The UConn men’s basketball team have their sights set on a regular-season title, but must first navigate a challenging game against Marquette.
Marquette’s recent form, demonstrated by a dominant win against Providence, makes them a dangerous opponent.
UConn Aware of Marquette’s Threat
Coach Dan Hurley has acknowledged the threat posed by Marquette. He called it a “tough game, it’s a scary game.” He also suggested they’re a team to watch out for in the Big East Tournament.
UConn previously defeated Marquette at Gampel Pavilion in early January. They restricted the Golden Eagles to 32.2% shooting in a 73-57 victory.
Solo Ball led the scoring with 17 points, despite a poor shooting night from beyond the arc for both teams.
Championship on the Line
A win against Marquette would secure at least a share of the regular-season championship for UConn. This would be the program’s 12th title, surpassing Villanova for the most in league history, despite a seven-year absence.
Solo Ball emphasised the importance of the upcoming game. “This game that we’re going into right now is a championship. Everything’s on the line. That’s all that we’re thinking about,” he said.
Ball outlined his approach to the game. “For myself, I think I need to just make sure I’m always in the flow of the game. … Running off screens, being physical, getting rebounds, diving on the floor, just doing what it takes, doing the little things that Coach has been talking about this whole week with me and the rest of the group as well.”
Senior Day Atmosphere
UConn are anticipating a strong challenge from Marquette, particularly with it being Senior Day for Chase Ross and Ben Gold. Alex Karaban recognises the added motivation for the Golden Eagles to secure a win.
Karaban is aiming for his second Big East regular-season title. He reflected on the difficulty of winning the title, noting the challenges teams face throughout the season.
“It’s extremely hard to do. This is a championship that we’ve been working for since mid-December when we played Butler first,” he said.
Karaban added, “That’s something we’ve been working extremely hard for. Teams can get hot, teams could get cold, teams go through injury spurts and (the regular-season title) is really, who’s the toughest team? Who’s the most resilient? Who’s willing to stay together? Winning a regular season championship, it’s”
The Huskies have faced every opponent’s best effort throughout the season and anticipate the same on Saturday.