The 2023 AAU National Championship was the championship series of the AAU's 2023 regular season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. Miami, the Florida State Champions who were favored to win the series, defeated the Illinois State Champion and defending National Champion Springfield in seven games to win their second championship.

Miami's league-best regular season record of 66-16 gave them home-court advantage against Springfield, who finished the regular season 58-24. Springfield won the opening game on the road and eventually took a 3-2 series lead before Miami won the remaining two games of the series to claim there second National Title. Miami's late rally in Games 6 and 7, which also included Matthew Stevenson's clutch 3-pointer in Game 6 to force overtime, has made it one of the greatest National Championship's of all time.

Background
This was Springfield's fifth appearence in the National Championship, attempting to win their fifth AAU National Title in team history. Springfield finished the regular season with 58 wins, finishing in first place in the Midwest division and second overall in the conference teams. They recorded only two losses in the first three rounds of the playoffs; they swept Compton in the first round in four games, eliminated Oakland in six games in the second round, then swept Memphis in the Semi-Finals in four games.

Game Summaries

Game 1
Springfield 92 - Miami 88
Springfield won the opener as Conor McCaffrey scored on a miracle bank shot with 5.2 seconds left in regulation with the shot clock about to expire. Springfield scored 23 points in the fourth quarter, while limiting Miami to just 16. McCaffrey led Springfield with 21 points and 6 assists. Miami held a 52-49 halftime lead, and Miami's own personal big three of Darik Queen who recorded a triple-double with 18 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists. However, Karter Knox, who scored 17 points, was shut out in the final period. Liam McNeely, who recorded 13 points, only scored 2 in the fourth quarter.

Game 2
Miami 103 - Springfield 84
Miami even up the series, using a 33-5 run in the final two quarters after the two teams were neck-and-neck late in the third. During that run, Queen made a highlight-reel block on a dunk attempt by Charlie Dawes early in the fourth qaurter. Miami also made 10 out of 19 three-point shots, and five players had double-digit scoring games.

Game 3
Springfield 113 - Miami 77
Springfield bounced back in Game 3, setting a National Championship record for most three pointers in a game (16) and giving Miami their worse lost in postseason history. Springfield ensured the game was a blowout by outscoring Miami 35-14 in the fourth quarter after leading 78-63 at the end of the third. Springfield shined despite a lackluster game from McCaffrey who scored only 8 points before he had to leave the game due to a hamstring injury. Miami had 2 scores score in double digits with Queen leading the team with 15 points, but on 7 of 21 shooting from the field.

Game 4
Miami 109 - Springfield 93
Miami evened up the series again, pulling away from Springfield in the second half after an even contest at halftime, 49-49. Miami continued their streak of not losing consecutive games that the team started in March. The Big Three's for both teams went at it in this contest. For Miami Queen led with 33 points, Knox chipped in 32 and McNeely had 20. For Springfield's Big Three, Chandler Dawes led with 30 points, Conor McCaffrey added in 19. Paul Hammond battling a multiude of injuries continued his struggles, only providing 8 points.

Game 5
Springfield 114 - Miami 104
Springfield used a marquee shooting performance to take down Miami and take a 3-2 series lead. Miami trailed Springfield by double digits most of the game. Although they finally closed to within one point, 75-74, with 3:05 left in the third quarter, they could not overtake and Springfield started to pull away after that. McCaffrey led Springfield with 29 points, while Cole Certa scored 24 points, with 6 three-pointers, breaking the all-time record for three-pointers in a National Championship series. Paul Hammond making his first start of the season, bounced back with a strong performance with 29 points and 12 assists. Chandler Dawes also contributed a double double (22 points, 15 rebounds) and provided strong defense support.

Game 6
Miami 103 - Springfield 100 (OT)
Miami rode a triple-double performance from Queen (32 points along with 11 assists and 10 rebounds) - becoming the first player since Lebron James in 2002 to have two triple-doubles in the same National Championship AAU series -- and 20 points from Mario Temple, while Chandler Dawes led Springfield with 32 points and 18 rebounds, however, Dawes was held scoreless after the third quarter.

The game is considered by players and commentators to be one of the greatest games in AAU History. Queen regards it as one of the best games in which he has ever taken part. Former NBA MVP and Point Guard Derrick Rose called it "One of the best two or three games" he had ever seen.

Springfield was leading 75-65 at the end of the third quarter, but Queen sparked a 20-7 run for Miami to start the fourth quarter, personally scoring 11 of those points.

With 2:09 remaining, Miami pulled ahead 89-86 but Springfield went on a run of their own spearheaded by McCaffrey, who shot a stepback three and a reverse layup in consecutive possessions to put his team ahead 91-89. On the next possession, Queen lost the ball in the post; this eventually resulted in an a intentional foul to a pair of Hammond free throws, pushing the score to 93-89. Queen committed a second crucial turnover forcing it into the hands of Hammond, who was fouled. Hammond missed one of the two free-throws, setting the stage for the comeback.

With 28.2 remaining, Springfield was up 94-89. Queen missed a three-pointer, but the ball was still in Miami possession by McNeely and Knox tipping the ball in the air until Temple got the rebound and passed to Queen, who made the three-pointer to pull within two points with 20 seconds left. After failing to steal the inbound pass, Miami fouled Sasha Vanderkecha, who also missed one of two free throws, keeping it a one-possession game at 95-92.

Queen was entrusted with the final shot but missed a 26-foot jumper from beyond the arc. McNeely was able to collect a key offensive rebound before passing to Temple, who stepped backward and made a three-point basket from the right corner with 5.2 left in the game. Springfield had no timeouts left as McCaffrey got the ball and drove it the length of the court, but airballed a shot series-winning off-balanced jumper over Queen, as the buzzer sounded to send the game to overtime.

In overtime, Queen hit a floater with 1:43 remaining to give Miami a 101-100 lead. That score would hold all the way down to the final moments. After getting the ball back, Springfield elected not to call a timeout and let Hammond get a full head of steam heading towards the basket. However, Temple stripped the ball from Hammond on his way up for a shot and recovered the ball, forcing Springfield to foul with 1.9 left.

Springfield still had a chance to send the game into a second overtime, but McNeely, who had a key block earlier in OT, came through with another key block in the final seconds to prevent a three-point game-tying shot from Cole Certa and force a Game 7.

Game 7
Miami 95 - Springfield 88
Queen scored 37 points, including five 3-pointers and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Miami to a 95-88 victory in Game 7. After a 3-point shot by Vanderkecha, Springfield trailed by just two with 50 seconds remaining in the game. They had a chance to tie the game, but Chandler Dawes, missed a shot under the basket and a follow-up tip-in attempt. Queen went on to hit a 17-foot jumper that secured the victory.