New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
PROVIDENCE VS. NO. 11UCONN
What: Big East quarterfinals
When: Thursday, 2:30 p.m.
Where: Madison Square Garden
Records: Providence 21-10, UConn 24-7
TV: FS1
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
Rubber match: Round 3 of the UConn men’s basketball team’s passion play with Providence on Thursday in the Big East TournamentmeansRound 3 ofAlex Karaban vs. Bryce Hopkins.
Karaban, a freshman, drew the Hopkins assignment inUConn’s Jan. 4 visit to Providence and, in Karaban’s own words, “he really did get the best of me.”
Hopkins, a sophomore transfer from Kentucky, poured in 27 points in the Friars’ 73-61win. Karaban scored 11.
In the rematch on Feb. 22 at Gampel Pavilion, Karaban more than atoned for the firstmeeting, finishing with 16 points and eight rebounds in an 87-69 UConn rout. Hopkins finished with a rather quiet 16 points on 4-for-10 shooting and, incredibly, the 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward didn’t grab a single rebound.
“I think I understood him more as a player,” Karaban said of Round 2. “I kind of read him, read his angles better, understood what he wanted to do better. But, we had gap help. My teammates helped me out a lot more. I wasn’t really left on an island. And I focused more. I wasn’t jumping on so many of his shot fakes, I wasn’t really as nervous the second time as I was the first time.”
Hopkins is a first-team All-Big East selection who averages 16.1 points and 8.5 rebounds. Karaban has vastly improved as a defender as the season has progressed.
“Now, the third time,” Karaban noted, “I’ve got to do a way better job than the second time.”