University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Illinois
Top-seed Huskies Ready For Elite Eight Date With Illini
3/29/2024 2:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BOSTON – On the precipice of even more history, the top-seed UConn men's basketball team (34-3) plays for the East Regional Final in the NCAA Elite Eight on Saturday, taking on three-seed Illinois (29-8) at the TD Garden. Tip-off is set for 6:09 p.m. ET and will air on TBS with Kevin Harlan, Dan Bonner and Stan Van Gundy on the call.
With a win on Saturday, the Huskies would set a program single-season record for wins and advance to the Final Four in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history. Connecticut has torched its way to this point in the Big Dance, winning its first three games by an average of 28.7 points per game. UConn has now won a program-record nine-straight NCAA Tournament games. Each of those wins has come by double-figures, tying an NCAA Tournament record set by Michigan State from 2000-01.
UConn is coming off a Sweet 16 win over San Diego State on Thursday. In a rematch of the 2023 Title Game, the Huskies commanded the Aztecs in an 82-52 win that saw its backcourt trio of Cam Spencer, Tristen Newton and Stephon Castle combine for 51 points. Castle had 16 and grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds for his first double-double, while Spencer led all scorers with 18 and Newton stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Connecticut out-scored SDSU 42-21 in the second half and finished the game with a +21 rebounding margin.
The Huskies are playing in back-to-back Elite Eights for the first time since 1998 and 1999, the only other time the feat has been accomplished in program history. Newton, a consensus First Team All-American, leads the Huskies with 15.3 points per game to go with 6.8 rebounds and a team-high 6.1 assists per game. Spencer is second on the squad with 14.5 points per game and shoots 44.1 percent from 3-point range, top-five in the nation. Alex Karaban adds 13.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, while Donovan Clingan posts 12.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks a contest on 64.1 percent shooting. Castle rounds out all five starters averaging double-figures, posting 10.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
Illinois advanced to its first Elite Eight since 2005 with a tight win over Iowa State on Thursday night. The Fighting Illini boast the No. 2 offense in the nation, per Kenpom, behind only Connecticut. Terrence Shannon Jr. leads the high-powered attack with 23.5 points per game, while Marcus Domask adds 15.8 and Coleman Hawkins chips in 12.3 a contest. As a team the Illini score over 84 points per game, shooting better than 47 percent from the floor and over 35 percent from 3-point range.
UConn has faced Illinois three times in program history. After dropping the first meeting in the 1938-39 season, the Huskies swept a home-and-home series played in the 1991-92 and 1994-95 seasons. UConn is 6-6 all-time in Regional Finals.
Should the Huskies advance, they would head to Phoenix for the seventh Final Four in program history. UConn would take on the winner of the West Regional final between No. 6 Clemson and No. 4 Alabama.
