Winning the Empire Classic gave this year’s UConn men’s basketball team a trophy of its own, and, the Huskies hope, will help propel them to future success as other in-season championships have done in the past.
It’s the way UConn’s last three national championship seasons began: the 2010-11 season started with a Maui Invitational title, then there was the 2k Sports Classic to begin 2013-14 and, of course, last year’s Phil Knight Invitational.
“Huge momentum for us,” redshirt sophomore Alex Karaban said after leading the way with 20 points – 12 in the second half – against No. 15 Texas on Monday. “We had the same thing happen last year in Oregon and it just continued momentum for us heading into the other nonconference games. This right here, with a new team experiencing the feeling of a championship is something special and just a little taste of what we want in the future with the Big East and the national championship. Just something great to build on.”
Monday’s championship win marked 22 consecutive double-digit nonconference wins for the reigning national champions. They have a chance to tie North Carolina’s record 23-straight, from Nov. 2008 to Nov. 2009, against Manhattan at the XL Center on Friday. According to ESPN Stats and Information, it is the longest such streak in the past 40 years.
Manhattan (3-1), coached by former University of Hartford head coach John Gallagher, comes into the game after beating Central Connecticut, 67-63, on Sunday. The Jaspers’ only loss came to No. 1 Kansas, 99-61, on Nov. 10.
The Jayhawks, who lost to Marquette in the Maui Invitational semifinal on Tuesday, could be the first threat to UConn’s streak when the Huskies visit Phog Allen Fieldhouse on Dec. 1. Should they handle business against Manhattan, the Huskies could break the record against New Hampshire on Monday.
“It’s been unbelievable from last nonconference season, these guys have just been awesome,” head coach Dan Hurley said, after joking that he was going to cancel Thanksgiving so the team isn’t “sluggish” against the Jaspers.
Manhattan is led by 6-foot-7 guard Seydou Traore, averaging 15.5 points and 10.5 rebounds through four games – he had 16 and eight rebounds, plus three steals, against Kansas. Guard Brett Rumpel is the only other Manhattan player averaging double-digit scoring with 12.3 points per game. The Jaspers’ offense is ranked No. 341 in the country by KenPom’s efficiency metric and, their tallest players just 6-foot-9, rank No. 221 on the defensive end.
Frustrated with the shooting start
UConn got off to a hot shooting start against Texas, making four of its first five attempts from 3-point range, but made just three of the next 19 attempts to finish the game.
“We haven’t shot the ball as well, the shooting to this point has been disappointing,” Hurley said. “I just think offensively we’re better than we’ve played.”
UConn’s team 3-point percentage, 32.3%, is No. 112 in college basketball thus far. Still, the Huskies have the No. 4 offense in the country according to KenPom.
Rutgers transfer Cam Spencer leads the team from beyond the arc, shooting 42.9% on the season, and Karaban is second at 40.7%. Tristen Newton, the MVP of the Empire Classic, has been effective offensively but hasn’t found his consistent 3-point shot yet, shooting just 28.6% from beyond the arc after a career-high 36.6% last season.
Manhattan is No. 315 in the nation in allowing its opponents to shoot 37.6% from beyond the arc.
What to know
Site: XL Center, Hartford
Time: 2 p.m.
Series history: UConn leads, 19-14
Last meeting: Dec. 15, 2018, UConn 61, Manhattan 46
TV: FS1
Streaming: Fox Sports app or foxsports.com
Radio: UConn Sports Network on 97.9 ESPN – Mike Crispino, Wayne Norman
Pregame reading:
- Is UConn the best team in men’s college basketball– again?
- Samson Johnson’s breakout game helps UConn men to Empire Classic crown; Notes from win over Texas
- UConn men’s basketball beats No. 15 Texas, 81-71, for Empire Classic championship
- UConn men hold at No. 5 in AP poll after two convincing wins; Newton named to Big East honor roll
- Dom Amore: The nightmares of UHart behind him, John Gallagher settles in to a posh, new neighborhood at Manhattan
Commercials Cooperation Advertisements:
(1) IT Teacher IT Freelance
立刻註冊及報名電腦補習課程吧!
电子计算机 -教育 -IT 電腦班” ( IT電腦補習 ) 提供一個方便的电子计算机 教育平台, 為大家配對信息技术, 電腦 老師, IT freelance 和 programming expert. 讓大家方便地就能找到合適的電腦補習, 電腦班, 家教, 私人老師.
We are a education and information platform which you can find a IT private tutorial teacher or freelance.
Also we provide different information about information technology, Computer, programming, mobile, Android, apple, game, movie, anime, animation…
(2) ITSec
www.ITSeceu.uk
Secure Your Computers from Cyber Threats and mitigate risks with professional services to defend Hackers.
ITSec provide IT Security and Compliance Services, including IT Compliance Services, Risk Assessment, IT Audit, Security Assessment and Audit, ISO 27001 Consulting and Certification, GDPR Compliance Services, Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA), Penetration test, Ethical Hacking, Vulnerabilities scan, IT Consulting, Data Privacy Consulting, Data Protection Services, Information Security Consulting, Cyber Security Consulting, Network Security Audit, Security Awareness Training.
Contact us right away.
Email (Prefer using email to contact us):
SalesExecutive@ITSec.vip