University of Connecticut Athletics
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Georgetown University
Georgetown Comes To Gampel To Challenge #2 Huskies
12/19/2022 10:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UConn Athletic Communications / Dec. 19, 2022
STORRS, Conn. – The #2/#2 UConn men's basketball team brings BIG EAST Conference competition to Gampel Pavilion on Tuesday night when the Huskies play host to longtime conference rival Georgetown (6:30 p.m., FS1).
The Huskies (12-0 overall, 1-0 BIG EAST), one of just five remaining unbeaten teams in Division I, are enjoying their highest ranking in 14 years, but the UConn players might be too focused to notice.
"I don't pay too much attention to it," said junior co-captain Andre Jackson Jr. "Some of the guys may say something, but really, the goal is just to continue to get better and really focus on the Big East regular season right now."
The BIG EAST regular season is the second of the four parts of the season for the Huskies – the non-conference schedule, the BIG EAST regular season, the BIG EAST Tournament, and the NCAA Tournament. Obviously, UConn more than met its expectations in the non-conference schedule with a perfect 11-0 mark. The Huskies started the second part with a 68-46 win at Butler last Saturday.
The Hoyas (5-7, 0-1) are the next obstacle for UConn.
"We just get locked into the scouting report, lock into all the little things, and just stay in the moment and be present when it comes time for the game," Jackson said.
The culture that UConn Coach Dan Hurley has instilled into the program does not allow the team to overlook any opponent, particularly one with such a storied history as Georgetown.
"The have tremendous firepower at the guard spots, even off the bench," Hurley said, "as well as two really talented rim protectors at the four and five spots. If we get away from what makes us really good, things will unravel. We have to continue to do what we do and treat every Big East opponent with tremendous respect because there are no givens in this league."
The Georgetown firepower comes primarily from sophomore guards Primo Spears, a native of Windsor, Conn., who leads the team in scoring (17.6) and Brandon Murray, who is second in scoring on the team (15.1).
"Spears is super fast, super quick," Hurley said. "He's very creative with the ball. He has a lot of flair and makes a lot of splash plays."
The rim protectors are 6-11 senior Qudus Wahab (10.6 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and former UConn player 6-10 Akok Akok (6.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.0 blocks).
"I'm grateful that Akok is playing a lot and that he's playing well," Hurley said. "Until I wake up tomorrow, that is."
UConn, with its lofty ranking and undefeated record, obviously has a huge target on its back for every other Big East team to aim at.
"I think we're ready to play every game, we're well prepared," Hurley said. "The advantage that we've had over other teams is that we came into the season knowing what our identity was. Our secret formula is to outrebound your opponent, be relentless there, and then play elite defense. Add to that some good offense and you've got a good chance."
When UConn's offense struggled in the first half against Butler, the Huskies went to their best option – junior Adama Sanogo. The big forward responded by carrying the Huskies with 27 points and 14 rebounds and sparked the victory.
Sanogo leads UConn in both scoring (19.0) and rebounding (7.3), while sophomore Jordan Hawkins is also averaging double figures (14.2). The rest of the starting unit includes Tristen Newton (9.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.3 apg), Alex Karaban (9.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and Jackson (5.4 ppg, 4.8 apg).
The strength of the Huskies, however, lies in their depth, with 10 players averaging at least 14.7 minutes per game and nobody averaging more than 28.
"Our whole mindset with our depth and our relentless approach is that we're going to throw body blows until we can get a knockout," Hurley said. "The group accepts the fact that on different nights, the minutes will fluctuate based on which lineup and which individuals are best affecting that game."
