Despite suffering a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of No. 15 Creighton on Tuesday, the top ranked UConn men’s basketball team has played at an elite level all year long. Not only do they currently hold the status of being ranked college basketball’s best team, but they achieved it in unanimous fashion last week. Sitting atop the Big East by 2.5 games, the Huskies look to bounce back and extend their lead over the rest of the conference in a Saturday night showdown against the Villanova Wildcats.
In order to get back into the win column, UConn will lean on their stars, particularly Tristen Newton. While the rest of the team had an off night, the 6-foot-5 veteran guard thrived against the Bluejays, accumulating 27 points and 12 rebounds in 37 minutes. In Connecticut’s Jan. 20 road matchup against Villanova, Newton again was the man of the hour, putting up 25 points and 6 rebounds. Look for him to add another signature performance to his resume this Saturday — though he can’t be the only major contributor.
Another thing the Huskies will need to clean up is their defensive effort. Creighton shot a whopping 14-28 from downtown, and ultimately, it was the deciding factor last Tuesday. Some of the shots were contested, but many of those threes were open looks, which is unsustainable in the long-term if Connecticut wishes to succeed.
A Wildcat that UConn fans will want to keep an eye on is Eric Dixon. The 6-foot-8 senior is amid his best season yet, averaging 16 points and 6 boards per game. His efficiency from the charity stripe has improved to nearly 90%, up 8% from last year. In Dixon’s last game against the Huskies, he was shut down, going 1-6 from the field, though he did finish with nine points thanks to seven made free throws.
Perhaps the biggest question mark of them all surrounds the center tandem of Donovan Clingan and Samson Johnson. Johnson failed to record a point or rebound against Creighton, as he sat on the bench for most of the game with foul trouble. While Clingan had a solid day in the minutes he did play, putting up 12 points and 7 rebounds, he also got into problems with three fouls of his own. In what feels like nearly every game this year, one of these big men has had to sit for extended periods of time, and as a result, Alex Karaban has had to come in at the five. While the 6-foot-8 redshirt sophomore has played well as a center, Karaban is more efficient as a power forward. Instead of owning a double-digit rebound advantage over their opponents like they’re capable of, the Huskies would finish near even or negative to their opponents, which made games closer than Connecticut fans would like. How disciplined Clingan and Johnson are on the defensive end will tell the story of this game, as the program benefits on both sides of the ball when they’re not trading fouls and unplanned spots on the bench.
Another headline for Saturday is that ESPN’s College GameDay will return to the Basketball Capital of the World for the first time in over a decade. The signature traveling pregame show, hosted by Rece Davis, Jay Bilas, Jay Williams, Seth Greenberg and Andraya Carter, will take place Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to noon and will be another chance for UConn fans to pack Gampel Pavilion and show out for their team.
Despite UConn only being the 8-point favorites to complete the season sweep over Villanova, they will have another element behind them — the crowd. While the Connecticut fanbase is known for getting loud for their team in all home games, those in the stands will have an extra edge on Saturday. Gampel Pavilion will be re-running its $2 beer night promotion, which could spell trouble for the Wildcats. If you remember, the program ran the same promotion in UConn’s Jan. 17th matchup against Creighton, and the effects were palpable. From the opening tip to the final whistle, it was hard to hear anything over the liquored-up fan base who acted as a sixth man on the court.
The action will ensue this Saturday night at 8 p.m. With the extra rowdy crowd ready to pack Gampel, this a must-see game.