The last time UConn took over the Madison Square Garden, they stepped out gleaming. Dan Hurley had won his 300th game, the Huskies’ 10-game win streak in New York was alive, and the team had won its fourth consecutive game of the season. But the odds are stacked up against that very team as UConn returns to the MSG to face St. John’s. Hurley & Co. is not only looking to settle the score but also hoping to turn the derailing season in their favor. Now that’s shaping up an atmosphere to be at and fellow national coach has a hearsay to attest.

In the recent episode of The Field of 68: After Dark, Duke men’s basketball coach Jon Scheyer shared his thoughts on the upcoming showdown. “It’s a big weekend,” he started. “And just from what I’ve heard, it is big of a game in college basketball in the history of the garden with the interest and turnout.” 

The game, set for Sunday, February 23, 2025, at noon, is expected to draw a packed crowd of 19,812 fans. St. John’s strong season fuels excitement with its impressive 22-4 overall record and 13-2 in Big East. In their last meeting, St. John’s secured a hard-fought 68-62 road victory over Dan Hurley’s UConn, who were stuck in an inconsistent loop. The picture is no different for the Huskies now, having lost 2 of their last five games. But a winning momentum, they are eager to hold onto.

After a punch-in-the-gut loss to Seton Hall, UConn held their spot in the race with a win against Villanova. Liam McNeely would lead with 20 points, 8 in the last 4 minutes to turn the tables on the Wildcats who hadn’t trailed since the first minute. The Huskies breathed a sigh of relief and left Hurley saying, “This is definitely going to galvanize us.” But St. John’s ranked no.10, isn’t going to make it easy.

“It’s going to be sold out and it’s going to be an amazing environment, which is what you want for your guys,” Scheyer may add, but Hurley knows he needs the home crowd energy on his side. Before their game against Villanova, that was one request he had for the Huskies faithful, and over 15,000 of them showed up. But MSG isn’t home and Hurley has quite the challenge to tackle.

Odds stacked up against UConn, but Dan Hurley mentality keeps the team charged

It was only over a week ago that the Red Storm handed Huskies their 7th loss of the season and 4th in Big East. They’d be forced into 22 turnovers and an offensive efficiency rating of 89.8– their worst of the season. UConn had failed to make smart shots, adding only 6 field goals in the last 15 minutes. It turned out a nightmare for the defending champions who had incurred a loss about thrice more than their previous season’s total.

It is going to be no easy this outing either. The Red Storm’s 10-game win streak was snapped by Villanova last week, but with a 79-73 win over Creighton, they are back to winning ways. St. John’s shoot 44.7% from the field, 2.7% higher than the Huskies concede to opponents (42.0%). They also outrebound the Huskies by 3.9 and score 10.1 more points than the Huskies concede (68.1).

It is no surprise the prediction turns in their favor at 62.2%. However, the Huskies are more charged up than ever. “We have to play with desperation, play angry,” freshman Liam McNeeley said after the loss to Seton Hall. “We have to take our feelings and emotions out on somebody and that is what we are going to do.” They showed up against Villanova and St. John’s is only as crucial as it could get.

McNeely is in form with game-leading 20-point performance and a season-high 38-point making his 2 of last 3 games. Alex Karaban is aware of failing intensity too. So the Huskies enter the game to win or lose it all and MSG is sure going to be the space to be at.