Providence can expect a hostile crowd when they arrive in Storrs this week
When last Connecticut and Providence met, expectations were wildly different for both programs. The Huskies were 14-1, coming off of their first loss of the season in a brutal environment at Xavier — and even then it took a late Dan Hurley technical for the Muskies to get any separation.
Prior to PC and UConn meeting in early January, Ed Cooley said he believed Connecticut was the best team in the country. They were ranked as high as #2 by the Associated Press, and entered the AMP #4 in the AP poll after the Xavier loss. They weren’t just beating teams in the early portion of the schedule, they were demolishing them.
The Friars had drastically turned their fortunes around following a 5-3 November. Ed Cooley’s bunch had won seven straight games (four in a row in the Big East) when UConn came to town.
Regardless, they weren’t considered to be on Connecticut’s level until making a statement with a 73-61 over the Huskies. Providence was simply the more physical team on that night — with Bryce Hopkins scoring 27 points and taking 15 free throw attempts, while the Friars held a 35-19 advantage in attempts from the stripe.
Playing without Jared Bynum, Providence got big efforts from Ed Croswell (13 points, 13 rebounds) and Noah Locke (17 points, 3-6 from three), while limiting Adama Sanogo to 11 points and seven boards.
The victory gave Providence a 3-1 advantage over UConn since their return to the Big East in 2020-21.
Fast forward a month and a half and PC and Connecticut have identical records at 20-7, although the Friars are three games up in the Big East standings with a 12-4 mark.
The fan bases have been at each other’s throats since the Huskies’ Big East reentry, and Wednesday night’s return engagement will undoubtedly be edgy.
Statistically, the two teams have been relatively even in conference play. Providence ranks third in the league in Offensive Rating (points/100 possessions) at 112.3, while UConn is fourth at 111.1.