No. 2 UConn men acknowledge "monster," edge Providence 87-81
There’s a monster in Storrs. A fear-mongering beast etched deep into Connecticut lore. Dan Hurley knows it all too well. He created it — and it haunts him.
But he chases it.
“The monster we created was obviously the 2023 and 2024 teams,” Hurley explained while pressing his hand into his forehead. “Especially the way the ’24 team obliterated people.”
Utter and complete dominance — that’s the monster.
The UConn men’s basketball team (20-1, 10-0), now halfway to Big East conference immortality entering February, is chasing the same level of perfection that fabled 2024 squad achieved.
But if Tuesday’s 87-81 survival of Providence (9-12, 2-8) is any indication, these Huskies aren’t there yet — and they aren’t particularly close.
“Everyone wants to see this ’26 team play like the ’24 team,” Hurley added. “But we’re just not there yet.”
The Huskies, like they have all too often against their last four opponents, struggled to put away a Providence squad that totaled more turnovers (11) than assists (10), allowed 11 made 3-pointers and committed 24 personal fouls.
There were four lead changes and four ties between the first and last place teams in the Big East. The Friars outscored the Huskies in the paint and in transition, shooting 31 free throws in the process. Every time Connecticut built a two possession lead, a Friar would find himself on the line shooting an and-one on the opposite end seconds later, quieting a sold-out Gampel Pavilion.
But there was a silver lining in Hurley’s somber. Connecticut’s bench, which averaged less than nine points per game the last two weeks, combined for 26 while its eight-man rotation dished out 23 assists on 29 made field goals. Malachi Smith hit his first 3-pointer of 2026 and didn’t stop there, sinking all four of his attempts from deep. The Huskies shot nearly 50% from 3 (11-for-24) without flamethrower Braylon Mullins on the court (concussion).
And its recently maligned center play, characterized by poor performances on the glass, combined to go 14-for-15 from the field, totaling 33 points and nine rebounds.
Not all bad, Coach.
“There are areas with this team that just feel like on any night, something is letting us down,” Hurley rued. “Tonight, we got saved by the center play, obviously it was a huge positive. I think that’s the potential that those two guys can give us on a nightly basis – we need to get those guys the ball more.”
Tarris Reed Jr., who fouled out in overtime with an uninspiring 10-point, 11-rebound double-double against Villanova, was the focal point early.
The senior hit on all four of his first half field goals, setting up shop on the block against Oswin Erhunmwunse, Duncan Powell and Peteris Pinnis – inconsequently getting all three into foul trouble.
It disrupted the Friars’ offensive rhythm, which, from an eye-test, didn’t seem to involve the frontcourt. Stefan Vaaks and Jamier Jones, Kim English’s pair of sensational slashing freshmen, carved open lanes to the rim early and often against Connecticut’s man defense.
Getting to the rim is one thing. Converting at the rack is another. Vaaks and Jones combined to go 5-of-12 in the first half, most of their misses caroming off the back rim and back into the paint, where a crashing Husky would grab it.
Erhunmwunse grabbed three putback dunks in the first 12 minutes but didn’t score again, hindered due to foul trouble sustained on the other end. It forced English into a zone look, which allowed Smith and Silas Demary Jr. to pick their spots in the lane in 2-on-1 scenarios.
Connecticut built and sustained its lead through Providence’s zone, using point-blank dishes to get Reibe and Reed easy baskets or collapsing the defense to give 3-point shooters easy looks.
Every Husky who attempted a 3 hit multiple – although Solo Ball’s second triple came at the cost of a 2-for-10 mark for the game. Smith (4-for-4), Demary (3-for-5, including two consecutive treys to force a Friar timeout) and Alex Karaban (2-for-5) all got in on the fun.
And it was ultimately the difference – along with an improved effort on the defensive glass in the second half – that lifted the Huskies to win No. 20.
Connecticut nearly doubled Providence on the offensive glass and won the battle for second chance points down the stretch. It’s moribund 12-for-22 mark from the charity stripe, including six misses from Reed alone, was offset by the late-game steadiness of Demary (6-for-8) and Ball (5-for-5).
Reed sealed the win with a pick-off and dunk with under two minutes remaining to put the Huskies up by eight, staving off the Friars’ attempt at a late-game free throw competition.
“Every time I play Connecticut, there’s a desperation that I really respect in their teams and players. It’s a consistent desperation,” English admitted. “Everyone talks about the offense and the 3s and the sets, but the loose balls and the rebounding is what I really admire most about them.”
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