Get Ready To Rumble
The Story: UConn is back in the Big East and tonight against Villanova is the type of game we have longed to see. The No. 8 Wildcats come to a sold-out XL Center tonight to take on the No. 21 Huskies (8 p.m., FS1).
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The Huskies are 10-5 in the Big East with four games remaining and in third place in the standings, two games behind Villanova. The Huskies have their eyes on moving into the second spot, but more importantly need to maintain pace with fourth-place Creighton, which is also 10-5 in the conference. The Wildcats have won five straight, including a win over the Huskies two weeks ago in Philadelphia.
WHAT DID DAN HURLEY SAY: “These types of games for us and where we are at as a program trying to climb the next part of the mountain is going into games like this with equal measure. Play so freaking hard. You have to play so hard with discipline and equal measure, playing with … confidence.”
DEFENSE FIRST: What’s changed in the Huskies’ recent three-game winning streak? It comes down to defense, which is the Huskies’ calling card. Villanova shredded UConn for 85 points in the Feb. 5 win and the Huskies’ defense fell to 43rd in the country. UConn has rebounded from that effort and is now back to being one of the top-25 defensive teams in the country.
SUPER NOVA: The Wildcats beat the Huskies in the first meeting despite not having second-leading scorer Justin Moore available. The streaking Wildcats will have the entire roster healthy as Jay Wright gears up for another March run. Collin Gillespie is averaging 16.6 points per game while Moore is at 15.5 to form one of the best backcourts in the country. Eric Dixon torched the Huskies for 24 in the opening game.
REVENGE OF THE HUSKIES, PART III: UConn has knocked off Seton Hall, and then beat Xavier on Saturday to avenge two losses earlier this year. They can take out Villanova tonight to make it three revenge games in a row.
BOUKNIGHT’S CONTROVERSIAL RETURN: In news of the ridiculous, former UConn star James Bouknight was tossed out of Saturday’s game by the referee, and the Charlotte Hornets player went into the student section to finish the game. It was an embarrassing moment for Bouknight and UConn, but the students in attendance loved seeing one of their own come back into the fold. Bouknight, after perhaps talking to “people” when he got back into the NBA world, issued an apology for his behavior.
CLINGAN SCORES 2,000: Bristol Central’s Donovan Clingan scored the 2,0000th point of his high school career as the Rams ended the regular season undefeated. The soon-to-be UConn center now heads to the CCC tournament this week.
Morning Reads
• It’s all coming together for the UConn women. The Huskies blasted Georgetown on Sunday and are getting healthy and rolling as Paige Bueckers continues to work toward a March return. (Hartford Courant)
• The XL Center is broken down and the heat is turning up on UConn and the state about having games in Hartford. The lease is up after this year and games in Hartford remain problematic. (Hearst CT Media)
The men’s hockey team moved up to No. 18 in the polls after splitting a two-game set with defending national champion UMass this weekend. (The UConn Blog)
