The UConn exhibition on Monday has the two-time defending national champion UConn men’s basketball team hitting the court at Mohegan Sun Arena. Thanks to getting a waiver from the NCAA, fans will be able to see the Huskies in action. The inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Game is at 6 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena. Rhode Island will be the opponent. UConn and URI used to play regularly before the Huskies joined the Big East.
Creighton, Providence, Xavier, and St. John’s are other Big East teams that play Division I opponents with spectators allowed into the arena. St. John’s will play at Rutgers on Thursday. Xavier meets Dayton on Oct. 20. Creighton will play 2024 national finalist Purdue on Oct. 26. On the same day, Providence faces UMass.
Four starters from last season’s title-winning team for UConn were selected in the 2024 Draft. Alex Karaban is the only returning starter for the two-time defending champions.
“You want to go out and play well, you want to win, and you want to compete and play hard,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said in a conference call with the media on Sunday. “We are not going to look like we did the last time people saw us play. We are a work in progress right now. I think it is exciting right now to get an opportunity to go out and play against somebody else.”
UConn Exhibition Could See New Faces Emerge
Karaban is the only current UConn player expected to play a similar role. He averaged 13.3 points per game last season. When looking ahead, plenty of eyes will be on promising freshman Liam McNeeley and Saint Mary’s transfer Aidan Mahaney.
Hear what @UConnMBB Coach Dan Hurley had to say ahead of the Huskies Exhibition w URI Tomorrow Night. 5:30p airtime on @FOXSports979 https://t.co/eCG6WSQift
— FOX Sports 97-9 (@FOXSports979) October 13, 2024
McNeeley was rated as the No. 9 national recruit, according to ESPN. Hurley expects the 6-foot-7 forward to play a key role during the 2024-25 season.
“There are adjustments that he is going to have to make,” Hurley said. “He is a really advanced, mature offensive player. By the time we start playing, I think he is going to be pretty consistently really good this year.”
Mahaney averaged a team-best 13.9 points with 83 3-pointers for Saint Mary’s last season. Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer are former transfers who made significant contributions for the UConn Huskies. Newton is among the rookies from the Big East playing well in the NBA preseason. Now Mahaney has a chance to shine.
“Aidan is starting to play his best basketball as we get closer to the opener,” Hurley said. “Stylistically, there are a lot of adjustments that he has had to make. He had a good day today. I think he is ready to go out and play against somebody else.”
UConn Still a Work in Progress
Hurley and his staff have been focusing more on the player development side of things. There is plenty left for the UConn coaching staff to install before the season gets going in early November.
“Our mindset right now is that we are so consumed with ourselves on offense, on defense, our rebounding, and kind of our fundamentals,” Hurley said. “What it becomes is an opportunity here in closed scrimmages/exhibitions to get some of the jitters out when you play in front of a crowd.”
Hurley said he didn’t even know who would start against URI. All things considered, it is one of the issues with hitting the court so early in the process.
“You want to go out and play well,” Hurley said. “You want to win, you want to compete and play hard. We are not going to look like we did the last time people saw us play. We are a work in progress right now. I think it is exciting right now to get an opportunity to go out and play against somebody else.”
Hurley Has A Special Bond With Exhibition Opponent
Hurley came to UConn after he led Rhode Island to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances. In his six seasons at URI, he had three 20-win campaigns. Undeniably, Hurley has a solid relationship with URI head coach Archie Miller.
“We are kind of kindred spirits in a way in that we lived very similar lives,” Hurley said. “We are the son of coaches, [come from] great basketball families. [Hurley and Miller] have both had great careers as coaches and players. Anytime I see him on the road, I have a chance to talk to him about Rhody and basketball in general. I have a lot of respect for Arch and how he coaches and the way he gets his team to play. We are connected because we have lived similar lives, and now he is coaching at a place I have a lot of love for.”
Senior forward David Green and senior guard Jaden House are returning double-digit scorers for a Rhode Island team coming off a 12-20 season. Also, URI has five freshmen on the 2024-25 roster.
What’s Next For UConn?
Fans will get another chance to check out the Huskies this week. UConn holds its annual First Night festivities on Friday at Gampel Pavilion. Players from the men’s and women’s basketball teams will be introduced to the crowd. That will be followed by a three-point shooting contest and a five-on-five scrimmage.
UConn released more information today around Oct. 18’s First Night event. Basketball season is almost here! https://t.co/wGFsoDhd0N
— The UConn Blog (@TheUConnBlog) October 9, 2024
UConn’s season opener will be against Sacred Heart on Nov. 6 at Gampel Pavilion. The first four games will be at either Gampel Pavilion or the XL Center. After that, UConn plays three games in three days at the Maui Invitational from Nov. 25-27. The first true road game will come against Texas on Dec. 8. The Big East opener comes on Dec. 18 against Xavier.
