Huskies Second to None
The Story: The men’s basketball team is inching closer to the top spot in the nation and will put its No. 2 ranking on the line against Georgetown tonight (6:30 p.m., FS1).
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: UConn didn’t eclipse Purdue at No. 1 in the polls despite being No. 1 in almost every unbiased metric. The Huskies rose one spot to No. 2 and — in the Associated Press poll — are within 20 points of the Boilermakers as they received 21 of the 61 first-place votes.
• The Huskies entertain Georgetown, which is ranked No. 173 in KenPom and is on a 19-game losing streak in Big East play under beleaguered coach Patrick Ewing.
• They are beating teams by an average of 26.2 points a game, have not trailed in the second half, and are -11 against the spread entering the game with what is sure to be a raucous crowd Gampel Pavilion.
• At No. 2, this is UConn’s highest ranking since 2008-09, which culminated in a Final Four berth.
• Samson Johnson, who has been out with a foot injury, may be back in the next week, per Dan Hurley.
WELCOME HOME, AKOK: Tonight’s game marks the return to Storrs of Akok Akok, who transferred at the end of last season. The 6-foot-10 senior is averaging 6.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game with two blocks for the Hoyas.
WHAT DID HURLEY SAY? “Grateful that he’s doing well and playing a lot and playing well. And I’m grateful that he spent an important part of his life here and really helped our program. The time that he was here, the program really improved a lot. That’s today, but when I wake up tomorrow, I’m not sentimental. We’re in pursuit of a championship in the regular season. That’s very hard to do.”
ABOUT GEORGETOWN: The Hoyas tried to overhaul their team with transfers, but at 5-7, they just haven’t jelled.
• Windsor native Primo Spears is leading Georgetown in scoring at 17.6 points per game while Brandon Murray is scoring 15.6 points per game and Jay Heath scoring 14.6.
• The Hoyas have firepower on offense, but the trademark defensive toughness hasn’t materialized. They are ranked No. 265 per KenPom’s adjusted defensive metrics.
• Akok is joined in the frontcourt by Qudus Wahab, who is averaging 10.6 points per game in his return to Georgetown after one season at Maryland.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS: This is the Huskies’ final game before Christmas break as the team won’t be in action until Dec. 28 against Villanova. Don’t call the box office for tickets. They’re already sold out.
A Bowl Loss With Some Grit
The Story: The football team lost 28-14 to Marshall in the Myrtle Beach Bowl yesterday afternoon, but it still doesn’t stop the good vibes going into the offseason.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The Huskies did not play well in the first half, as three turnovers, resulting in 14 points, led to a 21-0 lead at the half for Marshall.
• Zion Turner‘s two first-half turnovers hurt the Huskies, including an interception returned for a touchdown by a defensive lineman that made it 14-0. Turner struggled early but played better in the second half and was 9-for-27 for 166 yards with three interceptions and a fumble.
• Victor Rosa capped an extraordinary freshman year with two more touchdowns and 75 rushing yards and finished his season with 636 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns.
• Keelan Marion caught two passes for 69 yards, showing his down-the-field explosiveness that the team missed for most of the season.
TOO BIG A HOLE: Marshall took a 28-0 lead early in the third quarter before the Huskies got on the board on Rosa’s first touchdown.
• UConn had first-and-goal at the Marshall 8-yard line with six minutes left, but a holding penalty knocked it back. Three plays later, UConn’s chance at perhaps a wild bowl rally ended with Turner’s third interception on a desperation heave into the end zone and the Huskies never got the ball back.
• The teams were both heavily penalized, with the Huskies getting 10 penalties for 115 yards and Marshall 11 for 112.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: UConn and Marshall were even in almost all categories except turnovers.
• UConn held a 316-303 edge in offense and averaged 15.6 yards per completion.
• Marshall had 19 first downs to UConn’s 18, and the teams were nearly equal in yards per play — Marshall at 4.7 and UConn 4.6.
• Marshall used the run game to wear the Huskies down, producing 210 yards on the ground.
WHAT DID MORA SAY? “I’m really proud of this football team and the progress they made, the strides that they made. I’m proud to be their coach. It’s an extremely disappointed locker room and to me, that signals progress again. There was nobody just satisfied to get to a bowl game. We came here to win.”
OUR TAKE: UConn ends the season 6-7, its 11th straight season under .500, but hardly anyone left the field yesterday feeling down. UConn has a lot of work to do, mainly in the passing game, and there is a talent gap that needs to close if the Huskies want to regularly compete with Power 5 teams.
• In one season, Mora injected life into the program and has fans, alumni and even pundits speaking highly of the Huskies for the first time in over a decade.
• The Huskies are no longer the laughingstock of college football, and in the span of 12 months, the entire program, culture and narrative have changed. That’s a credit to Mora’s dream and the players’ belief, and that deserves to be applauded.
Morning Reads
• Dorka Juhasz has had injury after injury but came back in a big way for the No. 9-ranked women’s basketball team against Florida State. (Hearst Connecticut Media)
Top photo: Dan Hurley during the season-opening win over Stonehill. (Ian Bethune for The UConn Daily)
