UConn v Seton Hall 1-13-2026 Preview

Photo Credit - ESPN

We have a highly anticipated matchup tonight in the Big East! The # 3 UConn Huskies travel to Newark, NJ to take on the newly-ranked Seton Hall Pirates. Let’s do a quick dive into this heavyweight battle!

We’ll start with the hosts. # 25 Seton Hall are 14-2 and hold a 4-1 record in the Big East conference, which is good enough for 3rd in the standings. Their only conference loss came to Villanova, who sit in 2nd place with a 4-1 record as well. I’ve mentioned this on Twitter, but I do believe it’s worth repeating here. Seton Hall may have only lost by 8 points to the Wildcats, but Villanova controlled that game from the jump. First, Holloway’s 6’10” Freshman, Najai Hines, was absent from the lineup. Hines has been an impact player for Shaheen off the bench, and he’s averaging 6.9ppg and 5.5rpg. In a game where nothing seemed to go right, I know the Pirates missed their young big man in the paint. Next, this was a tough night for Budd Clark, who earned 2 fouls early in the first half and had to sit for several minutes. With Clark out, the Pirates offense looked uncomfortable, and Villanova’s strong second half was too much for Seton Hall to overcome.

However, despite this tough home loss, the Pirates have bounced back with three consecutive conference wins: 79-73 vs Marquette, 56-54 against an improving Creighton side, and 76-67 at Georgetown. Speaking of Clark, he scored 22 points off 6-12 shooting against the Hoyas. The Pirates will need that type of production again if they look to knock off UConn. For the Huskies, if they can frustrate Clark, then they should have a good chance at a road win.

For the Huskies, they continue to roll and seem to be a true title contender…again. Coach Hurley’s side is 16-1, with their only loss coming to Arizona (the current top team in the country). UConn sits on top of the Big East at 6-0, and they’ve won 5 of their 6 matches by double digits. They did, however, dodge a bullet against Providence on January 7th. The Friars hosted the Huskies and carried a lead late into the game. UConn stormed back to force overtime and then walked away with a 5 point win. I know the Friars are a mediocre side, but the AMP is a difficult place to play, and the Huskies showed resiliency in the final minutes. Good teams find ways to win, and UConn continues to do just that. In this game, 4 of the Huskies scored over 20 points, with Silas Demary Jr. capping the night with 23 points and 15 assists.

For tonight, I think it’s safe to say that this is a bigger spot for Seton Hall than it is for UConn. It’s clear from how this season has gone that UConn SHOULD win the Big East, even with a loss tonight. They’re complete, battled-tested from their non-con schedule, and well-coached. However, I do believe two teams could steal that title if UConn slips up, those being Villanova and Seton Hall. A win tonight would bring the Pirates within a half game of the first spot, and then it’s a push to the end of the season. We almost saw UConn fall at Providence, so it’s not impossible for a team like Nova, St. Johns, or even Butler to pull off an upset.

Speaking of tough road environments, The Rock hasn’t been an easy place for Hurley and company to visit. Seton Hall has won 2 of the last 5 games against the Huskies, both of which were at the Prudential Center in North Jersey. A struggling Pirates squad beat UConn 69-68 last year, and they won by 15 in 2023 (Kadary Richmond’s season with Holloway). Additionally, this may be one of the toughest defensive matchups Hurley will see all season. As I’ve mentioned a handful of times this year, this Pirates defense swarms and relentlessly attacks you throughout the game. Veteran players like Ball and Karaban will need to be a calming presence for their teammates when Seton Hall frustrates them on offense.

UConn opened with a 5.5 point spread, which has climbed to 6.5. The Huskies are favored to win, but Seton Hall comes in with only a +270 moneyline price. The Pirates can earn another win at the Rock against UConn, but they’ll need a complete performance to knock off an elite Husky side. Ultimately, this UConn offense might be too much for the Pirates to handle, and I do think the Huskies remain undefeated in conference play. The two teams tip-off tonight at 8pm on TruTV!