NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY

NO. 9 NORTHWESTERN VS. NO. 1 UCONN

When: 7:45 p.m.

Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Records: Northwestern 22-11, UConn 32-3

TV: TruTV

Radio: UConn Sports Network, WAVZ-New Haven (1300 AM), WGCH- Greenwich (1490 AM), WATR-Waterbury (1320 AM), WICH-Norwich (1310 AM, 94.5 FM), WILI-Willimantic (1400 AM, 95.3 FM), Fox Sports 97.9 FM Hartford, SiriusXM-983, SXM App 973

KEEP AN EYE ON

Another first: One of the best things about the NCAA Tournament is that it creates matchups never seen before.

The UConn men's basketball team had never faced Stetson prior to Friday's 91-52 pasting of the Hatters in an opening-round game. On Sunday night, the Huskies will face ninth-seeded Northwestern for the first time in program history.

But while it may be the two long-time programs' first meeting, there is one Husky who is quite familiar with the Wildcats. Cam Spencer played at Rutgers last season and faced Northwestern twice in Big Ten play. His success fluctuated.

On Jan. 11, 2023 at Northwestern, Spencer hit 6 of 7 3-pointers and poured in 23 points in Rutgers' 65-62 road victory. The 23 points wound up being a seasonhigh for Spencer in his one season with the Scarlet Knights.

Nearly two months later, Northwestern turned the tables and beat Rutgers 65-53 in New Jersey. In 34 minutes, Spencer went just 2-for-5 from the floor and scored nine points.

“I'm a little more familiar than the other guys are with them,” Spencer said of the Wildcats. “The coaches will put us in a position to be successful.”

Scouting the Wildcats: Northwestern is led by Boo Buie, a fifth-year guard who is the program's all-time leading scorer. He's averaging 19.3 points per game and shooting 44.1 percent from 3-point range — ironically, nearly identical to Spencer's 44.4.

“He's a good player, obviously a veteran guy,” Spencer said of the 6-foot-2 guard. “He's produced his whole career. My older brother actually played a year with him, so I'm familiar with him that way.”

Ryan Langborg also shoots over 40-percent from 3 for the Wildcats, who are making just their third all-time NCAA Tournament appearance (all under current coach Chris Collins) and looking to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. They are hardly a one-man team: Langborg poured in a game-high 27 points in Northwestern's 77-65 overtime win over Florida Atlantic on Friday, Buie added 22 and Brooks Barnhizer had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

But Buie is the head of the snake, so to speak, and should probably expect to be harassed all night by Stephon Castle and Hassan Diarra on Sunday night.