University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
USC
UConn MBB Meets Southern Cal In 'Bubbleville'
12/3/2020 8:59:00 AM | Men's Basketball
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – The UConn men's basketball team begins its two-game series in "Bubbleville" Thursday night, challenging Southern California as part of the Roman Legends Classic on the neutral Mohegan Sun Arena court at 7 p.m. (ESPN). It is the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
UConn, 2-0 after season-opening wins against Central Connecticut and Hartford last week at Gampel Pavilion, will be playing opponents from two Power 5 conferences in a span of less than 48 hours at Mohegan Sun -- Southern Cal from the Pac-12 and North Carolina State from the ACC (Saturday, noon).
The Huskies have been led by sophomore guard James Bouknight, averaging 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and shooting .519 overall. Junior guard R.J. Cole (13.5 ppg), senior forward Isaiah Whaley (11.0) and sophomore guard Jalen Gaffney (10.5) are also averaging in double figures. Junior Tyrese Martin is the team's leading rebounder (10.0), while Cole tops the Huskies in assists (3.5).
As a team, UConn is averaging 85.5 ppg and shooting a hot .504.
Southern Cal has opened the season with three consecutive victories, including an impressive 79-53 triumph over BYU in a Legends Classic game Tuesday at Mohegan Sun.
The Trojans are led by 7-foot freshman Evan Mobley, averaging 16.3 ppg and 9.0 rebounds. His brother Isaiah, a 6-10 sophomore, is averaging a double-double, 10.3 points and 11.3 rebounds. Guards Evan Peterson (14.7) and Tahj Eaddy (12.7) also average double figures.
USC is outscoring its opponents by 16.0 points per game and outrebounding them by 16.3 rebounds per game.
"This game provides an incredible challenge for us," UConn Coach Dan Hurley said. "We will learn a lot about our team."
