“Blue Out Alert: No. 11 Huskies Face Off Against Providence This Sunday!”

STORRS – The No. 11 UConn men’s basketball squad (11-3, 3-0 BIG EAST) is entering Gampel Pavilion with a seven-game winning run for its first home game in more than a month on Sunday when regional opponent Providence (7-7, 1-2 BIG EAST) comes to visit. The afternoon game tips off at 2 p.m. on NBC, featuring Noah Eagle, Donny Marshall, and Britney Eurton on the broadcast.

This matchup on NBC marks UConn’s third-ever game on the National Broadcast Company, having appeared previously in 1996 and 1981. This encounter is UConn’s Bleed Blue, Wear Blue event, encouraging all supporters to don their Husky blue attire at Gampel. The Huskies have triumphed in their last 27 home contests and stand at 30-1 in their previous 31 on campus in Storrs.

UConn is set to face Providence for the 81^st time in the history shared by the New England rivals. Connecticut currently leads the series 49-31, tracing back to their first encounter in 1928, and swept the regular season series last year. UConn has defeated the Friars in four consecutive matches, winning the last six contests at Gampel Pavilion.

The Huskies were last active on New Year’s Day at DePaul, where they surged to a double-digit lead at halftime en route to an 81-68 victory against a significantly improved Blue Demon squad. Solo Ball netted seven 3-pointers as part of a career-high 22 points, while Alex Karaban contributed 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. As a unit, the Huskies connected on 14 3-point shots and restricted a DePaul team, known for its shooting beyond the arc, to a 3-for-12 performance.

Karaban currently leads the Huskies this season with an average of 16.7 points per game, alongside 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game. He is also achieving a personal best of 42.9 percent from the 3-point line. Ball contributes 13.2 points per game, shooting at a 44.7 percent rate from long distance, while Tarris Reed Jr. adds 10.9 points and a team-high 8.1 rebounds per game. Hassan Diarra leads the team and ranks third in the BIG EAST with 6.4 assists per game, while Samson Johnson has started in 13 games, averaging 7.5 points per game with an impressive 82.7 percent shooting rate. UConn is anticipated to be without Liam McNeeley (13.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg) this Sunday due to an ankle injury sustained at DePaul.

Providence currently sits at 7-7 for the season and has begun BIG EAST play with a 1-2 record. Bryce Hopkins leads PC with an average of 17.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game but has only participated in three games. Jayden Pierre averages 12.6 points per game, while Bensley Joseph records 11.3 points per night. Providence boasts a top-80 defense according to Kenpom and ranks among national leaders in field goal percentage defense.

After the game on Sunday, the Huskies will continue a stretch of four out of five games away from home with a trip to Villanova on January 8.