UConn's Dan Hurley: Zach Edey-Donovan Clingan matchup in national championship 'battle of the giants'
The national championship game that has long seemed an inevitability throughout the 2024 NCAA Tournament became a reality on Saturday.
With Purdue's victory over NC State and UConn's win vs. Alabama, the Boilermakers and Huskies — largely considered the two best teams in March Madness, if not the entire season — will battle it out for the national title on Monday.
That also means two of the most dominant players throughout the tournament, Purdue's Zach Edey and UConn's Donovan Clingan, are set to face off in one of the biggest individual matchups of the year.
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Edey, all 7-foot-4, 300 pounds of him, has been a force all tournament — and year — for Purdue, reflected in the fact he has repeated as national player of the year by several awarding organizations. Now, following his highly anticipated matchup with the Wolfpack's DJ Burns, he has perhaps his toughest matchup of the tournament.
That would be against Clingan, who himself comes in at 7-2, 280 pounds. Following UConn's 86-72 win vs. the Crimson Tide, UConn coach Dan Hurley called the impending matchup a "battle of the giants" and "great for college basketball."
"It's great for college basketball." - Dan Hurley is excited for Purdue and UConn to lock horns for the title pic.twitter.com/qbyK84mNJO
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 7, 2024
"Us and Purdue have clearly been the best two teams in the country the last two years," Hurley said. "It's just great for college basketball to get the two big dogs on Monday night."
Added Clingan: "Ready to go. Gonna watch my film, gonna get some rehab, get to work tomorrow and get ready to go."
Speaking to media after UConn's Final Four win, Clingan reiterated that he's excited about the prospect of playing Edey in what should be a huge matchup for both players' NBA draft stock:
"Yeah, I mean I'm really excited. You play at this level to play big-time matchups, big-time games," Clingan said. "And I got a lot of respect for Zach Edey. Me and my team are going to get ready to battle, and give everything we got on Monday."
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Zach Edey stats in NCAA Tournament
Edey has been typically dominant through the first five games of the tournament. Here are his game-by-game statlines:
vs. Grambling: 30 points (64.7%), 21 rebounds, two assists, three blocks
vs. Utah State: 23 points (72.7%), 14 rebounds, three assists, three blocks
vs. Gonzaga: 27 points (66.7%), 14 rebounds, one assist
vs. Tennessee: 40 points (61.9%), 16 rebounds, one assist, one block
vs. NC State: 20 points (64.3%), 12 rebounds, four assists, two blocks
Donovan Clingan stats in NCAA Tournament
vs. Stetson: 19 points (81.8%), eight rebounds, four assists
vs. Northwestern: 14 points (71.4%), 14 rebounds, one assist, eight blocks
vs. San Diego State: Eight points (44.4%), eight rebounds, two assists, one block
vs. Illinois: 22 points (69.2%), 10 rebounds, one assist, five blocks
vs. Alabama: 18 points (57.1%), five rebounds, one assist, four blocks
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: UConn's Dan Hurley: Zach Edey-Donovan Clingan matchup will be 'battle of the giants'