NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY NO. 4 UCONN VS. NO. 8 ARKANSAS
When: Thursday, 7:15 p.m.
Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nev.
Records: UConn 27-8, Arkansas 22-13
TV: CBS
Radio: UConn Sports Network, WAVZNew Haven (1300 AM), WGCH- Greenwich (1490 AM), WATR-Waterbury (1320 AM), WICH-Norwich (1310 AM, 94.5 FM), WILI-Wilimantic (1400 AM, 95.3 FM), 97.9 FM-ESPN Hartford, SiriusXM-983, SXM App 973
KEEP AN EYE ON
Fast pace: In the celebratory moments after his UConn men’s basketball team had dispatched Saint Mary’s and advanced to an NCAA Tournament regional semifinals for the first time in nine years, Dan Hurley found time to quickly look ahead to the Huskies’ next opponent: Arkansas.
“It’s going to be fun, probably will be up and down,” Hurley promised. “It may be the most exciting match-up of the Sweet 16.”
Indeed, the Razorbacks are a smaller, athletic team that loves to run. The Huskies boast a lot more size and could really dominate at the center position with Adama Sanogo and Donovan Clingan, but certainly aren’t averse to an uptempo game, with Andre Jackson as dangerous an open-floor player as there is left in the tournament.
Then there’s the entertainment value of the two head coaches. Hurley has toned down his sideline antics a little, but is still a bundle of energy who still gets on the officials pretty hard. Arkansas’ Eric Mussleman is another powder keg on the sidelines during games, and after — he tore the shirt off his back while celebrating the Razorbacks’ upset of top-seeded Kansas on Saturday.
The Huskies’ size could be a big problem for Arkansas, though the Razorbacks do bring off a pair of tall twins, Rhode Island transfers Makhi and Makhel Mitchell, off the bench.
Which team wants it more? The Huskies want this. Hurley has done a great job placing a chip on the team’s shoulder, convincing them since the start of the season that they weren’t respected. The Huskies are as close and connected a
team as any in the country.
The Razorbacks want this. Or look no further than the tears of joy shed by guard Davonte Davis after the upset win over Kansas.
UConn is 2-0 against the SEC this season, with double-digit wins already against Alabama, the NCAA tourney’s top overall seed, and at Florida.
Can the Huskies make it 3-0? Perhaps. One thing seems certain: Thursday’s game will be exciting. Maybe the most exciting of the Sweet 16.