HOUSTON (KIAH) — The 2023 Men’s Final Four at NRG Stadium didn’t have the big names that most college basketball fans had hoped for. But it did bring an exciting game and a great atmosphere.

The first game between San Diego State and Florida Atlantic was a thrilling finish, as guard Lamont Butler hit a game-winning jumper at the buzzer to help the Aztecs get a 72-71 win over Florida Atlantic to advance to Monday’s national championship game.

The second game wasn’t as dramatic, but UConn played a dominant second half on its way to a 72-59 win over Miami to come one game closer to its first national title since 2014. The Huskies have very good memories of playing in Houston, winning a national title in H-Town in 2011.

Over 73,860 packed NRG Stadium on Saturday for both games, although there were some empty seats in the stadium. But considering that this Final Four didn’t have the pedigree teams such as Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina and Indiana, the attendance numbers were pretty well.

Now we will see how many people will come out to see a national championship game with contrasting styles. UConn’s shooting and well-executed offense and defense has made the Huskies one of the most consistent teams in the country.

Meanwhile, the Aztecs have rode into a wave of emotion, knocking off the No. 1 overall seed in Alabama last weekend, and played a physical inside game with streaky shooting from guards like Matt Bradley, who had 21 points in Saturday’s game.

Another player to keep an eye on is SDSU senior forward Jaedon LeDee, who is a Houston product and played his high school ball at Kinkaid. LeDee scored 12 points and pulled down six rebounds in Saturday’s win.