The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Breaking down UConn’s schedule
Huskies could face four preseason Top 25 teams
The American Athletic Conference released its 2018-19 men’s basketball schedule on Wednesday, meaning UConn’s full schedule was also unveiled for the first time.
The Huskies will open league play on Wednesday, Jan. 2 on the road against South Florida at the Yuengling Center. UConn then plays a pair of home games on Jan. 5 (UCF) and Jan. 10 (SMU).
The Huskies non-league slate, which had already been announced in June, is a strong one. UConn will play three games at Madison Square Garden: Nov. 15 against old Big East rival Syracuse, Nov. 16 against either Iowa or Oregon, and Dec. 22 against another old Big East foe, defending national champion Villanova.
UConn will also play a fourth game in the New York City metro area, facing Florida State on Dec. 8 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey in a Never Forget Classic matchup.
The Huskies also host perennial powerhouse Arizona on Dec. 2.
Florida State, Syracuse, Villanova and Oregon all could very well be in the preseason AP Top 25, which won’t be released until early November.
UConn will play Harvard in a closed-door scrimmage around Halloween, then host Scott Burrell’s Southern Connecticut State in an exhibition on Thursday, Nov. 1.
The Huskies’ regular season begins on Thursday, Nov. 8, when it hosts Morehead State in what is a 2K Classic regional game. Three days later, UConn hosts UMKC in another 2K regional game. Even if UConn loses one or both of those games, it will still advance to the Garden to
face Syracuse and either Oregon or Iowa.
Nov. 2 vs. Southern Connecticut (Gampel Pavilion), 7 p.m. (exhibition): UConn’s lone exhibition game open to the public pits the Huskies against Scott Burrell’s Owls.
Nov. 8 vs. Morehead State (GP), 7 p.m.: A 2K Classic regional game; Eagles went 8-21 a year ago.
Nov. 11 vs. UMKC (GP ), TBA: A second 2K Classic regional game. Even if Huskies lose either game, they’ll still advance to MSG
Nov. 15 vs. Syracuse (Madison Square Garden), 7 p.m.: Fourth straight year ex-Big East rivals clash, and third straight at MSG. Orange are Final Four good.
Nov. 16 vs. Oregon or Iowa (MSG), TBA: Second 2K Classic game; if Huskies play Oregon, it will be third straight season they meet.
Nov. 20 vs. Cornell (XL Center), 7 p.m.: Big Red feature Jimmy Boeheim, a 6-foot-8 sophomore shooter, son of Syracuse’s Hall of Fame head coach and owner of two fewer national title rings than Tyler Olander.
Nov. 24 vs. New Hampshire (XL), Noon.: Wethersfield’s Mark Carbone, a former East Catholic star, is sophomore guard for Wildcats.
Nov. 27 vs. UMassLowell (GP), 7 p.m.: River Hawks’ head coach Pat Duquette is cousin of former Red Sox GM Dan Duquette.
Dec. 2 vs. Arizona (XL), 1 p.m.: Second game of home-and-home; Wildcats lost six players to graduation or NBA Draft last spring.
Dec. 5 vs. Lafayette (XL ), 7 p.m.: Leopards went 10-22 overall last year, 5-11 in Patriot League.
Dec. 8 vs. Florida State (Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.), 6:30 p.m.: Part of Never Forget Tribute Classic doubleheader; ’Noles return three starters from Elite 8 team.
Dec. 15 vs. Manhattan (GP), TBA: Jaspars are coached by Steve Masiello, who was fired by USF before coaching a game after lying on his resume.
Dec. 18 vs. Drexel (XL), 7p.m.: First time these programs will ever meet on the hardwood.
Dec. 22 vs. Villanova (MSG), 12:30 p.m.: Second of three-game series vs. Wildcats, who happen to be defending national champions. Next year will be in Philly.
Jan. 2 at USF (Yuengling Center, Tampa, Fla.), 8:30 p.m.: Six of Bulls’ seven top scorers from a year ago have graduated or transferred.
Jan. 5 vs. UCF (XL), noon: In Aubrey Dawkins, B.J. Taylor, 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall, Knights may have AAC’s best trio.
Jan. 10 vs. SMU (GP), 7 p.m.: Watch out for Isiaha Mike, who scored in double figures as a frosh at Duquesne two years ago.
Ja. 12 at Cincinnati (Fifth Third Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio), 8 p.m.: Fifth Third Arena has been renovated, but Bearcats lost three top players from last year’s AAC champs.
Jan. 16 at Tulsa (Reynolds Coliseum, Tulsa, Okla.), 7 p.m.: Huskies only face Golden Hurricane (and Memphis) on the road this season.
Jan. 19 vs. Tulane (GP), 7:30 p.m.: No trip to New Orleans this year for Huskies, who only play Tulane once.
Jan. 26 vs. Wichita State (GP), 6 p.m.: Markis McDuffie, a power forward, is only key returnee for young Shockers.
Jan. 31 at UCF (CFE Arena, Orlando, Fla.), 9 p.m.: Return of Aubrey Dawkins, coach Johnny Dawkins’ son who missed last year with injury, could put Knights over the top.
Feb. 3 vs. ECU (XL), 2 p.m.: Raphael Chillious, UConn’s associate head coach last year, is now an assistant with Pirates.
Feb. 6 at Temple (Liacouras Center, Philadelphia), 6 p.m.: Fran Dunphy in his last year as Owls’ head coach, will hand over reins to current assistant Aaron McKie next year.
Feb. 10 at Memphis (FedExForum, Memphis), 2 p.m.: Tigers hired alum, ex-NBA star Penny Hardaway as head coach and have been killing it on recruiting trail.
Feb. 14 vs. Houston (XL), 7 p.m.: Despite losing AAC scoring leader Rob Gray to graduation, Cougars should be near the top of league.
Feb. 21 at SMU (Moody Coliseum), 9 p.m.: Huskies are 0-4 at Moody Coliseum, average margin of loss: 18.1.
Feb. 24 vs. Cincinnati (XL), 2 p.m.: East Hartford’s Cane Broome will be asked to get back to scorer’s mentality that had him one of nation’s top scorers at Sacred Heart in ’15-16.
Feb. 28 at Wichita State (Koch Arena, Wichita, Kan.), 7 p.m.: Shockers lost all five starters, 89-percent of scoring from last year’s AAC runnersup.
Mar. 3 vs. USF (GP), noon: It’s all about the future for USF, which should be at very bottom of AAC standings this year.
Mar. 7 vs. Temple (GP), 7 p.m.: Top two scorers (Quinton Rose, Shizz Alston, Jr.) are back in fold for the Owls.
Mar. 10 at ECU (Minges Coliseum, Greenville, N.C.), 2 p.m.: Joe Dooley, who coached Pirates in late-1990’s and boasts school’s all-time best win percentage, is back at the helm.
Mar. 14-17 at FedExForum, Memphis: American Athletic Conference Championships.