In July, we got a peek at the UConn men's basketball team's Big East match-ups for the 2011-12 season. A month later, we found out about the non-conference games, and now it's official: the schedule is set for the upcoming season.
The Huskies play two exhibition games in early November before facing Columbia November 11 in its first regular-season contest.
Other dates of note:
* Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas (Nov. 24-26)
* Big East/SEC Challenge: Arkansas (Dec. 3)
* Start of Big East play: South Florida (Dec. 28)
* Big East Tournament (March 6-10)
The Hartford Courant reports that the Huskies will play at least 14 nationally televised games, and their game against Syracuse on February 25 will be part of ESPN's "GameDay" coverage at Gampel Pavlion.
Speaking of Gampel, seven regular-season home games will be played at UConn's on-campus home, which should make students very happy. Unfortunately, 10 games will be in Hartford at the XL Center, which is great for just about everybody else. (If it's any consolation -- and we suspect it isn't -- the breakdown last season was exactly the same: seven games on campus and 10 in Hartford.)
Either way, actual basketball is right around the corner. That should make us all happy.
The Schedule
Nov. 2: AIC (exhibition), Gampel Pavilion, Storrs, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 6: C.W. Post (exhibition), XL Center, Hartford, 1 p.m.
Nov. 11: Columbia, Gampel Pavilion, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
Nov. 14: Wagner, Gampel Pavilion
Nov. 17: Maine, XL Center
Nov. 20: Coppin State, XL Center
Battle 4 Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas (Nov. 24-26)
Nov. 24: UNC-Asheville, 7 p.m.
Nov. 25: Central Florida or College of Charleston, 2 or 7 p.m.
Nov. 26: Utah, Harvard, Florida State, or UMass, time TBA
Dec. 3: Arkansas (Big East/SEC Challenge), XL Center, 3:15 p.m. (ESPN)
Dec. 8: Harvard, Gampel Pavilion, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Dec. 18: Holy Cross, XL Center, TBA
Dec. 22: Fairfield, XL Center, TBA
Dec. 28: at South Florida, Tampa, TBA
Dec. 31: St. John's, XL Center, TBA
Jan. 3: at Seton Hall, Prudential Center, TBA
Jan. 7: at Rutgers, TBA
Jan. 9: West Virginia, XL Center, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Jan. 14: at Notre Dame, 11 a.m. (ESPN2)
Jan. 18: Cincinnati, Gampel Pavilion, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Jan. 21: at Tennessee, 4 p.m. (Ch. 3)
Jan. 29: Notre Dame, XL Center, TBA
Feb. 1: at Georgetown, Verizon Center, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Feb. 4: Seton Hall, XL Center, TBA
Feb. 6: at Louisville, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Feb. 11: at Syracuse, 1 p.m.
Feb. 15: DePaul, Gampel Pavilion, TBA
Feb. 18: Marquette, XL Center, noon (ESPN/ESPN2)
Feb. 20: at Villanova, Wells Fargo Center, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Feb. 25: Syracuse, Gampel Pavilion, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Feb. 28: at Providence, TBA
March 3: Pittsburgh, Gampel Pavilion, noon (ESPN/ESPN2)
March 6-10: Big East tournament, Madison Square Garden, (ESPN)
