University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
North Carolina
UConn Set For Top-10 Showdown At Jimmy V Classic
12/4/2023 1:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball
NEW YORK – Back to the Big Apple.
The No. 5 UConn men's basketball team (7-1) will return to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night to take part in the Jimmy V Classic for the fifth time in program history. The Huskies will square off with No. 9 North Carolina (7-1) at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN with Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas and Angel Gray on the call.
The trip to New York will signify UConn's third game this season at Madison Square Garden, with at least two more on the docket. The Huskies went 2-0 in their previous trip to the World's Most Famous Arena, taking down Indiana and No. 15 Texas to win the 2023 Saatva Empire Classic. Dan Hurley is now 8-6 as the UConn head coach at The Garden and the UConn program is 70-60 at MSG.
The match-up with the Tar Heels continues a trend of major early season tests for Connecticut and marks UConn's third Top-15 match-up and second top-10 showdown of the season. The Huskies are 1-5 all-time against North Carolina in a series dating back to 1990. UConn is also looking to turn around its fortunes in the Jimmy V Classic, currently winless in its prior four jaunts into the event.
UConn is coming off a hard-fought loss at No. 5 Kansas, snapping an NCAA record streak of 24-straight non-conference wins by double-digits. Tristen Newton (El Paso, Texas) led the Huskies with 31 points in the setback, his most in a UConn uniform.
Newton leads the Huskies across the board this season, coming into Tuesday's contest with team-highs of 17.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. He is a three-time selection to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll and was named to the Wooden Award Preseason Watch List earlier this year.
Overall the Huskies have five players averaging at least 14 points per game, with Cam Spencer (Davidsonville, Md.) checking in with 15.0 per game, Stephon Castle (Covington, Ga.) coming in at 14.5 per game, Donovan Clingan (Bristol, Conn.) scoring 14.1 per game and Alex Karaban (Southborough, Mass.) rounding out the top-five with 14.0 per game. As a team the Huskies are top-20 in the NCAA and first in the BIG EAST in scoring offense, scoring defense and scoring margin.
North Carolina enters the contest off to a strong 7-1 start. RJ Davis leads a potent offense with 20.4 points per game and Armando Bacot averages a double-double at 16.3 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. The Tar Heels have won their last three contests, picking up wins over Tennesee, Arkansas and Florida State in that span.
Following the Jimmy V Classic, UConn returns home on Saturday, Dec. 9 to host Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Gampel Pavilion.
