Options for new matchup dwindle
Huskies scramble after NC State game canceled
The UConn men’s basketball team left Bubbleville on Saturday morning, not empty-handed but with the emptiness that comes with gearing up for a game and then having it canceled.
The Huskies’ scheduled game against NC State was called off late Friday night, near midnight, about 12 hours before it was to start, due to a positive COVID-19 test in N.C.
State’s program. Mohegan Sun officials were able to stage 26 games involving 25 teams between Nov. 25 and Dec. 4, and only the final game scheduled for Bubbleville had to be canceled.
This leaves UConn coach Dan Hurley to decide whether to try to play another game and find what he calls “the right dance partner” with options dwindling.
On Saturday, there were discussions with 19th-ranked Richmond, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, but with a home game scheduled for Wednes
day night, the Spiders chose to stay home and play Wofford on Monday afternoon.
UConn’s team and traveling party entered the Mohegan Sun on Wednesday night and, with everyone testing negative, played Southern Cal on Thursday, winning 61-58, a resume-building victory.
N.C. State entered the bubble, having all tested negative before traveling. The Wolfpack defeated UMass Lowell on Thursday, but by NCAA protocols had to be tested again Friday morning, 24 hours before the game with UConn. The positive test was reported Friday night, prompting the cancellation of the game.
According to Mohegan Sun officials, who, along with the Gazelle Group and Naismith Hall of Fame, worked together on the Bubbleville concept, there were 2,800 tests administered to a total of 1,075 people connected with the games, a combination of PCR swab tests and Mirimus saliva tests. There were three positives, prompting two teams to leave before playing a game, and the other forcing the UConn-N.C. State game to be canceled.
The Huskies left Mohegan Sun early Saturday and practiced on campus Saturday afternoon but did not announce any decisions about adjusting the schedule. UConn’s next scheduled game is Dec. 11, the start of Big East play against St. John’s at Gampel Pavilion.
Right now, UConn (3-0) has two wins against local mid-majors Central and UHart and one Power Five school, Southern Cal. Even had the Huskies played N.C. State, Hurley was considering another nonconference game to be played Monday, but then was leaning against it. Without the N.C. State game, the Huskies are more apt to fit a game in early this week rather than go a full week without playing leading into conference play.
A win over a high-major team would strengthen their resume for postseason consideration, but there aren’t a lot of options now that teams have left Mohegan Sun.
Rhode Island has open space on its schedule and would provide a quality opponent without travel issues, though Hurley, who coached there before coming to UConn, might be reluctant to play the Rams. The need to play a quality opponent might override that. URI (3-2) has a win over Seton Hall already this season and might make the most sense.
UMass, just coming out of quarantine, has not played yet and may be interested in a nonconference game before its A-10 schedule starts against La Salle on Wednesday. Other possibilities would be long shots. Rick Pitino at Iona has a game Tuesday, and ACC teams are committed to the Big Ten challenge games on Tuesday.
Hurley doesn’t like to play nonconference games once conference play begins, but in a fluid season like this, it may be necessary if he feels the need to bolster UConn’s nonconference schedule.