2020–21 UConn Huskies men's basketball team

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2020–21 UConn Huskies men's basketball
NCAA tournament, first round
ConferenceBig East
Record15–8 (11–6 Big East)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaHarry A. Gampel Pavilion
Seasons
2020–21 Big East men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 18 Villanova 11 4   .733 18 7   .720
No. 19 Creighton 14 6   .700 22 9   .710
UConn 11 6   .647 15 8   .652
St. John's 10 9   .526 16 11   .593
Seton Hall 10 9   .526 14 13   .519
Providence 9 10   .474 13 13   .500
Xavier 6 7   .462 13 8   .619
Georgetown 7 9   .438 13 13   .500
Marquette 8 11   .421 13 14   .481
Butler 8 12   .400 10 15   .400
DePaul 2 13   .133 5 14   .263
2021 Big East tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

The 2020–21 UConn Huskies men's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Huskies are led by third-year head coach Dan Hurley in their first season of the Big East Conference. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Huskies played all of their home games this year at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion on the UConn campus in Storrs, Connecticut.[1][2][3]

The Huskies returned to the new Big East for the 2020–21 season following seven years in the American Athletic Conference.[4]

They finished the season 15-8, 11-6, in Big East Play to finish in 3rd place. They defeated DePaul in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament before losing in the semifinals to Creighton. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they lost in the First Round to Maryland.

Previous season[edit]

They finished the season 19–12, 10–8 in AAC play to finish in a tie for fifth place. Their season ended when the AAC Tournament and all other postseason tournaments were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]

Offseason[edit]

Departures[edit]

Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes
Christian Vital 1 G 6'2" 187lbs Senior Queens, NY Graduated
Alterique Gilbert 3 G 6'0" 180lbs RS Junior Atlanta, GA Transferred to Wichita State
Sidney Wilson 15 G/F 6'7" 180lbs RS Sophomore Bronx, NY Transferred to SIU Edwardsville
Omotayo Aiyegbusi 45 G 6'4" 200lbs Senior Conshohocken, PA Graduated

Incoming transfers[edit]

Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes
Tyrese Martin 4 G 6'6" 215 Junior Allentown, PA Transfer from Rhode Island. Under NCAA transfer rules, Cole received a waiver and will be eligible for the 2020–21 season. He will have two years of remaining eligibility.

2020 recruiting class[edit]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Andre Jackson Jr.
G
Amsterdam, NY Albany Academy 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Oct 2, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 88
Adama Sanogo
F
Bamako, Mali The Patrick School 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 240 lb (110 kg) May 5, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 85
Javonte Brown-Ferguson
C
Toronto, ON Thornlea Secondary School 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 250 lb (110 kg) Nov 13, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 80
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 14  247Sports: 23  ESPN: 17
  • 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:

  • "2020 UConn Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  • "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 23, 2020.

Roster[edit]

2020–21 UConn Huskies men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
G 0 Jalen Gaffney 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) So Westtown School Columbus, NJ
G 1 R. J. Cole 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) RS Jr Howard Union, NJ
G 2 James Bouknight 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) So The MacDuffie School Brooklyn, NY
G 4 Tyrese Martin 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Jr Rhode Island Allentown, PA
F 5 Isaiah Whaley 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Sr Mt. Zion Prep Gastonia, NC
G 10 Brendan Adams 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Jr Calvert Hall College Baltimore, MD
F 11 Akok Akok 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) RS So Putnam Science Academy Manchester, NH
F 12 Tyler Polley 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Sr Sagemont Miramar, FL
F 13 Richie Springs 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) RS Fr The MacDuffie School Brooklyn, NY
G 20 Andrew Hurley (W) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Fr East Catholic Glastonbury, CT
F 21 Adama Sanogo 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Fr The Patrick School Bamako, Mali
F/C 25 Josh Carlton 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Sr DeMatha Catholic Winterville, NC
C 31 Javonte Brown (I) 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 250 lb (113 kg) Fr Thornlea Secondary School Toronto, ON
G 41 Matt Garry Injured (W) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Jr St. Paul Catholic Southington, CT
G 44 Andre Jackson Jr. 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Fr Albany Academy Amsterdam, NY
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: November 23, 2020

Javonte Brown was only on the roster for the fall semester and announced plans to transfer on January 8, 2021.[6]

Schedule and results[edit]

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Non-conference regular season
November 25, 2020*
8:00 pm, FS1
Central Connecticut W 102–75  1–0
 20  Bouknight   8  Bouknight   6  Tied  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (125)
Storrs, CT
November 27, 2020*
8:00 pm, CBSSN
Hartford W 69–57  2–0
 18  Bouknight   10  Tied   4  Whaley  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion 
Storrs, CT
December 1, 2020*
5:00 pm, ESPN2
vs. Vanderbilt
Legends Classic
Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic Mohegan Sun Arena 
Uncasville, CT
December 3, 2020*
7:00 pm, ESPN
vs. USC
Legends Classic
W 61–58  3–0
 18  Bouknight   11  Carlton   4  Cole  Mohegan Sun Arena (0)
Uncasville, CT
December 5, 2020*
12:00 pm, ESPNU
vs. NC State
Bubbleville
Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic Mohegan Sun Arena 
Uncasville, CT
Big East Conference regular season
December 20, 2020
12:00 pm, FS1
No. 9 Creighton L 74–76 OT 3–1
(0–1)
 40  Bouknight   10  Martin   3  Gaffney  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion 
Storrs, CT
December 30, 2020
9:00 pm, CBSSN
DePaul W 82–61  4–1
(1–1)
 22  Martin   10  Tied   6  Cole  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion 
Storrs, CT
January 5, 2021
9:00 pm, FS1
at Marquette W 65–54  5–1
(2–1)
 23  Polley   13  Whaley   5  Cole  Fiserv Forum 
Milwaukee, WI
January 9, 2021
4:00 pm, CBSSN
at Butler W 72–60  6–1
(3–1)
 19  Polley   7  Tied   3  3 tied  Hinkle Fieldhouse (1,879)
Indianapolis, IN
January 11, 2021
6:00 pm, FS1
No. 25 at DePaul W 60–53  7–1
(4–1)
 18  Martin   5  Tied   4  Cole  Wintrust Arena 
Chicago, IL
January 18, 2021
2:30 pm, FOX
No. 23 St. John's L 70–74  7–2
(4–2)
 18  Cole   8  Whaley   5  Cole  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion 
Storrs, CT
January 20, 2021
8:30 pm, CBSSN
No. 23 Xavier Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic Harry A. Gampel Pavilion 
Storrs, CT
January 23, 2021
12:00 pm, FOX
No. 23 at No. 11 Creighton L 66–74  7–3
(4–3)
 14  Cole   9  Tied   5  Cole  CHI Health Center Omaha (1,839)
Omaha, NE
January 26, 2021
8:30 pm, FS1
Butler W 63–51  8–3
(5–3)
 20  Martin   6  3 tied   5  Cole  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion 
Storrs, CT
January 28, 2021
9:00 pm, FS1
No. 3 Villanova Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic Harry A. Gampel Pavilion 
Storrs, CT
January 31, 2021
3:30 pm, FOX
at St. John's Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic Carnesecca Arena 
Queens, NY
February 6, 2021
12:00 pm, FOX
Seton Hall L 73–80  8–4
(5–4)
 20  Gaffney   6  Martin   2  3 tied  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion 
Storrs, CT
February 10, 2021
4:00 pm, FS1
at Providence L 59–70  8–5
(5–5)
 14  Cole   9  Martin   6  Cole  Alumni Hall 
Providence, RI
February 13, 2021
12:00 pm, FOX
at Xavier W 80–72  9–5
(6–5)
 24  Cole   10  Whaley   7  Cole  Cintas Center (922)
Cincinnati, OH
February 16, 2021
6:30 pm, FS1
Providence W 73–61  10–5
(7–5)
 18  Tied   7  Tied   5  Cole  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion 
Storrs, CT
February 20, 2021
1:00 pm, FOX
at No. 10 Villanova L 60–68  10–6
(7–6)
 21  Bouknight   11  Martin   2  Tied  Finneran Pavilion 
Villanova, PA
February 23, 2021
9:00 pm, FS1
at Georgetown
Rivalry
W 70–57  11–6
(8–6)
 20  Bouknight   10  Bouknight   7  Cole  McDonough Gymnasium 
Washington, D.C.
February 27, 2021
2:30 pm, FOX
Marquette W 80–62  12–6
(9–6)
 24  Bouknight   8  Tied   4  Gaffney  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion 
Storrs, CT
March 3, 2021
6:30 pm, FS1
at Seton Hall W 69–58  13–6
(10–6)
 17  Whaley   10  Whaley   2  Tied  Prudential Center (1,756)
Newark, NJ
March 6, 2021
12:00 pm, CBS
Georgetown
Rivalry
W 98–82  14–6
(11–6)
 21  Bouknight   10  Sanogo   8  Cole  Harry A. Gampel Pavilion 
Storrs, CT
Big East tournament
March 11, 2021
9:00 pm, FS1
(3) vs. (11) DePaul
Quarterfinals
W 94–60  15–6
 14  3 tied   10  Martin   8  Cole  Madison Square Garden (824)
New York, NY
March 12, 2021
9:00 pm, FS1
(3) vs. (2) No. 17 Creighton
Semifinals
L 56–59  15–7
 14  Bouknight   8  Bouknight   3  Cole  Madison Square Garden (824)
New York, NY
NCAA tournament
March 20, 2021
7:10 pm, CBS
(7 E) vs. (10 E) Maryland
First Round
L 54–63  15–8
 15  Bouknight   11  Martin   4  Whaley  Mackey Arena 
West Lafayette, IN
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern Time.

Rankings[edit]

Poll Pre Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7 Wk 8 Wk 9 Wk 10 Wk 11 Wk 12 Wk 13 Wk 14 Wk 15 Wk 16 Wk 17 Final
AP[7] RV RV RV RV NR NR RV 25 23 RV RV NR NR NR RV RV RV Not Released
Coaches[7] RV - RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV NR NR NR RV RV RV RV RV

Awards and honors[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "2019 20 MEN'S BKB MEDIA GUIDE (PDF) - University of Connecticut Athletics" (PDF). Uconnhuskies.com. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  2. ^ "UConn Huskies Basketball - Huskies News, Scores, Stats, Rumors & More".
  3. ^ "Connecticut Huskies Basketball News, Schedule, Scores, Stats, Roster". FOX Sports. February 12, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  4. ^ Brechlin, Dan. "UConn is moving to the Big East, so what happens next?". courant.com. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  5. ^ Munz, Jason. "AAC Tournament canceled due to coronavirus concerns". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  6. ^ "UConn's Javonte Brown cites departure of assistant coach Kenya Hunter as reason he's transferring". January 8, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "2020–21 NCAA Men's Basketball Rankings". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved March 7, 2021.