UConn men’s basketball visits Villanova in consequential matchup Saturday: How to watch

The poster of the Big East regular-season championship trophy that sits on an easel courtside at UConn’s practice facility was battered, held together by a roll’s worth of clear packing tape at the start of the week.

There is no telling how Dan Hurley’s cardboard punching bag held up after the Huskies lost to Creighton across the street at Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday.

It seemed as though the trophy would be UConn’s to lose early in conference play, but after dropping two of their last four games, the Huskies have to find a way back on track. And they don’t have much time to do so with meaningful games at third-place Villanova on Saturday and a home matchup against St. John’s, which holds a half game lead in the standings, on Wednesday.

Villanova, 21-5 and 12-3 in the Big East, fell in an overtime thriller when the teams met in Hartford in late January. UConn held Acaden Lewis, a likely first-round draft pick and favorite for Big East Freshman of the Year, to four points on 1-for-13 shooting in that game, and limited Bryce Lindsay, who averages 12.3 points per game, to just three points on 0-for-8 from the field.

But the Huskies’ defense has regressed since then, causing a lot of the damage to the motivational poster board. And Villanova hasn’t lost since its trip to Hartford, narrowly sneaking past Xavier in overtime to win its sixth in a row on Tuesday.

This thing’s been through it… pic.twitter.com/ocgyJhcGHU

— Joe Arruda (@joearruda9) February 16, 2026

UConn dropped to No. 13 by KenPom’s efficiency metrics after allowing 91 points to a struggling Creighton team. Much like last season, the issues started on the perimeter, where Hurley says some of his players have gotten worse over the course of the year, and trickled into the paint, where rim protection has been lacking.

Part of the problem might have to do with a leg injury Alex Karaban has been dealing with. Hurley said the captain “probably shouldn’t have played” in Wednesday’s loss, and his status for Saturday’s trip to Philadelphia is unclear. Braylon Mullins, who found himself in concussion protocol after a collision with Lewis in the first matchup, also seemed to be dealing with a knee condition on Wednesday, though he said he’d be ready to go.

Whether it is because of injury or otherwise, Hurley hinted that he may have to adjust the starting lineup to address the group’s defensive shortcomings.

So Jayden Ross, the athletic 6-foot-7 junior wing, could potentially make his second career start in place of Solo Ball, who has seen his defense regress as he’s gotten his offense back on track. Ross played 27 minutes in the Creighton game and put together a balanced stat line with six points (2-for-3 from the field), three rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.

“If we can’t fix it, we’re obviously gonna have issues moving forward,” Hurley said Wednesday night, noting that the next few days would be “really brutal.” With only four regular season games left, the sense of urgency hasn’t been higher all year.

“We do control our own destiny relative to the things we want to accomplish still,” Hurley pointed out.

But a losing streak now could do damage to their regular season title hopes that tape can’t fix.

What to know

Site: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia.

Time: 5:30 p.m. Saturday

Records: No. 5 UConn: 24-3 (14-2 Big East), Villanova: 21-5 (12-3)

Series: Villanova leads, 40-39.

Last meeting: Feb. 21, 2026 – No. 2 UConn 75, Villanova 67 (OT) at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford.

TV: TNT – Spero Dedes, Grant Hill, Andy Katz

Radio: UConn Sports Network on FOX Sports Radio 97-9 – Mike Crispino, Wayne Norman

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