UConn is back in the Big Dance. The three-time national champion Huskies needed a large stroke of luck in the AAC tournament, but they made the most of it as they claimed the conference title. However, their road to another NCAA Tournament run in the South Region begins with a tough test against the Pac-12’s Colorado Buffaloes. Can the No. 9 Huskies topple the higher-seeded Buffaloes?
Get a complete breakdown of this very intriguing 8 vs. 9 matchup. And for more March Madness action from the South Region, check out our previews of No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 16 Austin Peay and No. 4 Cal vs. No. 13 Hawaii.
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March Madness No. 8 Colorado vs. No. 9 UConn Preview
Where: Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines
When: Thursday, March 17, 1:30 PM ET
Line: Colorado Buffaloes (+3.5) vs. Connecticut Huskies (-3.5); total 132.0 – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: TNT
Betting on the Colorado Buffaloes
They finished the regular season fifth in the very competitive Pac-12. They also own home wins over the three of the top four teams in the conference (Oregon, Arizona and Cal) and lost to Utah by only two points in each of their two matchups. Colorado is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games.
Senior Josh Scott (16 points and 8.7 rebounds per game) is the team’s best player, and is a real handful inside. With him and Wesley Gordon dominating the paint, the Buffaloes were fourth in the country in rebounds (42.4 per game) and 31st in blocks.
Colorado will face a tough UConn defense that defends the paint well, which could limit Scott’s effectiveness. But the Buffaloes can counter from the outside as well. They’re 14th in three-point percentage, with the likes of George King (13.8 PPG) and Josh Fortune (10.4 PPG) capable of getting hot from beyond the arc.
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Betting on the Connecticut Huskies
The madness began much earlier in March for UConn, who needed four overtimes and an unbelievable buzzer-beater from beyond half court to defeat Cincinnati in the AAC tournament quarterfinals. However, they didn’t need any more miracles after that, as they rolled through Temple by 15 points, and Memphis by 14 in the final. UConn is 4-0 ATS in its last four games.
UConn is a perimeter-oriented offense, with Daniel Hamilton, Shonn Miller, Rodney Purvis and Sterling Gibbs all capable of shooting from distance and driving inside. All four averaged at least 12 points per game to form a very balanced attack. UConn’s quickness and versatility will pose a problem against a Colorado team that prefers to play with two big men.
UConn is also more than capable of holding its own inside on the defensive end. With the imposing presence of seven-footer Amida Brimah manning the middle, the Huskies finished fourth in opponents’ field goal percentage and averaged five blocks per game (28th in the nation). That terrific interior defense makes the Huskies a very good matchup with the Buffaloes, who rely primarily on big man Josh Scott on offense.
And in the event of a close game, the Huskies should be able to ice the game from the free throw line. UConn is the best free throw shooting team in the country at close to 79 percent.
Writer’s Prediction
UConn (-3.5) moves on with a 68-63 win over Colorado.
