University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Marquette
No. 2 Huskies Visit No. 8 Marquette In Milwaukee
3/5/2024 9:54:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MILWAUKEE – With an outright regular season title already under wraps, the No. 2 UConn men's basketball team (26-3, 16-2 BIG EAST) plays its penultimate regular season contest on Wednesday night when it battles No. 8 Marquette (22-7, 13-5 BIG EAST) at the Fiserv Forum. Tip-off is set for 8:30 ET on FS1 with Jason Benetti and Bill Raftery on the call.
Wednesday will mark the fifth top-10 showdown that the Huskies have played in this season. They are 3-1 in the prior four such outings, including wins over North Carolina, Gonzaga and Marquette.
Connecticut is coming off a win on Sunday against Seton Hall, a triumph that pushed the Huskies to 16-2 in BIG EAST play to clinch an outright regular season title. It is the first regular season championship of any kind for UConn since 2006 and its first outright title since 1999.
In the 91-61 triumph over the Pirates on Sunday, Stephon Castle (Covington, Ga.) led all scorers with 21 points while Tristen Newton (El Paso, Texas) and Donovan Clingan (Bristol, Conn.) both recorded double-doubles. For Newton it was his third-straight double-double, as the All-America candidate leads the Huskies in scoring (15.3 ppg), rebounds (7.1 rpg) and assists (6.0 apg). For Castle's efforts he was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week for the 10th time this season, tying the conference record (Carmelo Anthony, '02-03).
Newton is one of five Huskies averaging double-figures on the year, as the squad boasts the top scoring offense in the BIG EAST and one that ranks among the national leaders in nearly every offensive category. Cam Spencer (Davidsonville, Md.) is second on the squad with 14.8 points per game and shoots 45.0 percent from 3-point range, good for third-best in the nation. Alex Karaban (Southborough, Mass.) adds 13.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, while Clingan chips in 12.6 and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 64.2 percent from the floor.
The Huskies are 9-8 all-time against Marquette, a series dating back to 2005-06 when the Golden Eagles joined the BIG EAST. Since UConn's return to the conference in 2020-21 the Huskies are 6-2 in the series. Earlier this season Connecticut blasted Marquette, 81-53, in a top-five showdown at the XL Center on Feb. 17.
The Golden Eagles host the Huskies with a 22-7 record on the year and a 13-5 mark in BIG EAST play, sitting at second in the conference standings. MU is top-10 in the national polls, checking in at No. 8 this week in the AP Top-25. Kam Jones leads MU with 16.1 points per game and is a 40.0 percent shooter from 3-point range. Tyler Kolek is second on the squad with 15.0 per game and leads the BIG EAST with 7.6 assists per game, but will miss the final contests of the regular season including Wednesday night. Oso Ighodaro adds 14.0 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds per game on 61.3 percent shooting. Kenpom ranks Marquette top-20 in the country in both offensive and defensive efficiencies.
Following the Wednesday night tilt in Milwaukee, UConn heads to Providence for its season finale against the Friars on Saturday, March 9 at 8 p.m.
