Northwestern vs. UConn basketball injury report and prediction, March 24 ahead of second-round Day 4 March Madness 2024

The top-seeded UConn Huskies face the ninth-seeded Northwestern Wildcats in an East Region second-round matchup of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. Both teams are fighting for a coveted spot in the Sweet 16, where the winner will take on either the No. 5 San Diego State Aztecs or the No. 13 Yale Bulldogs.

The No. 1-ranked Huskies (32-3) are on a roll with an eight-game winning streak. The representative from the Big East blew out the Stetson Hatters 91-52 in the Round of 64 and is looking to win back-to-back NCAA championships.

Northwestern (22-11) is peaking at the right time and trying to build momentum after their 77-65 overtime win against Florida Atlantic, a team that went all the way to the Final Four last year.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. ET at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Northwestern vs. UConn injuries

Ty Berry, Northwestern

The Wildcats' fourth-best scorer is out for the season after tearing his meniscus in Northwestern’s 80-68 win over Nebraska in February.

Across 23 games, the senior guard from Newton, Kansas, averaged 11.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 29.7 minutes per game.

Additionally, he was shooting a career-high 43.3% from the 3-point line. He was a big factor in why Northwestern ranks as the eighth-best 3-point shooting team in the nation, boasting a 39.3% accuracy rate.

Northwestern will miss his presence and shooting against the Huskies.

Seven-footer Matthew Nicholson's size will be missed by the Wildcats.

Matthew Nicholson, Northwestern

Northwestern's starting center was ruled out for the entirety of the NCAA Tournament due to a leg injury he sustained in a Big Ten conference game against Iowa on March 2.

His size and ability to free Northwestern's perimeter scorers – Boo Buie, Brooks Barnhizer and Ryan Langborg – will be missed.

The Wildcats will have to rely on 6-10 sophomore Luke Hunger and 6-9 senior Blake Preston to neutralize UConn's 7-2 big man, Donovan Clingan.

Nicholson averaged 5.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.8 apg and 1.4 blocks in 29 games.

UConn is looking to win back-to-back NCAA titles.

UConn Huskies

The UConn Huskies, the No. 1 overall seed, are going full force against Northwestern. Donovan Clingan was out for nearly a month due to a tendon injury in his right foot in December, but he returned in January and is ready to go.

Northwestern vs. UConn prediction

UConn's fantastic play on both ends of the floor is one of the main reasons why they are the top-seeded team in this year's tournament. The well-rounded Huskies boast the best offensive rating (Ranked No. 1) in the country (123.3 ORtg) and 23rd of 362 in defensive rating (96.6 DRtg).

The Huskies have a deep roster, with players averaging 10 or more points per game: Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer, Alex Karaban, Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle. Not all college teams have the luxury. Their second-round opponent, Northwestern, has only three players who score at least 10 points per game.

The Wildcats will have to shoot the lights out against UConn. Boo Buie will have to play a big game against the Huskies. The fifth-year senior is averaging 19.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg and 5.1 apg.

TEAMS	SPREAD	MONEYLINE	OVER/UNDER	ATS	O/U
Northwestern Wildcats	+13.5 (-111)	+683	OVER 136 (-110)	16-14	18-12-1
UConn Huskies	-13.5 (-110)	-1083	UNDER 136 (-110)	22-12	16-18-0

The Huskies' depth, experience and elite play on both ends might be too much for Northwestern, which is missing its third-best scorer (Ty Berry) and starting center (Matthew Nicholson). Expect Connecticut to cover the spread against the Wildcats.

Pick: UConn Huskies -13.5 (110)