“With everything we’ve been through this year, how are they more desperate than us? How are they beating us to looseballs that have turned into threes? We should be up 20 on them,” was the ever-passionate Dan Hurley rallying his troops in the huddle against Marquette. In the next few minutes, the Huskies would rain down threes, limit the opponents’ shooting to half of theirs, and deliver an upset in the Golden Eagles’ backyard. It has been 31 days to that sweet victory, and Alex Karaban knows the team is hungry for revenge. But remember, UConn has been on that side, too.
When these two teams last faced each other in Milwaukee on the 2nd of February, the odds were firmly stacked against Dan Hurley. They were without their best player, Liam McNeely, ranked 25th of the AP Poll, and had won just 3 of their last 5 games. But none of that fazed the Huskies. They silenced the entire Fiserv Forum, cruising to a 77-69 victory without ever letting Marquette take the lead.
The Hurley-led squad is now 4th in the Big East with a 12-6 record and has fallen out of the top 25 rankings. With a tough 4-5 record against Quad 1 teams, the pressure is on for the team to repeat the win from a month ago. Further, on the way to making a case for Selection Sunday, this game becomes all the more important. But Karaban knows the hungry Golden Eagles aren’t gonna make it easy; after all, he knows the sting of a loss at home, no thanks to Creighton.
Speaking to Jared Kotler on the Connecticut Scoreboard Podcast, the Huskies captain laid out his thoughts. “It’s the same way that we have felt whether would we lost at home and we had to go in at Creighton, had to go get that win. So we have been on the other side too, and we know how Marquette feels,” he says.
Jan 2, 2024; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley congratulates forward Alex Karaban (11) coming off the court as they take on the DePaul Blue Demons at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
On the 17th of January, the Bluejays had come in strong to not just defeat the Huskies, but snap a record in the process. Since Jan. 25, 2023 setback to Xavier, UConn hadn’t lost a game at home. But Jamiya Neal put up a show to lead Creighton to a 68-63 victory. Hurley’s squad would drop the rankings by 5 spots by next game. That wasn’t a pretty sight for a team that entered the season with hopes to write history. So when they took a trip to CHI Health Center Omaha a month later, revenge was on the horizon.
The crowd welcomed with boos and chants but the Huskies were here to make a mark. McNeely burst for a career-high 38-point performance to help break the Bluejays’ 9-game win streak. So Karaban knows what they are up against and Hurley is ready with a game plan.
“It’s definitely taking care of the ball. They’re one of the best defensive teams, they’re one of the best teams in general in the country you know in forcing turnovers, we want to protect the ball against them and for us defensively its just being able to guard the ball and just get stops,” he adds.
UConn beat Marquette despite turning the ball over 25 times, but Karaban knows they can’t afford a repeat of that sloppy performance. The guard himself gave the ball over twice in the reverse game. Marquette is one of the best at forcing turnovers, averaging 15.1 per game. So protecting the ball will be crucial if Hurley’s squad looks to avoid another loss and the HC’s “soft” tag that comes with it.
Marquette emerges as Dan Hurley’s toughest challenge so far this season
Historically, the defending champions have had the upper hand over the Golden Eagles, leading the head-to-head 12-7. They’ve been strong on the road, boasting a 6-2 record. However, the Gampel Pavilion has been a different story, with the Huskies losing four times to Marquette there.
Tarris Reed Jr. has stepped up big time, averaging 22 points and 12 rebounds in his last two games. Hurley will be counting on him to become the game changer again. But he will have help. A fully fit Liam McNeeley is always a player to watch out for. Hurley will be hoping he fires on all cylinders as without his scoring ability beating Marquette looks tough. ESPN analytics, however, give the Huskies a solid 61.7% chance to come out on top.
UConn will also need to be wary of Marquette’s Kam Jones, who’s been on fire, averaging 18.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. David Joplin is another key player to watch out for as he is averaging 13.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game this season.
With Selection Sunday on the horizon, the upcoming game against Marquette is the biggest test of the season for Dan Hurley and his Huskies. It’s a win-or-bust scenario. Can UConn pull through?
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