MEN’S BASKETBALL GAME DAY
No. 25 UCONN at BUTLER
When: Thursday, 9 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Records: UConn 12-4 (3-2 Big East), Butler 9-8 (2-4 Big East)
TV: FS1
Radio: UConn Sports Network, 97.9 FM-ESPN Hartford, Sirius-137, XM-206, SXM App-965, WAVZ-New Haven (1300 AM), WGCH- Greenwich (1490 AM), WATR-Waterbury (1320 AM), WILI-Willimantic (WILI 1400 AM)
KEEP AN EYE ON
Hello, again: After completing a rather thorough 76-59 dismantling of Butler on Tuesday night in Hartford, the Huskies flew out to Indianapolis on Wednesday afternoon and will face the Bulldogs on Thursday night at famous Hinkle Fieldhouse.
This is the first time UConn has played consecutive games against a league opponent since March, 1996, when it faced Seton Hall in its regular season finale, then a Big East tournament game. The Huskies almost had a similar situation in 2020, finishing up their regular season at Tulane, then slated to face the Green Wave in a first-round, AAC tournament game. But the pandemic canceled the latter.
“It really hasn’t felt that strange,” coach Dan Hurley said. “We obviously are very familiar with each other. There’s probably less time spent watching video and walking through things. You try to anticipate adjustments they’ll make. There’s a number of things we could do better. We’ve got to go out and play a complete game.” Finish what ya started: Hurley was pleased with his team’s effort on Tuesday, but didn’t sound like a coach whose team had just won by 17 points. Rather, he sounded like a coach who didn’t want his team to rest on its laurels, facing the same team two days later. Hurley was particularly peeved at the Huskies’ numerous missed layups and putbacks.
“It’s frustrating. Guys have to be able to be mentally tough and strong, and really have the confidence and believe in themselves. Top teams competing for a championship have to finish at the rim. If the guy before you misses it, the crowd gets a little uneasy, the next guy’s gotta go in there and dunk the ball.”
On the rebound: According to the Stats by STATS Twitter feed, Adama Sanogo became the first major conference player on Tuesday to have 15 or more rebounds and three or more blocks in three straight games since Tim Duncan at Wake Forest in 1996-97.
Sanogo had only grabbed 10 rebounds twice in a game over his first two seasons before snaring 16, 18 and 15 in his last three outings.
How does Hurley explain that?
“I don’t know, maybe sitting and watching helped some. He’s seen us struggle on the defensive glass some — or a lot — so he hears that messaging. And part of it is just a player emerging and becoming better at more things.”