UConn head coach Dan Hurley, right, hugs forward Alex Karaban (11) as guard Andre Jackson Jr. (44) hugs an assistant late during the second half of their West Regional Elite 8 game at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, March 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_ImagesUConn guard Tristen Newton (2) enters of Gonzaga guard Julian Strawther (0) for another score throughout the 2nd half of their West Regional Elite 8 video game at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, March 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_ImagesUConn center Donovan Clingan (32) rejects a shot attempt by Gonzaga guard Hunter Sallis (5) with colleague UConn guard Tristen Newton (2) trailing throughout the second half of their West Regional Elite 8 video game at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, March 25, 2023, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
In a March where no No. 1 seeds lived for the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, Connecticut has chosen to play like one.

Best of luck to the three teams that will join the fourth-seeded Huskies in Houston for the Final Four. If UConn continues to perform as it did this week in Las Vegas, great luck.

If so, the Huskies will be cutting down more webs, to be sure.

Don't buy the T-shirts and hats just yet. But perhaps keep them close by.

UConn on Saturday night secured its ticket to a nationwide semifinal by whooping Gonzaga 82-54 before 18,119 at T-Mobile Arena, treating the Zags much as it carried out in removing Arkansas in the Sweet 16. Just a butt-kicking of severe percentages.

" What a performance by the young boys," stated UConn coach Dan Hurley. "To do what we did to a group of the quality - - a program of that caliber - - we just dipped into a super-high level. I'm surprised at the margin of success, however not surprised where we are going."

The environment for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight was what you would anticipate and prefer from a West Regional of the competition. Electric.

Preliminary trip

In this sense, Las Vegas hosted an effective occasion for its first trip into March Madness. At least inside the structure.

The missteps came off the court for the UConn side of things. The switching of hotels as soon as original spaces were discovered totally inappropriate. The team bus vandalized during a practice at UNLV.

Firsts constantly come with hurdles. Las Vegas - - which hosts the Final Four in 2028 - - will gain from this.

It much better. Things work too well here for huge occasions not to be on par with the nation's best.

" It's an excellent place for the NCAA to come to, certainly having actually experienced it for the Pac-12 tournament," stated Dave Heeke, athletic director at Arizona and a member of the NCAA choice committee. "No matter what city we go to, there are always issues that occur. I believe everybody here made it smooth for UConn, and things exercised."

Real that. They could not have worked any much better for the Huskies.

They're just such a complete group. Hurley has actually built himself rather a roster of dangers both inside and out, of post existences and shooters and athletic wings. They simply swarm you.

It's going to take some effort to beat them in Houston. Some effort for - - if UConn gets past its first video game - - anyone to, on a one-day preparation, create a game plan that counters all the Huskies provide at both ends.

" UConn was just excellent," stated Zags coach Mark Few. "And we didn't have any answers. … … And we can't soak up a game like that when our offense is as bad as it was.

" But, once again, UConn deserves credit. And I got to see them way back in (November). They were fantastic then, and they were certainly terrific tonight."

Not very difficult

This is the sixth journey to a Final Four for UConn and its first considering that its surprise title in 2014. But while the latter may not have been anticipated, this existing run has been simple to forecast as the bracket advanced. Nobody has actually been much better. No one has looked as dominant.

" I believe it ends up being a bit of a psychological obstacle, particularly like early rounds of NCAA Tournament, where you feel like perhaps the concern of the history and custom," Hurley said. "But it also seems like, when you coach at Rhode Island and Wagner, you're not constantly getting everybody's finest shot every night.

" And when you play or coach at UConn, you get the other group's finest shot each and every single night. It's their Super Bowl. So the reach get to this point has actually been real, and it's been more difficult than I thought."

Things didn't look all that challenging the past few days.

UConn is a machine right now.

Good luck to the other 3 in Houston if it continues to play by doing this.

Great luck.

Ed Graney is a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing and be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on "The Press Box," ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on Twitter