UConn men’s basketball defeats Spanish Select Team 103-57 in Barcelona

The UConn men’s basketball team cruised to a second-straight victory to open up its foreign trip as it beat a Spanish Select Team, 103-57, on Monday at Pabellon Olimpica de Badelona in Barcelona.

The 12,500-seat host arena, which wasn’t filled Monday, was the basketball site for the 1992 Olympics where the U.S. Dream Team claimed the gold medal.

Highly-touted freshman guard Stephon Castle led the Huskies with 20 points off the bench on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, adding three rebounds and a pair of steals. Point guard Tristen Newton, who had two triple-doubles for the Huskies last season, was everywhere, scoring 16 points to go along with nine rebounds, six assists and four takeaways.

Samson started it, Steph finished it. ?#HU5KIES pic.twitter.com/tWz7nzuWRY

— UConn Men’s Basketball (@UConnMBB) August 7, 2023

As a team, the Huskies shot 37-for-80 from the field (46%) and 12-for-33 (36%) from 3-point range. Freshman Jaylin Stewart, who was feeling under the weather and sat out Saturday’s 132-66 victory over Le Cannet Basket in France, did not play on Monday either.

Redshirt sophomore Alex Karaban, who starred in the Huskies’ first international game in France, scored 16 points on Monday (6-of-13 from the field, 3-of-7 from three). Cam Spencer added 13 points, eight rebounds and made two steals while Donovan Clingan scored nine points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field and grabbed six rebounds.

Freshman Solomon Ball put together a 10-point performance without missing a shot from the field (3-for-3, 1-for-1 from three) and rising junior Samson Johnson scored 10 points and had five rebounds, four of which were offensive.

Final from Barcelona#HU5KIES pic.twitter.com/c5KULMfXxP

— UConn Men’s Basketball (@UConnMBB) August 7, 2023

Hassan Diarra tacked on two points, two rebounds and three assists, Apostolos Roumoglou had three points and freshman Jayden Ross scored four. Youssouf Singare added five rebounds.

UConn will wrap up its international slate with another Spanish select team, which will include some of the same players and some new, at the same venue on Tuesday, beginning at 10 a.m. ET.

The Huskies will attend the FC Barcelona vs. Tottenham Hotspur soccer match, a preseason friendly, after their game on Tuesday.

Jimmy V Classic field officially announced

UConn will play North Carolina at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 5 as part of the 2023 Jimmy V Classic, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN, it was officially announced Monday.

Illinois and Florida Atlantic University (which lost to San Diego State at the buzzer in last year’s Final Four) will play in the other game of the annual doubleheader. Game times will be announced at a later date.

“It’s an honor to be invited to participate in the Jimmy V Classic to help raise funds for such a worthwhile cause that hits close to home for my wife Andrea and me, with the loss of her father to this dreaded disease,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said in a…