One would assume that when No. 4 UConn men’s basketball takes on Columbia at Gampel Pavilion, it will serve as nothing more than a tune up game before its non-conference schedule heats up.
Head Coach Dan Hurley disagrees.
“As far as I’m concerned, Columbia, is the Super Bowl for us on Monday night,” Hurley said. “We’ve got to raise our level of intensity going into that game. We’ve got to be, like a pack of hungry wolves in that one.”
Both teams tipped off their seasons with victories over New Haven, who just made the transition to Division I this season. Hurley says that Columbia (1-0) “beat New Haven better than [UConn] beat them.” The Lions came away with a 71-53 win on the road. The victory was Columbia Head Coach Kevin Hovde’s debut, earning the first win of his career.
Monday will mark the 12th meeting between the two teams. UConn (2-0) holds a 9-2 record advantage over the Lions all-time. The last time they faced off was in the fall of 2017, Kevin Ollie’s last season as Head Coach for the Huskies, as Hurley would take over the following season.
In that game, UConn rallied back from a 15-point deficit to force overtime, after the Lions lead for over 36 minutes of the game. Christian Vital scored seven points in overtime and made a decisive steal to secure a 77-73 win for UConn. Vital finished the game with 29.
Columbia has just six wins all-time when facing a nationally ranked team. The Huskies will pose their first test against a ranked opponent since 2019, when they played No. 9 Virginia. It is just the 10th time in school history that Columbia has taken on a top-five team.
UConn enters the game 2-0 after a win over UMass Lowell, that can be described as nothing short of utter domination. The Huskies took a program record 47-point lead at half time, as the River Hawks failed to score a basket for over 13 minutes of action.
UConn had an efficient night, shooting 60.9% from the field. This was the team’s highest mark since Feb. 10, 2024, when the Huskies posted a 61.1%.
Tarris Reed Jr. made his season debut for UConn, as a hamstring injury kept him sidelined for the opener. Reed immediately made his impact felt, notching a 20-point double-double. He snatched five rebounds before making his first substitution of the game.
“I think, when you look at us across the floor, and you see T Reed playing the five, it’s a scary sight, because he has such a big presence,” Silas Demary Jr. said. “He talks a lot. I think he’s a leader. So, I think him being on the floor just brought another level of who we are.”
The Preseason All-Big East First Team center selection played just 17 minutes in that game, as the team looks to avoid reaggravating his injury. Hurley commented that Reed felt “great,” and will likely see an increase in play going forward.
“He was on the minutes restriction [Monday], so, you know, we’ll be able to bump that up,” Hurley said. “We wanted to keep him at 20 now he can go, and I’d imagine we’ll extend that out another five to eight minutes.”
After being named to multiple preseason National Player of the Year watch lists, Alex Karaban has gotten off to a hot start to his 2025-26 campaign. He has knocked down a trifecta of three-pointers in each of his first two outings, and his shooting 60% from beyond the arc.
“The skills are way better. He’s physically stronger. He’s a better player,” Hurley said. “He can play at a high level in his sleep.”
One of Columbia’s key strengths this season is its continuity. The Lions are returning 68.4% of their scoring from last season, which ranks seventh in the country. Kenny Nolan and Connecticut native Avery Brown are both in position to score 1,000 career points for Columbia this season.
The pair each finished the win over New Haven in double figures, along with first-year Miles Franklin who shot a perfect 5/5 from the field.
This will be the Huskies’ final game before facing their first ranked opponent, No. 8 BYU on Nov. 15. Four of UConn’s five games following Columbia will be against nationally ranked opponents.
Fans can tune into the game on FS1, as the action tips off at 6:30 p.m.