VILLANOVA, Pa. – The No. 9 UConn men's basketball team (12-3, 4-0 BIG EAST) hits the road for the third time in four games when it visits Villanova (10-5, 3-1 BIG EAST) for a Wednesday night clash at Finneran Pavilion. Tip-off between two of the nation's top offenses is set for 6:30 p.m. on FS1 with Dave Sims and Donny Marshall calling the action.

The Huskies are riding an eight-game winning streak into the Keystone State, set to visit Villanova's on-campus home with fans in the building for the first time since 1995. Villanova leads the all-time series 39-36, one which dates back to 1941and to the earliest days of the BIG EAST. The Huskies have won the last four against the Wildcats and five of the last six, sweeping the regular season series in each of the last two campaigns.

UConn was last in action on Sunday afternoon, roaring back from a 14-point second half deficit to knock off Providence by a score of 87-84 at Gampel Pavilion. Hassan Diarra scored 17 of his career-high 19 points in Connecticut's 60-point second half, its first 60-point half since 2022 and its first ever in a BIG EAST game. Diarra also added eight assists and three steals while going 10-of-11 from the line, including several clutch late free throws when Providence attempted to extend the game. He was one of six Huskies in double-figures, including Solo Ball with 16 points and Aidan Mahaney with 15 off the bench, including 12 in the second half.

Alex Karaban added 13 points, four rebounds, four blocks and three assists while willing the Huskies to their fourth-straight win over their regional rivals. This season Karaban leads UConn in scoring with 16.3 points per game and adds 5.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 blocks per game. The All-America hopeful is shooting 48.3 percent from 3-point range and 42.5 percent from 3-point range to key a UConn offense ranking in the national leaders in every major category and No. 2 in Kenpom efficiency.

Ball checks in with 13.4 points per game and is among the nation's best with a 44.9 percent mark from 3-point range, while Tarris Reed Jr. averages 10.9 points per game on 67.4 percent shooting and checks in at third in the BIG EAST with 7.9 rebounds per game. Diarra has upped his scoring to 8.9 points per game along with a team-best 6.5 assists per game, good for 11^th in the nation. Samson Johnson returned to the UConn lineup after missing a game in late December and has posted back-to-back double-figure scoring outings while continuing to shoot a ridiculous 78.7 percent from the floor.

Liam McNeeley is second on the Huskies with 13.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game but missed the Providence game with an ankle injury and is expected to miss Wednesday's contest.

The Wildcats enter the contest playing their best basketball of the season, winning seven of their last eight and vaulting into the top-10 in Kenpom offensive efficiency. Eric Dixon powers the explosive offense as the nation's leading scorer, pouring in 25.9 points per game on a hyper-efficient .534/.490/.844 shooting line. Wooga Poplar adds 13.7 per game and Jhamir Brickus goes for 11.3 points and 5.9 assists per contest.

Following Wednesday's tilt, the Huskies conclude their road stretch with another longtime rival and a trip to Washington to take on Georgetown on Saturday, Jan. 11.