It’s no secret that the No. 1 UConn men’s basketball team is on top of the college basketball world following its thrilling win over the St. John’s Red Storm. But with the fast-paced world of college basketball, it’s time to look ahead to its latest matchup with Butler at the XL Center at 8:30 p.m..
Sitting at No. 5 in the conference, Butler is certainly not a team to be played with and this Huskies team is well aware. In the first matchup between these two programs, the Huskies were able to grab a seven point victory at one of the most hostile environments in college basketball, Hinkle Fieldhouse. Even though they were without Donovan Clingan, the team really showed its depth with four players cracking double digits in the scoring column. Fast forward to Feb. 6 and the leading scorer from that massive win is one of the biggest storylines surrounding this matchup.
Alex Karaban has clearly established himself as one of the key pieces of this roster on both ends of the floor. On January 5th, he accumulated 20 points, five rebounds and was key in the absence of Clingan when the preseason All-American was out with an injury. Fast forward to Connecticut’s Jan. 31 game against Providence, the sophomore forward tweaked his ankle against the Friars but was able to come back and tough it out. But things certainly weren’t 100% for Karaban and his absence in UConn’s previous win against St. John’s despite warming up for the contest made his status up in the air for Tuesday.
Coach Dan Hurley provided an update regarding his star sophomore on Monday ahead of the game against Butler.
“Alex is where we kind of hoped he’d be. He was able to participate the past few days. We’ll see how the ankle responds to today’s practice and hopefully, he’s ok,” said the Huskies coach.
Hurley also added that Karaban was almost a full participant in practice and will be a morning/shootaround time decision.
Since that tough loss to the Huskies, the Bulldogs have remained a tough matchup throughout the conference with wins over Marquette and Creighton. Their only two losses were incredibly tough games as well, falling to Seton Hall at home and Xavier on the road. The stats certainly back up their play before this one, as they’re a top 50 team in KenPom.
To get those numbers, they’ve had to get plenty of production throughout their lineup and they certainly have. Pierre Brooks has been the top scoring option for this squad at 16.5 points per contest and his 43.1% mark from beyond the arc is a dangerous option for this Butler roster. Jahmyl Telfort provides another scoring option for this roster at 14.4 points per game and DJ Davis is not far behind at an even 14 points per contest, including the highest free throw percentage in the country at 96%. Don’t forget about center Jalen Thomas, who’s been the leading shot blocker and rebounder for this roster.
Similar to Karaban’s status, Posh Alexander is also up in the air. He attempted to play in Butler’s previous game against Creighton, but a nagging foot injury prevented him from gracing the hardwood. Alexander has proven that his presence on the court is massive for this Bulldogs roster as the steals and assist leader. He’s undoubtedly one of the x-factors of this Butler lineup. While the former St. John’s guard had three points and six assists in his first appearance as a member of this Butler team against Connecticut, he’d be a massive boost for coach Thad Matta’s lineup.
So, with that being said, this is going to be another nice challenge for this Huskies roster during conference play, even at home. This team runs an efficient offense, is efficient from the free throw line and does not turn over the ball easily. UConn has already established that they’re one of the most dangerous offenses and can stand toe-to-toe with anyone in the country, but with the firepower that the Bulldogs have, the Huskies are certainly going to have their hands full on the defensive end.
Fans of the No. 1 team in the nation can watch this game on Fox Sports 1.