University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Villanova
No. 1 Huskies Visit Villanova For Saturday Night Showdown
1/19/2024 12:23:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA – Rivalry renewed in South Philadelphia.
The No. 1 UConn men's basketball team (16-2, 6-1 BIG EAST) hits the road on Saturday night for a primetime showdown against longtime league rival Villanova (11-6, 4-2 BIG EAST) at the Wells Fargo Center. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. on FS1 with Alex Faust and Jim Spanarkel on the call.
The Huskies are riding a six-game winning streak into Saturday's contest, ascending to the top of the national polls this week. Connecticut celebrated its new ranking in style on Wednesday night, knocking off No. 18 Creighton by a score of 62-48 at Gampel Pavilion. It was the lowest scoring output allowed against any opponent this season, as the Huskies were +16 on the glass and forced 14 turnovers against a potent Bluejay squad.
The Huskies and Wildcats have met 73 times in their respective histories, a series dating back to 1941 before the squads began to meet regularly when Villanova joined the BIG EAST for the 1980-81 season. Since that time, the two programs have combined to win eight national championships. UConn is 34-39 all-time against Villanova and 3-4 since returning to the BIG EAST for the 2020-21 campaign. Last season the Huskies swept the regular season series with the Wildcats, a first since 2001-02.
UConn has been led this season by a high-powered offense, currently ranking top-15 in the country in field goal percentage, assist/turnover ratio, scoring margin and assists per game. Cam Spencer (Davidsonville, Md.) leads a balanced UConn attack with 15.5 points per game and is the top 3-point shooter in the BIG EAST at 46.8 percent, good for sixth nationally. Alex Karaban (Southborough, Mass.) follows closely with 15.3 points per game and adds 5.8 rebounds per contest.
All-America candidate Tristen Newton (El Paso, Texas) is third on the Huskies in scoring with 14.9 points per game and leads UConn with 6.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists per contest. Donovan Clingan (Bristol, Conn.) is the fourth Husky in double-figures with 13.3 points per game and is second on the squad with 6.2 rebounds per contest. Clingan recently returned from a five-game injury absence and gave the Huskies 16 minutes off the bench against Creighton, scoring six points with five rebounds and two blocks.
The Wildcats host the Huskies with an 11-6 record on the year, including a 4-2 record in BIG EAST play. Villanova is led offensively by big man Eric Dixon, who scores 15.3 points per game along with 6.4 rebounds per contest. Justin Moore also scores in double-figures for VU with 11.9 points per game, as the Wildcats have seven players averaging at least 7.5 per game. Villanova is coming off a road loss at Marquette in its last outing on Monday. The Wildcats are 6-2 in home games this season and 1-1 at the Wells Fargo Center
Following Saturday night's matchup the Huskies have a brief respite for their bye and will return to action on Sunday, Jan. 28 against Xavier at the XL Center.
