UConn basketball

Villanova vs UConn prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch, lines, and why each team might - or might not - win on Friday.

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Bring on the Wildcats. The University of Connecticut was able to stick to their brand of basketball as they focused on their defensive identity to move on ...

UConn chants, clothing and more could be found in Madison Square Garden as they looked to give the Huskies an advantage. If the Huskies can play a similar defensive performance to Thursday’s win, that would bode well for UConn’s chances to advance toward a Big East championship. That defensive focus could be seen the most in the first half as the Huskies held the Pirates to just 18 points. UConn played as advertised on offense with valuable contributions from all their starters with the absence of freshman Jordan Hawkins and an off night from Adama Sanogo. Seniors Tyrese Martin and R. J. Cole were a huge part of UConn’s offense on Thursday. Both players combined for 34 points to lead the team’s offensive barrage. Jackson was able to show off his passing ability too with some great feeds to his fellow Huskies and control UConn’s offensive tempo. UConn now moves on to one of their biggest tests of the year, a rematch with Villanova University on the biggest basketball stage in the world, Madison Square Garden. Villanova moved on to play the Huskies after a huge 17-point comeback to win by just a single point.

“It was electric. It's why you come to a place like UConn,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said after the Huskies beat Seton Hall 62-52 Thursday night in the ...

We encourage you to view your opt out options in Revcontent's Privacy PolicyWant your content to appear on sites like this?Increase Your Engagement Now!Want to report this publisher's content as misinformation?Submit a ReportGot it, thanks! Neill joined the JI in December 2011 and was promoted to Sports Editor in October 2020. For live game updates, and more insight into UConn athletics, player transfers, and team changes, follow Neill on Twitter: @NeillOstrout, Facebook: JINeillO, and Instagram: @NeillOstrout.

Alex Chambrello, left, and Eimante Eidukaityt, both of Waterbury, made their first trip to Madison Square Garden since the beginning of the pandemic on Thursday ...

“Obviously, it’s not ideal but I get it,” said Brimecombe, who gave up his season tickets at the XL Center several years ago. Following new guidance from New York City officials, fans were not required to show proof of vaccination or wear a mask to attend the game. “As you get deeper into the tournament, there’s more and more UConn fans showing up.” “I think conference championship games are always so exciting,” Lawson said. “It’s going to be great, it’s going to be loud, there’s going to be a lot of UConn fans there tonight,” Zyskowski said. “It’s a ton of fun, especially for UConn fans because it’s like a madhouse,” Brimecombe said Thursday as they rode a Metro-North train to the game.

Big performances from the UConn defense and Tyrese Martin propelled the Huskies to victory.

It’s one of the reasons why UConn is comfortably a five seed on Sunday and the Xavier Musketeers— who went 13-29 (!) in their first round exit to Butler — are likely playing in the NIT next week. If those ticky-tack fouls start to pile up, especially on Cole or Sanogo, the Huskies will have to find positive ways to channel their frustrations. Sanogo is 36th in the country in rebounds at 8.6 per game. The Huskies did just that yesterday, going 12-14 from the charity stripe. Villanova’s ultra-efficient offense will be a major test for this team, but UConn seems ready for the task. The Huskies held Seton Hall to just 18 first half points, the Pirates’ lowest total of the season.

The UConn recruit guided Homestead to a 23-2 record and its fourth-straight sectional championship this season, averaging 25.8 points.

"I was trying to stay in the game mode," Patterson said. "She came down afterwards and I was so excited to take a photo with her," she continued. "Everyone stood up and started going crazy because we knew what she was going to do," Stephens said. It was also her ability to pass and create for teammates, to defend — all kinds of things where you're just like, 'Wow, that's next-level.'" Patterson peeked over her shoulder to make sure no one was chasing her and committed: She was going for the dunk. "I didn't know what to do," Parker said. "She was just down there going nuts on people," he laughed. "If I get the ball on the left side, I gotta go for the dunk." She's taken every advantage she can to make it a positive impact and help grow the game." Andre was confident his daughter could play college basketball and believed the academic rigors and class offerings at Homestead would enable her to get into any school she wanted. "Homestead has developed two Miss Basketball players — (that) says a lot about coach Parker and his program," she continued. Patterson took a moment to collect herself, then began to admire the red-white-and-blue jersey, clutching it with one hand as she wiped away tears with the other.

Martin and Cole will need to continue to shoulder the offensive load to match the production of a dynamic Villanova backcourt led by Collin Gillespie. Sanogo ...

In general, Villanova’s experience, depth and versatility makes them a tough out in just about any tournament, and the Wildcats are likely the odds-on favorite to win the Big East now following Providence’s debacle with Butler Thursday afternoon. With Samuels, who scored 13 points against UConn last time out, potentially out once again, the Huskies will almost certainly rely on the trio of Daniels, Moore and Gillespie to get most of their buckets. With the injuries and illnesses possibly holding Hawkins and Polley out of the game, the door is once again open for Jalen Gaffney to make a legitimate difference. If he can even hit one deep shot early on, it will help open up the paint for him, Martin and Cole to drive to the hoop and prevent double teams on Sanogo and Whaley in the post. After a stifling defensive performance against Seton Hall in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals to secure a 62-52 win, the UConn men’s basketball team will take on No. 2 seed Villanova Friday night in the semifinals. Whether it was first game jitters, an off night or something in between, the Wildcats may not be be playing their best basketball but still has managed to win all three of their games since losing in Hartford on Feb. 22