Saturday will show us quite a bit about the state of the Big East conference race as Villanova heads to UConn for an important matchup. The relative strength of the league is a bit lower than recent years though both of these teams certainly want to make strong statements in the weeks ahead.
The first few months for Villanova (15-4) under Kevin Willard have been filled with promise and potential but the Wildcats have also come up short in important moments. This team looks good at 6-2 in the Big East, but dropped a pair of winnable home games against Creighton and St. John’s and could be in a much better position right now. The Wildcats were starting to hit their stride about a month ago and are hoping to make a major statement in this notable matchup fresh off their best defensive performance of the season against Georgetown.
Despite the gaudy record, Connecticut (18-1) hasn’t exactly just been blowing people out this season and certainly not during Big East play. The Huskies lost that close game to top-ranked Arizona in November and have run off 14 straight wins since then, but Dan Hurley isn’t entirely happy. The long-range shooting was abysmal last week in two close road wins, needing some clutch play late to survive Georgetown last weekend.
Villanova vs. UConn: When and Where
Date: Saturday, January 24, 2026, 12:30 pm ET
Location: PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Connecticut
Villanova vs. UConn: Where to Watch or Stream
Watch: FOX
Streaming: FuboTV
Villanova vs. UConn: Betting Odds
Spread: UConn Huskies -10.5, Villanova Wildcats +10.5
Moneyline: UConn Huskies -690, Villanova Wildcats +480
Total: 135.5
Villanova vs. UConn: Series History
All-time series: Villanova leads 40-38
Last meeting: Connecticut 73, Villanova 56 (March 13, 2025)
Projected Starting Lineups
Villanova Wildcats
Bryce Lindsay (14.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
Acaden Lewis (12.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 5.2 apg)
Tyler Perkins (12.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
Duke Brennan (12.1 ppg, 10.6 rpg)
Matt Hodge (9.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
Connecticut Huskies
Alex Karaban (13.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg)
Solo Ball (14.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg)
Tarris Reed Jr. (14.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg)
Silas Demary Jr. (10.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 6.1 apg)
Braylon Mullins (11.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg)
When you’re looking at this matchup, it’s easy to think that UConn will just take care of business at home once again but let’s not jump to conclusions. The Huskies have been tested in Big East play more than anyone expected even with an 8-0 start in conference. If Villanova’s defense shows up again and can contain UConn’s guards then this absolutely could be an interesting game for 40 minutes. The Wildcats really need strong leadership and a clutch effort from Brennan against these strong forwards from the Huskies. Meanwhile, UConn really needs to go out there and show that the Big East is all theirs with a strong team effort.
Is there a chance that Villanova can pull off this massive upset on the road if their defense puts on another showcase? Does UConn run their win streak to 15 with another solid performance and perhaps even get their shooting game back on track at home?