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Bracketology 2023: UNLV, UConn, and Alabama with key matchups to watch

By Jason Burgess

Feb 21, 2018; Philadelphia, PA, USA; A Big East logo on the court at the Wells Fargo Center before a game between the Villanova Wildcats and the DePaul Blue Demons. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 21, 2018; Philadelphia, PA, USA; A Big East logo on the court at the Wells Fargo Center before a game between the Villanova Wildcats and the DePaul Blue Demons. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Bracketology Connecticut Huskies forward Adama Sanogo Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Bracketology Connecticut Huskies forward Adama Sanogo Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /

Villanova Wildcats at No. 2 Connecticut Huskies

Wednesday, December 28, Storrs, CT, 6:30 PM ET, FS1

On Wednesday night the first big Big East game of the year takes place when Villanova travels to Storrs to take on No. 2 Connecticut (13-0). The Wildcats are looking to show that despite changes, the road to a league title still goes through them. The Huskies will be looking to make a statement that there is a new top dog in the Big East.

There may not be a team in the country that feels as though they are whole and finally have their footing this season than Villanova. Since the return of Cam Whitmore, the Wildcats have been riding high having won five straight. The last week of 2022 is a big one for Kyle Neptune and his team, facing UConn on Wednesday and No. 24 Marquette on New Year’s Eve.

If the season ended right now the Huskies probably find themselves as the top overall seed in the tournament. At 13-0, they are one of only three unbeatens and have convincing wins over Oregon, Alabama, Iowa State, and Florida by an average of 19.5 points.

If you like teams with positive momentum look no further than the Villanova Wildcats (7-5). Not only are they undefeated in the month of December, but they’ve also won the five games by an average of 13.6 points per game. The duo of Eric Dixon and Brandon Slater have led the way by putting up 26 points and 10 rebounds over the last five. This game with UConn gives them a chance to show that a fully healthy Wildcats roster will be a force in the Big East.

UConn averages over 83 points per game with six guys averaging over nine points per game. No matter what metric you look at, whether it is results based or predictive, they absolutely love the Huskies. This game may give us a clue as to who is the top dog in the conference, although Creighton may also have a say in that.

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