Preview: No. 5 UConn men’s basketball vs. Butler | 8:30 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN

The no. 5 UConn men’s basketball team came out of its historical non-conference gauntlet with an impressive 9-1 record. Now, a new challenge awaits; avoid landmines in the graveyard that is the Big East. First up on the conference slate is 8-2 (1-0) Butler, one of the few Big East teams that has exceeded expectations so far.

The Bulldogs rank No. 51 in KenPom, with the No. 39 offense in the country, and 42nd in NET. Pedestrian at first glance, maybe, but Thad Matta has Butler legging out KenPom efficiency metrics by +4, and boasts a potential conference player of the year in Michael Ajayi. They boast an impressive non-conference win against Virginia and took down Providence in double OT on Sunday.

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As far as UConn, the Huskies sit No. 7 in KenPom and eighth in the NET. They’re one of only six teams with a Top 20 KenPom adjusted offense and defense, and their one blemish on the year (Arizona) was without Tarris Reed Jr. and Braylon Mullins.

They’ll look to avoid a conference opener slipup and demonstrate complementary hoops that has been elusive at times, despite their overall elite standing in the national landscape.

Date/Time: Tuesday, Dec. 16, 8:30 p.m.

TV/Stream: Peacock, NBC Sports Network (for YouTubeTV subscribers)

Radio: UConn Sports Network, Sirius XM 85, Sirius/XM online streaming

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Odds: UConn -14.5 OU 149.5

Location: PeoplesBank Arena — Hartford, CT

KenPom Predicted Score: UConn

Series History

The Huskies and Bulldogs have played 11 times in their history with ten of those times coming in Big East play. UConn has won all 11 matchups including the 2011 National Championship game. They last faced off on January 21, 2025 when the Huskies beat Butler, 80-78, in overtime at the former XL Center (now PeoplesBank Arena). Solo Ball and Alex Karaban led the way with 23 points and 19 points respectively.

Inactives report

As of this writing, all 15 Huskies are active for the Big East home opener.

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What to Watch For

Fire and Ice

The Bulldogs…

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Publish date : 2025-12-16 14:18:00

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