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The UConn men’s basketball team defeated Purdue 75-60 in Monday night’s NCAA tournament national championship game, becoming the first school to win back-to-back titles since Florida in 2006 and 2007.
After the game, Huskies guard Tristen Newton was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Newton led UConn with 20 points and seven assists in Monday’s victory.
Newton was the Huskies’ leading offensive option this season with averages of 14.9 points and 6.2 assists per game on his way to being named a consensus first-team All-American and the Bob Cousy Award winner as the nation’s best point guard.
He remained consistent in the NCAA tournament, posting 14.5 points and 7.2 assists through six games in March Madness. He reached the 20-point mark twice and dished out seven or more assists four times.
The senior floor general knows how to perform in big moments. In last year’s national championship game, he posted a double-double with 19 points and 10 assists to lead UConn past San Diego State.
Newton was chosen as MOP despite an outstanding run by Purdue’s Zach Edey, who posted 37 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. The two-time Naismith Player of the Year averaged 29.5 points and 14.5 rebounds during the tournament. The last player to be named MOP of the tournament without winning the national championship was Hakeem Olajuwon in 1983.
Newton will now turn his attention to preparing for the NBA draft. He was projected as a second-round pick in the latest mock draft by B/R’s Jonathan Wasserman. After ending his collegiate career as a two-time national champion and tournament MOP, Newton certainly can improve his projections leading up to this summer’s draft.
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