Hartford, CT (My Sportsbook) - The fourth-ranked Connecticut Huskies welcome the Seton Hall Pirates to Hartford this afternoon for a Big East showdown from the XL Center.
Jim Calhoun's Huskies are 15-1 on the season and have won four straight games, all in-conference, since their Big East-opening loss to Georgetown. Most recently, UConn moved to 4-1 in league play with a 67-55 win at St. John's.
The Pirates are at the opposite end of the Big East spectrum and are still in search of their first league victory. The team has dropped four straight games entering this tilt, including an 88-79 decision at Notre Dame last weekend.
This is the 57th all-time meeting between these two teams on the hardwood, with the Huskies holding a 38-18 advantage. UConn has opened up the big lead in the series thanks to wins in 14 of the last 15 games. However, Seton Hall has won four of the seven meetings in Hartford.
The Pirates have lost their way in conference play, but it hasn't been because of a lack of offensive ability. The team is averaging a healthy 77.1 ppg on the year, thanks in large part to the explosive play of Jeremy Hazell, who is netting 22.4 ppg. Robert Mitchell is a dynamic low post player that complements Hazell's perimeter game, with 15.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Eugene Harvey rounds out the primary scoring threats for Seton Hall with his 13.8 ppg. Seton Hall shot 50 percent from the floor against Notre Dame, but it wasn't enough last weekend in South Bend. Harvey led the way with 21 points. Mitchell added 15 points, while Hazell and Jordan Theodore chipped in 12 and 11 points, respectively. The game was decided in the second half, when Notre Dame pulled down a whopping 14 offensive boards and turned a one-point halftime deficit into a nine-point win.
The Huskies are one of those teams that has the ability to win games at either end of the floor. The team certainly possesses plenty of scoring power, with five players averaging double figures and the team as a whole netting 78.9 ppg. Defensively, the team is holding foes to just 61.4 ppg on under 40 percent shooting (.381) in addition to winning the battle on the boards by over nine and a half rebounds per game. The interior game is headlined by forward Jeff Adrien (14.6 ppg, 9.2 rpg) and center Hasheem Thabeet (13.3 ppg, 10.1 rpg). The perimeter game is in good hands as well, with guards Jerome Dyson (13.5 ppg), Kemba Walker (10.5 ppg) and A.J. Price (10.0 ppg) all showing the ability to hit big baskets. Walker had a huge game on Thursday, hitting 8-of-12 from the floor and posting a career-high 21 points. Adrien and Thabeet did the rest, with Adrien recording a double-double at 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Thabeet finishing with 10 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. The Huskies shot just over 48 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Red Storm, 38-25.
