GLENDALE — Having scouted Purdue earlier this season before a game in December, Arizona associate head coach Jack Murphy has still been keeping a close eye on the Boilermakers over the past week.
But this time, it’s different. Murphy isn’t so much breaking down video to prepare a game scouting report as he was before UA’s 92-84 loss to Purdue in Indianapolis as much as just taking a few notes during the Boilermakers’ rise to the championship game.
“Look, these coaches are where we want to be,” Murphy said. “Is there one or two things we can pick up that might help our team doing forward? We all love basketball and we love to win, so if we see something UConn or Purdue or Alabama is doing that could help, we’ll see if it could, though not everything is going to fit us.”
Purdue had slipped from No. 1 to No. 3 before facing the then-top-rated Wildcats on Dec. 16, and Murphy said he’s not surprised to see the Boilermakers roll into the national championship game.
Purdue lost only three conference road games during the regular season — at Northwestern, Nebraska and Ohio State — while also losing by a point to Wisconsin in overtime of the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
“They’re a really good basketball team and they have a plan offensively,” Murphy said. “They’re running a lot of the same sets. They’re true to that. They’ve been true to it the last past couple years. I just give them a lot of credit. They do a great job of sticking to their system and building confidence.”
That system undoubtedly is built around center Zach Edey, the 7-foot-4 two-time Player of the Year, but it has also branched out to better utilize other options when teams focus too heavily inside. On Dec. 16, guards Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith combined to hit 9 of 16 3-pointers, essentially beating the Wildcats from outside more than Edey did inside with 22 points and nine rebounds.
“Loyer and Smith had big-time games and that just shows you that their ceiling is as high as anyone,” Murphy said. “They have other guys around him.”
But UConn has a system that can break anybody down. Ranked first nationally in offensive efficiency and fourth in defensive efficiency, the Huskies have only lost three games this season — two in difficult conference road enviroments (Seton Hall and Creighton) and one at Kansas.
Murphy said Purdue will have a chance to keep it close if the Boilermakers can slow the game down and show different looks.
“Obviously, it’s hard to go against what UConn does really well,” Murphy said. “They don’t turn the ball over, they’re a great rebounding team, and they’re efficient offensively. When they were missing (shots) against Alabama, they got great offensive rebounds … It’s ‘are you going to be as physical as UConn is?”
Next up
While the Final Four is going on in Glendale, USA Basketball had 65 of the nation’s top high school players quickly executing some high-level scrimmages during its Junior National Team minicamp over the weekend in Phoenix.
“Everyone here is really skilled, so it’s really easy to play with some of these guys,” said Hudson Greer, a four-star forward from Texas who is attracting Arizona’s recruiting attention. “They have such high motors.”
The players from the classes of 2025, 2026 and 2027 worked out Friday and Saturday at Ability360 in Phoenix, while 2025 players also Sunday at State Farm Stadium. All of them were invited to take in the Final Four semifinal games on Saturday, too.
UConn guard Tristen Newton passes around Alabama forward Grant Nelson during the second half Saturday. Newton, from El Paso, will try to lead the Huskies to a second straight national championship Monday.
Bi-coastal
Even though UConn is based the farthest from the Final Four site, Huskies guard Tristen Newton actually has the closest hometown of anybody playing there this weekend: He’s from El Paso, while teammate Jaylin Stewart is from Seattle, the only player from within the (former) Pac-12 footprint.
Not that it’s any big deal.
“I don’t pay any mind to being the only guy from the West Coast,” Stewart said.
The son of former USC standout Lodrick Stewart, Jaylin said he considered the Trojans and the Huskies of his hometown before choosing UConn.
“My home school was obviously one of my top choices, just being so close,” Stewart said. “But I felt like once I got out here and met my teammates and other coaches just it clicked. I knew where I had to be.”
Desert rat
For Newton, there are a couple of benefits in being sort of close to home, however.
“My parents and all my close family will be here for sure,” Newton said. “And the best part is it’s warm here. I don’t need a coat to go outside.”
UConn forward Alex Karaban fouls Alabama guard Rylan Griffen, left, during the first half Saturday. The Huskies can become only the third program to win back-to-back titles since the UCLA dynasty if they win Monday against Purdue.
Quotable
“Nobody says, `Hey, man, I hope I can come to your place and play 10 minutes and set screens and rebound. That would be cool.’ “
— Purdue coach Matt Painter, on the challenges of players who are stars elsewhere out of the transfer portal.
The big number
5 — NCAA championships won by UConn, all over the past quarter century. A title Monday night would move the Huskies into a tie for third all time with North Carolina, behind only UCLA (11) and Kentucky (eight).
