4th seeded UConn men’s basketball pitted against 13th seeded Iona

ALBANY, NY (WFSB) - There was speculation about whether or not the University of Connecticut men’s basketball team would get a third or fourth seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Huskies ended up with a fourth seed and were slated to take on 13th seeded Iona in Albany on Friday at 4:30 p.m.

“It’s  dream come true for a coach to coach in this and have a team that can advance,” said UConn men’s head basketball coach Dan Hurly.

UConn fell short in the Big East Tournament semi-finals on Friday with a 2-point loss to Marquette. Marquette, the top seed in that tournament, would go on to claim the Big East title over Xavier.

The Huskies, however, move ahead to a date with New Rochelle, NY’s Iona University and legendary coach Rick Pitino in the NCAA Tournament’s west region.

They’ll rely on their depth, which includes Adama Sanogo and Donovan Clingan.

“Donovan is a defensive threat, Adama can get you a bucket at any time, so it’s going to help us in the tournament,” said Jordan Hawkins, UConn sophomore guard.

Should they advance, they may have to face top-seeded and defending national champion Kansas in Sweet 16 for a trip to the Elite Eight. To get to the Final Four in Las Vegas, they may have to go through 3rd-seeded Gonzaga, which is always a tough out, or 2nd-seeded UCLA.

Stay with Channel 3 for continuing coverage of the team’s journey through the tournament.

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