Bryant (1-2) at Connecticut (5-0)

Even when facing ranked opponents, Connecticut has barely needed to sweat this season. That should continue Saturday in Hartford against Bryant.

The second-ranked Huskies (5-0) took the Paradise Jam title Monday in the U.S. Virgin Islands by beating No. 25 Wisconsin 76-57. That win followed a 76-63 semifinal victory Sunday over then-No. 17 Miami.

Out of the 80 minutes in those two games, Connecticut led for 71:40, and the Huskies’ five wins have come by an average of 22.0 points. Only unranked La Salle has given them trouble, losing 89-81 in the tournament’s opening round on Nov. 21, but Connecticut still led the final 26 minutes of that victory.

In Monday’s game, the Huskies forced a season-high 22 turnovers and converted them into 31 points.

“This was a very good win for us because we proved we could press. It’s just amazing what our press did against a team as good as Wisconsin,” said coach Jim Calhoun, who with a victory Saturday will tie Lute Olson and Lou Henson for eighth on the all-time list with 780.

“We squeezed them with our pressure and our defense.”

Connecticut held the Badgers to 37.3 percent shooting from the field after limiting Miami to 35.3 percent. Opponents have shot 38.6 percent this season against the Huskies, who have made 50.5 percent of their shots from the field.

Jerome Dyson had 21 points Monday and leads Connecticut with 18.2 per game, but it was 7-foot-3 center Hasheem Thabeet who took tournament MVP honors.

Thabeet scored just nine points in the championship game and averaged 12.3 points and 9.3 rebounds over the three contests. However, he blocked 15 shots during the tournament, including seven against Miami.

Thabeet leads the Huskies with 10.6 rebounds and 4.4 blocks a game, and has scored 13.8 points per contest. Jeff Adrien is averaging a double-double with 13.8 points and 10.2 rebounds.

Bryant (1-2) is an independent in its inaugural season in Division I and will join the Northeast Conference in 2012. The Bulldogs had previously played in Division II, making seven NCAA tournament appearances and reaching the national championship game in 2004-05.

In its last game on Nov. 22, Bryant earned its first Division I victory, beating Quinnipiac 59-50 in the consolation game of the Columbia University Classic. Cecil Gresham scored 21 points to lead the Bulldogs and is averaging a team-best 19.3.

Tim O’Shea is in his first season at the school after coaching seven seasons at Ohio and winning at least 19 games in each of the past four.

Connecticut is playing Bryant for the first time in the regular season. The schools have met in four exhibition games in Hartford, including a 100-65 victory for the Huskies last season.