, and you don’t forget those moments. Fan bases don’t forget it, so I guess, in a way, I’m not surprised that people still bring it up to me every March 22 to celebrate that anniversary.

JD: You were on the air, and you were pleasantly distracted when Braylon Mullins hit that shot, so you had something else going on in the moment. But what was your reaction when you finally did see the shot?

BH: Well, I actually did see it during one of our breaks. I was calling the game that the Nets had against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, and I happened to be working with Chris Carrino’s son, Chris Carrino, Jr., and he had his iPad. And we were tracking the score, because if my memory was right on this, we weren’t too far past a point in the broadcast — it might have been halftime — where we were giving scores, and of course, we were keeping an eye on that. And all of a sudden, we see that again on one of our monitors that UConn won the game, and we’re like, “WHOA!” And what I’m leading up to is Chris Carrino, Jr., being somebody who’s tech-savvy, immediately during a commercial break, I got to see it on a small screen and I’m like, “whoa.” I was like, incredulous.

So of course when I went home — I commute by train when I go to do games in Brooklyn — I got on the train and the first thing I did was I called it up and I watched it several times. I listened to Mike (Crispino)’s call, which was great, and got to relive another UConn March moment. It was really something, wasn’t it?

JD: It was. Now, the comparisons between 1990 and Sunday night, obviously prisoner of the moment in some aspects, but would you say they’re justified? Would you say one might be bigger than the other because this shot sent UConn to a Final Four, whereas in 1990, a team that hadn’t gotten that far in the tournament had a chance to play for one?

BH: Yeah, I wouldn’t go near that argument, only because you have two great moments. Which one is greater than the other? The Tate George shot, and the pass, you can never leave out the Scott Burrell pass as part of the equation. It’s something that is just so spectacular, that it definitely stands on that Mount Rushmore, to use that worn-out comparison. It stands the test of time and it stands well in any debate as to, okay, which play is bigger? But the argument can certainly be made, Jaden, that any shot like that — that gets you into the Final Four — well, that looms pretty darn large, but everything’s relative.

And in the moment we’re talking about: March 22, 1990, that’s as big a moment in UConn sports history, and this one is too. And this one gets them to a Final Four, but we’re talking about a program that has now won multiple national championships. So if it was getting you into your first Final Four, I think it takes on even more impact, but again, they’re both just great, great moments for a great, great program, and it’s fun to debate which is bigger if you want to go down that road. I never would. It was, the way I look at it is just, you look at both moments, both plays, both shots, and shake your head in awe and wonder, because they were both spectacular.

JD: Now when you finally did watch the highlight, were you surprised that (Alex) Karaban gave it up in that moment?

BH: Absolutely. That’s a very good call. The two things about both those shots, Tate George and Mullins: With Tate, without Scott Burrell, there’s no Tate George shot. The pass, the Scott Burrell pass, 94 feet on the button, is the key to the works. And of course, Tate has to do his job, and it lives forever as a result.

But Karaban? Oh my goodness! To have the presence of mind with, as it turns out, milliseconds left in the game, and to make that pass to the shooter? I mean, that’s just as spectacular a play as Burrell’s. Burrell’s is physical. There’s very few people who, right now, can do what Scott Burrell did that night, throw a basketball 94 feet on a line drive to its intended target. But from a basketball standpoint, a basketball play, what Karaban did is just as extraordinary. I was awestruck when I watched it again and again. I’m like, wow!

That’s why you love basketball. You see things like that happen, then of course, Mullins rewards Karaban by hitting — now — one of the most famous shots in NCAA Tournament history.

JD: Now, how well do you think a shot like that can propel UConn this weekend? Obviously, they’re facing an Illinois team that they played in the regular season at the end of November. Mullins actually made his debut in that game, which is another subplot, but how much do you think a moment like that can propel this team? Obviously, you’ve heard the whole team of destiny cliche so many times. Do you think that this shot might further that in a sense?

BH: That’s an easy one to answer, but I’m going to give you two approaches. Number one, I hope it does. I hope it does as a UConn fan. I hope it propels them, and I hope that we look back at this and say, “wow, they were a team of destiny.” But the other way of approaching it is, just look at what happened after the Tate George shot, what happened when they came up against — coincidentally — Duke with a chance to go to the Final Four. Live by the sword, die by the sword. Christian Laettner burns them with a shot at the buzzer, and it was like, wait a minute. How did this happen? It did, and UConn was denied a trip to the Final Four, they would have been going to Denver to play in their first-ever Final Four. It didn’t happen.

That was the dream season, Jaden, and everybody thought that it was going to keep right on going into the Final Four after what Burrell and Tate George did, but it didn’t work out that way. That game, actually, was in the hands of Tate George. If you look back at that sequence that allowed Laettner to inbound and then take it and get it back, and take the game-winning shot, if you look at the play leading up to it, Tate George had the steal in his hands. And he dropped the ball, falling over the sideline out of bounds, and Duke got it back. That would have ended it, and Tate George would have been a hero twice over.

But you know what? They played great. It was a tremendous season, one of the greatest seasons in the history of the program. It just ended a little short of where they wanted it to be. As I said, now you’re looking at a program that has won multiple national championships, and here’s (Dan) Hurley trying to do it, what, for the third time, right? Unbelievable. And hopefully, this does turn out to be a Hurley team of destiny. But I guess that’s my long way of saying no guarantees in sports or life, right?

This UConn Final Four run is particularly validating for Hurley and Karaban after last season’s disappointment

WASHINGTON — Two years ago this past weekend, with his UConn team steamrolling anything in its path en route to a second straight national championship, and fresh off a 30-0 run against Illinois to secure a return trip to the Final Four, Dan Hurley pulled back the veil on the road he and his staff took to get to that point.

Last season, with the Huskies having a perpetual target on their collective back as they chased history, the path meandered far more than anyone could have envisioned. Between injuries, a well-chronicled Hurley meltdown at the Maui Invitational, and a second-round NCAA Tournament loss to eventual national champion Florida, it was easy to see the frustration and disappointment that mounted up around the program.

Hurley hinted at that in the offseason, at the conclusion of his book, Never Stop: Life, Leadership, and What It Takes to Be Great. In the book, Hurley admitted he was “completely cooked” by the pressure last season brought on in the pursuit of a third consecutive title, to the point where he considered taking a year off from coaching altogether. Ultimately, he decided to return to Storrs after rebuffing the Los Angeles Lakers a year prior, and shared that this particular campaign had been more refreshing even before Braylon Mullins’ iconic shot to defeat Duke in the East regional final.

“I give myself the grace,” Hurley said this past Saturday, before UConn sank the Blue Devils. “I just think this is what Geno (Auriemma) helped me a lot with…just get the most out of your team. I give the team the grace of, let’s just be the best that we could be with what we put together, have the best season we could possibly have and enjoy the journey with each team.”

“It’s taken a lot of pressure off. I think I’ve taken pressure off myself, but I think my team is looser and has played looser this year. I’m not as uptight and I’m not as big a monster, which is better for everyone except social media and the TV camera people who just keep their camera on me nonstop.”

One of Hurley’s closest confidants, despite only playing for him, yet having enough of a sense and bond with him to understand the coach’s psyche more intimately than most, concurred.

“I think he’s just having greater appreciation,” Alex Karaban said after the Duke win Sunday. “After going through last year, just realizing that we’re not entitled to anything just because we wear the UConn jersey, it doesn’t mean we’re gonna win. Both him and I were emotional after the game, super excited to be back (in the Final Four) and all the hard work paying off. I’m happy for him. Every wind you get in the storm, it gets better and better.”

Hurley agreed, finding a greater blessing in the experiences along the way while allowing some natural air to vent through his unbridled competitive drive.

“I think the biggest thing when you get to this time of year is when you coach a great team, or a team like this team that’s been a great, special team, you just start to love them,” he said from the heart. “As the year goes on, your admiration, your love for the group, the relationships you build, you just don’t want the year to end because you don’t want to not be around a group anymore. You just start savoring every video session, every practice, every shootaround, every flight, every bus ride, because the group just becomes such a special part of your heart.”

Tarris Reed’s legend grows with 26-point performance to send UConn to Final Four

By Sam Federman (@Sam_Federman)

WASHINGTON — It has become somewhat of a bit between Dan Hurley, Tarris Reed, Jr., and the UConn fanbase to refer to the big man as different types of bears based on how he plays.

Hurley famously implored the fanbase to send Reed pictures of Kodiak bears last season, looking to inspire a level of play and spirit only rivaled by that of the vicious beast.

This NCAA Tournament has brought out the best in Reed, and he capped it off Sunday night with another masterpiece, amassing 26 points, nine rebounds, four blocks, three assists to pace the Huskies. He kept UConn within reason during the first half, when nothing else was going the team’s way, and was a steady presence throughout the comeback in the second.

Braylon Mullins’ ridiculous game-winning three-pointer stole the headlines, but it doesn’t happen without Reed’s day. And the Huskies aren’t in position to play the game that ended with a 73-72 win over top-seeded Duke if not for Reed’s performances in the previous three games as well.

“It could be my last college basketball game,” Reed said. “And they were just like, ‘go for it all.’ Coach told us before the game, ‘you've got to swing for the fences, go as hard as you can.’”

And on a hope and a prayer, Reed’s 134th college basketball game, played across four years between two at Michigan and two at UConn, will not be his last. He earned the right to lace up the sneakers and put on the Husky uniform one more time, when UConn takes on Illinois in the Final Four on Saturday in Indianapolis.

In the opening minutes of the game, Reed was the one who got the UConn offense going. He backed down Maliq Brown on the first possession of the game, drawing a quick foul and getting to the line. When Duke scored seven points in a row, Reed calmed the Huskies down by getting to his right-hand hook shot.

Reed showed off how deep his post-scoring bag is. His footwork and spin moves, which have given him greater post versatility this season, continued to create opportunities for the Huskies. Regardless of whether Duke put Brown, Cameron Boozer, or Patrick Ngongba on him, if UConn found a way to get Reed the ball in the post, he would find a way to score. He was the only one who did for much of the first half, scoring 12 of UConn’s first 16 points after receiving a pass on a cut, and cut the Duke lead to six points at the second media timeout.

It’s been like this all tournament long. Reed had 31 points and 27 rebounds in the opener against Furman, and another double-double against UCLA in the second round. He dominated Michigan State’s vaunted frontcourt duo of Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper with 20 points, also dishing out four assists.

But UConn’s defense demanded changes late in the first half, as doubling Boozer kept leading to open Duke threes. So Dan Hurley put Reed on Boozer, and he picked up his second foul. He sat much of the last 5:27 of the half.

The Huskies didn’t lay down and die, but needed Reed back in the game. And he delivered when he returned. He kept destroying one-on-ones and got multiple layups and dunks off of slips, but it alone wouldn’t be enough to bring the Huskies back.

They needed more. And when Duke started sending doubles, it came.

“Being able to take my time and see the whole floor,” Reed said. “Knowing I had a high production in the first half, knowing they were going to collapse on me in the post, and like I said, trust my shooters and trust the guys around me. Eventually, guys were going to knock down shots.”

And they did. Reed dished to a cutting Alex Karaban off the double for his first points of the game, then hit Silas Demary, Jr. on the weak side to break the seal for the first three of the second half, cutting Duke’s lead to seven with seven minutes to play.

But Reed’s two biggest plays came on the defensive end. He turned Duke over with a steal, deflecting a pass with about 12 minutes left, a run-out to cut the lead to ten. Then, with a minute left, down by four, he changed the math again.

One-on-one with Boozer at the top of the key, and the Blue Devils trying to run their patented 4-2 ball screen that won them games against Florida, St. John’s, and others throughout the year, Reed didn’t bite. He fought through the screen and poked the ball free from Boozer’s hands, setting up Karaban’s huge three to cut the lead to one.

“I think maybe just a guy like Tarris Reed just elevating his game for this tournament and changing his legacy,” Hurley said. “Changing his trajectory put himself, I think, in position now to walk away from this tournament. It looks like he's playing himself into the first round (of the NBA Draft).”

Boozer and Reed each had big games, but it was Reed coming out on top. And it was Reed standing front and center on the podium, leading the Huskies team in saluting its band and fans, chanting “Welcome to the Doghouse.”

The doghouse is going to the Final Four. With two more chances to build an immortal legacy.

BRAY OF HOPE: Mullins’ game-winner caps all-time comeback as UConn clips Duke to return to Final Four

WASHINGTON — At just 19 years old, Braylon Mullins is still too young to drink alcohol legally.

When that time does come, however, whatever his preferred beverage may be will almost assuredly be free of charge in the state of Connecticut.

Mullins’ 35-foot 3-pointer with three-tenths of a second remaining in regulation Sunday completed an all-time comeback for UConn, who erased a 19-point deficit to steal the last Final Four berth from No. 1 overall seed Duke, putting the exclamation point on a 73-72 victory.

“This is in its own category,” the freshman proclaimed after the Huskies (33-5) booked their eighth Final Four trip by slowly chipping away at Duke’s massive lead in the second half, drawing within single digits for good with six minutes to play and not relenting even as the Blue Devils answered every potential UConn rally. “It’s the whole category.”

Mullins was the beneficiary of a broken play in the final ten seconds of regulation. After Silas Demary, Jr. split a pair of free throws, he atoned for the letdown by deflecting a Cayden Boozer pass. Demary found Alex Karaban, who passed up a shot that would have etched his name deeper into the annals of UConn history, dishing to Mullins for the coup de grâce.

“We were trying to force a turnover and foil their worst free throw shooter,” Mullins said of his vantage point of a sequence that will live in March lore forever. “The ball got tipped and I threw the ball to AK. I thought AK was gonna shoot the ball, he had just hit one, and he threw the ball back to me.”

“I saw Braylon and I saw we had like, five seconds left,” Karaban added with regard to his own angle of the play. “I thought I could have shot it, but then I saw (Cameron) Boozer right in front of me, and I think Dame Sarr, too. So I pitched it to Braylon.”

For UConn to even be in that position after the first half it endured borders on miraculous. The Huskies missed 17 of their first 18 attempts from long distance, and were unable to stop Duke’s length and athleticism in an opening stanza that saw the Blue Devils open up a 40-21 cushion with 5:01 to play before halftime. UConn was able to string together enough stops to get within 15 at the interlude, but the belief in one another was unwavering.

“In the huddles, we were just saying, ‘war after war,’” Demary recalled. “Let’s try to win each war by three. And I think we did that. We did what we needed to do. We said we needed to rebound and defend at halftime, and I feel like we came out there. I think (Duke) only scored 28 points in the second half, so to be able to defend like that and have each other’s back, it was just big. Through every timeout, we were telling each other to stay together, (to) be even more connected.”

Still, it seemed as though the momentum did not truly begin to swing until the 3:42 mark, when Solo Ball stripped Isaiah Evans and turned the giveaway into a three-point play that pared the UConn deficit to 67-65, a moment the junior guard attributed to the resilience of his group.

“We had to crawl back from 19 down and be able to beat the best team in the whole thing,” Ball said. “We know what we’re capable of, too. We had that belief that we’re the best team, so we had to be able to fight tonight.”

Duke would pad its lead to four points inside the final minute before Karaban, staring down the potential conclusion to an all-time great UConn career, knocked down a deep triple to bring the Huskies back within one. A Cameron Boozer jumper, where a potential traveling violation was not called, got the Blue Devil cushion back to three points before Demary was fouled with ten seconds left. Missing the first free throw, but making the second, it kept the door open before he kicked it down by getting a hand on Cayden Boozer’s outlet pass.

“If I run up, I gotta make a play, because I know there’s at least one or two guys behind me,” Demary said of his instincts in the moment. “I just jumped in, deflected it, and then guys were able to get the ball. And then Braylon, with the confidence he had, took that big-time shot and hit it.”

With another all-time March moment firmly in tow, UConn will now go to Indianapolis to face Illinois in the first of two national semifinals on Saturday. And for Mullins, an Indiana native who grew up 30 minutes east of Lucas Oil Stadium in Greenfield, one shining moment now affords him the chance to return home a conquering hero.

“Man, you play for those moments,” he gushed. “You dream about that, you definitely had that in your childhood. So that’s a one-of-a-kind experience.”