Both Arizona and UConn have had sterling starts to this men’s college basketball season as they face a big non-conference battle.
An early-season men’s college basketball thriller is in store in Storrs on Wednesday night.
Fresh off a sterling victory in nearby Boston, the UConn Huskies return to even friendlier territory as an early gauntlet continues: ranked third in the latest Associated Press poll, the Huskies host No. 4 Arizona, situating powers from the Big East and Big 12, respectively.
Occupying the spot Arizona currently holds in the preseason poll, UConn moved back into the familiar realm of the top three after escaping from Beantown with an 86-84 victory over then-No. 7 BYU. Silas Demary Jr., Alex Karaban, and Tarris Reed Jr. shared the team lead in scoring three ways, with Reed also leading the team in rebounds with eight while shooting 8-of-10 from the floor.
A TOP 5 COLLEGE HOOPS CLASH ⚡️
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) November 18, 2025
No. 4 @ArizonaMBB vs No. 3 @UConnMBB, Nov 19, 7pm ET on FS1 pic.twitter.com/uVKTCiqYZ7
A Demary steal with a dozen seconds remaining helped seal the deal and send a partisan “neutral site” crowd home happy. Arizona’s visit continues a busy, if not tense, holiday season for the Huskies, who also face Illinois, Kansas, Florida, and Texas before Big East play tips off in mid-December.
As for the visiting Wildcats, they’ve likewise made some early statements on the early ledgers, allowing them to leap nine spots from their original spot in the AP poll. Following a season-opening win over defending national champion Florida in Las Vegas, the Wildcats handled business with two wins in Tucson before taking a 69-65 thriller over former Pac-12 foe UCLA at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
Anthony Dell’Orso led the way with 20 points for the Wildcats off the bench, building that tally with four 3-pointers. Shortly after he hit the last, Jaden Bradley sank another triple in the penultimate minute of regulation that gave Arizona a permanent lead.
Arizona Visits Storrs for the First Time Since 2000!
Wednesday will mark the first time that Arizona has settled in Storrs since December 2000, the first of six get-togethers in the new century. UConn leads that set 4-2, but the Wildcats have won each of the last two showings, the more recent being a 76-72 decision in 2018.
Brandon Randolph scored 20 points to counter 21 from Jalen Adams in front of another UConn-friendly crowd in Hartford. The Huskies’ last win in the series came in March 2011, when they took down Arizona in the Anaheim-based regional final round of the NCAA Tournament. Wednesday’s game is part of a home-and-home set, as a rematch in Tucson will be staged next season.
Who: No. 4 Arizona Wildcats (4-0) at No. 3 UConn Huskies (4-0)
Where: Harry A. Gampel Pavilion, Storrs, CT
When/Watch: Wednesday, Nov.19, at 7 p.m. ET on FS1
Who’s Favored: UCONN -7.5 (o/u 157.5)
Wildcat to Watch: Jaden Bradley
Arizona is well-known for its height: the 7-2 Tucson staple Motiejus Krivas has united with hyped freshmen Sidi Gueye and Koa Peat to form a formidable paint presence and even a backcourt bench threat like Dell’Orso stands at 6-6. But the ultimate weapon could well be the lasting dual-threat Jaden Bradley, who has made the most of an expanded role after the departures of KJ Lewis and Caleb Love.
Working through his third season with the ‘Cats after transferring from Alabama, Bradley’s sterling start featured a 27-point performance against the Gators in Sin City, and he’s shooting just under 63 percent from the field over this high-profile opening quartet. Bradley also continues to live up to his reputation as a strong on-the-ball defender, earning at least four steals in each of his first four games.
UConn has countered the possibility of facing talents like Bradley. In addition to bringing in Demary from Georgia, Bradley and fellow backcourt talent Brayden Burries will also face depth star and Daytona import Malachi Smith.
Top 3 #UConn vs Arizona (2011 Elite 8)
— Mr. Smith 👑 (@BadChoiceMilk) November 19, 2025
1. One of the most stressful finishes in Husky History saw Calhoun, Kemba & company survive against the Wildcats in Anaheim en route to their 4th Final Four appearance & eventually their 3rd National Championship… pic.twitter.com/B1bbFxQplX
Husky to Watch: Jaylin Stewart
The Huskies are built on familiarity, with plenty of leftovers from their recent runs of tournament prosperity, including Karaban, Solo Ball, and Jaylin Stewart, now a full-fledged member of the starting five, now that Liam McNeeley has moved on to the NBA. Fresh off facing the sizable—literally and figuratively—threats of AJ Dybantsa and Keba Keita over the weekend in Boston, Jaylin Stewart now faces the equally dangerous challenge of taking on touted first-year man Peat and experienced Latvian big man Krivas.
Standing at 6-7, 215 lbs., the lanky Stewart will have to capitalize on his preseason hype. He landed himself in foul trouble in Boston, and the Wildcats’ sharpshooting talents won’t render such a shortcoming so forgiving. With four helpers, Stewart made up for that issue by partaking in the Huskies’ strong facilitation (21 assists on 30 successful field goals against BYU). The more valuable he can make himself among the returnees and newcomers, the clearer the Huskies’ return path to the championship will be.
They Said It
“This is an elite team. They’re going to be competing for the Final Four. They’re going to be competing for the national championship. I think all of their players are professional, mature, have a lot of great experience, and everybody’s there for one goal. I definitely feel that when I see it, and I know they believe it as well … Compared to the other teams we’ve played, they run a lot more off-screen stuff like pin downs. I guess the easiest comparison would be the Warriors, the way they like to score off the ball, which we haven’t been exposed to as much yet, so it’s a great challenge for us.”—Arizona assistant coach Ken Nakagawa on UConn (h/t Bruce Pascoe, Tucson.com)
“He’s a very unique player. The family pedigree is amazing when you look at the Peat family and the success they’ve had with sports. Amazing sports and family pedigree, classy player, a real physical mismatch at that wing spot. It really challenges you, from the front of the rim to the 3-point line. And he’s a tremendous rebounder.”—Huskies head coach Dan Hurley on Peat (h/t David Borges, CTInsider)
Prediction
Time will tell if the Huskies get through this gauntlet, the type of stretch that could build multiple tournament resumes, unscathed. Facing the Wildcats is one of the more dangerous challenges: Arizona is biding its time until March is the finest way possible, as it took down two elite opponents on its road to advance past the Sweet 16.
The fantastic freshmen are playing for something incredible … but so are UConn’s lasting Huskies after the follow-up to consecutive national championships left plenty to be desired. Championship familiarity will lead the way for the Huskies, who impress a friendly home crowd with another monumental triumph, in spite of a rookie rally.
UConn 80, Arizona 77
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags