The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Five must-see games this season,
will play at least four regular-season games — and as many as six — against teams ranked among the top 15 teams in the country in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Huskies will play No. 6 Florida, No. 10 Villanova and No. 14 Memphis (twice). UConn could also play Florida a second time in the Charleston Classic. The Huskies could also face No. 19 Xavier in that tournament. AAC foes Cincinnati, Houston, Wichita State and South Florida are also teams that could be ranked at some point this season.
Here’s a look at the top five most intriguing games on the Huskies’ 2019-20 schedule:
Sunday, Nov. 17 vs. Florida, 3 p.m., Gampel Pavilion:
The Gators are ranked No. 6 in the land in the AP preseason poll, led by 6-foot-10 senior forward Kerry Blackshear, who was the most coveted grad transfer on the market last spring, smooth point guard Andrew Nembhard, and McDonald’s All-American freshman guard Scottie Lewis. UConn is hoping for a repeat of its Dec. 2, 2013 upset of the 15th-ranked Gators, when Shabazz Napier’s buzzer-beater gave the Huskies a 65-64 win. A week later, UConn could face Florida again in the Charleston Classic.
Tuesday, Dec. 10 vs. Indiana, 9 p.m., Madison Square Garden:
The Hoosiers aren’t a national powerhouse anymore, but they’re still the Hoosiers. Head coach Archie Miller had some clashes with Dan Hurley when the two were coaching in the Atlantic 10 (Miller at Dayton, Hurley at Rhode Island). It’s the Jimmy V Classic, which is always near and dear to anyone involved in college basketball. And, while UConn will play at MSG next season when it returns to the Big East, this is the Huskies’ lone visit to the World’s Most Famous Arena this regular season. And that’s always special.
Saturday, Jan. 18 at Villanova, noon, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia:
The Wildcats are ranked No. 10 in the preseason and seem poised to capture yet another Big East title, led by tough guard Collin Gillespie, matchup nightmare Saddiq Bey, and highly-touted freshmen Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Bryan Antoine. This is the last of a three-game series between the old Big East rivals, before they reunite as league rivals next season.
Sunday, Feb. 9 vs. Cincinnati, noon, Gampel Pavilion:
The Bearcats have been the closest to a rival as UConn has had in its seven seasons in the American Athletic Conference and this will be the final time the teams clash in the regular season as league foes. Led by All-American candidate guard Jarron Cumberland, the Bearcats will be a good bet to repeat as AAC champions. Whiny head coach Mick Cronin is no longer on the sidelines — he’s now coaching UCLA — but former Northern Kentucky head man John Brannen is a suitable replacement.
Sunday, Feb. 16 vs. Memphis, 3 p.m., XL Center:
Without question the most attractive game in Hartford this season. The 14th-ranked Tigers bring in the nation’s consensus No. 1 overall recruiting class, led by potenUConn tial 2020 No. 1 NBA draft pick James Wiseman and forward Precious Achiuwa, a coveted Hurley recruit. Coach Penny Hardaway may have trouble corralling the talented group of fourand five-star freshmen that figures to comprise Memphis’s starting lineup, though the team could be jelling by mid-February. Or, the Tigers could turn out to be a fabulous flop. Either way, they’ll be must-see TV.
— David Borges