University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Marquette University
#21 UConn MBB Challenges #10 Marquette At XL Center
2/6/2023 11:18:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UConn Athletic Communications / Feb 6, 2023
HARTFORD, Conn. – Riding the momentum of three wins in its last four games, the UConn men's basketball team will challenge its highest-ranked opponent of the season on Tuesday when 10th-ranked Marquette invades the XL Center (6:30 p.m., FS1).
The #21/#21 Huskies (18-6 overall, 7-6 BIG EAST) bowed to Marquette, 82-76, on Jan. 11 in Milwaukee and since then, the Golden Eagles (19-5, 11-2) have risen to the top of the BIG EAST standings.
"Considering that we didn't play well, we were fortunate to be in the game, and maintain the lead into the second half, and have a chance late to make it a one-possession game," UConn Coach Dan Hurley said about the first game against Marquette. "You can look at it one of two ways – we're fortunate to be in the game and I guess we can take some confidence from that, but we we're going to have to play a whole lot better, especially at the defensive end."
Marquette is a red-hot team, riding a five-game winning streak and boasting 10 wins in its last 11 games.
"They create problems with their aggressiveness and their pace," Hurley said. "They create turnovers and they make it very tough. Defensively, they are really hard to guard. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the country in (Tyler) Kolek. (Oso) Ighodaro is a draft pick and (Olivier-Maxence) Prosper is going to play in the NBA. (Kam) Jones is probably one of the most underrated guards in our league in terms of scoring. It's a tough team."
In the first game against the Golden Eagles, it was the UConn freshmen who carried the team, Donovan Clingan contributed a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Alex Karaban added 17 points and 7 rebounds.
"I expect them to come out ready – they're on the road in a hostile environment," Clingan said. "But I'm expecting us to come out ready to play and play a full 40. We have to be strong with the ball and control how it goes. It's a big test for us, but hopefully we'll be able to continue this run."
The Huskies will need better performances from starts Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins, who combined for only 18 points against Marquette. They are averaging a combined 33.5 points per game.
"I'm pretty sure they will come out and play really well," said Karaban, who won his fifth BIG EAST Freshman of the Week award this week. "You always want to play well against a team that beat you."
The all-time series between the teams is in a 7-7 tie, but Marquette owns a 3-1 record against UConn at the XL Center.
"We're used to playing in really big games," Hurley said. "It's nice to be playing one here. We're excited to play this one here, hopefully with a really big crowd. It's going to be a high-level game and those games are a lot more exciting."
