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UConn Sports Weekly: Happy Baseball Eve
Hockey and hoops are nearing the end of their regular seasons as spring sports begin.
Aman Kidwai
February 12, 2026
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Welcome to the UConn Sports Weekly, the only publication with regular coverage of UConn hockey and baseball. We’re not afraid to say it, we love Husky sports.
You can find our work across Storrs Central, The UConn Blog on SB Nation, and the UConn WBB Weekly, UConn Hockey Hub, Hook C Baseball, and the Husky Football Forum newsletters!
Ian Bethune
Headlines
Setback at St. John’s
Dan Hurley’s Huskies took care of business against Butler, but they lost a disappointing one to St. John’s last Friday to loosen their grasp on the Big East regular-season lead.
The Red Storm tied the Huskies atop the league standings with their 81-72 victory. UConn is now a half-game ahead after Wednesday night.
Solo Ball may have found his confidence after dropping 24 points while going 6-of-12 from deep. The Huskies are still not as sharp offensively as they need to be, but improvements are brewing. It was nice to see Mullins excel in his home state, while Reed and Demary Jr. were making moves in the space afforded to them by their shooters.
UConn (23-2, 12-1) has six games left in the regular season.
After Georgetown (81st KenPom) and Creighton (78th) at home, they have a three-game stretch that will determine the final standings: at Villanova (30th, 3rd Big East), vs. St. John’s (22nd, 2nd Big East), vs. Seton Hall (48th, 4th Big East). They’ll end the season at Marquette.
Excellence in Goaltending
UConn hockey got back on track this weekend, going a combined 3-0.
UConn men’s hockey’s Tyler Muszelik notched his second shutout of the season in a 2-0 win over Northeastern in their only game of the weekend. The senior is in the midst of an award-worthy season.
Muszelik’s College Hockey Individual Point value — an equivalent to baseball’s WAR — is the second-highest among all Division I goaltenders. His goals against average and save percentage ratings are both top-10 nationally, making him a strong candidate to be named a semifinalist for the Mike Richter award.
The Hockey Commissioners Association announced the 2025 semifinalists on Feb. 13. Muszelik was named to the watch list last month and would be the first Husky in program history to win the award.
Ian Bethune
Tia Chan turned in two incredible performances this weekend as the Huskies toppled two sub-.500 squads.
UConn bested Providence on Friday in overtime before scoring four goals in the second period Saturday against Boston College to run the Eagles right off the ice with a 6-2 win. Having stopped 67 of 70 shots between the two contests, Chan was named Hockey East Goaltender of the Week.
Chan also collected wins No. 19 and 20 over the weekend, the second-most among goaltenders in the nation. On Monday, her recognition continued when she was named one of 12 semifinalists for the HCA Women’s Hockey Goalie of the Year — her second consecutive season doing so. The three finalists will be announced later this month, and with continued dominance in the crease, it would not be a surprise to see Chan come one step closer to capturing the award.
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No. 50 to the rafters
No other Husky will wear No. 50 again. UConn will be raising that number to the rafters to honor the career of Emeka Okafor.
Okafor, regarded as possibly the best center in UConn men’s history, will be just the third player to be bestowed the honor of the jersey retirement, joining Ray Allen’s No. 34 and Richard Hamilton’s No. 32.
The two-time All-American is the Huskies program leader in blocked shots (411) and the only Wooden Award winner. He helped lead UConn to a national title in 2003-04, and earned National Defensive Player of the Year honors in two of his three seasons in Storrs.
Just four days after fellow dominant big man Hasheem Thabeet will be inducted into Huskies of Honor, Okafor will take his rightful place among the UConn greats. The ceremony will be held at halftime on Feb. 18 against Creighton.
Batter, up!
UConn baseball’s season starts this weekend with a three-game set in Arizona. The Huskies are coming off a disappointing season that saw them miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017.
The 2025 campaign ended with a loss in the Big East Tournament final. Luckily, next season begins tomorrow with a game against Nebraska before the Huskies take on Kansas State and Air Force.
We’ll have an in-depth preview of the roster and season on Hook C Baseball, the best newsletter in the world for dedicated fans of UConn on the diamond.
Head coach Jim Penders shared with us that he expects to have “some thump” in the lineup and a few newcomers making an impact on the mound. He welcomed 21 new players to the team this offseason.
“I feel good about the group,” Penders said. “It’s not yet a team… usually the team kind of forms sometime around April, and it’s a group right now. But it’s come together.”
More to come in our preview tomorrow morning. Subscribe now to make sure you get it!
Weekly Rewind
Men’s Basketball
No. 6 UConn men’s basketball defeats Butler, 80-70 – The Huskies survived a sluggish first half to get back in the win column.
UConn men’s basketball to retire Emeka Okafor’s No. 50 – The greatest shot blocker in program history will send his number to the rafters on Feb. 18.
Husky ReView: St. John’s (2/6/26) ($) – Brian Kervick dives into the film to see what the Johnnies did well and what UConn did poorly.
Notes and Quotes: Streak Snapped ($) – More from the margins about Friday night’s loss.
Takeaways: Bench depth, turnovers plague UConn in loss to St. John’s – TUCB staff breaks down where it went wrong for the Huskies at MSG.
UConn men’s basketball drops to No. 6 in latest AP Poll – Houston, Duke, and Iowa State leaped over the Huskies as St. John’s propelled to No. 17.
No. 3 UConn men’s basketball falls to No. 22 St. John’s, 81-72 – The Red Storm handed the Huskies their first loss in 18 games and first of conference play.
Silas Demary Jr. has found his rhythm at the perfect time ($) – Connor Wilson breaks down why the Georgia transfer has been so important to UConn’s success.
Women’s Basketball
The Weekly: Paige Bueckers set to make US national team debut – Plus, a surprise guest in the student section in the Huskies’ win over Creighton.
UConn women’s basketball clobbers Creighton, 94-44 – The Huskies recorded their largest-ever win vs. the Blue Jays.
Sarah Strong feeling good after rest, set to return against Creighton – A one-game absence was all Strong needed to rejuvenate.
UConn WBB vs. Butler | Cinematic Recap (2.7.26) – All the highlights from the Huskies’ big win Saturday.
How UConn handled the loss of Sarah Strong against Butler ($) – The Huskies rested their superstar on Saturday to help her manage muscle tightness.
UConn women’s basketball waxes Butler, 80-48 – Five Huskies finished in double figures to secure another dominant win.
UConn women’s basketball flattens DePaul, 86-40 – Azzi Fudd poured in 25 points as the Huskies extended their win streak to 40 games.
Chasing Perfection: UConn gets exactly what it needs in win over Tennessee - The Huskies played in a tight contest for the first time since November.
Why UConn must compete against itself down the stretch ($) – With the Huskies unlikely to play in a competitive game for the foreseeable future, they have to separate results from performances.
The Weekly: UConn passes final test of the regular season – The Huskies aren't likely to play another competitive game until the NCAA Tournament regionals.
Football
Christian Haynes wins Super Bowl LX, Castle puts up a historic NBA Performance – A UConn Super Bowl winner? A 40-12-12 triple-double? Huskies in the pros are doing big things.
UConn football to hold a spring game as Candle era begins ($) – Breaking down the biggest news from Jason Candle’s media availability last week.
Hockey
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