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UConn Daily Digest: Conquering Demons in Newark
UConn won in the building where it had lost four straight. We also have an update on Huskies in the NBA.
Aman Kidwai
January 14, 2026
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Headlines
UConn is Great, But Not Yet a Killer
UConn is 17-1, having recently pulled off an amazing comeback last week at Providence before notching its first ranked win in Big East play with a nail-biter over No. 25 Seton Hall.
The Huskies had a big edge in talent at all positions and really on both sides of the floor. That’s why they ended up leading by 13 at the break and 18 in the second half. But they had to sweat the ending as the Pirates made a furious comeback, bringing the lead down to one before they had to ice the game with free throws.
Dan Hurley wants to see more “killer instinct,” something he sees a lot of in Shaheen Holloway’s squad. The Huskies are as healthy as they’ve been all season, but they still haven’t shaken their turnover and rebounding demons.
Nevertheless, at 7-0 in the league, UConn is in the midst of its best Big East start since 1998-1999, when it started 11-0. Solo Ball and Tarris Reed need to be more consistent, and so does Malachi Smith, who hasn’t had a good outing in a while. Still, the Huskies are flying high as they get ready for Georgetown on Saturday.
Huskies in the NBA
With the NBA trade deadline looming and player movement expected to pick up in the coming weeks, now is as good a time as ever to check in on the Association’s Huskies. Each team has played, roughly, 40 games, with eight former UConn players in action across the league.
Andre Drummond is still grinding away as a 14-year league veteran. He’s stayed healthy, playing 33 games thus far, with averages in PPG and RPG just under 10 apiece. On nights when oft-injured Joel Embiid sits, Drummond slots into the starting lineup. The one wrinkle in his game is the development of a three-point stroke. He’s shooting 39.5% from three on 1.3 attempts per game.
Tyrese Martin, Jordan Hawkins, and Andre Jackson Jr. have all taken different paths in each of their respective third professional seasons.
Jackson was one of the final players to make the Bucks’ roster out of the summer and has mostly been a non-factor thus far, having only appeared in 15 of Milwaukee’s 39 games. He has not seen the floor since December 26.
Hawkins has seen a significant minutes decrease for the Pelicans, averaging about 14 per game this year compared to 23.6 over 50 games last year. His statistical averages, naturally, are down as well. 4.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game all mark career lows.
Martin has fared the best of the three, seeing a healthy share of playtime on a Nets team that ranks third-to-last in the East. The former second-round pick averages about eight points per game in just under 20 minutes per night, having scored as many as 26 in a Brooklyn loss to the Raptors in November.
What a leap Steph Castle has taken in his second season in San Antonio. It was assumed he and Victor Wembanyama – known together as “Area 51” – would be the focal point for much of the team’s production, but when Wembanyama went down for several weeks with a calf strain, Castle filled that hole.
He’s averaged 17.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 6.8 APG. A hip flexor strain in November and a thumb sprain in late December have combined to sideline the defending Rookie of the Year for about 10 games.
Also, the Spurs are winning, a lot.
San Antonio is 27-12 in the West, behind only the Thunder for the top spot. Castle’s numbers are not quite in the All-Star conversation yet, but his value is unquestionable with a brilliant finish to his sophomore season brewing.
It’s not a Lin-sanity run; Cam Spencer is just legit. In his second season with Memphis, Spencer has morphed not just into a reliable three-and-D guy, but a legitimate scoring threat. Between Nov. 22 and Dec. 26, Spencer scored double-digit points in every game. That’s 14 straight, highlighted by a 27-point night Dec. 15 against the Clippers in which he hit seven threes. In 38 games, he’s averaging 12.0 points and 5.3 assists.
With Ja Morant’s name fresh on the trade block, the former Husky’s role could only grow as the Grizzlies forecast a full team rebuild. Spencer, no doubt, will be at the center of it.
Donovan Clingan is quietly having a tremendous sophomore season. He may not be making as much noise as Spencer or Castle, but the 21-year-old has upped both his points and rebounds per game averages over double digits. He’s started every game for the Trail Blazers thus far his minutes have jumped extensively. He’s getting nearly eight more minutes per night, on average, than last year — and like Drummond, he has found his shot from range.
Two stats to note about Clingan: He has improved his free-throw percentage from his rookie season (59.6 to 65.5) and lowered his turnover rate (1.1 to 0.9), proving he is making the necessary adjustments to stick around at the highest level. Portland’s investment in Clingan with the No. 7 pick in the 2024 Draft could pay serious dividends as he continues to mature. While the Blazers are merely treading water in the West, currently sub-.500 and holding a Play-In Tournament spot, Clingan can be a major focal point in a franchise resurgence.
It was difficult to see a world in which Liam McNeeley’s impact on Charlotte was more than a few points per night, but it is still unfortunate to see his lack of playtime on a team that is far from contention in the East. McNeeley plays about 12 minutes per game, averaging about four points, two rebounds, and an assist per night.
The truth is, No. 4 overall pick Kon Kneuppel is just legit. The future star would be a shoo-in for the Rookie of the Year award this season if not for his former teammate Cooper Flagg, and McNeeley is ultimately blocked behind him. The Hornets are a guard-heavy team, and minutes have just been hard to come by for the reigning Big East Freshman of the Year. Barring any injuries or trades before Feb. 5’s deadline, that is unlikely to change.
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Hockey update
UConn men’s hockey, facing UMass Lowell for the first time this season, lost Friday at home but salvaged a series split with a big win Saturday on the road. It was a lackluster effort in the opening game for Mike Cavanaugh’s squad, who looked flat for the first 40 minutes and trailed 4-1 heading into the third period. The Huskies rallied for two goals, but an empty-netter sealed their fate in the 5-3 final. Cavanaugh made his thoughts on the night clear postgame.
“You don’t get a gold star for playing one period,” he said. “I got to give Lowell credit. I thought they were the better team. They deserved to win.”
UConn did, however, get a gold star Saturday as they sought revenge and found it with a 5-1 win. Kaden Shahan and Joey Muldowney both scored twice, Jake Richard notched three assists, and Kam Hendrickson was spectacular in his third career start. The real hero, however, was the team’s penalty kill.
Friday’s loss proved to be a blemish on UConn’s NCAA Tournament resume. The Huskies dropped one spot in the USCHO polls to No. 11 and three spots in NPI to No. 18.
The women’s team stayed red-hot in a weekend trip north to take on Maine. A pair of one-goal wins extended the team’s winning streak to five games and unbeaten streak to 10 games, as the Huskies remained locked into the No. 5 spot in the USCHO poll. Goals on Friday from Megan Woodworth and Brooke Campbell supplied the offense, while Tia Chan held it down in the crease. Chan made 14 saves in the third period to fend off the Black Bears, supplying a big defensive effort on a night the Huskies were outshot 35-28.
Chan was dependable again on Saturday, recording her 12th game of the season with 30 or more saves. UConn took and lost the lead three times over the course of the game, but captured it one last time for good in the third period. Julia Pellerin netted the game-winner on the assist from Claire Murdoch. Both Huskies recorded multipoint nights.
UConn moves to 17-3-2 and 10-1-1 in Hockey East play. The race to catch Northeastern persists, with the conference leader winning its 11th and 12th Hockey East games over the weekend, holding a seven-point lead over UConn in the standings. The men continue to lead their side of the conference, holding a four-point lead over Boston College and a five-point lead over Boston University and Providence.
This weekend brings two more Hockey East series. The men’s squad plays two at home Friday and Saturday against Vermont (8-11-0, 5-6-0), while the women’s squad skates in a home-and-home with conference bottomfeeder Merrimack (3-16-3, 0-11-1) Thursday and Friday.
Weekly Rewind
Men’s Basketball
Dan Hurley’s analytical journey and the 2026 squad ($) – The Huskies’ head coach knows they need to be better to reach their ultimate goals.
UConn men’s hoops rises to No. 3 in the AP Poll – Wisconsin handed Michigan a surprise loss, allowing the Huskies to jump onto the podium this week.
UConn men’s basketball holds off DePaul, 72-60 – 16 points from Braylon Mullins kept UConn’s Big East record perfect.
UConn MBB rolls past DePaul, 72-60 – Make it 12 wins in a row for Dan Hurley and co.
No. 4 UConn men’s basketball uses late comeback to beat Providence in OT, 103-98 – The Huskies erased a double-digit first-half deficit to steal a win on the road.
Notes and Quotes: Inside the Comeback of the Year ($) – Silas Demary’s masterful two-way play proved he is one of the best portal gets in the country.
Husky ReView: Providence (1/9/26) ($) – Brian Kervick breaks down how UConn pulled off its improbable comeback against the Friars.
Women’s Basketball
The weekly: Building UConn’s quarter-century team – Sue Bird on the second team? Does Strong crack the list? Daniel Connolly gives his take.
Why Geno wants Sarah Strong to pass less ($) – Yes, less. Auriemma is calling on his best player to call her own number more often.
UConn women’s basketball crushes Creighton, 95-54 – Make that 33 wins in a row for the Huskies.
UConn rides monster second quarter to win at Creighton ($) – The Huskies started slow but quickly picked up the pace Sunday.
UConn women’s basketball runs past St. John’s, 88-43 – Sarah Strong bolstered her Wooden Award case with 24 points, six steals, and five assists.
Chasing Perfection: UConn hits its first (relative) rough patch – Daniel Connolly’s latest podcast explores why some hardship may actually benefit the Huskies down the stretch. Plus, looking ahead to March with some Bracketology.
UConn WBB vs. St. John’s Cinematic Recap (1/7/26) – Catch all the highlights from the Huskies’ 45-point win.
Football
UConn football transfers keep rolling in – Check out who is ready to call UConn their new home.
First Week of the Portal Provides Big Dividends for UConn Football – Jason Candle is upholding his reputation as a talented recruiter.
Hockey
UConn penalty kill holds strong to secure much-needed win over UMass Lowell ($) – The Huskies had to rely on their special teams to eke out a big victory Saturday.
UConn battles past UMass Lowell, 5-1 – The score was not indicative of how tightly-contested Saturday’s game was as the Huskies salvaged a series sweep.
UConn sunk by UMass Lowell, 5-3 – The Huskies’ third-period comeback fell flat as they dropped their first game of 2026.
UConn struggles in loss to UMass Lowell: ‘You don’t get a gold star for playing one period’ – Head coach Mike Cavanaugh did not mince words regarding his team’s performance in the series opener.
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