UCONN at TULSA

⏩ When: 7 p.m., Wednesday

⏩ Where: Reynolds Center, Tulsa, Okla.

⏩ Records: UConn 7-6 (0-1), Tulsa 9-5 (2-0)

⏩ TV: ESPNEWS

⏩ Radio: WTIC-1080

KEEP AN EYE ON

⏩ Rotation situation. UConn has used 11 different starting lineups in 13 games At some point, Ollie wants to shorten the rotation and go with something more permanent. It sounds like that time may be near.

“I think that’s everybody’s goal — coach’s goal, everybody watching the game,” Ollie said. “But, at the end of the day, we’ve got eight new guys and we’re still forming. As a coach, I have to evaluate what we have in our stable. Our players have to play more consistent, also. That’s staying out of foul trouble, knowing the plays, doing the things we ask of them. I could say, ‘This is the five we’re going with.’ It’s shaping up like that. I know some people are gonna start standing up, starting with (Wednesday).”

He added that the players’ effort in practices is ultimately what determines if they start and/or play major minutes.

“And,” he added, “you can have all the consistency in practice, you get two fouls and there goes the lineup change. I have to understand that and try to make adjustments as we go. But there’s been more adjustments with the new guys and guys staying in and out of foul trouble and Alterique’s injury.”

⏩ Junior achievement. Tulsa’s Junior Etou was named AAC Player of the Week on Tuesday after averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds in the Golden Hurricane’s two wins last week.

“He’s doing everything. He’s shooting from the 2, shooting from the 3, isolating them,” said Ollie. “He’s really their ace of spades, and they’re getting him multiple opportunities with the ball to make something positive happen. The one thing he’s not doing well is his assist-to-turnover ratio. So, making it tough for him, not giving him easy baskets is one of our main goals (Wednesday) night.”

⏩ Not-so-distinguished company. Perhaps this puts UConn’s rough start into perspective: the Huskies have suffered more double-digit losses (five) this early in the season than any team since Jim Calhoun took over in 1986.

And wait, it gets worse. The Huskies have already suffered more losses of 15 points or more (four) than any team except that 1986-87 squad, which finished with eight such losses. This year’s UConn team has already matched that ’86-87 team with the most losses of 20 points or more in a season, with three, and 25 points or more, with two. And, of course, their 35-point loss to Arkansas a little over a month ago was the program’s worst in 40 years.