NEWARK, N.J. – The UConn men's basketball team (17-7, 9-4 BIG EAST) is back in action Saturday afternoon for a road game at Seton Hall (6-18, 1-12 BIG EAST) from the Prudential Center. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m. on FOX with Tim Brando and Donny Marshall on the call.

Connecticut and Seton Hall have met 72 times in a series dating back to 1917 and picking up in earnest as founding members at the outset of the BIG EAST. UConn has controlled the all-time series to the tune of a 49-23 record, but the Pirates have been a thorn in Connecticut's side since the Huskies returned to the league ahead of 2020-21. Dan Hurley is 5-4 against his alma mater during his time at Connecticut, including a 1-3 record on the road. Last year the squads split the regular season series, each winning on its home floor.

The Huskies are coming off one of their biggest wins of the season on Tuesday night, tipping No. 24 Creighton in Omaha by a score of 70-66. Connecticut rallied from 14 down early against the Bluejays and an eight-point halftime hole thanks to the brilliance of freshman Liam McNeeley, who finished with 38 points and 10 rebounds in one of the finest rookie performances in program history. The Pirates are mired in a nine-game losing streak and most recently fell at Georgetown last Saturday.

McNeeley now leads Connecticut with 15.4 points per game and has burst back onto the scene with consecutive double-doubles after missing eight games with injury. He adds 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 37.6 percent from 3-point range. Solo Ball is second on the squad with 14.8 points per game and remains among the national leaders with a 44.3 percent mark from 3-point range. The sophomore has also begun to emerge as a significant factor on the glass, averaging 6.7 rebounds per game over the Huskies' last six.

Alex Karaban remains the constant for the Huskies and was recently named to both the Naismith and Wooden Award Late Midseason Watch Lists. The All-America candidate stuffs the stat sheet with 14.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 blocks per game. The captain is second in the BIG EAST and top-30 nationally logging nearly 36 minutes per game and UConn is 85-18 (.825) during his career.

The Pirates are in the midst of a nine-game losing streak, holding an overall record of 6-18 and a 1-12 league mark. Isaiah Coleman leads The Hall with 14.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while Chaunce Jenkins adds 11.4 points and shoots 41.1 percent from downtown.

After the trip to the Garden State, UConn returns home for a Tuesday night tilt with Villanova at the XL Center on Feb. 18.