University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Seton Hall
No. 3 UConn Visits No. 25 Seton Hall on Tuesday
1/12/2026 1:50:00 PM | Men's Basketball
NEWARK, N. J. – The No. 3 UConn men's basketball team (16-1, 6-0 BIG EAST) carries its 12-game winning streak and perfect start to league play into the Garden State for a Tuesday night tilt at No. 25 Seton Hall (14-2, 4-1 BIG EAST). Tip-off from the Prudential Center is set for 8 p.m. and will air on truTV with Spero Dedes, Jim Spanarkel and Andy Katz on the call.
The Huskies and Pirates have split their regular season series in each of the last five campaigns. Both teams have won on their home floors in the last four seasons, including a year ago when UConn dropped a 69-68 overtime decision in Newark before an 81-50 triumph in Storrs. Historically the Huskies have dominated the series between longtime league rivals to the tune of a 50-24 record.
Tuesday night's contest will feature two of the nation's top defensive units, with UConn checking in at No. 5 in Kenpom defensive efficiency and Seton Hall ranked ninth. The Pirates entered the AP Top 25 this week at No. 25, making the affair UConn's first ranked match-up since topping then-No. 18 Florida on Dec. 9. Dan Hurley is 6-5 against his alma mater while at UConn, winning a 2022 BIG EAST Tournament game in addition to the five regular season splits. It is the third all-time meeting between the programs with both teams ranked, previously occurring on 2/14/00 and 3/1/92.
The Huskies were last in action on Saturday afternoon in Hartford for a wire-to-wire 72-60 win over DePaul. The was UConn's sixth-straight to open league play, a feat accomplished by Connecticut for the first time since 2001-02. UConn's 6-0 start to league play is tied for its best since opening the 1998-99 BIG EAST slate at 11-0.
Braylon Mullins led UConn with game-highs of 16 points and seven rebounds on Saturday and stuffed the stat sheet with three assists, three steals and two blocks. He was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week following the performance, paired with his 24-point explosion on Jan. 7 at PC. Alex Karaban added 15 points and five rebounds against the Blue Demons, while Silas Demary Jr. finished with 14 points, a game-high four assists and three steals. That game coupled with his monster outing at PC earned Demary Jr. BIG EAST Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career on Monday.
Solo Ball scored all seven of his points on Saturday in the second half and leads the Huskies with 15.4 points per game on the season. He is one of five Huskies averaging double-figures this season for UConn's top-25 offensive unit which currently leads the BIG EAST in assists per game (18.8) and 3-point percentage (36.5). Karaban is top-three on the Huskies in scoring (14.0 ppg), rebounding (5.3 rpg), assists (2.1 apg), blocks (1.0 bpg) and steals (0.9 spg). The redshirt senior captain has posted a 49.4/43.8/87.1 shooting in an All-America caliber season.
Tarris Reed Jr. is averaging 13.9 points with a team-best 7.5 rebounds a contest, shooting 62.2 percent from the floor and swatting 1.9 blocks per game. Mullins has started UConn's last seven games as he fully ramps up from injury and is averaging 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 47.5 from the floor and 38.7 percent from three. Demary Jr. has upped his scoring average to 10.2 points per game along with his league-leading 6.1 assists per contest.
The Pirates have opened the season 14-2 overall and 4-1 in BIG EAST play, already doubling their win total from a season ago. The Hall has won its last three after a win at Georgetown on Saturday. Seton Hall ranks among the national leaders in scoring defense (62.7 ppg) and leads the country in both block rate and steal rate. A.J. Staton-McCray leads SHU with 12.3 points per game, joined in double-figures by Tajuan Simpkins at 11.1 ppg and Budd Clark with 10.5 points and a team-high 5.0 assists per game. The Pirates center tandem of Stephon Payne and Najai Hines combine to average 14.1 points and 12.9 rebounds a night.
Following Tuesday night in New Jersey the Huskies are back on the road on Saturday, Jan. 17 to take on Georgetown in Washington, D.C.
