Providence Friars vs Uconn Huskies Picks and Predictions March 1st 2025

Tarris Reed Jr., UConn Take Aim at Providence

With just a week remaining in the Big East regular season, New England rivals conclude their traditional home-and-home series as Providence welcomes UConn to Rhode Island’s capital city for a Saturday showdown.

UConn Rolling into Rivalry Matchup

The Huskies (19-9, 11-6 Big East) enter the 82nd all-time meeting between these programs on a five-game winning streak in the series. They are coming off a 93-79 victory over Georgetown on Wednesday, which saw standout performances from Tarris Reed Jr. and Solo Ball, who each scored 20 points.

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UConn head coach Dan Hurley believes Reed’s performance could be a turning point for the big man.

“If he could ever just unlock himself, this motor and this ferocity and this violence and this dominating mindset — a lot of that is him,” Hurley said. “When he brings that, he’s a difference-making player. The onus is on him to show up with that level of engagement.”

The Huskies’ offense has been efficient, shooting 55.9% from the field in their last outing. One of their only better performances this season came in their 87-84 win over Providence on Jan. 5, when they shot 56.3%.

“Our offense has been really good all year,” UConn guard Hassan Diarra said. “I think (against Georgetown), guys played with a little bit more confidence, definitely made some more shots at the rim.”

Providence Looking for a Turnaround

The Friars (12-16, 6-11 Big East) return home hoping to end a tough stretch after consecutive road losses to Georgetown and No. 21 Marquette. Their latest defeat, an 82-52 loss to Marquette on Tuesday, was their sixth in their last seven games.

Head coach Kim English pointed to effort as the key difference in that loss.

“(Marquette) just played harder,” English said. “The game favors the team that plays the hardest. There was a possession where they got two or three offensive rebounds, and you just know a three is going to go in. … The guys we have, we’ve got to get them playing harder.”

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Jayden Pierre led the Friars with 13 points in the loss. They did get a boost with the return of Corey Floyd Jr., who played for the first time since Feb. 8 after recovering from an auto accident.

“He had some really good practices. He played hard. He had some rust, obviously, after having three games off and a couple of weeks off,” English said.

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What’s at Stake

UConn is looking to build momentum ahead of the Big East Tournament, while Providence hopes a return home can spark a much-needed win. With both teams having plenty to prove, expect another intense chapter in this rivalry.