Gameday: Huskies looking for a sweet return
Making the Sweet 16 is an admirable goal for any high-major basketball program in a given year. Despite the randomness of the NCAA Tournament, if you earn a high enough seed your path through the first two games shouldn’t be too difficult.
Going into last year’s tourney, Husky fans knew they had a strong side but also didn’t want to overextend expectations for a team and coach that hadn’t made it past the first round in two consecutive tries. When the 2023 Huskies trailed Iona at halftime, or St. Mary’s early in the second-round game, those fears returned.
Since then, however, it’s been a different story. UConn has not provided any evidence suggesting that it is anything less than a juggernaut. The 2023 squad ripped through the rest of the competition. What the Huskies have been up to since then (dual Big East titles, All-Americans, Big East and program win records) with a remade roster has raised expectations even higher going into this year’s tourney.
It’s Final Four or bust.
After taking care of business in the first round, a decent Big Ten team sits between the Huskies and their second straight Sweet 16 appearance. It would be their first time doing that since 2004, when the Huskies accomplished that feat for the third straight year.
Dan Hurley’s Huskies have maintained high mental sharpness and energy throughout this season, winning eight straight since the setback at Creighton. With one more win, they’ll be off to Boston for the regional semifinal.
Northwestern Preview
TV: TruTV (Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill, Tracy Wolfson)
Radio: UConn Sports Network
Odds: UConn -14, over/under 136 (via DraftKings)
Location: Barclays Center — Brooklyn, New York
KenPom Predicted Score: UConn 75, Northwestern 65 (81 percent win probability)
Storrs Central members received an in-depth scouting report on the Wildcats, thanks to a community member. Here’s a sneak peek:
Led by 11th-year head coach Chris Collins, Northwestern lost eight games in the Big Ten this season, plus its conference tournament opener, and also lost to Chicago State. They have beaten Purdue and Illinois but did both at home in overtime. They also needed overtime to take care of FAU in the first round.
They’re not particularly deep or skilled and have dropped games to lowly Minnesota and Rutgers on the road. Though Boo Buie and Ryan Langborg are dangerous players, their rotation is seven deep and nobody is going to be able to contend with the Donovan Clingan-Samson Johnson combo down low.
“Their guards are unbelievable…and their defense is really good,” Alex Karaban said. “We have to be ready to play because they have an All-American point guard in Boo Buie and Langborg who played well last night, too.”
UConn is a heavy favorite in the gambling odds and analytical projections for a reason. Northwestern is an okay shooting team that’s good at keeping turnovers down, and not a particularly good defensive or rebounding team. The Huskies should eat them up in a semi-home environment.
UConn boasts the most efficient offense in the country and elite defensive prowess, especially from starters Steph Castle and Donovan Clingan but also Hassan Diarra off the bench.
In terms of familiarity, Cam Spencer played Northwestern twice last year when he was at Rutgers, hitting a game-winning three to defeat the Wildcats. His brother also played for Northwestern for one season as a grad transfer after a decorated college lacrosse career.
“Obviously a different team from last year, but they bring back a lot of the big pieces that they had,” Spencer said. “They’re a physical team. They take pride in their defense and how hard they play…we'll have to bring our A-game and we'll be ready.”