Preview: No. 5 UConn men’s basketball vs. Creighton | Feb. 18, 7:00 p.m. | TNT

UConn men’s basketball (24-2, 14-1) kicks off a critical five-game stretch to close the regular season on Wednesday night, as the Huskies host Creighton (13-13, 7-8) at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs looking to finish off the season sweep of the Bluejays.

The Bluejays rank No. 78 in KenPom, with the No. 65 offense in the country, No. 119 defense and rank 81st in the NET. The team has spiraled out of at-large contention for the NCAA Tournament in Big East play, dropping seven of their last 10 games with the three wins all coming by just one possession. Greg McDermott hasn’t gotten what he’s expected out of a group that was nationally ranked in the preseason and they now have an uphill climb if they want to play in March Madness for a sixth-straight year.

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As for UConn, it sits at No. 5 in the AP Poll, No. 9 in KenPom, and No. 10 in the NET. They have the 11th-most efficient defense in the country and 22nd most efficient offense. The Huskies had yet another close win on Saturday, knocking off Georgetown in Storrs despite a valiant effort from the Hoyas and some poor late game execution by Dan Hurley’s squad. They bounced back from a loss to St. John’s with two wins last week to get back on track.

The Huskies are looking to keep pace with the Red Storm as both squads have just one Big East loss and are seeking a regular season title with less than a month to go in the regular season.

Last time the Huskies played Creighton, they blew them out last month in Omaha behind a 3-point barrage and a dominant second half. Can they replicate that performance? For as much as the Gampel Pavilion crowd has been maligned as of late, the combination of $2 Miller Lites, Emeka Okafor’s number retirement and Hurley’s postgame comments should lead to one of, if not the best, crowds of the season.

Date/Time: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 7:00 p.m.

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TV/Stream: TNT, HBO Max

Radio: UConn Sports Network, Sirius XM 84, Sirius/XM online streaming

Odds: UConn -16.5, over/under 142.5