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Preview: Wake Forest vs. Connecticut
Connecticut and Wake Forest meet Friday in the premier first-round matchup of the Ezybonds U.S. Virgin Island Paradise Jam, a tournament the Huskies won in 2008. The Huskies are off to a strong start under first-year coach Kevin Ollie, as they upset then-No. 14 Michigan State 66-62 at Ramstein Air Base in Germany to open the season and are coming off a 67-49 home win over Vermont on Tuesday.
The Demon Deacons opened their season with a 79-67 home win over Radford on Friday, as six players scored in double figures and Wake Forest shot 63.6 percent from the field. The teams have split two previous meetings, Wake Forest winning in 1969 and Connecticut claiming a victory in 1991.
TV: 6:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network.
ABOUT WAKE FOREST (1-0): The Demon Deacons probably can’t expect to shoot the way they did in the opener every night, but there are indications they’ll be strong at the offensive end. C.J. Harris scored 19 points in the opener to lead four starters and two reserves in double figures. Travis McKie (11 points, nine rebounds) and Devin Thomas (10 points, eight rebounds) narrowly missed double-doubles.
ABOUT CONNECTICUT (2-0): The Huskies have been strong defensively in their first two games, holding opponents to 34.2 percent shooting and 55.5 points per game. Shabazz Napier has led the Huskies in the early going, scoring 19 points per game, and Ryan Boatright (11.0) is the only other player averaging double digits for a balanced offense that has six players scoring at least 6.5 points per game.
TIP-INS
1. UConn has 17 blocked shots in its first two games, with junior Tyler Olander leading the way with eight blocks.
2. The Demon Deacons are playing for the first time in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the childhood home of former Wake Forest star Tim Duncan.
3. The winner will face the Iona-Quinnipiac winner in the second round at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, while the loser will face the loser of that game at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday.
PREDICTION: Connecticut 71, Wake Forest 61
