Preview: Xavier Faces UConn in Big East Tournament

NEW YORK (Interstat) — The top-seeded and No. 2-ranked Connecticut Huskies begin their defense of the Big East tournament title Thursday against the ninth-seeded Xavier Musketeers at Madison Square Garden.

UConn (27-4), the regular-season conference champion, enters as a heavy favorite, having won both regular-season meetings decisively. The Huskies routed Xavier 92-60 in Hartford on Feb. 3 and won 90-67 in Cincinnati on Dec. 31.

The Huskies, however, are looking to rebound from a rare stumble, a 68-62 loss at Marquette on March 7 that snapped a five-game winning streak. Guard Silas Demary Jr. has been a consistent catalyst, averaging 11.2 points and 7.5 assists over his last six games, including a 17-point, 8-assist performance in the loss to Marquette.

Xavier (15-17) arrives with momentum after an 89-87 upset at Marquette on Wednesday in the tournament’s first round. The Musketeers have endured a difficult season but have shown offensive potency, scoring at least 89 points in three of their last five games.

Sophomore guard Jovan Milicevic has been Xavier’s primary offensive threat, scoring 20 or more points in four of his last eight contests. He tallied 21 points in Wednesday’s win over Marquette.

The matchup pits one of the nation’s most efficient offenses and stoutest defenses in UConn against a Xavier team that ranks near the bottom of the Big East in scoring defense. The Huskies have won their last seven games against Xavier by an average margin of 24.3 points.

UConn is projected as a seed in the NCAA tournament, while Xavier must win the Big East tournament to secure an automatic bid.

Thursday’s winner will advance to face the winner of the game between fourth-seeded Seton Hall and fifth-seeded Providence in Friday’s semifinals.

Tip-off is scheduled for noon EDT.