George Dibble
Despite not being eligible for the 2013 post-season, the UConn men’s basketball team has much to look forward to this upcoming season. Many big matchups dot the calendar this season.
Most noticeably, the season opener will be played November 9th against Michigan State at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. This will be a nationally televised game and is Ollie’s first appearance as the new head coach of UConn.
The US Virgin Islands Paradise Jam is the next major event circled on the calendar. UConn won the Paradise Jam in 2008 backed by current NBA standouts AJ Price, Jerome Dyson, and Hasheem Thabeet. This year, Wake Forest, Quinnipiac, New Mexico, Mercer, Iona, George Mason, and UIC will join them on the US Virgin Islands from November 16th-19th.
After a series of international travelling, UConn returns to Madison Square Garden on December 4th to take on North Carolina State in the Jimmy V Classic. From there, the out of conference schedule closes out with Washington at the XL Center on December 29th.
The conference schedule will test the squad as they pursue a Big East Regular Season Championship. Eye-opening games at home include Louisville (1/14), Syracuse (2/13), Cincinnati (2/21), and Georgetown (2/27). On the road, big games include at Notre Dame (1/12), Pittsburgh (1/19), St. John’s (2/6), and at Cincinnati (3/2).
The 2012-2013 UConn men’s basketball team has a tough schedule this season. It will be put to the test at almost every game this season. Ollie and the team are expected to play hard-nosed basketball all season long, as they pursue a 2013 Big East Regular Season Championship.