Whether it was the Dream Season in 1990 or the Allen vs. Allen battle in 1996, the UConn-Georgetown rivalry reached its peak in the 1990s.
There have been moments recently where the two faced each other in games that were exciting until the very end. However, this chapter of the rivalry does not feature a high-stakes battle between two of the top teams in the Big East.
The third-ranked Huskies (17-1, 7-0 Big East) come into the Capital One Arena on Saturday riding a 13-game winning streak (fourth-longest in college basketball). Connecticut has started Big East play with a 7-0 record, the best start since the 1989-90 season, when the Huskies started 11-0. It is the third-best start in UConn’s history in the league. The two seasons that this team trails in that stat resulted in the Huskies winning the Big East championship outright.
“That’s good, right?” Dan Hurley asked after the Huskies’ 69-64 win at No. 25 Seton Hall on Tuesday night.
When the start is compared to two seasons that saw the Huskies not only win the Big East but also earn No. 1 seeds and, at the very least, make the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, it is hard to argue against the start being on that level.
There have been close calls, including the win at Seton Hall, which used to be Connecticut’s kryptonite. The overtime win at Providence saw UConn look vulnerable for the first time since the Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 9.
While UConn has taken advantage of a weaker Big East, their continued dominance positions them as the undisputed team to beat, with emerging challengers hoping to end their hot start and redefine the conference hierarchy.
After a promising start, including a win over now-ranked Clemson, Georgetown (9-8, 1-5 Big East) is riding into Saturday on a four-game losing streak. In his third season at the helm, head coach Ed Cooley has not fared super well after leaving Providence in hopes of reaching a higher ceiling.
After a promising improvement last season, that Clemson win back in November is just one of three against major conference foes this season, the other two being Maryland and Marquette—not exactly eye-popping.
To be fair, there was a lot of turnover from last season. Thomas Sorber and Micah Peavy are off to the NBA, while Jayden Epps transferred to Mississippi State.
In the offseason, the Hoyas struck gold with Arizona transfer KJ Lewis, who leads the team in scoring with 15 points per game on average (9th in Big East). Mack is just behind him, averaging 14.5 per contest (10th in Big East). The latter ranks second behind Alex Karaban in the Big East in minutes, averaging 32.4 per game.
Last year’s Georgetown team had Peavy as one of the top on-ball defenders in the league. This year, look for Lewis to be one of the top players in forcing turnovers, averaging 2.1 steals per game (tied for second in the conference).
That is where the Hoyas have to capitalize. They rank 33rd in the country in fast-break points per game (14.6). 18.9% of the team’s points come in transition.
Speaking of turnovers, that is a stat category in which Georgetown excels on the offensive side. The Hoyas rank 7th in the country in offensive turnover percentage at 13.4%.
UConn made it clear to make a presence in the paint early against Seton Hall, but chances are that will not slide against a team that ranks 34th in the country in paint points allowed per game in the last five contests.
Georgetown is coming off a heartbreaking loss at Creighton in overtime in a game that looked to be theirs until it was not. Former Husky Isaiah Abraham starts for the Hoyas but missed that contest due to an undisclosed injury. He serves as the team’s premier sharpshooter, connecting on 41.9% of his 3-point attempts.
UConn players and fans have reason to be confident: Hurley is undefeated against Georgetown (10-0), which has helped the Huskies take the all-time lead (40-36) and build a 5-0 true road record with victories against teams like Kansas, Providence, and Seton Hall. These facts illustrate UConn’s current dominance, reinforcing the main argument about the 2024 shift in the rivalry.
On Friday afternoon, it was announced that Karaban was the only Big East player on the Oscar Robertson Trophy mid-season watch list, which goes to the nation’s best player. Braylon Mullins, on the other hand, was also the lone Big East representative on the Wayman Tisdale Award mid-season watch list that goes to the nation’s best freshman.
Expect more mid-season honors for both Karaban and Mullins, both having sensational seasons, as well as others, as they get announced.
Tip-off from Washington, D.C. on Saturday is set for noon and can be watched on FOX.