UConn men vs. Marquette
If the UConn men needed any reminders that nothing comes easy in the Big East Conference, it got two this week.
The Huskies’ victory over sub.-500 Georgetown was a struggle before they shook loose over the last 10 minutes. Marquette, also below .500 in the Big East, agreed to a short-notice, out-of-conference road game, and wonat North Carolina. That added value to the Huskies’ win at Marquette on Jan. 5 and served notice that the rematch Saturday afternoon at Gampel Pavilion will not be easy.
The Huskies were getting beaten badly at
Marquette in that last game, the night James Bouknight got hurt and tried to continue with his injured left elbow. He went only 3-for-12, but the supporting cast spurred a comeback from 18 points down to save the day. Freshman Dawson Garcia gave UConn trouble that night and will again be a challenge inside.
On Saturday, UConn will continue the process of figuring out its offense with Bouknight back and others settling into their roles. With Bouknight, the Huskies are 7-2 and more apt to find a way.
Here’s what you need to know:
The basics
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Venue: Gampel Pavilion
Series: Marquette, 6-4
Last meeting: UConn, 65-54, Jan. 5 in Milwaukee
Streaks: UConn W1, Marquette W2
TV: Fox (Tim Brando, Donny Marshall)
Livestream: Go to the Fox Sports website for live stream information.
Radio: UConn IMG Radio Network (Mike Crispino, Wayne Norman); 97.9 ESPN Hartford, WINE 940 AM, WGCH 1490 AM, WICC 600 AM, WAVZ 1300 AM, WXLM 980 AM, WATR 1320 AM, WILI 1400 AM, 95.3 FM.
UConn (11-6, 8-6 Big East) probable starters, sixth man
Adama Sanogo, F, 6-9, Fr.; Isaiah Whaley, F, 6-9, Sr.; Andre Jackson, G, 6-6, Fr.; James Bouknight, G, 64, So.; R.J. Cole, G, 6-0, Jr.; Tyrese Martin, G/F, 6-6, Jr.
Marquette (11-12,
6-10 probable starters, sixth man
Koby McEwen, G, 6-4, Sr.; D.J. Carton, G, 6-2, So.; Jamal Cain, F, 6-7, Sr.; Dawson Garcia, F, 6-11, Fr.; Theo John, F, 6-9, Sr.; Greg Elliott, G, 6-3, Jr.
The matchup
UConn’s offense: On this end, it runs hot and cold. The Huskies, with Bouknight, give off the vibe that an offensive tear is coming. They scored 70 points and beat Georgetown despite going 2-for-11 on 3-point shots, the worst they’ve shot from that range in a game all season. They’ll likely need that component Saturday. UConn, mostly Tyler Polley, scorched Marquette on 3s last time (8-for-16).
UConn’s defense: The Huskies were back to their defensive identity at Georgetown and remain one of the best defensive teams in the conference. tops in scoring D (64.8), fourth in field-goal percentage (41.8), third against the 3 (31.5), second in defensive rebounding (32.9), first in blocks (5.53) and fifth in steals (6.47).
Marquette’s offense: Marquette is scoring 70.8 per game, a number that has come down considerably since it played UConn. Garcia (13.1), Carton
(12.8) and McEwan (11.1) are all in double figures. Effective in the paint, Marquette is shooting 33.5% on 3s.
Marquette’s defense: Marquette is holding opponents just under 70 points, 41.1% shooting from the field and 35.8% on 3s. The Golden Eagles are outrebounding opponents by 3.3 per game. John is the shot blocker, with 38 in 23 games. UConn key: If the Huskies can sustain the tenacity they had in chasing loose balls and rebounds at Georgetown, they will be a tough out for anyone, anywhere. Player to watch: Garcia had 20 points and 11 rebounds versus UConn last time. His matchup
with a fellow freshman, Adama Sanogo, will be worth noting at the outset.
About Marquette’s coach: Steve Wojchiechowski, 44, played point guard at Duke and began his coaching career there as an assistant in 1999. He took over at Marquette in 2014 and is 126-93 (57-67 in Big East games). Marquette’s mascot: The Golden Eagles name was adopted in 1994. In August 2020, the mascot was given the name “Iggy,” named for St. Ignatius of Loyola.
Famous alumni: Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler, Maurice Lucas, Jae Crowder, Bo Ellis, Don Kojis and Wes Matthews are among the famous basketball players from Marquette.
Dom Amore can be reached at damore@courant.com.