Huskies head to historic Hinkle to face Butler
Unlike the case with many of its new Big East brethren, UConn hardly has a long history with Butler.
The programs have faced each other on the hardwood just once in their respective histories. It was back on April 4, 2011. Perhaps you remember? Bit of an ugly game, a real defensive struggle, inside Houston’s Reliant Stadium.
UConn won 53-41, and with it its third national championship.
Ten years later, Kemba Walker, the Final Four MVP, is playing for Brad Stevens, Butler’s head coach at the time, for the Boston Celtics. Jim Calhoun is retired, Shabazz Napier (Kemba’s freshman backup in 2011) is a free agent, and UConn and Butler are Big East rivals.
The Huskies make their first visit to historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday (4 p.m., CBS Sports Network). Like everything else these days, it will hardly be normal. Although some fans are expected to be allowed inside Hinkle, it will hardly echo the final scenes of “Hoosiers,” which were filmed inside the 93-year
old building.
UConn (5-1, 2-1 Big East) will have to supply its own energy. That wasn’t a problem in the second half of the Huskies’ remarkable, comeback victory at Marquette on Tuesday night. Spurred by the hot shooting of Tyler Polley and the defensive and rebounding energy of Isaiah Whaley, UConn turned an 18-point deficit three minutes into the latter half into a stirring, 65-54 victory.
Now, the Huskies will look to continue that momentum through the second game of a three-game, Midwest road trip. UConn returned home after the Marquette game and flew out to Indianapolis on Friday evening. The Huskies will stay in the Midwest after Saturday’s game and bus it to Chicago for Monday’s 9 p.m. bout with DePaul.
Butler (3-5, 2-3 Big East) is hardly the program it was 10 years ago, when it made its second consecutive trip to the national title game (the Bulldogs lost to Duke in 2010 when a last-second, halfcourt heave was just off the mark). Butler had lost five of six and needed a 10-0, gameclosing run to beat lowly Georgetown in its most recent outing on Wednesday. But the Bulldogs have arguably their best player, senior guard Aaron Thompson, back after missing five of the prior six games with a sprained knee ligament.
Meanwhile, UConn will be without the services of freshman 7-footer Javonte Brown, who is transferring from the program. Brown told Hearst Connecticut Media on Friday that his decision to leave stemmed from the departure of assistant coach Kenya Hunter, his primary recruiter, back in August.
Brown only played in two games this season, playing a grand total of four minutes.
RIM RATTLINGS
1 The Big East announced on Friday that UConn’s slated Jan. 15 game at Gampel Pavilion against Villanova has been postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the Villanova program. No makeup date has been announced.
It’s the seventh game on UConn’s schedule that has been either postponed or david.borges @hearstmediact.com