UConn 2023 Overcomes Kevin Love to Make Final 4

In what should have been our title game based on all-time rankings, #11 UConn 2023 survived #15 UCLA 2008 in an Elite 8 game in our third all-time tournament, 74-68. The Bruins gave the Huskies a much tougher battle than any of their six opponents in the actual 2023 March Madness tournament. Here is our blog on the entire Elite 8 with updated rankings.

For the second game in a row, Kevin Love drew 5 fouls on an all-time great opposing Center (Wes Unseld in All-Time Sweet 16, Adama Sonoga in Elite 8). UCLA drew 23 fouls (while only committing 15 fouls) and hit 20 of 23 free throws, while UConn countered by hitting 7 three-pointers while not allowing a single three-pointer by UCLA for the 74-68 win.

Alex Karaban had two of the key plays of the game, with a 4-ponit play to break a tie and give UConn a 31-27 lead, then later a 3-point play on a bucket and free throw to key 11-0 run that gave UConn the lead for good at 55-45.

UConn next faces the winner of #25 Duke 2015 against #33 Georgetown 1989 in one of two Final Four semifinals in our 3rd Value Add Basketball tournament. Bill Walton's UCLA 1972 team won the first tournament, and Paul Pierce's 1997 Kansas the second.  The win should bump UConn up one spot just ahead of Villanova 2018 for 10th place all time of the all-time great Value Add Basketball Game, which would also make them the top-ranked Big East team in the game.

Pos	#15 UCLA 2008	Pts	3pt	2pt	FT	Att	Reb	Stl	Blk	Fl	Ht	Season Stats
1-PG	Russell Westbrook	15	0	6	3	4	2	1	0	2	6'3	12.7 Pts, 3.9 Reb, 4.3 Ast
2-SG	Darren Collison	17	0	5	7	7	3	1	1	2	6'1	14.5 Pts, 2.6 Reb, 3.8 Ast
3-SF	Josh Shipp	10	0	2	6	6	5	2	1	3	6'5	12.2 Pts, 3.2 Reb, 2.1 Ast
4-PF	Luc Richard Mbah a Moute	4	0	2	0	0	3	0	0	1	6'8	8.8 Pts, 6.0 Reb, 1.5 Ast
5-C	Kevin Love	12	0	4	4	6	13	1	2	2	6'10	17.5 Pts, 10.6 Reb, 1.9 Ast
1-PG	James Keefe	2	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	1	6'8	2.8 Pts, 2.7 Reb, 0.2 Ast
2-SG	Nikola Dragovic	2	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	1	6'9	2.5 Pts, 1.4 Reb, 0.2 Ast
3-SF	Alfred Aboya	2	0	1	0	0	3	0	0	2	6'9	2.9 Pts, 2.2 Reb, 0.3 Ast
5-C	Lorenzo Mata-Real	4	0	2	0	0	2	0	1	1	6'9	3.1 Pts, 3.5 Reb, 0.2 Ast
		0
	Totals	68	0	24	20	23	33	5	5	15
Pos	#11 UConn 2023	Pts	3pt	2pt	FT	Att	Reb	Stl	Blk	Fl	Ht	Season Stats
1-PG	Tristen Newton	11	1	3	2	2	2	4	0	2	6'5	10.1 Pts, 4.5 Reb, 4.7 Ast
2-SG	Andre Jackson	7	1	2	0	0	2	3	0	4	6'6	6.7 Pts, 6.2 Reb, 4.7 Ast
3-SF	Alex Karaban	9	1	2	2	2	7	0	0	3	6'8	9.3 Pts, 4.5 Reb, 1.7 Ast
4-PF	Jordan Hawkins	9	1	3	0	0	7	0	0	3	6'5	16.2 Pts, 3.8 Reb, 1.3 Ast
5-C	Adama Sanogo	15	0	7	1	2	8	0	2	5	6'9	17.2 Pts, 7.7 Reb, 1.3 Ast
1-PG	Hassan Diarra	4	0	2	0	0	1	0	1	2	6'2	2.1 Pts, 1.3 Reb, 1.8 Ast
2-SG	Joey Calcaterra	8	2	1	0	0	3	0	1	1	6'3	5.8 Pts, 1.7 Reb, 1.2 Ast
3-SF	Nahiem Alleyne	2	0	1	0	0	3	0	0	1	6'4	5.2 Pts, 1.2 Reb, 0.8 Ast
4-PF	Samson Johnson	5	1	1	0	0	2	0	0	1	6'10	0.9 Pts, 0.8 Reb, 0.1 Ast
5-C	Donovan Clingan	4	0	2	0	0	2	0	0	1	7'2	6.9 Pts, 5.6 Reb, 0.5 Ast
	Totals	74	7	24	5	6	37	7	4	23