Sweet 16 Preview: (2) UConn vs. (3) Michigan State | 9:45 p.m. on CBS

UConn men’s basketball is back in the nation’s capital, this time for the nation’s marquee NCAA Tournament regional, taking on Michigan State tonight at 9:45 p.m., with an Elite Eight matchup against either Duke or St. John’s waiting for the winner.

The Huskies’ spirits should be buoyed by two solid wins to start the Big Dance. Tarris Reed Jr.’s record-breaking first-round performance paved the way for Alex Karaban’s takeover in the UCLA game. The two senior stars were not going to let UConn fall out of this tournament in disappointing fashion, even with some injuries.

Dan Hurley’s squad also got a boost from the return of Silas Demary Jr. in Sunday’s Round of 32 win. The transfer point guard’s defensive presence made a huge difference as the Huskies pulled away across the second half. 

On Friday night, they meet a team that they saw earlier this season in exhibition play.

UConn hosted Michigan State in its second and final preseason game, which the Huskies won 76-69, though the final score was closer than the game. They led the entire way and were up as much as 13 before letting the Spartans close in late.

Having played before offers some familiarity to both sides heading into this matchup, even though it was all the way back in October.

“I think if you were a first-time playing UConn, you might be in shambles, not know how fast, how physical, how good they shoot it,” Michigan State point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. said. “If it's your first time playing them, you might not know what to expect.”

Karaban said he recalls, “the physicality they play with, the rebounding, how fast they play, the pace they play at,” but adds that MSU has evolved quite a bit since then.

“They're so different from October to March,” he continued, “Everybody on their roster has been playing better...They're one of the fastest teams in the country; we have to be ready for that.”

Hurley shared that the exhibition offered a solid test for both teams at that time, and both teams have clearly learned from it. 

“We were very intentional about trying to schedule them for that game right before the opener so we could really identify our vulnerabilities,” Hurley said. “They were on full display in that game. They exposed us.”

He went on to share some of UConn’s deficiencies on that day.

“We gave up six or seven free-throw rebounds in that game. Our transition defense was a joke. We got assaulted on the glass. There was a lot there in that game that we were able to show the guys this week when we got manhandled,” Hurley explained.

Michigan State also got the memo after allowing a strong shooting performance from the Huskies and losing the battle on the glass, while the Spartans struggled from deep.

“We spoke maybe a couple days later about our teams,” Hurley shared, on a post-game conversation with Spartan head coach Larry Izzo. “He was really disappointed in how they showed up for that.”

Hurley reiterated the advances they’ve made since then.

“The perimeter players, the three-point shooting. Fears' development as the point guard, Cooper making threes, lobs, scoring in the post. Kohler doing the same things, minus the lob dunks. The wing shooting,” he continued.

Playing without Tarris Reed Jr. and Braylon Mullins in that first meeting, UConn has some new elements to break out as well.

Reed is the first person to post 40+ points and 40+ rebounds across the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since Tim Duncan in 1997, and just the third since Hakeem Olajuwon did it in 1983.

After his 30-point, 27-rebound performance against Furman, he was aggressively double-teamed by UCLA, opening things up on the perimeter for Karaban, who posted a career high 27 points, one game after striking for 22.

“Tarris is probably one of the more physical guys ever to play this year,” Carson Cooper said. “The way he's playing right now, he's playing his best basketball. I think we are, too, so... It's going to come down to who's the most physical, who is the most aggressive.”

Fears is MSU’s clear leader. He posted 27 assists through the first weekend and their leading scorer. Demary Jr., still working on improved health after an injury kept him out of the first-round game, will play a key role in stopping him.

“He's very good at getting in the paint, getting everybody shot, getting his bigs the ball,” Demary Jr. said. “He's a very good defender. He pushes their pace a lot. Gets it out in transition and runs. Hits a lot of passes to Coen Carr, to Kohler, and Cooper, as well.”

Demary Jr. continued: “That matchup I'm looking forward to. I just got to be able to guard him without getting in foul trouble because he's good at drawing fouls. Being smart and staying down and forcing him into tough shots.”

Michigan State’s statistical profile reads a lot like UConn’s. The Spartans are highly rated on both sides of the ball, but stronger defensively, with an emphasis on rebounding and moving the ball well, boasting the second-best assist-to-field goal ratio in the country, a metric where UConn is also top 10.

The Spartans are also the best in the country at preventing offensive rebounds and ninth in offensive rebound rate. They have two experienced bigs in seniors Jaxon Kohler (8.9 RPG) and Cooper (7.1 RPG).

“Defensively, they're blocking out every single time. Offensively, they're crashing, 1 through 5 crashing the glass,” Karaban said, adding that the matchup is “really about will and determination, who wants the ball.”

“Who's willing to continue their season by rebounding the ball?”

“Whoever gets the most defensive rebounds and defends well will win the game,” Reed Jr. added. “We've been doing a good job the last two games, crashing the glass. That's not going to change for us.”

UConn’s injury report is clear after listing Demary Jr. and Jaylin Stewart as questionable in the last game. Jaylin Stewart has missed eight games with a leg injury but may be available tonight. Demary Jr. played 22 minutes on a 20-minute restriction on Sunday.

“He’s been working his tail off to get back on the court,” Jayden Ross said of his backcourt mate. “It definitely gives all of us inspiration...we’re all gonna go out and play for each other at the end of the day.”