UConn basketball dismantled the Seton Hall Pirates on Senior Day, 91-61.
It was Senior Day in Storrs, CT as Husky Nation honored Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer, Hassan Diarra, and Andrew Hurley in their final home games (Hassan Diarra does have his COVID year of eligibility remaining, but he has not yet made any announcements about a return).
Not only was it emotional to say goodbye to some incredible players, but it was also the final day as mascot for Jonathan XIV as the title was handed over to Jonathan XV at halftime.
On top of all that, UConn basketball was playing for the opportunity to clinch the regular season conference title. There was certainly no shortage of storylines in the Basketball Capital of the World!
Seton Hall beat the Huskies by 15 points earlier in the season and they opened this contest with that same confidence. Their defense made it difficult for UConn to get good looks as they paid extra attention to Spencer, who didn’t get his first points until late in the contest. Things were looking good for the Pirates as they capped off a seven-point run to take an 18-14 point lead in the first half.
UConn responded with a 15-2 run of their own and never looked back as they ended up winning the game by 30 points and were able to get some play time for senior guard Andrew Hurley. This win also clinched the Big East regular season title for the Huskies who will be going into Madison Square Garden as the top seed.
Takeaway #1: The other seniors
While today honored the players with no more eligibility, there were also some NBA hopefuls who may have played the last home game of their college careers. Donavan Clingan and Stephon Castle both had incredible performances in their “Senior Day” on Sunday as they led the Huskies to their Big East regular season title-clinching victory. Clingan had 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 blocks while Castle had a game-high 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Both players certainly made their case for why NBA teams should consider using their first-round picks on them. Clingan showcased his intimidating presence in the paint with some powerful blocks as well as grabbing some skillful rebounds. Castle was steady as ever letting the game come to him. Husky fans know that Stephon is quite the athlete, but he showcased his full arsenal today with some unbelievable highlight dunks including one that came off of some nice handles.
Steph ties his career-high 21 points 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/FtoDRpwjFx
— UConn Men’s Basketball (@UConnMBB) March 3, 2024
Takeaway #2: Seton Hall is on the ropes
Losing to one of the best teams in the country on the road doesn’t necessarily hurt a bubble team, but losing in such dominating fashion does. Seton Hall’s postseason aspirations are hanging on by a thread as they only have two games remaining in their regular season to prove to the committee that they deserve to be called on Selection Sunday. Both of those games are must-win as they play Villanova and DePaul to finish conference play.
The upcoming matchup with Villanova is the one to watch as both teams are found on every bracketologist’s bubble essentially making it an at-large elimination game for the Big East foes. Seton Hall beat UConn earlier in the season and could make some noise later this month if they’re able to get into the big dance.
Takeaway #3: The first time since…
The past two seasons of the Hurley era for UConn basketball have been nothing short of impressive and at times it can be easy to forget where this program was just seven years ago. This season has been full of plenty of “first time since…” moments for UConn basketball, primarily centered around the AP Poll, and today added a couple more to the list. UConn has outright won a regular season title for the first time since 1999 and they have gone undefeated at home for the first time since 2006. It’s stats like these that remind Husky Nation not only how dominant this current team is, but also remind fans to appreciate this run because who knows when this level of success will come around again.
Next for Seton Hall: vs. Villanova (Wed., Mar. 6 – 6:30 p.m.)
Next for UConn: at Marquette (Wed., Mar. 6 – 8:30 p.m.)