The UConn Huskies are the odds-on-betting favorites to win the 2024 NCAA Tournament. But ahead of their Final Four matchup against the Alabama Crimson Tide, the team dealt with some significant adversity that the rest of the remaining tournament teams did not.
UConn has yet to really be tested by any opposition in the tournament thus far, winning each of their tournament games thus far by double digits. But on Wednesday, they received a test when it came to their mental fortitude when issues came up regarding their travel plans to Arizona, the home of this year’s Final Four.
The team was supposed to fly into Arizona on Wednesday. But some mechanical issues made it impossible for the team to get there, instead arriving very early on Thursday morning. This ultimately meant that the team got little to no sleep on Wednesday, while the rest of the teams were able to get to sleep at a normal time.
Alabama head coach Nate Oats was asked about by reporters on Thursday, poking fun at the situation by proclaiming that he was not involved in the unfortunate error UConn had to deal with.
“It wasn’t me,” said Oats. I didn’t send anybody over there to mess with the mechanics. I did get a good night’s sleep last night, which was nice.”
Nate Oats on UConn's flight issues: "It wasn't me. I didn't send anybody over there to mess with the mechanics. … I did get a good night's sleep last night, which was nice."
— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) April 4, 2024
The situation may not seem like the biggest deal. UConn players and coaches will of course have two more nights to rest up before they take the court on Saturday night against Alabama.
But UConn has looked like a truly unstoppable team not only in the tournament thus far, but largely for the entire season. Other teams in the Final Four may need for something like this to really affect UConn if they want to have any chance to beat them.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.