MINNEAPOLIS — It wasn’t supposed to be this way.
Not in November when they slid by South Florida only to be crushed by South Carolina in the Battle 4 Atlantis. Not seven weeks ago when Villanova snapped their 169-game conference winning streak. Not even two weeks ago in the second round against UCF when they looked destined to watch the proceedings from their couches in Connecticut.
They should have been knocked out multiple times already in a tournament that showcased parity early, but powerhouses late.
So, of course, the Connecticut Huskies are one of the two teams left standing after a largely unremarkable 63-58 semifinal win against defending champion Stanford at Target Center on Friday night.