MEN’S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY

CINCINNATI at UCONN

When: Sunday, 2 p.m.

Where: XL Center

Records: Cincinnati 22-4 (11-2 AAC), UConn 13-13 (4-9 AAC)

TV: ESPN

Radio: UConn/IMG Sports Network, WAVZ-New Haven (1300 AM), WICC-Brideport (600 AM), WINE-Danbury (940 AM), WGCH- Greenwich (1490 AM), 97.9 FM-ESPN Hartford, Sirius-81, XM-81, Internet-81

KEEP AN EYE ON

⏩ CH-CH-CH-CH-CHANGES?: Dan Hurley promised changes in the minutes following Thursday night’s embarrassing loss at SMU, but wouldn’t reveal whether that meant a change in the starting lineup or rotations.

“There are decisions you have to make to try to jolt your team, try to lose some complacency, guys feel like they’re entitled to a certain role,” Hurley said. “Or you have to change your lineup because there’s an issue off the court.”

But that’s as far as he’d go.

“I’m not trying to give Mick (Cronin, Cincinnati’s coach) anymore help than Mick needs right now ... He’ll have to wait ’til 10 minutes before, when we get our lineups.”

⏩ GILBERT’S MENTAL HURDLE: Alterique Gilbert returned to the floor on Thursday for the first time since injuring his surgically-repaired left shoulder on Jan. 26 against Wichita State. The sophomore point guard scored six points on 3-for-10 shooting in 22 minutes off the bench, and Hurley wants Gilbert get over the mental hurdle of his past injuries.

“Just for his own psyche. Physically, getting back out there and knowing he’s OK. I think what he’s gone through here is gonna probably help him the next time he brings it.”

⏩ AS THE DIARRA TURNS: It was a bit of a surprise that Mamadou Diarra returned from a knee injury to play a few minutes on Jan. 26 against Wichita State. It’s perhaps equally surprising that he’s played only once more (two minutes of garbage time on Feb. 3 vs. ECU) since.

“I have to feel like physically, with my eye test (he’s ready),” Hurley explained. “I don’t watch pregame warm-ups. I watch live, 5-on-5. I watch live 1-on-1, 4-on-4, box-out drills. If I’m gonna put guys on the court, they’ve got to be physically able to be at the level they need to be.”