University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Central Connecticut
UCONN MBB OPENS 2021-22 SEASON VS. CENTRAL CONNECTICUT
11/8/2021 11:05:00โฏAM | Men's Basketball
UConn Athletic Communications / Nov. 8, 2021
STORRS, Conn. โ The No. 24 UConn men's basketball team will welcome an arena full of fans back to Gampel Pavilion for the first time in 20 months when it kicks off the 2021-22 season on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., playing host to intrastate rival Central Connecticut.
The Huskies had a sellout crowd at Gampel on March 5, 2020, against Houston, but the coronavirus limited the entire 2020-21 home schedule to just family members. The 2021-22 season promises to be a lot closer to normal.
UConn enters the 2021-22 season with a preseason ranking for the first time since the 2016 preseason. The Huskies did crack the Top 25 for two weeks last season โ as No. 25 on Jan. 11 and No. 23 on Jan. 18. UConn is coming off a 15-8 season, which ended with its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016. In their first season back in the BIG EAST Conference, the Huskies posted an 11-6 conference record, good enough for a third-place finish.
With nine returning scholarship players and four talented newcomers, expectations are on the rise for the Huskies, despite the loss to the NBA of leading scorer James Bouknight.
Four starters return, led by grad student point guard R.J. Cole, last season's assist leader (4.3), three-point field goal percentage leader (.386), and second-leading scorer (12.2).
Also back from last year's starting lineup are senior guard Tyrese Martin, last year's leading rebounder (7.5), grad student Isaiah Whaley, last year's BIG EAST co-Defensive Player of the Year, and sophomore forward Adama Sanogo, a BIG EAST All-Freshman Team selection.
Grad student Tyler Polley, last year's BIG EAST Sixth Man of the Year, juniors Akok Akok, and Jalen Gaffney, and sophomores Andre Jackson and Richie Springs are the veterans fighting for playing time, along with true freshmen Jordan Hawkins, Samson Johnson, Rahsool Diggins and Corey Floyd Jr.
Central is under the direction of new coach Patrick Sellers, a former UConn assistant coach. The Blue Devils will be trying to bounce back from a 5-16 season last year with a young squad consisting of eight freshmen. Junior guard Nigel Scantlebury is the top returning scorer (8.2).ย UConn and Central have met 15 times previously, with UConn winning them all.
The game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff and will be part of a special FS1 "whip around" telecast that will start with the UConn-Central game, then move to other BIG EAST teams in action on opening night. TV coverage will return to game action based on competitiveness. The entire UConn-Central game can be viewed on the FOX Sports App.
