UConn forward Alex Karaban (11) dunks in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Texas, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Dan Hurley has faced Butler 10 times as the head coach of No. 5 UConn men’s basketball. He has never let the Bulldogs (8-2, 1-0) come out on top.

The Huskies (10-1, 0,0) will welcome Butler to PeoplesBank Arena to open their Big East conference slate, on Tuesday.

The first meeting between the two teams came in the 2011 National Championship game, when Jim Calhoun became just the fifth coach in history to earn his third NCAA title, in a 53-41 final. The Huskies boast an 11-0 all-time record over the Bulldogs.

Last season was the closest Butler has ever come to toppling UConn, forcing the game to overtime. The Bulldogs managed to get two three pointers off in the final five seconds to try and take the lead, but were unable to get either to fall as the Huskies came out on top 80-78.

“Every game you go into in the Big East is a dogfight,” Solo Ball said. “It’s always a great crowd when it comes to Big East play.”

The Big East as a whole struggled through the early portion of the season. All but four teams have lost three or more games, which includes four of the conference five teams that received bids to the National Tournament.

Butler has been one of the few bright spots for the conference this season.  The Bulldogs are 3-2 against power conference opponents this season, including a win over then-No. 23 Virginia.  

“They’ve probably got one of the best wins our league had in the non-conference with the Virginia game,” Hurley said.

Tuesday will be the first time all season that the Huskies expected starting lineup for the rest of the season will play two games in a row together; Ball, Silas Demary Jr., Braylon Mullins, Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr.

This was the five that UConn rolled out against Boston College for its first exhibition in October. Injuries to Mullins, Reed and Demary have forced the Huskies to mix and match starting lineups throughout the first month of the season.

“Missing six weeks doesn’t help me at all, so it’s really about taking it step by step and playing through the offense,” Mullins said.

UConn wrapped up its non-conference slate with that five on Friday in a 71-63 win over Texas. The Huskies were nearly perfect through the 11-game schedule, dropping just one game to top ranked Arizona. The gauntlet featured five ranked opponents and seven tournament teams from last season.

Karaban has led the way for UConn ahead of conference play. He is the team’s most efficient scorer shooting over 50% from the field and 44% from three. Karaban has finished just two games this season below double-digit points, and just one below 40% from the field.

Despite an inconsistent season for Karaban last year, he was integral to the win over Butler in January. Karaban scored 19, including the first four of the overtime. He clogged the stat sheet, pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out six assists.

“That’s Alex Karaban for you,” Reed said. “I’ve never met a guy that just knows how to win.”

Texas guard Tramon Mark (12) is pressured by UConn guard Solo Ball (1) and UConn forward Alex Karaban (11) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Butler earned a thrilling double-overtime win in its Big East opener against Providence on Saturday.  Michael Ajayi scored a team-high 28 points to mark his eighth double-double of the season during the win. The performance earned him the first Big East Player of the Week nod in his career.

While it is Ajayi’s first season in the Big East, Tuesday will not be the first time the Huskies have had to match up against him. He transferred to Butler as a graduate student from Gonzaga last season. He scored 14 points during the Hall of Fame Series last season when UConn downed the Zags 77-71.

Finley Bizjack, the Bulldogs leading scorer this season, struggled in the first half of the win over the Friars, which led to the team trailing at the intermission by four. He turned it around in the second half, scoring 12 points across the two overtime periods to propel Butler to the win.

Bizjack will enter Tuesday night as the highest point per game scorer on the floor, averaging over 18 points per game so far this season. He is shooting nearly 39% from three this season but has made just two of his past 15 attempts over the last two games.

“They’ve got two of the better players in the league, a lot of shooting, and if you let your guard down, they can hurt you,” Hurley said.

The action tips off at 8:30 p.m. and can be found on Peacock and NBC Sports.