I figured everyone had learned their lesson about the NCAA men's basketball tournament last year after the UConn Huskies danced their way to the 2023 national championship.
UConn finished 31-8 and crushed San Diego State, 76-59, in title match. The Big East team won all six NCAA games by 13 points or more.
Now the Huskies are trying to become the first team in 17 years to win back-to-back championships since coach Billy Donovan's Florida Gators did in 2006-2007.
UConn (34-3), the East Region No. 1 seed, collided with third-seeded Illinois (29-8) in Saturday's Elite Eight.
A Huskies' win propels them back to the Final Four in Phoenix.
How good is UConn this season? It has equaled a school record with 34 wins and has won its last nine tournament games (dating back a year) by an average of 22.8 points.
Coach Dan Hurley's squad ranks first in the nation in offensive efficiency and sixth on the defensive side. It is ranked eighth in rebounding margin at plus-8 per game.
UConn's starting five average in double figures, led by the dynamic backcourt duo of 6-5 Tristen Newton (15.3 points) and 6-4 Cam Spencer (14.5).
The Huskies are a completely different team from a year ago, which has helped maintain some of that hunger for another championship. Gone are stars Adama Sanogo, Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson Jr., replaced by star transfer Spencer and potential first-round draft picks 7-2 Donovan Clingan (12.6 points, 7.4 rebounds) and 6-6 Stephon Castle (10.9 points). The fifth starter is 6-8 Alex Karaban (13.6 points).
Offensively, UConn averages 81.6 points while giving up 64.6. Their average win margin is 18 points in 37 games this season.
The Huskies are the first reigning champion to make it past the Sweet 16 since the Gators in 2007 and they're doing it in a more dominant fashion than last season.
Their 82-52 romp over San Diego State on Thursday was the biggest margin of victory in a Sweet 16 game since 2017 and they've won three NCAA tournament games by an average of 28.7 points. They've trailed for a total of 28 seconds and have led by double digits for 58:27 of a possible 60 second-half minutes.
It's called domination.
"I don't see a weakness (in UConn)," St. John's coach Rick Pitino told The New York Post on the eve of the Elite Eight. "They have to have an off shooting night and you have to have a great shooting night to beat them.
"They can outscore you or lock you down defensively."
Coach Hurley said the target has been on his team ever since it won the national title. Every opponent brings its best game to beat the champs.
"This team has defied what past champions have done, and taken this program to a completely different level," Hurley said.
"We have 'we' guys," Hurley said after the 30-point win over San Diego State. "These guys right now are leaving a legacy in a place that's hard to leave a legacy."
In case you're wondering UConn has reached five national championship games, where they are 5-0.
And if there's any sanity to March Madness, the Huskies should win their sixth crown and go back-to-back.