Listen To The UConn – Purdue Championship Game on 97.5 The Fanatic

Author and Dylan MacKinnon

April 8th 2:13 PM

Weeks of College Basketball action comes down to tonight. UConn and Purdue, the final two teams standing. The two 1-seeds square off tonight at 9:20. And if you will be on the road for whatever reason, or otherwise unable to get to a TV, we have the solution to your problem. The game will be broadcast in full over the 97.5 The Fanatic airwaves, with coverage starting at 7:30 pm

UConn Trying To Make It 2 Championship In a Row

Only 7 teams have ever repeated as champions in back-to-back years in the Men’s game. The last game in 2006 and 2007 when Florida did it with Billy Donovan as their coach. Uconn has a chance to be the 8th.

They won last year as the 4th seed. That was a bit more of a magical run. This year they were the number 1 overall seed and by far the most picked team. It is a different situation, but so far the same results. They have run through their side of the bracket. They beat every team in their way by double digits so far. Including a 14-point win over Alabama in the Final 4.

They won last year but then came back as an even better team. And that experience from last season has clearly paid off so far this year. But they will have to go through a hungry Purdue team to seal the deal.

Purdue Seeking Redemption

Purdue is trying to replicate what Virginia did a few years ago. And by that I mean winning it all the year after they went down in the first round.

Last season, as the number 1 overall seed, they became just the 2nd 1-seed ever to lose to a 16 seed. Fairleigh Dickinson beat them 63-58. It had the choke artist cloud hanging over their heads all season long.

But the year when now everyone picked them to choke, has been the year they finally put it all together. They aren’t crushing teams like UConn are, but they beat Tennesee in the Elite 8 by 6 points and then beat NC State by 7 in the Final 4.

Zach Edey has taken to them to their first National Championship game in 5 decades and will look to win it for them for the first time in school history.

Listen To The national Championship Game On The Fanatic Tonight, With Coverage Starting at 7:30 PM

The 2024 Fanatic Knockout Tournament (Gallery)

• The Knockout Line

  Share

  As you can see, when we started, the line was fairly long. A lot of people came out for Knockout this year. It went down the court, and back around the other side. It took a while for people to start getting knocked out though. Some people were maybe too nice in the first couple of rounds.

• Karate Mark Takes His Loss With Honor

  Share

  Not many people were gracious once Knocked Out. Ricky Bo even hurled the ball into the stands. But it is worth pointing out one avid listener who was gracious in defeat. Karate Mark. Mark went out, dapped up the person who knocked him out, and then was a good sport when talking to Tyrone Johnson after the fact.

• Andrew Salciunas Knocks Out Ricky

  Share

  One of the most contentious parts of the night came when Andrew Salciunas knocked out Ricky Bo. Ricky had a little bit of a hissy fit. He hurled his ball into the stands. Making the game pause for a few moments while someone retrieved the ball.
• Tom Alvord Waves Goodbye To Ray Dunne

  Share

  My favorite moment of the night. Ray Dunne was a bit of a terror. He was knocking people out left and right, and taunting them after the fact. He even knocked Brendan Gunn out and bragged in his face about it. So when Tom Alvord took out Ray, and waved him goodbye while Ray was on the floor, it was a cheer worthy moment. This photo still hangs in the Producers studio.

• Fanatic Staff Celebrate Connor Thomas Being Knocked Out

  Share

  Here you can see The Fanatic Staff cheering as Connor Thomas gets eliminated. It may seem mean for us to cheer about our co worker going out. But you didn't have to deal with him talking about winning it last time for an entire year. To Connor's credit, he did still come 2nd among the Fanatic staff this year.

• The Final Showdown

  Share

  It came down to Tom Alvord, vs Connor Thomas's brother Chase. Chase has the strategy of shooting it the second after Tom did. it gave Tom no chance to get behind Chase in the line, meaning he constantly had to make shots to avoid being eliminated.
• Tom Alvord Crowned Fanatic Champion

  Share

  Because Connor Thomas was eliminated, that meant Tom Alvord reclaimed his Staff Champion crown. He won it in 2022. but last year he couldn't make it to the event. He was determined to come back this year and get his title back, and did not disappoint. He came 2nd overall, getting beaten out by the actual champion, Connor's brother Chase.

• Chase, Connor Thomas’s Brother, Is Crowned The Champion

  Share

  Tom might have won the staff crown, but he did not win the actual tournament. That honor belonged to the Connor Thomas's brother, Chase. We did have to hear how this technically means Connor won. But it was Chase who knocked Connor out. In fact, he knocked out a bunch of the Fanatic Staff, including Tom Alvord, and myself.

Sign Up For The Fanatic MVP Insider Newsletter

Get the info you need on the Philly Sports landscape, events you need to know about, exclusive contests, and more.

Email *

Subscribe

By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.

Author and Dylan MacKinnon

Category:

• Collegiate // NCAA

Tags:

March Madness,NCAA,Uconn