The #4 Marquette Golden Eagles will put their eight-game winning streak on the line on Saturday afternoon on the road against #1 UCONN Huskies. UCONN has also won 13 straight games. Tipoff for this huge basketball contest will be at 3 p.m. ET on FOX.
The Huskies lost their last game on December 20 against the Seton Hall Pirates. The last time the Golden Eagles lost was on January 10 against the Butler Bulldogs. Entering this matchup, Marquette is currently second in the BIG East Conference with a 10-3 record and a 19-5 overall record.
As for UCONN, they have a 13-1 record in BIG East Conference play and a 23-2 overall record. The Huskies are on track for the number one overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Also, it is very possible there will be a collision course between these two teams come March for the BIG East title.
Head coach Shaka Smart needs to have his players ready to go from the opening tipoff in this one. Marquette is viewed as the biggest challenger to the Huskies in the conference. In the last game for the Marquette, they defeated the Butler Bulldogs by a final score of 78-72 on Tuesday.
Tyler Kolek was sensational once again for Marquette as he scored 27 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and recorded five assists. Kolek is going to have to be locked in from the opening tipoff. Oso Ighodaro recorded another double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Kam Jones also added 11 points in that game.
Players to Watch For on the UCONN Huskies Against the Marquette Golden Eagles
Dan Hurley is one of the best college basketball coaches in the country. Some people say that UCONN may be better than the team that won the National Title a season ago, but time will tell. On Wednesday, the UCONN Huskies easily defeated the DePaul Blue Demons 101-65.
The Huskies had six different players score in double figures against the Blue Demons. Alex Karaban led UCONN with 21 points, grabbed five rebounds, and recorded one assist. Stephon Castle scored 15 points, Cam Spencer scored 14 points, and Jaylin Stewart scored 11 points. Tristen Newton and Donovan Clingan each scored 10 points in that game as well.
Clingan is one of the best big men in the country. This team is loaded from top to bottom. The Marquette Golden Eagles also have depth just like the Huskies, but it might feel like another level with the UCONN Huskies. Marquette is going to play UCONN tough in this one, but home-court advantage will prevail for the Huskies over the Golden Eagles. This could be a game where the final score ends up 85-82.
