The UConn Blog - All PostsEscalators are for cowards.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49593/uconn-fav.png2024-03-19T07:30:00-04:00http://www.theuconnblog.com/rss/current/2024-03-19T07:30:00-04:002024-03-19T07:30:00-04:00Roundtable: Thoughts on UConn’s East Region draw
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<p>The Huskies are the No. 1 overall seed in their quest to repeat as national champions</p> <p id="pw5r9l">UConn’s path for a chance at a national title repeat was revealed Sunday night, earning the honor of the No. 1 overall seed for the first time in program history. The Huskies are top dogs of the East Region, which begins in Brooklyn on Friday. A trip to the Sweet 16 means a visit to Boston’s TD Garden, and a regional title means UConn’s first plane trip in weeks would be to Phoenix in early April for the Final Four.</p>
<p id="3COUIR">Our staff breaks down the Huskies’ bracket, some key teams and players to keep an eye on and more. </p>
<h4 id="bbGJqL">General reactions</h4>
<p id="8PXJRn"><strong>Patrick Martin:</strong> I told some folks Saturday night that the only teams that gave me pause were Auburn, Iowa State, and Illinois. Sick, why not throw all three into the East region? There are landmines riddled throughout the East that could prevent UConn from getting to Phoenix. The top four seeds all won their conference tournaments and are top 10 in KenPom. BYU is underseeded. Florida Atlantic and San Diego State have Final Four pedigree. UConn is the No. 1 overall seed for a reason and should fear no team. This is March and there are no bad teams, but the basketball gods did the Huskies no favors with the way the bracket broke.</p>
<p id="rhsyT3"><strong>Shawn McGrath: </strong>UConn caught a tough break. According to the committee, the Huskies have the easiest road, but three of the KenPom top 10 are in the region, while San Diego State, a Final Four team from a year ago, looms as the 5-seed and they’ll face either fellow Final Four team Florida Atlantic or star Boo Buie of Northwestern in the second round. It’ll hardly be easy for Dan Hurley and the Huskies to return to the Final Four.</p>
<p id="GQKjqy"><strong>Dan Madigan: </strong>It’s giving worse “Bracket of Death” vibes than last year for me, to be honest. The three seeds after UConn are tournament champs of the Big 12, Big 10 and SEC, respectively. This means not only that these teams are very good, but that they are playing some of their best basketball heading into the tournament. The committee, arguably as bad as ever this year, somehow managed to place three of the 10 best teams according to KenPom in what should be the “easiest” path to Phoenix. It’s not, and that’s ok — UConn will need to beat top teams to cut down the nets for a second-straight year. </p>
<p id="fcTDBK">But maybe I am just overreacting, because the experts don’t seem to agree. Vegas has the Huskies as title and Final Four favorites. So does EvanMiya. We’re going to have to see how the chips fall before we know how much it really will affect this team. </p>
<h4 id="NQ6iEx">Players to watch (pick one from someone other than UConn)</h4>
<p id="RMWfAi"><strong>Martin:</strong> I would be remiss to mention former Husky Jalen Gaffney, who starts for Florida Atlantic after playing a key reserve role in the Owls’ run to the Final Four last year. The Owls were not able to replicate last year’s dominant regular season and Dusty May may be packing his bags, but a reunion with Gaffney in the second round would be fun.</p>
<p id="zz7loB"><strong>McGrath: </strong>I mentioned him earlier, but Boo Buie is a walking bucket and dragged Northwestern across the finish line to the Big Dance. As an Albany, NY native, he’ll be coming home (ish) to Brooklyn for the first weekend and is No. 20 in the country in minutes percentage, with a mediocre Owls defense that doesn’t guard against the 3-pointer particularly well. That will be a very interesting matchup that will precede what should be a UConn shellacking over Stetson.</p>
<p id="w3Fr9E"><strong>Madigan: </strong>Auburn’s Johni Broome is ahead of Tristen Newton on KenPom’s Player of the Year rankings. The big man has scored 10-plus points in 25-straight games, crashes the glass with the best of them and can stretch the floor a little, shooting 35 percent from deep. His first round matchup against Yale 7-footer Danny Wolf will be appointment TV on Friday afternoon. </p>
<h4 id="4miTPJ">Scariest team for UConn to face</h4>
<p id="yDKvVk"><strong>Martin:</strong> Don’t let the KenPom No. 93 defense fool you, the Illini were a top 15 unit for most of the season until the final stretch of games. They have the across-the-board size and athleticism that has — think Villanova — occasionally bogged down UConn’s offense, plus first team All Big-Ten stud Terrence Shannon Jr, who is Kadary Richmond with a jumpshot. If Stephon Castle contains him, there’s still inside-out threats Marcus Domask and Coleman Hawkins to account for, the latter of which could drag Donovan Clingan out of the paint. They’re ‘only’ a 3-seed because of head-scratchers to Penn State, Michigan State, and Northwestern, when the Illini played down to the level of competition. If Brad Underwood can get to second weekend for the first time since 2005, they’ll be playing with house money and won’t take the Huskies for granted.</p>
<p id="f0nTa0"><strong>McGrath: </strong>Iowa State is the 2-seed and look very dangerous. While the offense is outside the top 50, the Cyclones now possess the No. 1 defense in adjusted efficiency per KenPom after a dominant performance over Houston in the Big 12 Tournament championship game. T.J. Otzelberger’s crew hasn’t lost at home this year and its only double-digit defeat was at BYU, which plays at altitude. A potential matchup against the Huskies would be in Boston inside TD Garden, which is virtually at sea level where that wouldn’t be a factor. A UConn/Iowa State Elite Eight matchup would be quite the defensive battle.</p>
<p id="Jh9h0u"><strong>Madigan: </strong>Assuming the Tigers can get by Yale, Auburn could be a major threat for a deep tournament run. The Tigers have size at every position, an elite player to lead the way in Broome and are 10th in offensive efficiency and fourth in defensive efficiency. I could easily see their size, athleticism and skill being a problem for UConn in the Sweet 16. </p>
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<h4 id="BEE9LT">First weekend prediction (UConn/Stetson, Florida Atlantic/Northwestern, winner of next matchup)</h4>
<p id="IaJtU6"><strong>Martin: </strong>Stetson is another chance to build some depth, maybe extend the Jaylin Stewart block party and invite fellow freshman Solo Ball. Florida Atlantic leans on its pedigree and size with Vlad Goldin, and gets past a mediocre Northwestern team only there because of Boo Buie. The Huskies get their first real test of the East gauntlet with a harder-than-expected challenge from the Owls.</p>
<p id="z1Y62y"><strong>McGrath: </strong>UConn isn’t going to have much issue with Stetson. The Hatters have a bottom-25 defense in Division I and the offense has carried them thus far. UConn played a similarly-ranked defense in Stonehill and won by 30. The narrowest run over a sub-100 defense was a 13-point win over Georgetown in January, which came without Donovan Clingan. I think Buie gets his Wildcats by Florida Atlantic. Guards win in March, particularly with the number of fouls he draws. However, UConn has the ability to clamp down on defense, particularly when both teams play slow. </p>
<p id="6tAaYk"><strong>Madigan: </strong>UConn will beat Stetson, and I think Florida Atlantic ekes past Northwestern. That leads to a Gaffney reunion and a tough matchup for Clingan against Owls big Vlad Goldin. I think the Huskies have enough depth and skill to get to Boston. </p>
<h4 id="xvJbMt">East Region outcome for UConn</h4>
<p id="o3QN7G"><strong>Martin: </strong>With the Big East title back home, there’s a definite hangover/lull the first weekend; UConn looks vulnerable in the second round but survives. Dan Hurley and the coaching staff get the team’s mentals resorted in Boston, where the Huskies start to smell the glory ahead. Like a runner saving his kick for the finish line, the UConn death star strikes down Auburn, then Illinois. I start looking up tee times with Madigan for TPC Scottsdale. </p>
<p id="785Cnf"><strong>McGrath: </strong>TPC Scottsdale sounds fun, but home ownership is expensive. There are a lot of good teams in this Region, but UConn is a big part of that and should be favored against any team they’ll face before Phoenix, particularly considering that Barclays Center and TD Garden will have a heavy Husky presence. However, the NCAA Tournament is famously kind of a crap shoot. It’s why we love it so much, but it also makes for unpredictable results. UConn has as good of a chance as anyone, but Auburn, Illinois and Iowa State are more than capable of a Final Four run themselves. It’ll come down to which kids have the best night.</p>
<p id="X2sgb9"><strong>Madigan: </strong>Having easy travel (and pseudo home court advantage) in Brooklyn and potentially in Boston could go a long way, I think. I also think any one of Auburn, Illinois and Iowa State could beat the Huskies on any given night. But aside from a slip up at Seton Hall in the Big East opener, this team has constantly delivered, and after last weekend’s Big East Tournament run it is hard to expect anything different. A trip to the Elite Eight feels attainable, and after that, who knows. Like Shawn said, the unpredictability of the NCAA tournament is what makes it great. Enjoy the ride. </p>
https://www.theuconnblog.com/2024/3/19/24104422/roundtable-thoughts-on-uconn-huskies-mens-basketball-east-region-drawDan MadiganShawn McGrathPatrickMartin2024-03-18T08:48:26-04:002024-03-18T08:48:26-04:00UConn baseball takes two of three from Cal Baptist
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<figcaption>Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
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<p>The Huskies ended their Spring Break with a solid series win.</p> <p id="lUyn8G">UConn baseball secured its first weekend series win and second winning weekend of the season, as the Huskies took two of three from the Cal Baptist Lancers. Friday was a brutal loss, but the pitching rebounded to surrender just two runs across Saturday and Sunday to claim a pair of victories.</p>
<h4 id="fvWymo">Friday: Cal Baptist 8, UConn 1</h4>
<p id="MeROfl">UConn laid an egg in Friday’s game, losing 8-1 in the opening game of the series against Cal Baptist.</p>
<p id="SykpZP">The Huskies opened up the scoring in the top of the second inning, but their opponents marked eight-straight runs to earn the win, including a five-run bottom of the eighth to put UConn away. </p>
<p id="Q3B1PG">Marking his second weekend start of the season and his first as UConn’s Friday night starter, Gabe Van Emon had a respectable outing, throwing five innings and striking out nine while allowing three runs, but his few mistakes left the yard with serious power. </p>
<p id="nUB4u1">After the Huskies earned the lead in the second with back-to-back singles and a Bryan Padilla sacrifice fly scored Korey Morton from third, solo home runs from the Lancers’ Ryan Kim and Nick Dumesnil, in the bottom of the second and third respectively, gave the home squad its first lead of the night. </p>
<p id="1OmuEY">UConn’s offense was too sleepy to keep pace in the early going, with just two hits in the first six innings and four total in the game. The top four in the Huskies’ order combined for seven strikeouts and zero hits in 13 at-bats. </p>
<p id="u5GEnz">UConn’s anemic offense let Cal Baptist lurk around for the perfect time to break the game wide open, and that opportunity came in the eighth inning with five runs off three singles and a double for a five-run inning to make the score 8-1.</p>
<p id="2dWfZB"><strong>Saturday: UConn 8, Cal Baptist 0</strong></p>
<p id="jzru7X">After a rough start to the series, the UConn offense returned with a vengeance on Saturday afternoon with 11 hits and four home runs in an 8-0 shutout victory. </p>
<p id="MTBKK7">The Huskies’ pitching staff more than held up their end of the bargain in the form of a career performance from starter Garrett Coe, as he threw a complete game shutout with just five hits and three walks allowed, striking out four.</p>
<p id="hEkwmi">He endured plenty of traffic on the bases, as he never retired more than six consecutive hitters, but no Cal Baptist runner reached third base.</p>
<p id="gTkcLt">It was the longest outing of Coe’s UConn career by a wide margin, and the first complete game shutout by a Husky since Pat Gallagher against St. John’s in 2022. </p>
<p id="zrj0jB">UConn put runners on early on, but were only able to plate one in the first inning with the bases loaded. They quickly made up for it, however, in the third and fourth innings. Korey Morton led off with a solo home run in the top of the third, and Matt Malcom followed up with a one-run shot of his own to make it 3-0. </p>
<p id="u3xoVv">Morton followed up in the next frame with another home run, his second of the game and a two-run shot to put UConn up 5-0. The home run train would continue in the seventh inning as Jake Studley got in on the action, sending a two-run shot over the right field wall, and Ryan Daniels followed it up with an RBI single to make it 8-0 and force a rubber match on Sunday afternoon. </p>
<p id="bawlYx"><strong>Sunday: UConn 6, Cal Baptist 2</strong></p>
<p id="Ojz2RS">After a cathartic blowout victory on Saturday, UConn carried that momentum into the rubber match of the series on Sunday with a 6-2 win to secure its long-overdue first weekend series victory of the season. </p>
<p id="TrUJ39">The Huskies were locked with their opponents at two runs apiece heading into the eighth inning, when a four-run frame put the Huskies over the top for the series win. </p>
<p id="5bIHTJ">The game featured plenty of Husky offense with 13 hits, their second-highest tally of the season, and was back and forth from the start. </p>
<p id="gpbS3W">The Lancers struck first on a solo home run from Julian Alvarez in the second, but UConn would respond in the fourth inning to even the game. Studley led off the inning with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Simmons and was knocked home by Maddix Dalena as Cal Baptist went to the bullpen to begin the frame. </p>
<p id="RJnrvY">The Huskies took the lead with a leadoff homer from Broadhurst in the sixth inning, but in the bottom of the inning it was the hosts’ turn to respond and they evened the game up with a Gunner Antillon RBI single. </p>
<p id="0XbCyK">Locked at 2-2 heading into the eighth, UConn’s offense was able to bare its real teeth for the first time in the game. </p>
<p id="VAlfH7">Korey Morton led off the inning with a double, and moved to third with a sacrifice bunt from Matt Garbowski. After Broadhurst popped out, it looked like the Huskies’ damage in the inning would be limited, but Studley worked a walk and Simmons was hit by a pitch to load the bases. </p>
<p id="qciUiV">With two outs, the wheels started to come off for the Cal Baptist pitching staff. Bryan Padilla walked to drive in a run, and Dalena notched his second and third RBIs of the night with a two-run single. After a Lancer pitching change, UConn was able to tack on another run with a nifty double steal that sent Tyler Minick, who pinch ran for Padilla, across the plate. </p>
<p id="Eg4VU0">Starter Stephen Quigley had a solid performance, throwing four innings and allowing five hits, one run, striking out five and giving up two walks. The bullpen was equally as impressive, as five UConn pitchers combined to allow just six baserunners in five innings pitched.</p>
<p id="y1mdXy">---</p>
<p id="dinKX8">Now at 7-10, Huskies will be closer to home this week, with an away game at Rhode Island on Tuesday at 3 p.m.</p>
https://www.theuconnblog.com/2024/3/18/24103809/uconn-baseball-takes-two-of-three-from-cal-baptistLuke Swanson2024-03-18T07:00:00-04:002024-03-18T07:00:00-04:00Film Analysis: What will WR Skyler Bell bring to the new look UConn offense
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<figcaption>Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Let’s take a look at what UConn transfer acquisition Skyler Bell could bring to the table for the Huskies in 2024</p> <p id="6d8TsS"><a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com">UConn</a> football had a tough season last year, with a 3-9 overall record and two of those wins coming in the last two games. However, the Huskies have been able to make moves in the transfer portal this offseason, many of which came at the skill positions. They were able to not only get Skyler Bell from Wisconsin but also Jasaiah Gathings from Akron, who had previously committed to Ball State before changing his choice to UConn. </p>
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<p id="vaFLa3">With that in mind, the Huskies’ Pro Day is on Wednesday and preseason camp will start just a few months after that. With that, let’s take a look at one of these new transfers, Skyler Bell. Bell has a promising skill set and experience with a Power Five school and was also a well-touted prospect, so he should bring some pop to the new-look UConn offense. </p>
<h2 id="Iylerc">Physical & Statistical Analysis</h2>
<p id="Lgg9jL">Skyler Bell has the size you want for a flanking receiver, at 6 feet and 195 pounds, and he utilizes this swell to create leverage between himself and the defender throughout the point of contest. As for his speed, he is anticipated to run in the low 4.5 to high 4.4 range when factoring in <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F3255446%2F2022%2F04%2F18%2Fwisconsin-football-skyler-bell-receiver-cowboys-michael-gallup%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theuconnblog.com%2F2024%2F3%2F18%2F24102656%2Ffilm-analysis-what-will-wr-skyler-bell-bring-to-the-new-look-uconn-offense" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">reports from previous coaches</a>, as well as the projection done by <a href="https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1053915&DraftYear=2026">DraftScout.com</a>. </p>
<p id="TSPMRu">He drew a lot of interest coming out of high school, with offers or official visits to West Virginia, Wisconsin, Temple, <a href="https://www.fromtherumbleseat.com">Georgia Tech</a>, <a href="https://www.onthebanks.com">Rutgers</a>, UConn, and UMass. Ultimately, he ended up committing to Wisconsin and has played three seasons with the Badgers with decent success.</p>
<ul>
<li id="egCMrt">2021: 1 game played, 1 reception for 15 yards</li>
<li id="V1HJ4R">2022: 13 games played, 30 receptions for 444 yards and 5 touchdowns and 13 rushing attempts for 160 yards and 5 additional touchdowns</li>
<li id="mX9re0">2023: 12 games played, 38 receptions for 296 yards and 1 touchdown</li>
</ul>
<p id="Ci7BWD">Ultimately his best season was 2022, where he was not only heavily utilized but also extremely effective in the touches he got both in the receiving game and rushing game. This was primarily due to his utilization of a play-action type offense when Graham Mertz was the quarterback with Wisconsin, who ended up moving on to Florida for 2023. </p>
<h2 id="7MmRfx">Trait Analysis</h2>
<p id="pxPNTo">One of the first things that will jump off the board for anyone who watches Bell is his ability to process plays at an exceptionally fast rate. He is exceptionally useful in play-action due to this, as he reads the faults in the defense as they are created through motion, and then exploits them nearly every time. </p>
<p id="jUfLsb">A play that shows this to the highest degree came against Northwestern in 2022, where Bell lined up out wide to the left and as he hit the second level, feigned slightly inside. This made it so that the dropping safety continued his step into the box, and the outside cornerback believed the safety was taking coverage. Ultimately it ended up creating one of the biggest gaps you will see at this level of football, and Bell caught an easy touchdown. </p>
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<p id="1DFgZc">While his raw speed is not an extremely positive trait, his acceleration and jumps off the line of scrimmage both are. He is able to get off the line exceptionally quickly and drive into his route before defensive backs have a chance to react. When looking for a wide receiver, especially a complementary one, how the player performs given optimal circumstances but also if they have the ability to make off-schedule plays based on these changes. Does the acceleration and mental processing show when the play goes haywire or the defense makes an adjustment mistake? For Skyler Bell, the answer is yes. </p>
<p id="46NgTl">In a game against New Mexico State, he demonstrated this. The defense on the play looked to be a zone scheme, as the cornerback covering Bell’s area dropped into a zone rather than following along directly with him. The safety was placed too high on the play for this to work however, and Skyler took advantage by accelerating hard into the gap created which is both a physical trait, but also indicative of his ability to process on the fly and get under the safety before he closed down. Mertz hit Bell in stride, and he would make a slight cut to throw the safety off balance towards the sideline before running away for a 49-yard touchdown. </p>
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<p id="oDAvyz">The final trait examined here with Bell is competitiveness. It is something that is overlooked because it falls into the category of almost unidentifiable traits, where ultimately it comes down to whether the player wants to play hard or will just take plays off. In all the reps I have watched of him, he has proven time and time again to try and make something happen even if things fall apart. On top of that, it is clear that he wants the opportunity to play and compete hard, even against his own teammates in practice. </p>
<p id="v0npae">One of the videos I saw of Bell before he got to UConn was of him going against teammate Jason Maitre at Wisconsin, who is a three-star defensive back as well. Bell would keep Maitre at bay even through having his jersey tugged and would win the rep, then celebrate with his teammates and stare down Maitre while pointing at him. It is clear that he has the competitive fire to make plays, but also the ability to utilize that in-game to drive him to play at 100 percent through each snap. </p>
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<p id="djjRlL">Overall, Bell should be a positive addition to UConn and its receiver room. With a new-look offense in most spots for the Huskies, some fresh blood will only help the wide receiver corps to improve over the course of the season. Bell has the traits to be a very good wide receiver and could end up becoming a focal point of the UConn offense if the coaching staff is able to utilize him in the right role. With previous success rushing the ball as well, don’t be surprised if the new offensive coordinator (and former run-game coordinator) Gordon Sammis uses him there at times as well. It will be very interesting to see how Bell plays into this offense and how he can improve both himself and the team. </p>
https://www.theuconnblog.com/2024/3/18/24102656/film-analysis-what-will-wr-skyler-bell-bring-to-the-new-look-uconn-offenseJeremyTrottier2024-03-17T22:15:53-04:002024-03-17T22:15:53-04:00UConn women’s basketball the 3-seed in Portland Regional 3, to face 14-seed Jackson State in first round
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<figcaption>Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
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<p>The Huskies will head west for the second straight year.</p> <p id="ZnkFMo">UConn women’s basketball is a 3-seed in the Portland 3 Region and will play 14-seed Jackson State in the first game of the NCAA Tournament at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs. The Huskies will host the first two rounds before heading west for the second straight year — assuming they advance that far.</p>
<p id="bhwd9L">Dates, tip-times and television information will be announced tomorrow.</p>
<p id="kQd4NR">This is UConn’s lowest seed in the tournament since 2005 when it was also a 3-seed, and only the second time since 1994 that it’s not on the top two seed lines.</p>
<p id="ByRf63">Assuming the Huskies win — a safe bet considering they have won an NCAA Tournament game every year since 1993 — they’ll play the winner of 6-seed Syracuse and 11-seeds Auburn/Arizona.</p>
<p id="T2LBPJ">Jackson State won the SWAC and is in its third NCAA Tournament in the last four seasons.</p>
<aside id="P63xSs"><div data-anthem-component="actionbox" data-anthem-component-data='{"title":"Subscribe to the UConn WBB Weekly!","description":"Get all the latest on Geno and the Huskies in your inbox all year long.","label":"Subscribe","url":"https://www.uconnwbbweekly.com/subscribe"}'></div></aside><p id="gsYWko">Elsewhere in Portland Regional 3, USC is the 1-seed, Ohio State is the 2-seed, and Virginia is the 4-seed. UConn has made 29 straight Sweet Sixteens. If they make it 30, the Huskies could face the Buckeyes in a rematch of last year’s Sweet Sixteen.</p>
<p id="Sv3wfM">In other UConn-adjacent teams, Shea Ralph made her first NCAA Tournament with Vanderbilt as a 12-seed while former Husky forward Carla Berube and her Princeton Tigers are a 9-seed in Albany Regional 2. If the Tigers win, they’ll play 1-seed Iowa.</p>
<p id="JvFvZU">Along with UConn, three teams from Connecticut made the field: Fairfield, a 13-seed in Albany 1 against 4-seed Indiana, and Sacred Heart, 16-seed in a play-in game against fellow 16-seed Presbyterian in Albany 1. The winner will have the right to play No. 1 overall seed South Carolina. Two other New England schools are in the tournament: Maine, a 15-seed, and Holy Cross, another 16-seed in a play-in game.</p>
https://www.theuconnblog.com/2024/3/17/24104455/uconn-huskies-womens-basketball-3-seed-ncaa-tournament-14-seed-jackson-stateDaniel Connolly2024-03-17T22:14:36-04:002024-03-17T22:14:36-04:00Opening Odds: 1-seed Huskies open as heavy favorites over 16-seed Stetson
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<figcaption>Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
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<p>UConn will look to take care of business against the Hatters and avoid a historic upset.</p> <p id="O94koD">UConn men’s basketball will begin their quest to repeat as national champions Friday afternoon, as the 1-seed Huskies take on 16-seed Stetson in Brooklyn. The Hatters, Atlantic Sun Tournament champions, are making their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.</p>
<p id="kxpNQr">Stetson ranks 218th overall in the country according to KenPom, ranking 100th in offensive efficiency and 342nd in defensive efficiency. Head coach Donnie Jones’ Hatters played just two teams — Houston and UCF — inside of the top 100 in KenPom this season, getting smoked by Houston on the road and defeating the Golden Knights by three in Orlando.</p>
<p id="zeiAnc">Meanwhile, UConn is No. 1 in KenPom and tops in offensive effiency. The Huskies are 11th in defensive efficiency and haven’t lost a neutral site game since falling to Marquette in the 2023 Big East Tournament semifinal over a year ago. </p>
<p id="cTR4eX">With that massive disparity, the betting lines seem to agree with the KenPom rankings. <a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/ncaab?referrer=singular_click_id%3d9b9ce4c0-adb3-4227-9d91-dda8bea755ad&wpcid=166791&wpcn=Inartcile&wpcrid=CBB&wpsrc=Vox">DraftKings</a> has the Huskies as 26.5-point favorites of the Hatters, and the moneyline odds for UConn is an absurd -20000. The over/under for the first-round matchup is set at 144. </p>
<p id="lk2Lom">If UConn advances, the Huskies will play the winner of 8-seed Florida Atlantic against 9-seed Northwestern. DraftKings has that matchup being considerably closer, with the Owls opening as just a 2-point favorite. More college basketball game lines and futures odds can be found <a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/ncaab?referrer=singular_click_id%3d9b9ce4c0-adb3-4227-9d91-dda8bea755ad&wpcid=166791&wpcn=Inartcile&wpcrid=CBB&wpsrc=Vox">here</a>.</p>
<p id="Khkpny">Despite a tough draw that features three of last year’s four Final Four teams and three teams in this year’s KenPom top 10, DraftKings still thinks the Huskies are the team to beat. At +400, they remain the favorite ahead of Houston (+500) and Purdue (+650).</p>
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https://www.theuconnblog.com/2024/3/17/24104465/opening-odds-1-seed-huskies-open-as-heavy-favorites-over-16-seed-stetsonDan Madigan2024-03-17T20:40:13-04:002024-03-17T20:40:13-04:00UConn men’s basketball awarded No. 1 overall seed in NCAA Tournament
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<figcaption>Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
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<p>The Huskies will play 16-seed Stetson on Friday in Brooklyn.</p> <p id="Uwa93q">UConn men's basketball’s road to repeat as national champions is officially set. </p>
<p id="IMMCeK">The Huskies (31-3) are the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history as they seek to become the first team to repeat as national champions since the Florida Gators did so in 2006 and 2007.</p>
<p id="BXkiVt">Dan Hurley and the Huskies will face 16-seed Stetson in the East Region on Friday, March 22 in Brooklyn at 2:45 p.m. ET. The Hatters finished the season with a 22-12 record and earned a tournament berth after defeating Austin Peay in the Atlantic Sun conference tournament. Should the Huskies advance past the 16 Stetson, the Huskies will play the winner of 8-seed Florida Atlantic versus 9-seed Northwestern on Sunday, March 24.</p>
<aside id="1nWZ7y"><div data-anthem-component="actionbox" data-anthem-component-data='{"title":"Subscribe to the Fast Break newsletter!","description":"For In-depth coverage and analysis of UConn men’s hoops.","label":"Subscribe for free","url":"https://uconnfastbreak.beehiiv.com/"}'></div></aside><p id="9j7FdL">With UConn winning Saturday's Big East Tournament title game and Purdue and Houston both losing, the Huskies finished the year not only with arguably the strongest resumé amongst presumed title contenders, but also as the betting favorites to cut down the nets. DraftKings currently has UConn as the favorite to reach the Final.</p>
<p id="dtUJHt">Four in Phoenix, Arizona and to cut down the nets for the sixth time in program history. UConn also ranks first overall in KenPom — first in offensive efficiency and 11th in defensive efficiency.</p>
<p id="MaoWOE">Other teams of note in the East region include 2-seed Iowa State, 3-seed Illinois, and 4-seed Auburn. The East Region also features San Diego State as a 5-seed, meaning three of last year’s Final Four teams are all in the East Region. If UConn advances to the second weekend of the NCAA tournament, the Huskies would play one of 4-seed Auburn, 5-seed SDSU, 12-seed UAB, or 13-seed Yale in the Sweet 16 in Boston at TD Garden.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The East Region <a href="https://t.co/bIkCGTN13Y">pic.twitter.com/bIkCGTN13Y</a></p>— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessMBB/status/1769488417065247139?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a>
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https://www.theuconnblog.com/2024/3/17/24104229/uconn-mens-basketball-awarded-no-1-overall-seed-in-ncaa-tournamentDan Madigan2024-03-17T09:44:47-04:002024-03-17T09:44:47-04:00How to watch the 2024 men’s and women’s basketball Selection Sunday shows
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<figcaption>Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog</figcaption>
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<p>Both UConn teams will find out their respective NCAA tournament paths tonight. </p> <p id="YH37XC">March Madness kicks off Sunday night with Selection Sunday, where men’s and women’s teams across Division I will find out their NCAA tournament seed and location. </p>
<p id="9AgLPh">It’s finally Selection Sunday, meaning the NCAA tournament brackets are about to be announced. Both the UConn men’s and women’s teams will appear in the NCAA tournament for the fourth-straight season. </p>
<p id="hPzMcX">With both teams winning both the Big East regular season and tournament titles, we already know UConn will be dancing come Sunday night. The men’s team, less than 24 hours after winning its eighth Big East Tournament title, has a chance of being the No. 1 overall seed for the first time in program history. As for the women, our own Megan Gauer has the <a href="https://herhoopstats.com/bracketology/#bracketology_bracket">Huskies as a No. 3 seed</a> in the Albany region that could set up for a potential matchup with Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the Elite 8.</p>
<h4 id="v5D2Bn">How to watch:</h4>
<p id="LqpuNa"><strong>Men’s Selection Sunday Show: </strong>Sunday, March 17 — 6:00 p.m. ET on CBS/<a href="https://www.ncaa.com/march-madness-live/event/901?cid=mml_partner_ncaa_editorial_articles&ko_click_id=ko_xcryqbx2rb7lt8kcx">NCAA March Madness Live</a></p>
<p id="7aaPTS"><strong>Women’s Selection Sunday Show:</strong> Sunday, March 17 — 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Watch the Selection Show tonight <a href="https://twitter.com/UConnMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UConnMBB</a> 6 PM | CBS<a href="https://twitter.com/UConnWBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UConnWBB</a> 8 PM | ESPN <a href="https://t.co/QiJmVdTWkd">pic.twitter.com/QiJmVdTWkd</a></p>— UConn Huskies (@UConnHuskies) <a href="https://twitter.com/UConnHuskies/status/1769351179786498481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2024</a>
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<aside id="1nWZ7y"><div data-anthem-component="actionbox" data-anthem-component-data='{"title":"Subscribe to the Fast Break newsletter!","description":"For In-depth coverage and analysis of UConn men’s hoops.","label":"Subscribe for free","url":"https://uconnfastbreak.beehiiv.com/"}'></div></aside><h4 id="5B3y8R">What Vegas is saying</h4>
<p id="Bo0J9d"><a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/ncaab?referrer=singular_click_id%3d9b9ce4c0-adb3-4227-9d91-dda8bea755ad&wpcid=166791&wpcn=Inartcile&wpcrid=CBB&wpsrc=Vox">DraftKings</a> has the Huskies as the favorites to cut down the nets at +450. UConn is one of just three schools with odds better than +1000, joining Houston (+550) and Purdue (+750). Big East conference mates Marquette and Creighton have odds of +2200 and +3000, respectively. </p>
<p id="iLPwms">UConn is also the favorite to reach the Final Four in Phoenix, Arizona this year, with odds of -110.</p>
<p id="LxMPm0">On the women’s side, DraftKings has the Huskies at +1500 odds to cut down the nets this year. Those are the fourth best odds in the tournament behind LSU (+700), Iowa (+600) and favorite South Carolina (-120).</p>
<p id="EocxED">More college basketball betting lines can be found <a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/basketball/ncaab?referrer=singular_click_id%3d9b9ce4c0-adb3-4227-9d91-dda8bea755ad&wpcid=166791&wpcn=Inartcile&wpcrid=CBB&wpsrc=Vox">here</a>.</p>
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https://www.theuconnblog.com/2024/3/17/24103566/how-to-watch-the-2024-mens-womens-basketball-selection-sunday-tv-channel-uconn-huskies-basketballDan Madigan2024-03-16T21:24:29-04:002024-03-16T21:24:29-04:00UConn claims Big East Tournament championship over Marquette, 73-57
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<p>It was a defensive battle early on but the Huskies prevailed to earn their first Big East Tournament crown since 2011.</p> <p id="AU185p">The UConn Huskies are dual Big East champs after beating 3-seed Marquette in Saturday evening’s championship game, 73-57, at Madison Square Garden. It started off ugly, but UConn pulled away in the second half to add another trophy to the case.</p>
<p id="s67Grm">Unlike the Huskies’ last three games, their opponents were kind enough to return the favor as the Huskies started slowly. While UConn didn’t score until the game’s seventh minute, Marquette only had one bucket at the time.</p>
<p id="iz9e37">The game was tied at four with 11:20 left in the first half as both teams were locked in defensively and doing a good job of forcing turnovers.</p>
<p id="XQfT4J">The Huskies found early success in the post, going to Donovan Clingan and Samson Johnson, as the two combined for 14 of the Huskies' 26 first-half points. Tristen Newton hit a buzzer-beating three to give them a two-point lead at the break. He finished with 13 points and 10 assists and earned Big East Tournament MOP honors.</p>
<p id="zb5DxK">UConn gained some separation out of the break but every inch was hard-earned. Both teams got sharper as the game wore on. By the second half, the Huskies had a bunch of different guys making plays to keep their buffer intact, including Hassan Diarra who finished with nine points off the bench. Jaylin Stewart hit three threes to help the Huskies make a run that kept the lead in double-digits.</p>
<aside id="1nWZ7y"><div data-anthem-component="actionbox" data-anthem-component-data='{"title":"Subscribe to the Fast Break newsletter!","description":"For In-depth coverage and analysis of UConn men’s hoops.","label":"Subscribe for free","url":"https://uconnfastbreak.beehiiv.com/"}'></div></aside><p id="GPno0w">Clingan continued his dominance in the second half, finishing with 22 points and 16 boards as the Huskies pulled away and earning All-Big East Tournament honors. His opponent in the post, Oso Ighodaro, one of the best big men in the league, was held to eight points on 4-of-11 shooting with three rebounds and four assists. Kam Jones led the Golden Eagles with 13.</p>
<p id="4iHlzo">It wasn’t pretty but the Huskies know how to emerge victorious from any type of game. That includes “winning in the mud” as Hurley has <a href="https://uconnfastbreak.beehiiv.com/p/notes-quotes-castle-breaks-huskies-win-mud">put it in the past</a>.</p>
<p id="sSrR0v">The Huskies have secured both the Big East regular-season and tournament championships for the first time since 2002 and now have won the most Big East titles (regular season + tourney) all-time, after losing the spot from a tie with Georgetown a few years ago.</p>
<p id="XDNGbI">Next up, the Huskies await their Selection Sunday fate. They’re expected to be a one-seed and could be the top overall seed. We’ll find out for sure on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. on CBS.</p>
https://www.theuconnblog.com/2024/3/16/24103415/uconn-claims-big-east-tournament-championship-over-marquette-73-57Aman Kidwai