UConn basketball returns to home away from home to take on Gonzaga. Read below for a full UConn vs Gonzaga prediction and preview.
Fans should be looking forward to the highly anticipated matchup between two of college basketball’s premier programs. This will be the third straight season UConn and Gonzaga have laced it up with UConn winning each of the previous 2 battles under Dan Hurley. This will be the 8th time these teams have met, with UConn leading the series 5-2.
Part one of the trilogy came in the 2022-2023 Elite 8 where UConn punched Gonzaga in the mouth to deliver a shocking 82-54 victory in Las Vegas. This wasn’t an aberration for UConn basketball as they bulldozed through the rest of the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first team to win all six games by at least 13 points. This impressive feat only lasted one season as UConn won every NCAA Tournament game by at least 14 points the following year.
Mark Few and Dan Hurley then agreed on a neutral site “home and home” where UConn first played in Seattle in the 2023-2024 season. Part two of the trilogy was a tighter contest with UConn jumping out to an early lead which they would not relinquish behind a 20 point performance from Donovan Clingan. Gonzaga cut the lead to within 10 points with just over 4 mins remaining, but Gonzaga was unable to cut into the deficit any further and fell 76-63.
Part three of the trilogy will now take place in New York City at Madison Square Garden for another “neutral site” game. Both teams come into the game hungry to add a signature victory that would go a long way come March.
Next up: Storrs South 🏙️ pic.twitter.com/zRaf33FZOO
— UConn Men’s Basketball (@UConnMBB) December 13, 2024
General Information
Teams: UConn (7-3) vs. Gonzaga (7-2)
Tip-Off Time: 8 p.m. EST
Watch: FOX
Latest on Gonzaga basketball:
The Bulldogs enter this contest coming off a 1-point “neutral” site overtime loss to Kentucky in Seattle. Gonzaga let one slip away, blowing an 18 point lead as they lost a heartbreaker to the Wildcats.
Graham Ike led the way, scoring 28 points and securing 11 rebounds in their OT loss. UConn may struggle to contain the redshirt senior as both Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed have been prone to fouling in the early part of the season. If that is the case again, then it may be a long night for the Huskies.
Another familiar face is star point guard Ryan Nembhard. This will be his 5th time going up against UConn during his time at Creighton and Gonzaga. He was a standout during their matchup last season scoring 15 points. He is currently one of the best point guards in college and is currently leading the nation in assists at 10.7 per game. Gonzaga’s offense runs through Nembhard and it’s obvious that the game will come down to how well the UConn guards can contain him.
Latest on UConn basketball:
The Huskies are coming off of two huge wins after their disappointing trip to Maui. Most recently they are coming off their first road victory of the season, beating Texas and giving them their first ever non-conference loss at the Moody Center.
Alex Karaban returned from his concussion and was outstanding against Texas, leading the way with 21 points while shooting 60% from three. He has been a part of each of the previous two matchups with the Bulldogs and has averaged 11.5 points in those contests.
UConn basketball has shown their resilience by obtaining back to back signature non-conference wins, but it’s evident that the team desperately would like to close out the non-conference slate with one more victory over a Gonzaga team that is ranked 8th in the country.
If UConn can pull it out by beating Gonzaga for a third consecutive time in three seasons, the ship will be fully righted and they will be sailing towards another high seed come tournament time.
UConn vs Gonzaga prediction: UConn by 5
Gonzaga enters the game as 2.5-point favorites, which may seem surprising but Gonzaga has been battle tested against several high quality opponents. Beating Baylor, Arizona State, San Diego State, and Indiana while losing in overtime to West Virginia and Kentucky is a highly impressive resume.
With all that being said, it’s tough to bet against UConn basketball playing in Madison Square Garden. They went an unbelievable 7-0 at “Storrs South” last season and hope to continue their winning streak. This should be a back and forth game, but expect the Huskies to pull it out in the end.
[…] at the Mecca. There’s no better venue for a college basketball game and that rang true for this heavyweight matchup. UConn nation did their part in creating an absolutely electric […]