Huskies Take on Georgetown: A Thrilling Encounter in the Heart of DC!

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The No. 9 UConn men’s basketball squad (12-4, 4-1 BIG EAST) travels on Saturday for an afternoon clash with longstanding rival Georgetown (12-3, 3-1 BIG EAST). The opening tip from Capital One Arena is slated for 2 p.m. on FOX with Tim Brando and Donny Marshall calling the action.

Connecticut is coming off a narrow defeat at Villanova on Wednesday night, losing 68-66 in a match where they rallied from a double-digit deficit in the second half for the second consecutive time. Solo Ball was the leading scorer for the Huskies with 16 points, all scored in the second half, while Jaylin Stewart contributed 14 in his third start this season. The Huskies achieved an impressive shooting percentage of 54.0 from the field and out-rebounded the Wildcats by nine in their initial visit to Finneran Pavilion with fans since 1995, but were hindered by an unusual 13 turnovers. Georgetown last played on Tuesday against Marquette, losing 74-66 after starting league play with a perfect 3-0 record.

UConn and Georgetown will face off for the 75^th time on Saturday afternoon, a series that originated in 1958 and gained momentum at the beginning of the BIG EAST conference. The Huskies are currently on an eight-game winning streak against the Hoyas, having won every encounter since re-entering the league before the 2020-21 season, shifting the all-time series to a 38-36 lead for UConn. This active winning streak ranks as the third-longest for either team in the series’ history, trailing only a 13-game Hoya winning streak from 1982-88 and an 11-game UConn streak from 1998-2006.

Alex Karaban is the leading scorer for the Huskies this season with an average of 15.9 points per game and was recently named to the Wooden Award Midseason 25 Watch List. The redshirt-junior also contributes 5.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game while boasting a 41.5 percent shooting rate from 3-point range on 2.8 makes per game. Last season against Georgetown, Karaban had two of the standout performances of his career, scoring a career-high 26 points against the Hoyas in Hartford on Jan. 14, followed by 25 points in Washington on Feb. 10. In those two games, Karaban combined for 10-of-15 shooting from 3-point territory.

Ball follows Karaban in the UConn scoring hierarchy with an average of 13.6 points per game and ranks among the best in the nation with a 44.4 percent success rate from 3-point range. Hassan Diarra has risen to be the BIG EAST’s preeminent playmaker with 6.7 assists per game, placing him 10^th nationally, and has increased his scoring to 9.1 points per game, netting double-digit points in four of his last five outings. Tarris Reed Jr. adds 10.6 points along with a team-high 7.6 rebounds per game as a crucial role player to Samson Johnson, who is averaging 7.5 points per game on 78.5 percent shooting.

UConn has been without standout freshman Liam McNeeley for its last two games and he is unlikely to play in Saturday’s matchup. McNeeley ranks second on the team with 13.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

Georgetown is enjoying a strong resurgence with a 12-3 season, starting 3-1 in BIG EAST play under Ed Cooley’s second year as head coach. The Hoyas feature a top-30 defense, according to Kenpom, and hold opponents to a shooting percentage of 37.9 from the field. Thomas Sorber stands out as one of the nation’s premier freshmen this year, leading GU with 15.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Jayden Epps (14.7 ppg) and Malik Mack (14.0 ppg, 4.8 apg) provide the Hoyas with a formidable backcourt duo, while Micah Peavy contributes across the board with averages of 13.3 points, 4.1 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Following the matchup against Georgetown, UConn will take its first break of the conference schedule before resuming play at home on Jan. 18 against Creighton.