Huskies host UMES Saturday night in Hartford

HARTFORD – The No. 2 UConn men’s basketball team (4-3) is back on land and will host Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) at the XL Center on Saturday evening. The premiere is at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast exclusively on Peacock with Noah Reed and Donny Marshall.

The Huskies are looking to bounce back from a three-game deficit in the 2024 Maui Invitational, falling to Memphis, Colorado and Dayton on consecutive days earlier this week. It is UConn’s first three-game losing streak since the now-infamous streak in January 2023. UMES enters the season with a 2-8 record and has dropped its last four contests, including Wednesday’s most recent at Little Rock.

Despite their recent struggles, the Huskies still boast one of the most potent offenses in the country and currently rank seventh in Kenpom offensive efficiency and top five in the country in assists per game and assist/turnover ratio. Alex Karaban leads Connecticut with 15.9 points per game and shoots 50.7 percent from the floor, Solo ball adds 12.9 per game and Liam McNeeley Checks in at 12.0 per contest. Tarris Reed Jr. is the fourth Husky to average double figures with 11.3 points per game and leads the team with 8.6 rebounds per game Hassan Diarra adds 8.4 points and a team-high 4.7 assists per night.

KC Shaw leads UMES with 18.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Evan Johnson adds 10.3 points per game and Chistopher Flippin scores 9.3 points and a team-high 5.7 rebounds per game for the Hawks.

Following Saturday night’s contest, UConn will play the remaining 23 games of its regular season schedule against quality opponents. First up is No. 17 Baylor on Wednesday, Dec. 4 at Gampel Pavilion.