These three former mid-major starters are the Final Four’s know-your-role All-Stars

INDIANAPOLIS – Alec Millender and Dwayne Koroma committed to UConn the same week in May. Most Husky fans had no idea who they were, but they were both seeking the same thing. Millender, who played for IU Indy last season as a senior for over 30 minutes per game, shot Koroma a direct message asking when he’d arrive on campus, and the rest is history.

The two have grown incredibly close, going from mid-major starters to riding the bench for a Final Four team, and it was all intentional. And they’re not the only ones either. Arizona’s Evan Nelson graduated from Harvard and decided that it was worth passing up the opportunity to start at a mid-major program to return home to Tucson and chase a title with the Wildcats.

In a situation where many players would choose to play big minutes for a mid-major program with their final year of eligibility, these guys are totally fine sitting on the sidelines as their McDonald’s All-American, five-star teammates lead the team to new heights. But they’re a big part of that too. UConn has been to three of the last four Final Fours, but Millender didn’t miss the one that the Huskies did.

A year ago, Millender flew to San Antonio to cover the Final Four as part of his graduate journalism program at IU Indianapolis. Now, he’s back in the Final Four as a player. “UConn was my dream school,” Millender said on Friday.