Graduate forward Michael Ajayi earned his second Big East Player of the Week honors for his 28-point, 15-rebound showing against Providence. Photo by Drew Kosmak.
DAVID JACOBS | MANAGING EDITOR | drjacobs@butler.edu
Coming off a record-breaking win over Providence to tip-off conference play, the men’s basketball team looks to carry over the momentum into Hartford against No. 5 UConn on Dec. 16.
Here is what you need to know:
Who: UConn vs. Butler
When: Dec. 16, 8:30 p.m.
Where: Peoples Bank Arena
How to watch: Peacock & NBC Sports Network
A first for everything
With a 0-11 record against UConn, the Huskies are the only opponent Butler has played more than three times without registering a victory.
The two teams first played in the 2011 championship game, and since then, UConn has swept the Dawgs each of the last five seasons since rejoining the Big East.
Despite the one-sided history, Butler has been competitive the last two seasons — logging four consecutive single-digit losses and even a two-point overtime defeat on Jan. 21. Nonetheless, being close only counts with horseshoes and hand grenades, leaving the Bulldogs scrambling to find their first victory over the perennial powers.
Scouting the Huskies
Just a season removed from back-to-back national championship runs, head coach Dan Hurley has UConn right back into contention with a 10-1 start and high expectations for the season.
With a lone loss to No. 1 Arizona, the Huskies have been battle-tested with strong wins over No. 10 BYU, No. 13 Illinois, No. 18 Florida and No. 19 Kansas to start the season.
Like head coach Thad Matta, Hurley frequently goes 10-deep into his bench rotation and can rely on multiple options for bulk scoring output. Namely, the Huskies are paced by junior guard Solo Ball, senior center Tarris Reed Jr. and redshirt-senior forward Alex Karaban, each averaging between 13.8 and 14.5 points.
In the overtime battle last season, Ball scored a team-high 23, Karaban had 19 and Reed chipped in 14 off the bench. Paving the way for another dominant showing from UConn’s top-three players.
However, the Dawgs have shown to be an improved team since last season.
Graduate forward Michael Ajayi is coming off his second Big East Player of the Week honors and will be able to match up well with Karaban. As for Ball, first-year guard Stink Robinson has shown impressive defensive ability since slotting into the starting lineup for the injured Jalen Jackson, and will be the Dawgs’ best bet to slow the all-conference guard down.
Ultimately, as the last four games against UConn have demonstrated, this one will be a dogfight. If Matta can win it this time around, it will be Butler’s first top-10 victory since 2021 and Matta’s first since 2016 with Ohio State.
