UConn’s star sophomore Braylon Mullins participated in warmups Tuesday evening, but he is not expected to hit the court tonight against Michigan State, an absence that immediately amps up the challenge in this top-10 preseason exhibition. Mullins has been managing an undisclosed injury and was also out for last week’s exhibition versus Syracuse. This is a tough break for Hurley’s squad heading into a hostile road environment at the Breslin Center.
Izzo vs. Hurley: An Old-School Clash with Fresh Wounds
If you think this is just some meaningless exhibition, think again. Tom Izzo’s got revenge on his mind, you know it. UConn hosted Michigan State just last year, snatching a 76-69 win at PeoplesBank Arena. And let’s not forget the bigger picture: Izzo and Dan Hurley are serious rivals, even if they respect each other. Hurley has stacked up two national championship titles recently, which is an insane run of dominance in Storrs, but he’s still chasing Izzo’s mammoth 764 career wins. These two veterans are so tight, they’re even in an ‘old-school coaches’ group chat alongside UCLA’s Mick Cronin and Thad Matta. But don’t let the friendly texts fool you. Seven months ago, UConn bounced Izzo’s squad in the NCAA Tournament East Regional Semifinal, a 67-63 win where Tarris Reed Jr. went off for 20 points and four assists. That one still stings in East Lansing, trust me.
History Is Deep, But Tonight Is About Growth
UConn and Michigan State, two of college basketball’s premier programs over the last four decades, have only squared off eight times, which is wild. But three of those meetings were in the NCAA Tournament, so you know they bring the heat when it counts. Michigan State famously won the most significant game back in 2009, outlasting UConn 82-73 in the Final Four. But UConn got their payback three years later in one of the coolest venues ever: a 66-62 upset at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Tonight isn’t for the record books, but it’s crucial for gaining useful experience grappling with a top-10 preseason opponent. With Mullins out, that experience just got a lot harder to earn, and we’ll see who steps up for Hurley’s squad.
Tonight’s 7 p.m. tip-off from East Lansing on B1G+ (or the UConn Sports Network radio) is gonna be a battle. It’s early season, but how UConn handles the pressure without Mullins, against a motivated Izzo team, will tell us a lot about what to expect from them this year.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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