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3.45pm ET
#19 Connecticut (12-4) at Notre Dame (12-5)
Recommended Play: Notre Dame +1.5
Preview courtesy of The Sports Network:
Coming off a much-needed 10-point win over West Virginia this week, the defending national champion Connecticut Huskies look to build some momentum in Big East play, as they travel to South Bend this weekend for a conference showdown with the always dangerous Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The 19th-ranked Huskies moved to 4-2 in Big East play with the 68-58 win over the Mountaineers on Tuesday, but there is some work to be done, if the team is to make a move on Syracuse and Boston College in the Big East race. The Irish are not far behind UConn, sporting a 4-3 league ledger to this point. The team has however, dropped two straight games, including Wednesday's 65-60 decision at Villanova. This is just the 15th all-time meeting between these two teams. The Huskies won two of the three meetings with Notre Dame last year, including a 66-58 win in the Big East Conference Tournament.
The Huskies played suffocating defense, limiting the Mountaineers to a mere .290 shooting, including .242 from behind the arc. In addition, the more physical Huskies posted a 47-27 rebounding advantage in the game. Offensively, the team got 22 points from Rashad Anderson. Charlie Villanueva added 16 points, while Marcus Williams chipped in with 12. Forward/center Josh Boone, who has been on fire in the paint this year, was held to just six points, but he did grab 10 boards. Averaging almost 80 points per game this season (79.6), UConn is still regarded as one of the top offensive teams in the Big East.
Boone has been simply amazing in the low post, averaging a near double-double with team-highs of 14.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Anderson is next in the scoring column with his perimeter game (13.8 ppg), while Villanueva (12.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and freshman Rudy Gay (10.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg) give the team two more options in the frontcourt.
Notre Dame's five losses have come by a combined 27 points, so this is a team that just needs to learn to win close games. Defense has been the name of the game for Mike Brey's unit, as the Irish are limiting foes to a mere 59.5 ppg this year. However, the team's 66.5 ppg at the offensive end is the lowest in Brey's tenure in South Bend. This is a team with a potent three-guard set, led by All-American candidate Chris Thomas. The veteran point guard boasts of an impressive statline that includes 14.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. Chris Quinn follows with 12.4 ppg, while Colin Falls (11.8 ppg) gets in the act as well. Quinn and Falls get the green light from behind the arc, combining for 89 three-pointers to date. Forward Torin Francis did all he could in the loss to Villanova, posting a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds. Quinn added 13 points and Thomas 12, but the Irish converted just 8- of-32 field goal attempts in the second half, blowing a seven-point halftime lead.
Good luck
Mike Thomas
www.ChampionPlays.com
#19 Connecticut (12-4) at Notre Dame (12-5)
Recommended Play: Notre Dame +1.5
Preview courtesy of The Sports Network:
Coming off a much-needed 10-point win over West Virginia this week, the defending national champion Connecticut Huskies look to build some momentum in Big East play, as they travel to South Bend this weekend for a conference showdown with the always dangerous Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The 19th-ranked Huskies moved to 4-2 in Big East play with the 68-58 win over the Mountaineers on Tuesday, but there is some work to be done, if the team is to make a move on Syracuse and Boston College in the Big East race. The Irish are not far behind UConn, sporting a 4-3 league ledger to this point. The team has however, dropped two straight games, including Wednesday's 65-60 decision at Villanova. This is just the 15th all-time meeting between these two teams. The Huskies won two of the three meetings with Notre Dame last year, including a 66-58 win in the Big East Conference Tournament.
The Huskies played suffocating defense, limiting the Mountaineers to a mere .290 shooting, including .242 from behind the arc. In addition, the more physical Huskies posted a 47-27 rebounding advantage in the game. Offensively, the team got 22 points from Rashad Anderson. Charlie Villanueva added 16 points, while Marcus Williams chipped in with 12. Forward/center Josh Boone, who has been on fire in the paint this year, was held to just six points, but he did grab 10 boards. Averaging almost 80 points per game this season (79.6), UConn is still regarded as one of the top offensive teams in the Big East.
Boone has been simply amazing in the low post, averaging a near double-double with team-highs of 14.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Anderson is next in the scoring column with his perimeter game (13.8 ppg), while Villanueva (12.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and freshman Rudy Gay (10.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg) give the team two more options in the frontcourt.
Notre Dame's five losses have come by a combined 27 points, so this is a team that just needs to learn to win close games. Defense has been the name of the game for Mike Brey's unit, as the Irish are limiting foes to a mere 59.5 ppg this year. However, the team's 66.5 ppg at the offensive end is the lowest in Brey's tenure in South Bend. This is a team with a potent three-guard set, led by All-American candidate Chris Thomas. The veteran point guard boasts of an impressive statline that includes 14.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. Chris Quinn follows with 12.4 ppg, while Colin Falls (11.8 ppg) gets in the act as well. Quinn and Falls get the green light from behind the arc, combining for 89 three-pointers to date. Forward Torin Francis did all he could in the loss to Villanova, posting a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds. Quinn added 13 points and Thomas 12, but the Irish converted just 8- of-32 field goal attempts in the second half, blowing a seven-point halftime lead.
Good luck
Mike Thomas
www.ChampionPlays.com