2018–19 UConn Huskies men's basketball team

2018–19 UConn Huskies men's basketball
ConferenceAmerican Athletic Conference
Record16–17 (6–12 AAC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaHarry A. Gampel Pavilion
XL Center
Seasons
2018–19 American Athletic Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 11 Houston 16 – 2   .889 33 – 4   .892
No. 22 Cincinnati † 14 – 4   .778 28 – 7   .800
Temple 13 – 5   .722 23 – 10   .697
UCF 13 – 5   .722 24 – 9   .727
Memphis 11 – 7   .611 22 – 14   .611
Wichita State 10 – 8   .556 22 – 15   .595
Tulsa 8 – 10   .444 18 – 14   .563
South Florida 8 – 10   .444 24 – 14   .632
UConn 6 – 12   .333 16 – 17   .485
SMU 6 – 12   .333 15 – 17   .469
East Carolina 3 – 15   .167 10 – 21   .323
Tulane 0 – 18   .000 4 – 27   .129
† 2019 AAC tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll


The 2018–19 UConn Huskies men's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Huskies were led by first-year head coach Dan Hurley and participated as members of the American Athletic Conference. The Huskies split their home games between the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, and the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion on the UConn campus in Storrs, Connecticut. They finished the season 16–17, 6–12 in AAC play to finish in a tie for ninth place. They defeated South Florida in the first round of the AAC tournament before losing in the quarterfinals to Houston.

Previous season

The Huskies finished the 2017–18 season 14–18, 7–11 in AAC play to finish in eighth place. They lost in the first round of the AAC tournament to SMU.

The school announced on January 26, 2018 that the NCAA was investigating recruitment of at least three basketball players for possible recruiting violations.[1][2][3] On March 10, the school fired head coach Kevin Ollie for just cause related to the NCAA investigation.[4] On March 22, 2018, it was announced that the school had hired Rhode Island head coach Dan Hurley as coach.[5][6]

Offseason

Departures

Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes
Antwoine Anderson 0 G 6'2" 170lbs Graduate Student Rochester, NY Graduated
Terry Larrier 22 G/F 6'8" 185lbs RS Junior Bronx, NY Declared for 2018 NBA draft
Christian Foxen 24 F 6'8" 225lbs Senior Rocky Hill, CT Graduated
Michael Noyes 31 G 6'0" 190lbs Graduate Student Granby, CT Graduated
David Onuorah 34 F 6'9" 249lbs Graduate Student Lithonia, GA Graduated

Incoming transfers

Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes
Tarin Smith 2 G 6'2" 185 Graduate Student Ocean Township, NJ Duquesne
Kassoum Yakwe 14 F 6'7" 210 Graduate Student Bamako, Mali St. John's

2018 recruiting class

College recruiting information
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Brendan Adams
G 		Baltimore, MD Calvert Hall College HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Apr 15, 2018 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 79
Akok Akok
PF 		Manchester, NH Putnam Science Academy 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Dec 1, 2018 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 88
Overall recruiting rankings:   247Sports: 114
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Rivals". Rivals.com. Archived from the original on May 30, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on May 30, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  • "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 30, 2018.

2019 Recruiting class

College recruiting information
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
James Bouknight
SG 		Brooklyn, NY MacDuffie School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Sep 18, 2018 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 81
Jalen Gaffney
PG 		West Chester, PA Westtown School 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Sep 24, 2018 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 81
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

Roster

2018–19 Connecticut Huskies men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
F 0 Eric Cobb 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 249 lb (113 kg) Sr Chipola CC Jacksonville, FL
G 1 Christian Vital 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 177 lb (80 kg) Jr St. Thomas More Queens, NY
G 2 Tarin Smith 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) GS Duquesne Ocean Township, NJ
G 3 Alterique Gilbert Injured 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) RS So Miller Grove Lithonia, GA
G 4 Jalen Adams (C) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Sr Brewster Academy Roxbury, MA
F 5 Isaiah Whaley 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) So Mt. Zion Prep Charlotte, NC
G 10 Brendan Adams 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 196 lb (89 kg) Fr Calvert Hall College Baltimore, MD
F 12 Tyler Polley 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 200 lb (91 kg) So Sagemont Fort Lauderdale, FL
F 14 Kassoum Yakwe Injured 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 212 lb (96 kg) GS St. John's Bamako, Mali
G/F 15 Sidney Wilson 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 177 lb (80 kg) RS Fr St. John's Bronx, NY
F 21 Mamadou Diarra 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) RS So Putnam Science Academy Queens, NY
F 22 Kwintin Williams (S) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 221 lb (100 kg) Jr Arizona Western CC Anchorage, AK
F/C 25 Josh Carlton 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) So DeMatha Catholic Hyattsville, MD
G 45 Omotayo Aiyegbusi (W) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 206 lb (93 kg) Jr Saint Joseph's Philadelphia, PA
F 55 Daniel Brocke (W) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 235 lb (107 kg) So Hall West Hartford, CT
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: September 19, 2018

Akok Akok joined the team as a redshirt walkon for the spring semester.[7]

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV 		Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
November 2, 2018*
7:00 pm, HuskyVision 		Southern Connecticut W 96–64 
 17 – B. Adams   7 – Carlton   5 – Smith  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (5,646)
Storrs, CT
Non-conference regular season
November 8, 2018*
7:00 pm, SNY 		Morehead State
2K Sports Classic campus-site game 		W 80–70  1–0
  17 – Carlton   8 – Tied   4 – Tied  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,167)
Storrs, CT
November 11, 2018*
5:00 pm, SNY 		UMKC
2K Sports Classic campus-site game 		W 94–66  2–0
  22 – Smith   10 – Vital   4 – Tied  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (7,261)
Storrs, CT
November 15, 2018*
7:00 pm, ESPN2 		vs. No. 15 Syracuse
2K Sports Classic semifinals/rivalry 		W 83–76  3–0
  16 – Tied   13 – Cobb   8 – Gilbert  Madison Square Garden (14,417)
New York, NY
November 16, 2018*
7:00 pm, ESPN2 		vs. Iowa
2K Sports Classic championship 		L 72–91  3–1
  20 – J. Adams   7 – Cobb   4 – Gilbert  Madison Square Garden (10,909)
New York, NY
November 20, 2018*
7:00 pm, SNY 		Cornell W 91–74  4–1
  21 – J. Adams   5 – Gilbert   3 – J. Adams  XL Center (7,328)
Hartford, CT
November 24, 2018*
12:00 pm, SNY 		New Hampshire W 91–66  5–1
  17 – Tied   10 – Vital   4 – Vital  XL Center (8,351)
Hartford, CT
November 27, 2018*
7:00 pm, SNY 		UMass Lowell W 97–75  6–1
  19 – Tied   8 – Carlton   6 – Gilbert  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (5,507)
Storrs, CT
December 2, 2018*
1:00 pm, ESPN2 		Arizona L 72–76  6–2
  21 – J. Adams   10 – Cobb   6 – J. Adams  XL Center (14,603)
Hartford, CT
December 5, 2018*
6:00 pm, ESPNU 		Lafayette W 90–63  7–2
  21 – J. Adams   7 – Carlton   11 – Gilbert  XL Center (6,928)
Hartford, CT
December 8, 2018*
6:30 pm, ESPN2 		vs. No. 11 Florida State
Never Forget Tribute Classic 		L 71–79  7–3
  24 – Gilbert   6 – Yakwe   3 – Tied  Prudential Center (7,142)
Newark, NJ
December 15, 2018*
8:00 pm, SNY 		Manhattan W 61–46  8–3
  13 – Vital   8 – Vital   4 – Gilbert  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (6,259)
Storrs, CT
December 18, 2018*
7:00 pm, SNY 		Drexel W 97–65  9–3
  20 – Tied   6 – Vital   5 – Smith  XL Center (6,951)
Hartford, CT
December 22, 2018*
12:30 pm, CBS 		vs. Villanova
New York Showcase 		L 58–81  9–4
  18 – Vital   5 – Vital   5 – J. Adams  Madison Square Garden (16,027)
New York, NY
AAC regular season
January 2, 2019
8:30 pm, CBSSN 		at South Florida L 68–76  9–5
(0–1) 		 25 – J. Adams   7 – Cobb   3 – Tied  Yuengling Center (3,429)
Tampa, FL
January 5, 2019
12:00 pm, ESPNews 		UCF L 53–63  9–6
(0–2) 		 18 – Gilbert   8 – Cobb   4 – J. Adams  XL Center (10,541)
Hartford, CT
January 10, 2019
7:00 pm, CBSSN 		SMU W 76–64  10–6
(1–2) 		 21 – J. Adams   7 – Tied   3 – Tied  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (6,538)
Storrs, CT
January 12, 2019
8:00 pm, ESPN2 		at Cincinnati L 72–74 OT 10–7
(1–3) 		 18 – Gilbert   10 – Vital   6 – J. Adams  Fifth Third Arena (11,375)
Cincinnati, OH
January 16, 2019
7:00 pm, ESPNews 		at Tulsa L 83–89  10–8
(1–4) 		 27 – J. Adams   7 – Vital   4 – Smith  Reynolds Center (3,798)
Tulsa, OK
January 19, 2019
2:00 pm, CBSSN 		Tulane W 87–71  11–8
(2–4) 		 31 – J. Adams   8 – Tied   3 – Tied  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (7,437)
Storrs, CT
January 26, 2019
6:00 pm, CBSSN 		Wichita State W 80–60  12–8
(3–4) 		 21 – Vital   12 – J. Adams   6 – Gilbert  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,167)
Storrs, CT
January 31, 2019
9:00 pm, ESPNU 		at UCF L 67–73  12–9
(3–5) 		 27 – J. Adams   11 – Carlton   4 – Smith  CFE Arena (5,016)
Orlando, FL
February 3, 2019
2:00 pm, ESPNews 		East Carolina W 76–52  13–9
(4–5) 		 20 – Carlton   16 – Carlton   7 – Vital  XL Center (8,873)
Hartford, CT
February 6, 2019
6:00 pm, CBSSN 		at Temple L 63–81  13–10
(4–6) 		 18 – Tied   13 – Tied   5 – Vital  Liacouras Center (6,129)
Philadelphia, PA
February 10, 2019
2:00 pm, CBSSN 		at Memphis L 71–78  13–11
(4–7) 		 20 – Polley   11 – Cobb   6 – Vital  FedEx Forum (17,162)
Memphis, TN
February 14, 2019
7:00 pm, ESPN 		No. 9 Houston L 63–71  13–12
(4–8) 		 15 – Vital   10 – Carlton   7 – Smith  XL Center (10,095)
Hartford, CT
February 21, 2019
9:00 pm, ESPN2 		at SMU L 59–77  13–13
(4–9) 		 19 – Polley   6 – Cobb   4 – Cobb  Moody Coliseum (5,856)
Dallas, TX
February 24, 2019
2:00 pm, ESPN 		Cincinnati L 60–64  13–14
(4–10) 		 14 – Vital   7 – Vital   5 – Gilbert  XL Center (11,904)
Hartford, CT
February 28, 2019
7:00 pm, ESPN2 		at Wichita State L 63–65  13–15
(4–11) 		 18 – Gilbert   5 – Tied   5 – Smith  Charles Koch Arena (10,026)
Wichita, KS
March 3, 2019
12:00 pm, CBSSN 		South Florida W 60–58  14–15
(5–11) 		 16 – Carlton   9 – Carlton   3 – Carlton  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (9,034)
Storrs, CT
March 7, 2019
7:00 pm, CBSSN 		Temple L 71–78  14–16
(5–12) 		 26 – Vital   7 – Tied   3 – Smith  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (7,790)
Storrs, CT
March 10, 2019
2:00 pm, ESPNU 		at East Carolina W 82–73  15–16
(6–12) 		 20 – Carlton   10 – Carlton   12 – J. Adams  Williams Arena (3,845)
Greenville, NC
AAC Tournament
March 14, 2019
1:00 pm, ESPNU 		(9) vs. (8) South Florida
First round 		W 80–73  16–16
  25 – Vital   6 – Tied   5 – J. Adams  FedEx Forum (8,046)
Memphis, TN
March 15, 2019
12:00 pm, ESPN2 		(9) vs. (1) No. 11 Houston
Quarterfinals 		L 45–84  16–17
  15 – J. Adams   11 – Carlton   3 – J. Adams  FedEx Forum (7,610)
Memphis, TN
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern Time.

References

  1. ^ Amore, Dom. "NCAA Investigating UConn Men's Basketball Program; Inquiry Includes Recruitment Of At Least Three Players". courant.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  2. ^ "UConn men's basketball under NCAA investigation". ABC News. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  3. ^ "NCAA investigating UConn men's basketball program". CBSSports.com. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  4. ^ Amore, Dom. "Kevin Ollie Fired After UConn Claims 'Just Cause'; Coach Says He Will Fight". courant.com. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
  5. ^ Goodman, Jeff (March 22, 2018). "Dan Hurley leaving Rhode Island, named head coach at UConn". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  6. ^ "Dan Hurley to become next head coach at UConn". USA TODAY. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  7. ^ "Akok Akok ready for 'next step' with UConn men; Kwintin Williams hints he's departing".