Who will win Marquette basketball vs. UConn in Big East showdown tonight? Our predictions, picks

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The Marquette men’s basketball team has a lot to play for in the final week of the regular season.

The 20th-ranked Golden Eagles (22-7, 13-5 Big East) are still jockeying for position in the conference tournament next week and could finish as high as second or as low as fifth.

And with two Quad 1 opportunities against Connecticut and St. John’s, MU can also enhance its NCAA Tournament profile.

It starts on the road on Wednesday against the Huskies (20-9, 12-6) in Storrs, Connecticut.

More: Forget the box score. These are the stats Marquette men’s basketball coaches look at.

Here’s what to watch in the game:

Matchup to watch: Tarris Reed’s inside presence for UConn

Connecticut is a tough matchup for MU because of its frontcourt depth.

Samson Johnson, a 6-foot-10 mobile center, has been starting games at center, but 6-10 bruiser Tarris Reed has been getting more playing time off the bench.

Reed is coming off a monster game against Providence in which he had 24 points, 18 rebounds and six blocks. In the first matchup with MU, Reed pulled down three offensive boards.

Connecticut ranks second in the nation in block percentage, so it is hard to score around the basket with Johnson and Reed patrolling the paint. The Huskies are also No. 39 in the country in offensive rebounding percentage.

X-Factor: Connecticut Huskies forward Liam McNeeley

Freshman sharpshooter Liam McNeeley missed eight games with an ankle injury, including Connecticut’s victory at Fiserv Forum.

The 6-7 forward is projected as a lottery pick in this year’s NBA draft. Since returning to the lineup, McNeeley is 14 for 35 (40%) on three-pointers.

Marquette basketball vs. UConn prediction

MU hasn’t won on the road at Connecticut in head coach Shaka Smart’s previous three seasons with the program. Though the teams are playing at the on-campus Gampel Pavilion for the first time since the 2020-21 season, a change of scenery won’t benefit the Golden Eagles. The Huskies’ advantage inside will make the difference in a close…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/win-marquette-basketball-vs-uconn-134418355.html

Author : Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Publish date : 2025-03-05 13:44:00

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