What can we expect from the second meeting between these teams when the first meeting had unsustainable play from the Huskies?
#20 Marquette Golden Eagles (22-7, 13-5 Big East) at RV Connecticut Huskies (20-9, 12-6 Big East)
Date: Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Time: 7:30pm Central
Location: Harry Gampel Pavilion, Storrs, Connecticut
Marquette Stats Leaders
Points: Kam Jones, 18.4 ppg
Rebounds: David Joplin, 5.3 rpg
Assists: Kam Jones, 6.2 apg
Connecticut Stats Leaders
Points: Liam McNeeley, 15.3 ppg
Rebounds: Tarris Reed, 7.4 rpg
Assists: Hassan Diarra, 6.0 apg
KenPom.com Rankings
Marquette: #23
Connecticut: #36
Game Projection: UConn has a 54% chance of victory with a predicted score of 74-73.
Last Time Out: Marquette forced Connecticut into turning the ball over 25 times and the Golden Eagles lost by eight. There’s a few reasons for losing while getting UConn to end a possession without a shot in the air on 38% of their possessions.
Probably the biggest one: Marquette trailed by 22 in the first half. Usually, it’s not going to matter what you do in the second half when you’re in that big of a hole. Also on the list of reasons: UConn shot 63% on three-pointers in the game, including an absolutely ridiculous 86% in the second half. Jaylin Stewart went 3-for-3 right out of the gate in the game and then never hit another one, and Solo Ball went 7-for-9 across the span of 40 minutes.
In the “probably not the biggest problem, but didn’t help” department as far as explanations for the loss is Marquette going 12-for-22 from the free throw line in the game.
Since Last We Met: At the time, the win was much needed by the Huskies, as they had just alternated wins and losses in their last six contests. It was, however, not a turning point for their season, as they lost three of the next five as well. In their defense, two of those losses were to St. John’s as the Red Storm continued to ascend to their best AP ranking since the 1980s. The middle loss out of the group was on the road in overtime against Seton Hall, and quite honestly, it defies logic that the Huskies lost that game. We talked about it when Marquette played Seton Hall in their very next game: SHU had to miss a dunk with nine seconds left in order to have a chance. I know, it sounds weird, but that’s the facts, Jack.
UConn has righted the ship to some degree as of late. They’re coming in off of wins over Georgetown and Providence, and both W’s were by double digits.
Tempo Free Fun: Here’s the problem with handwaving UConn’s freakish shooting — it’s their only game north of 49% three-point shooting all season and one of just five above 45% — as something that is obviously not going to happen in the second meeting.
The Huskies are also not going to turn the ball over 25 times.
They coughed it up 38% of the time in Milwaukee, and yes, they have turned it over at least 20% of the time in seven other games this season. But, using last game’s numbers as an example, the difference between 38% and 20% was roughly TWELVE turnovers. UConn could still have an objectively lousy game throwing the ball around Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday night and still find themselves with 12 possessions that they didn’t get to use properly the last time around against Marquette.
It’s real easy to balance out “wow, all of our threes aren’t going in this time” with “hey, look, 12 extra shots!”
The thing is, I bet that both Marquette head coach Shaka Smart and Connecticut Dan Hurley are making these exact points to their teams as prep for this game. “We aren’t/they aren’t going to shoot like that again, but we aren’t/they aren’t going to turn the ball over like that either.” It works for motivation for both sides to find a way to a win in this week’s game. UConn to find a different way to win, Marquette to find a way to beat an NCAA tournament caliber team for the first time since January 3rd.
Yep.
Go look at the schedule for a second. That’s what the situation is.
That doesn’t make this game critical or pivotal for Marquette. They’re going to be a tournament team without a doubt. But it sure would be nice to head to Madison Square Garden for the Big East tournament with a win over a tourney caliber team, or at least a round of 32 caliber team at some point in the last few weeks.
Marquette did a lot of things right coming out of that ugly Villanova loss and rolling through Providence and Georgetown. MU shot the ball well, they defended well. They got lots of contributions across the roster against PC and all five starters had big games against GU. But the Friars and the Hoyas are going to see their seasons end when they lose at MSG. It’s time for Marquette to put on their Big Boy pants and play in a Big Boy game now. Two of them, in fact, as the home finale is going to be against the #6 team in the country. But for now, the only one that matters is 40 minutes of hoops in Storrs. It doesn’t need to be a win….. but it certainly needs to be a heck of a lot more competitive than the first game between these two teams.
All-Time Series: Connecticut leads, 12-8
Current Streak: The combination of last year’s 3-0 run against Marquette, including the 73-57 victory in the Big East title game, and the National Marquette Day result earlier this season is the current difference in the series as well as the current active streak in the series. UConn has won nine of the last 11 meetings as well.
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