Sports
No double-teams, no 3s: The UConn defensive math that strangled Purdue and won a title
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Connecticut assistant coach Luke Murray went to sophomore center Donovan Clingan sometime in the middle of this season with a declaration. UConn was going to face Purdue in the national championship, and he’d better get familiar with Zach Edey. Murray and Clingan discussed how they would play the hypothetical matchup, and Clingan said he wanted to play him one-on-one and let the rest of the Huskies win the game.
Murray had the scout for Monday night’s title game, and the coaches decided to stick to Clingan’s request. He would play Edey one-on-one in the post, and Clingan would wall up and force Edey to make tough 2s while his teammates stayed attached on the perimeter and took away 3s. In the pick-and-roll, the Huskies would play two-on-two against Purdue point guard Braden Smith and Edey, not tagging the rollers, and again, staying attached to shooters.
“Statistically,” Clingan said, “it’s really hard to win games just scoring 2s.”
On Monday night, math and UConn’s giant won out. Edey got his, scoring 37 points on 25 shots, but Purdue made just one 3-pointer all night — and the Huskies finished one of the most dominant runs in NCAA Tournament history with a 75-60 win.
Pulling it off would have been impossible without Clingan, who is college basketball’s cheat code on the defensive end.
Few have dared to not bring a double team at Edey, or at least dig in from the perimeter and try to give him something to think about when he puts the ball on the floor. NC State had gone with that strategy on Saturday night, and the Boilermakers made 10 3-pointers, four of which were assisted by Edey on kickouts.
“We watched the film,” UConn guard Tristen Newton said. “They get their 3-pointers off people going down there and helping on Edey.”
Murray also studied the numbers this weekend and noticed a trend in Purdue’s efficiency numbers. Purdue’s success didn’t really hinge on whether Edey was “good or great or excellent.” He always scores, finishing in double figures every game this season. What mattered was the production of starting guards Lance Jones, Fletcher Loyer and Smith along with knockdown shooter Mason Gillis off the bench, particularly what they did beyond the 3-point line. The goal was to keep Edey somewhere between 25 and 28 points, and keep those four under 20.
Yes, Edey surpassed his total, but those other four combined for 17, with Gillis and Loyer both going scoreless.
How that happened was because of what UConn’s guards did as soon as Edey touched it. They left their big man on an island, refusing to leave their assignment.
When Smith got a ball screen, the goal was to send him left and try to slide under the screens, while Clingan would backpedal and not let Edey get behind him. If Edey won the race to the rim, it was going to require bringing in help. Purdue makes that really difficult, because its shooters lift so high up the floor, forcing whoever ends up tagging into a long closeout.
Smith is as good as it gets at making passes like this:
“The idea of a pick-and-roll is, try to put two on the ball and and be in a disadvantage and put stress on the defense,” Murray said. “(Clingan) just takes away a lot of that.”
The Huskies weren’t successful keeping Smith from going right, but Clingan made it so he didn’t need any help from his teammates. It’s an amazing ability for a man who is 7-foot-2 and 280 pounds. He shouldn’t be able to move that much mass backward so quickly, but this is why Clingan will be a lottery pick.
Clingan tried to play cat and mouse with Smith, faking at him as his teammate who got screened tried to get back in the play. From watching film, he knew that Smith preferred to pass the ball when he got up in the air, and the help defender has no choice but to commit. Smith got Clingan once early:
Clingan learned his lesson. The next time, he purposely dropped back, hoping it’d create some indecision for Smith, and it worked to perfection:
This is what Clingan has done all year. Even when he’s not in position, the fear of his shot-blocking spooks opponents. Even Edey was victim to it, missing three shots at the rim that he’d normally make and traveling once when he kept trying to fake Clingan, who wouldn’t bite.
As is typically the case, the Huskies completely change up their game plan when backup center Samson Johnson gets in the game, which is difficult for opponents to adjust to but seamless for UConn. With Johnson, the plan was to double-team Edey, cheating off Camden Heide and then recovering once the ball went back out. The first time Edey saw that, he threw it over Heide’s head and Purdue was called for an over-and-back.
Smith made the right decisions, finishing with eight assists and just one turnover. He had only two reads, really; either feed Edey or try to score himself. He’s killed drop coverage this year with his pull-up jumper, but he made only 2-of-7 jumpers against the Huskies, who purposely tried to wear him down with constant ball pressure from Stephon Castle and Hassan Diarra.
“We’ve played against athletes, played against some really good defensive guys this year and in the tournament, but not the collection of defensive players like UConn has,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “We played against somebody, they would have a lock-down defender. These guys are bringing lock-down defenders off the bench.”
The Huskies are relentless, defending with maximum effort every single play and never missing any of the details that their coaches lay out. It’s how they got through this tournament with the closest game being a 14-point win against Alabama. It’s how they kept Purdue to one 3-pointer for only the third time in Painter’s 19 years at the school.
In case you were wondering, those other two games were losses too, including the last time it happened: Feb. 26, 2022, in a loss at Michigan State when the Boilers went 1-of-9 from 3. Edey got his then too, scoring 25.
In three of Purdue’s four losses heading into Monday night, the Boilers had made five or fewer 3s.
Give up 37 to Edey? Many programs would have feared such a scenario. But the Huskies trusted the numbers and Clingan.
“Math won,” Murray said.
Just as they predicted.
(Top photo of Donovan Clingan defending Zach Edey: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
Sports
Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Anthony Richardson Sr.’s future in Indianapolis faces more uncertainty than ever.
The Indianapolis Colts granted Anthony Richardson, the team that used the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on the quarterback, permission to explore a trade. His agent, Deiric Jackson, confirmed the latest development in the 23-year-old’s tumultuous career to ESPN on Thursday.
Veteran quarterback Daniel Jones beat out Richardson in a preseason competition for the starting job. Jones made the most of another opportunity as an NFL starter, helping the Colts win eight of their first 10 games of the 2025 regular season.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson heads off the field after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
However, his season was ultimately derailed by an Achilles injury. The setback came two years after he tore an ACL with the New York Giants. The Colts appear ready to move forward with Jones, clouding Richardson’s future in Indianapolis.
Jones is set to become a free agent in March, meaning the Colts must either use the franchise tag or sign him to a new deal. Richardson has started just 15 games in three seasons with the Colts, his tenure largely shaped by injuries.
A shoulder surgery limited Richardson to four games during his rookie campaign, while a series of setbacks cost him four games in 2024.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for an open receiver during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)
Richardson suffered what was described as a “freak pregame incident” during warmups last season, landing him on injured reserve after attempting just two passes in two games in 2025. He has thrown 11 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in his NFL career.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Tuesday that the vision problems stemming from Richardson’s orbital fracture last October are “trending in the right direction.” He added that Richardson has been “cleared to play.”
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)
Riley Leonard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is expected to return to the Colts next season.
When asked about Richardson’s standing with the Colts moving ahead, Ballard replied, “I still believe in Anthony.”
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Related Article
William Hudson, a 14-year-old freshman golfer, shot 71 on Monday at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills to win the Servite Invitational.
“It was very important to me and my school,” Hudson said.
Some think it’s the first time a St. John Bosco student won an invitational title.
Hudson is a straight-A student who picked up his first golf club when he was 3. He has a daily routine involving practicing at 6 a.m. before heading to school. He’s also enrolled in a school entrepreneur program that involves taking classes at a junior college that will qualify for college credits.
“They are long days, but I get through it,” Hudson said.
He comes from a family that enjoys golf. His great-grandfather played until his death at 98 last year.
“I love how it can take me to interesting places and meet interesting people,” Hudson said. “I can play for the rest of my life. It’s a lifelong sport.”
It’s looking like another strong year for golfers in Southern California, with several individual champions returning, including Jaden Soong of St. Francis and Grant Leary of Crespi.
Now Hudson has thrust himself into the conversation.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Sports
Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Police have released new video showing former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon speeding before crashing his 2024 Bentley Continental GT into another luxury car on a Connecticut highway last summer.
McMahon appeared to be followed by a state trooper in Westport moments ahead of the eventual collision. McMahon’s vehicle reached speeds of more than 100 mph, state police said.
A trooper’s dashcam video showed McMahon accelerating and then braking too late to avoid rear-ending a BMW. The car McMahon was driving then swerved into a guardrail and careened back across the highway. A cloud of dirt, apparently mixed with vehicle debris, was visible in the immediate area of the crash.
WWE owner Vince McMahon enters the arena during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium on Apr 3, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)
“Why were you driving all over 100 mph?” a state trooper asked McMahon after catching up to the wrecked Bentley.
“I got my granddaughter’s birthday,” McMahon replied, explaining he was on his way to see her. The encounter was recorded on police bodycam video.
No serious injuries were reported in the July 24 crash, which happened the same day former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack in Florida.
In an image taken from Connecticut State Police police bodycam video, Vince McMahon is questioned in his car after an accident on July 24, 2025, in Westport, Connecticut. (Connecticut State Police via The Associated Press)
Aside from the damage to the rear of the BMW, another vehicle driving on the opposite side of the parkway was struck by flying debris. The driver of that third car happened to be wearing a WWE shirt, police video suggested.
McMahon was cited for reckless driving and following too closely. In October, a state judge allowed him to enter a pretrial probation program that could erase the charges if he completes it successfully.
He was also ordered to make a $1,000 charitable contribution. His attorney, Mark Sherman, called the crash simply an “accident.”
“Not every car accident is a crime,” Sherman said. “Vince’s primary concern during this case was for the other drivers and is appreciative that the court saw this more of an accident than a crime that needed to be prosecuted.”
Vince McMahon attends a press conference to announce that WWE Wrestlemania 29 will be held at MetLife Stadium in 2013 at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 16, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)
State police said a trooper was trying to catch up to McMahon on the parkway and clock his speed before pulling him over. They said the incident was not a pursuit, which happens when police chase someone trying to flee officers. They also said it did not appear McMahon was trying to escape.
“I’m trying to catch up to you, and you keep taking off,” State Police Det. Maxwell Robins said in the video.
“No, no no. I’m not trying to outrun you,” McMahon clarified.
An accident information summary provided to the media shortly after the crash did not mention that a trooper was following McMahon.
The trooper’s bodycam video also shows him asking McMahon whether he was looking at his phone when the crash happened. McMahon said he was not and added he hadn’t driven his car in a long time.
After Robins tells McMahon that his car is fast, McMahon replies, “Yeah, too (expletive) fast.”
Fox News Digital submitted a public records request to obtain the police video, which was first acquired by The Sun.
McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He also resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, in 2024, a day after a former WWE employee filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against him. McMahon has denied the allegations. The lawsuit remains pending.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Related Article
Three trapped after car goes into ditch near Seattle’s Washington Park Arboretum
San Diego State moves back into NCAA Tournament field in latest ESPN Bracketology
Sheriff’s Office backpedals on controversial facial recognition deal
Soccer Frenzy: Cities, Fans, and What to Know | Futbol HQ
Fan behind Anthony Edwards’ orange bracelet has beaten cancer
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Where Iran’s ballistic missiles can reach — and how close they are to the US
Has India’s influence in Afghanistan grown under the Taliban?
Bill Clinton to testify before House committee investigating Epstein links
Read Judge Schiltz’s Order
Vulnerable House Dem lashes out at Trump’s ‘racist’ SOTU challenge: ‘That was uncomfortable’
-
World2 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts2 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Montana1 week ago2026 MHSA Montana Wrestling State Championship Brackets And Results – FloWrestling
-
Oklahoma1 week agoWildfires rage in Oklahoma as thousands urged to evacuate a small city
-
Louisiana5 days agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Denver, CO2 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Technology6 days agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Technology6 days agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making