As hard as it may be to believe, the first month of 2024 has come and gone. Finishing undefeated in January, the UConn men’s basketball team has had an excellent start to the new year, including their most recent 74-65 win over the Providence Friars. The Huskies will return to Storrs South, or as everyone else calls it, Madison Square Garden, as they look to complete the season sweep of the St. John’s Red Storm.
While UConn held on for a big win against the Friars, it didn’t win any beauty contests. It was a scrappy, poor shooting night from both sides overall. But, of course, the biggest takeaway from that game is Alex Karaban’s current state of health.
The 6-foot-8 redshirt sophomore left last Wednesday’s contest against the Friars halfway through the first half with an ankle injury. However, Karaban returned to the floor a couple of minutes later and played over 33 minutes when it was all said and done, although head coach Dan Hurley noted that Karaban was “compromised” and that his ankle looked swollen.
With a short turnover from Wednesday night’s thriller to their game at the Garden, the UConn coaching staff must decide quickly on what to do with the 21-year-old. If the Huskies lose him, it would be a significant loss for the program, as he has been one of the most consistent players on both ends of the floor. If Karaban does suit up for Connecticut, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on a minutes restriction, which could play into St. John’s favor.
If Karaban doesn’t play as much, the question is, what now? Could we see Jaylin Stewart play extended minutes? Or will Samson Johnson play at the four? And, of course, could the four-guard “small ball” lineup make an appearance? It will be interesting to see how Connecticut operates with these factors.
In case you missed it, Donovan Clingan had an off night against the Friars. The Bristol native was taken out four minutes into the game for landing in foul trouble. It was more of the same when he returned for the second half, picking up another pair of quick fouls. Even when he was out on the floor, Clingan struggled to make a significant impact, grabbing only three rebounds in 15 minutes of play. Considering that Johnson struggled to find his mark last game as well, the situation becomes all the more delicate when you consider the impact of Joel Soriano.
The 6-foot-11 big man could be a tough matchup for the Connecticut duo. Soriano is averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds per game. However, on Dec. 23, the last time these conference rivals squared away, it was the Johnnies’ big man who found himself in foul trouble. It will be interesting to see how Clingan and Johnson matchup against Soriano, as Clingan was out for that Dec. 23 matchup. However, Johnson had a career night, scoring 16 and ultimately drawing multiple fouls on the Red Storm big man despite struggling to play his brand of basketball.
A significant question mark coming into this matchup will be how Connecticut fairs from downtown. Last Wednesday, the program put up an abysmal 4-23 slash in that regard, and they have been susceptible to poor shooting lines like that across matchups. Players like Cam Spencer and Tristen Newton need to improve their performance from deep. Against Providence, the duo shot a combined 1-11 from downtown. Shooting performances like this make it challenging for the Huskies to come out on top, and this played a factor in last Wednesday being a one-possession game. Saturday’s matchup should be nothing short of a nail-biter. Only two possessions separated the Huskies and Red Storm in that Dec. 23 matchup and how the duo of Newton and Spencer respond to their poor shooting nights at the Garden will be something that Husky fans will want to watch closely.
A UConn win this Saturday would mark the Huskies’ 10th straight win, all against Big East opponents. It would also keep them at least two games above second place. St. John’s had faired less well in conference play, owning a 5-5 record. However, don’t let that deceive you. Rick Pitino’s squad can play, and he would like nothing more than to upset college basketball’s No. 1 squad and get his team’s season back on track. You can catch all of the action this Saturday at noon on FOX.