40 minutes separate the UConn men’s basketball team (23-9, 14-6 Big East) from the Big East title game.
After getting by the Villanova Wildcats, the Huskies will face the Creighton Bluejays (23-9, 15-5 Big East) to cap off the Big East Tournament’s coveted semifinal on Friday night.
Historically, Creighton has Connecticut’s number, with an 8-3 advantage in the all-time series that goes back to Dec. 20, 2020.
Creighton was on the ropes in a double overtime thriller on Thursday night. However, despite DePaul’s resilience, the Bluejays survived with little to no gas left.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, a consensus All-Big East first team pick, carried Creighton with 32 points on 14-21 shooting. The four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year also recorded nine rebounds and five blocks. He made a compelling case for Big East Player of the Year, which went to St. John’s wing RJ Luis Jr., averaging over 19 points per game, nine rebounds and nearly three blocks per game on over 66% shooting from the floor. He also made two 3-pointers after going the previous five games without knocking one down.
He was key in the first meeting against the Huskies this season, with a 23-point, 10-rebound performance, leading Creighton to an upset win at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion.
In that game, Jamiya Neal broke out as the Bluejays’ leading scorer at 24 points on 10-16 shooting. This season, the Arizona State transfer has averaged 11.3 points per game on 43.9% shooting. He played 50 minutes on Thursday night, scoring nine points and handing out five assists.
Steven Ashworth, who made the All-Big East Second Team, was a nonfactor for most of the game. However, he hit the game-tying 3-pointer with 21 seconds to play and has given the Huskies fits in the past. He fouled out after playing over 39 minutes during the thrilling win over DePaul.
The former Utah State Aggie has had his best season in the Creighton uniform. He is averaging over 16 points per game and ranks in the top 10 in assists per game nationally, finishing the regular season averaging seven per game.
The Huskies split the regular season series, with the road team winning in each matchup. In the last meeting, Liam McNeeley had one of the best performances by a UConn freshman in program history. The reigning Big East Freshman of the Year scored a career-high 38 points, carrying the Huskies to a 70-66 victory just over a month ago.
UConn’s offense is hot, and Creighton’s defense has not been so far in Manhattan. DePaul shot 12-30 from 3-point range. With perimeter weapons like McNeeley, Solo Ball and Alex Karaban, expect adjustments to be made on head coach Greg McDermott’s end. Creighton allowed DePaul guard Layden Blocker to get hot from deep, knocking down five of his seven attempts.
In the first two meetings, Connecticut excelled in the paint, averaging 37 points per game inside.
While they were killed on the glass in the first two meetings, UConn has trended in the right direction on the glass. They have cleaned up their effort on the offensive glass, ranking in the 99th percentile nationally in the last five games.
With Karaban heating up in March, it would be a convenient time for him to stay hot and bounce back after two dismal performances against the Bluejays.
The winner will take on the winner of No. 6 St. John’s and No. 25 Marquette on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Huskies tip off at 9 p.m. on FOX as they look for back-to-back appearances in the Big East Championship game.