Musketeer Madness

When: Wednesday, December 31 5 p.m.
Where: Cintas, Cincinnati, Ohio

TV: Peacock and the NBC Sports Network with play-by-play from John Fanta and analysis from Nick Bahe.
Radio: 700 WLW

Officials - Brian O'Connell, John Gaffney, and Tony Henderson

XU is 3-2 vs. UConn at Cintas Center. X won last season's meeting over then-No. 19 UConn at Cintas Center, 76-72, on Jan. 25, 2025

UConn Huskies 2025–26 Scouting Report
(Through a 12–1 start, ranked No. 4 nationally)

UConn enters the 2025–26 season looking every bit like a program still in dynasty mode under Dan Hurley. The roster blends veteran physicality, elite defensive length, and a wave of high-upside freshmen—exactly the formula that has powered their recent dominance.

Team Identity UConn
Elite defense and rim protection: With multiple 7-footers and switchable wings, UConn again profiles as one of the nation’s toughest teams to score on.

Balanced scoring with no single dependency: Multiple players can create offense, and the system emphasizes ball movement over isolation.

Physicality on the glass: Tarris Reed Jr. and the freshman bigs give UConn one of the strongest rebounding frontcourts in the Big East.

Hurley’s trademark toughness and pace: Aggressive defense, structured offense, and relentless tempo.

So let's go hang an L on them and end the year on a highlight.

What Xavier Needs to Beat UConn
(Game at Cintas Center — where Xavier is historically competitive vs. UConn)

UConn enters the matchup with an elite defense—top‑10 nationally in scoring defense, field‑goal defense, and blocked shots . Xavier, meanwhile, has been inconsistent: they were blown out by Creighton but responded with a tough road win at Georgetown

To pull the upset, Xavier must hit several key benchmarks
1. Win the physicality battle at the rim
UConn’s identity is built on rim protection, rebounding, and interior defense. They allow just 61.1 points per game and block 6 shots per game .

For Xavier to counter, they must:
Attack early in the shot clock before UConn’s half‑court defense is set.
Get Tarris Reed Jr. into foul trouble—he anchors UConn’s interior.
Finish through contact, something they struggled with in the Creighton loss.

2. Tre Carroll must play like a star
Carroll leads Xavier at 16.5 PPG on strong efficiency.
Against UConn’s elite defense, Xavier needs him to:
Score 20+ efficiently,
Draw doubles to open shooters
Avoid the cold stretches that doomed them vs. Creighton
If Carroll is held under 15, Xavier’s odds drop dramatically.

3. Protect the ball at all costs
Xavier committed 14 turnovers in the Creighton blowout and completely unraveled offensively.
UConn thrives on:
Turnovers leading to transition
Long defensive possessions that wear teams down
Xavier must keep turnovers under 10 to stay in striking distance.

🧩 UConn’s Key Weaknesses This Season
Below is a clear breakdown of the Huskies’ soft spots.

1. Defensive inconsistency in big games
UConn’s head coach Dan Hurley himself identified defense as the team’s biggest weakness, especially in high‑pressure matchups.
Against top‑25 opponents, UConn’s points allowed jumped from 68 PPG to 72 PPG, a meaningful spike that signals breakdowns in rotations, rim protection, and closeouts.

This is a major opening for Xavier, who thrives when they can force defensive movement and create mismatches.

2. A defense that is good, but not elite
UConn’s defensive rating sits at 103.9, which ranks 152nd nationally — surprisingly average for a top‑tier program.
This means disciplined, well‑executed offense can score on them, especially if you force them into late-clock situations or isolate weaker defenders.

3. Roster turnover and reliance on new contributors
The Huskies lost most of their starting lineup from the previous championship run.
They returned only one starter (Alex Karaban), and the rest of the rotation is a mix of newcomers and developing players.

This creates:
Communication gaps on defense
Inconsistent scoring roles
Vulnerability in hostile road environments. Xavier — can exploit this in Cinras if the fans are not too interested in New Year's parties after the game.

4. Struggles in high‑pressure, late‑game situations
Reports describe UConn’s season as marked by inconsistency in high‑pressure moments, including late‑game execution and defensive lapses.

This is exactly where Xavier can steal a game:

Force UConn into tight possessions
Keep the score close late
Make them execute under noise and pressure

5. Drop‑off in defensive intensity over long stretches
Hurley’s comments and the team’s performance patterns show that UConn’s defensive effort fluctuates.
They can look elite for 10 minutes, then give up a 12–2 run because of:

Slow closeouts
Poor transition defense
Miscommunication on switches

This is where Xavier’s pace and physicality can break them.

7 minutes in and almost a 20-point lead...we are overmatched to say the least

The only guys who look ready to compete are Carroll and N'Diaye. The rest look scared .

down by 25 at one point, they rally to be down by 15 at half Thank you Boro and Roddy. I think we are 0-10 from three. Where have all the shooters gone? UConn averages 7 three-pointers per game and has 6 at halftime. What will it take to get the Quad 1 win? How about 16 more points that UConn scores?

the bad lost game
the "good" it wasn't a 40+ point win

I hope you guys know I love b ball and especially X b ball but we cannot begin to compete at this level with this team. I like Pitino and I believe he knows how to coach but he does not have the horses. I guess none of this is breaking news but I am so disappointed with college basketball the game I love. In this new environment we cannot compete. Happy new year to all Muskie fans. Go X!! Do your best.

For a team with so little talent you would think they would play harder. Filip, Anderson, Carroll all played hard. The rest of the team played very passively. Moore is getting better on offense but he was awful on defense. He doesn't know how to get around screens. He was torched all night long. Wright, Walker, Robinson and maybe even Milicevic don't seem to be Big East players. The scary part is Wright and Milicevic start. N'Diaye has some bright spots but Pitino has him on a very short lease. Sad to see a Xavier team compete at that poor of a level.

The worst part of it was these games, Creighton and UConn were at Cintas.

Gonna be a long year... But at least they beat uc... Dan

It's one thing to be less talented it's another thing to lack effort, which everyone did besides Roddie, Filip, Carroll, and Moore. Not hustling back on D, careless passes, and not getting around screens is unacceptable. UConn has two shooters and set multiple screens for them and we get lazy lose our man and switch. It's so easy for good coaches to go against our D. Jovan played as bad as any big of seen in recent history and his defense was awful not to mentioned all the times he didn't box out. Walker makes his old man seem like SGA. He played terrible defense and did not get a rebound in 20 mins. We get the lead down to 13 and Richard changes lineup and they go on a 11-0 run in two mins. It is hard to believe one of our highest paid players is Robinson, who still does not know what do. It doesn't take a lot to box out and put effort on defense. Having the worst rebounding team in BE as well as worst team defensively on the perimeter is a receipe for 5-6 BE wins. Roddie, Moore, and Filip looked like BE players.