Being a UConn men’s basketball fan has been as easy as ever lately. With Connecticut’s latest 91-61 demolition of Seton Hall, the program won the Big East regular season for the first time in nearly 20 years. While the Huskies’ case to be the top team in the East is nearly locked up, their March 6 matchup at No. 8 Marquette is nothing to gloss over. The in-conference tournament and March Madness are only a blink away, and this is a perfect game for both sides to assess where they stand.
A massive storyline heading into this one surrounds Marquette star Tyler Kolek. The 2023 All-American was in the midst of yet another excellent year, averaging 15 points and eight assists in over 30 minutes of work a night. However, the team announced that Kolek will miss the rest of the regular season and is questionable heading into the Big East tournament, a massive loss for the Golden Eagles.
On the other hand, a player that Husky fans will need to keep an eye on heading into this game is how Alex Karaban performs offensively. In his last four games, the 6-foot-8 power forward has struggled to get it going, averaging less than eight points a night on 27% shooting. Karaban has been a quintessential piece to UConn’s success this year despite his offensive woes. Whether through his leadership or defensive growth, head coach Dan Hurley hasn’t been afraid to tell the world how big of an impact the Massachusetts native makes beyond the box score. If the shots aren’t falling for the 21-year-old, look for him to impact the game in other ways. UConn has shown they can handle off nights from the sophomore, but they’d benefit tremendously if he were on.
Another Husky who started a little slow but has found himself in a nice groove as of late is Donovan Clingan. The 7-foot-2 Bristol native’s season got off to a rocky start, nursing a foot injury, with his weight playing a factor. Clingan has looked leaner, quicker and more comfortable on the court lately, losing around 10 pounds. Consider his performance the first time these teams met, which came after his return. On Feb. 17, the big man put up 17 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes of work. Perhaps the most impressive feat of his performance was that he never committed a foul and has managed to stay out of trouble in that department following his recent return to the lineup in late January. If the Huskies want to come out on top in this one, he is a guy they will need to be on point on both sides of the ball, especially if backup center Samson Johnson struggles to stay out of foul trouble.
Another area to watch for is how Hurley manages the rotation. Players like Solomon Ball and Jaylin Stewart are talented and have shown that when on the floor. However, they have struggled to garner significant playing time, with the Huskies looking to go eight deep, seven playing for more than a few minutes. When freshman Stephon Castle was injured, Ball did take his spot in the starting five. Stewart has filled in here and there for Karaban, although those moments have been far and few between. Look out for how both players are utilized in the home stretch, as giving the starters rest during an intense Big East tournament run is critical.
If the Huskies wish to improve to 17-2 in-conference, they must do their best to limit Marquette’s Kam Jones. The 22-year-old guard has been on an offensive tear lately and has the potential to do damage. In his last four games, Jones is averaging over 25 points on nearly 60% from deep, a testament to his deep offensive arsenal. With the loss of Kolek, look for Marquette to lean on Jones to keep the Golden Eagles in the game. If the Husky defense cannot contain him, Connecticut could find themselves in a similar position to their Feb. 20 showdown at Creighton, where the Bluejays shot an unreal 14-28 from deep in Omaha.
It’s March, meaning anything and everything is a possibility. This is a big game for UConn and will have an impact on their momentum headed into both the Big East and NCAA Tournaments. The Huskies have put together a solid season so far, and a win at Marquette would be another feather in their cap. How this squad performs, especially in one of the most hostile places in college basketball, will show fans how ready this team is for pressure-filled situations. Are the Huskies a team that can’t get it done in big games on the road? Or will they rise to the occasion and send the Fiserv Forum crowd home packing? A game like this at Marquette is a perfect opportunity for the basketball community to get a temp check of Connecticut, with nearly no long-term implications. Both teams are playing at a high level, and the only sure thing right now is that it will be must-watch basketball.