Things were not “All Wright” for Xavier (9-5, 1-2 Big East), but things seem to be exactly that for the fourth-ranked UConn men’s basketball team (13-1, 3-0 Big East).
Building on their recent string of impressive performances, the Huskies continued the revenge tour with a 90-67 rout over the Musketeers at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
You would have to really nitpick to find flaws in the Huskies’ start against Xavier. Connecticut got out to a 30-6 start quickly and completely overwhelmed the Musketeers. That was thanks to a 21-2 run after Tarris Reed Jr. scored five unanswered points just over halfway through the first half.
“You want to take the crowd out of it early,” Dan Hurley said on the NBC Sports broadcast.
Xavier would find its footing in the back end of the first half, cutting what was a 25-point lead down to 15 points after making four of the Musketeers’ final five shot attempts in the first 20 minutes.
“Malachi [Smith] and Silas [Demary Jr.] buried us with those two fouls,” Hurley said on the broadcast.
Xavier’s offense is 3-point reliant. Coming into the contest on New Year’s Eve, the Musketeers shoot 35.9% from deep (79th in the country). However, that number has dropped to just 28.3% in Big East play (10th in the league), and those numbers stayed relatively the same against the No. 4 team in the country. The Muskies missed their first 10 shots from deep and finished with a 4-of-18 mark from beyond the arc.
“We came in here at a good time with the students on break and year 1 of what Richard [Pitino’s] gonna put together,” Hurley said. “[Xavier’s] always been one of the top Big East programs, and a program that’s a threat every year to be a second weekend team in the NCAA Tournament.”
Even with Jayden Ross ruled out with hamstring irritation, the Huskies looked like “a wagon” as NBC Sports broadcaster John Fanta said on the broadcast.
Let us start with Braylon Mullins. Needless to say, if the game against Kansas was not his coming-out party, this game certainly was, with 50 to 60 friends and family in attendance. He set a new career-high in 3-pointers made with five, finishing the game with 17 points on 6-of-11 overall shooting.
“For this team to get to its full potential, we need that [version of] Braylon Mullins plus more,” Hurley said. “I think we’re gonna have more nights like tonight, maybe not 13-for-28 [from three], but if this is a team that with Braylon going, [we] should make eight, nine, 10 threes a night.”
Mullins was just the cherry on top of what looked to be the most complete offensive performance the Huskies have had against a major opponent.
UConn set a new season-high with 13 3-pointers made. Solo Ball had 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting, Reed had a great first half with 8 points and finished with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and Alex Karaban finished the game with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Not to mention Karaban just passed Chris Smith in career 3-pointers made. When you are mentioned in the same sentence as the program’s all-time leading scorer, you must be special.
“I really love the pieces we have; I love the depth that we have, I love how we can score in a variety of ways,” Karaban said on the Peacock broadcast.
Hurley also noted that Karaban “set a tone” to the game.
“He’s been a Big East Player of the Year, All-American-level player for us this year,” Hurley said. “The most under-appreciated great player in college basketball…Captain America.”
If UConn can do this on a regular basis, even in a weaker year for the Big East, it is not crazy to picture them getting to Indianapolis in April.
The Huskies improved to 8-5 against Xavier and avenged last year’s loss at the Cintas Center. Their record in 2025, now that the year is over, is 29-9. Sounds like a record a national title contender would have in a season. So far this season, Connecticut has looked every bit of being at that level.
As 2026 arrives, UConn will be back at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion for the first time since Dec. 5 on Sunday as the “stairway to seven” continues with Marquette.