New Hampshire on menu with No. 3 UConn cooking chemistry behind Alex Karaban

New Hampshire on menu with No. 3 UConn cooking chemistry behind Alex Karaban

New Hampshire pursues the first victory in program history over No. 3 UConn when the teams meet Saturday night in Hartford, Conn.

The Huskies (1-0) have a 10-0 edge in the series against the Wildcats (1-1), including an 84-64 victory last year. New Hampshire has 11 new players on its roster this season.

"I think across the board we're way more talented than we were a year ago," New Hampshire coach Nathan Davis said. "I think we're bigger. We're stronger. We're more athletic."

After opening its season with a 103-74 loss at UMass, New Hampshire picked up its first victory by beating Division III UMass-Boston 99-69 on Wednesday night.

Junior guard Anthony McComb III, a Bowling Green transfer, was 4 of 5 from 3-point range and scored 24 points in the win. The Wildcats received 13 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists from guard Sami Pissis, who spent last season at Southeast Louisiana.

"(McComb) is a dynamic scorer," Davis said. "He can put the ball on the floor and create more than anyone we had last year."

There are numerous new faces for two-time defending national champion UConn, too. But the Huskies are dealing from a different deck, and head coach Danny Hurley's roster wasn't entirely depleted since cutting down the nets in Phoenix.

UConn opened its season with a 92-56 victory over Sacred Heart on Wednesday. Alex Karaban, a 6-foot-8 forward and returning starter, led the way with 20 points, six rebounds, a career-high seven assists and a career-high seven blocked shots. The Huskies blocked 11 shots in the game.

"Taking games like this, that's how you know high-level players are ready for the season to start," Hurley said. "Alex played like an All-American. He played like a Big East Player of the Year. He kept us organized. In games like this that's what you're supposed to do."

Karaban is the only starter who returned from UConn's 2023-24 national championship team. He attempted seven 3-pointers and made five on Wednesday.

Karaban averaged 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists last season.

"I was roommates with Donovan Clingan for two years," Karaban said. "When you're roommates with the best defender in the country for the last two years, you learn a couple of things from him. So, I'm going to give credit to him for the blocks."

Freshman Liam McNeeley, a 6-foot-7 small forward who was the centerpiece of UConn's 2024 recruiting class, added 18 points and 10 rebounds.

"I think (McNeeley) can do everything, even at a higher level, when we reach January, Big East play," Karaban said. "Obviously, offensively, he's such a great player and defense is something he can improve on to where, once January hits, he can be a real lockdown wing for us, too. ... He's a special player. He's one of the best freshmen -- I think he's the best freshman in the country -- and he's going to continue to prove that."

UConn also received 16 points from Solo Ball, and 15 points and 11 rebounds from Tarris Reed Jr., a center who began his college career at Michigan.

"Tarris is obviously a huge X-factor in the year," Hurley said. "You see the physical abilities. This is a guy who can do things that Adama (Sonogo) did for us. Around-the-basket presence. You see the mobility, the physical strength. ... I don't think the center position is going to be a problem for us this year."

--Field Level Media