Jon Rothstein on UConn’s mantra in March Madness 2023 - "The key to UConn, it's number 44" 

UConn has been on a tear in the NCAA Tournament. It ran through the West region to make the Final Four for the sixth time in the program's history.

The Huskies (29-8) will face off against Miami (29-7) on Saturday night for a place in Monday's national championship game.

Their offense has been dominant. They average 78.8 points per game, which is top 40 in the nation. They are the highest rated team in KenPom, who also ranks them third in adjusted offense.

They move the ball well, too, with 17.6 assists as a team. Adama Sanogo led the way in the first two rounds, scoring 28 and 24 points respectively. Sophomore Jordan Hawkins has been the driving force in the second two games, scoring 20-plus in both.

The Huskies have also received huge contributions from their bench. Joey Calcaterra has given them huge minutes as a sharpshooter and strong defender. He and Nahiem Alleyne are a combined 12-for-25 from 3-point range in the tournament.

Andre Jackson Jr. has been a huge distributor at the point for the UConn offense. He has 31 assists to six turnovers in the tournament. That assist-to-turnover ratio is astounding. He averaged 4.78 apg during the season. His contributions running the offense are why college basketball analysts like Jon Rothstein believe Jackson is the key to UConn’s success.

"If you're looking for the key to UConn, it's No. 44," college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein said, referring to Jackson's uniform number.

Jackson will face a tough matchup from Miami’s lengthy frontcourt. Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller have the size to defend Jackson at the point and match his athleticism.

It should be a high-scoring game as each team has scored at least 80 points in three of their four tournament games.