Battle of the Bigs: Clingan, Edey to Square off in National Championship

The 7-foot NBA hopefuls set out to clash on Monday night, as Clingan and UConn seek their second straight title.

Connecticut center Donovan Clingan (32) dunks against Alabama during the Final Four semifinal game / Cheryl Evans/The Republic / USA TODAY

Two of college basketball's most recognizable faces will clash on Monday evening for the national title.

The two best teams throughout the entire season, 7-foot-4 Zach Eday and 7-foot-2 Donovan Clingan will finally get a chance to line up across one another and see who the bigger interior force actually is.

Clingan, a projected lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft, and Edey, now a two-time College Player of the Year, there are large implications in this big-on-big matchup.

For UConn, the Huskies seek their second straight title following their impressive run a year ago, and have a very strong chance to take the crown yet again after Clingan's dominant past two games, especially with freshman guard Stephon Castle performing at the level he is. The Huskies have ran through each round of the tournament seemingly with ease, beating their five opponents by an average of 24 points as Alabama gave them their hardest look in their Final Four bout.

In the tournament, Clingan's averaging 16.2 points on 64.8% shooting, 9.0 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game, as the two-way force has been the driving factor of UConn's excellence throughout late March and early April. He's certainly grown as a sophomore, as he put up just 5.8 points and 5.0 rebounds through the Huskies championship run in his freshman campaign.

As for Edey and Purdue, they've had a similar run of dominance through the tournament, but surely had their hands full versus teams like Gonzaga and NC State. Through their five contests, Purdue has won by an average of 19.6 points per game.

Edey's numbers have been pretty absurd through this stretch, with no one seeming to find an answer for his size and touch at the rim. He's generated 28.0 points on 65.4% shooting, 15.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks throughout the tournament.

From last season's first-round exit to 16-seed Farleigh Dickinson, Edey and the Boilermakers have made a massive leap, and hope to claim the school's first national title in program history. The Huskies, though, have a different idea in mind, seeking their second consecutive title victory and sixth in program history.

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