Saturday Morning UConn at Xavier Update-Tip at Cintas today is Noon(TV-FOX-WXIX 19 in Cincy). UConn starters Tyrese Martin(#4) 6-6, 215 SF reportedly sprained an ankle in practice Thursday? as did Isaiah Whaley(#5) 6-9, 230 PF and BIG EAST shot blocking leader. I'd expect both to

tape it up-suck it up and play. Coach Dan Hurley implies strongly that prized Frosh Andre Jackson(#44),combo guard-SF, rover.6-6, 210 may start vs XU. He has played 2 games since recovering from a broken wrist(20 minutes vs Seton Hall and 28 minutes at PC). He's a stud. Hurley is

looking to energize his stalled offense. Great skill set. He lacks experience and so far is struggling from "3". Three point shooting tends to be streaky and unpredictable especially for bench guys who are 3 point specialists. Case in point-UConn Wing Tyler Polley(6-9 SR.#12).

Polley bailed Huskies out when James Bouknight was 1st injured in early January at Marquette. UConn won 3 in a row w/ Polley averaging 18 PPG and knocking down 13 of 25 "3s". He won a BE Player of the Week. Since then, he's averaged 5 PPG and shot 5-25 from "3" and UConn is 1-4.

He's now on top of the Scouting Report-gets face guarded and they run him off the 3 point arc. Bouknight apparently is not ready to play today(surgical left elbow is still painful and w/o full range of motion). Muskies a two point favorite over Huskies at Cintas. 3rd Meeting

between XU and UConn. #1 was NCAA 2nd Round at the Hump in Minneapolis(March 1991). Huskies won 66-50 w/ Jim Calhoun coaching. X played w/o injured SR. PG Jamaal Walker. 14th seed Muskies upset Top 10 Nebraska in NCAA 1st Round. Jumpin' Jamaal sprained an ankle. #2 happened last

November in Charleston, South Carolina Tourney. Xavier won a slugfest 75-74 double OT game. Paul Scruggs played well as did Zach Freemantle off the bench. Three other BIG EAST tilts Saturday-Butler at Georgetown(1:30 PM-CBSSN). Villanova at Creighton(5 PM EST-FOX) and PC at

DePaul(8 PM EST-FS1). No word on which Xavier player or players will not play today due to post COVID testing. We'll all find out at tip time. Happy Valentines Day.