UConn Schedule over next 3 weeks. Key part of the season.

[upstater]

WEEK 1
Tue, Jan 5 Temple
8:00 PM ET CBS Sports Network

Sat, Jan 9 Memphis
7:00 PM ET ESPN2
------------------------
WEEK 2
Thu, Jan 14 @ Tulsa
7:00 PM ET ESPN

Sun, Jan 17 @ Houston
2:00 PM ET CBS Sports Network
------------------------
WEEK 3
Tue, Jan 19 vs Tulane
7:00 PM ET CBS Sports Network

Sat, Jan 23 Georgetown
12:00 PM ET CBS
------------------------
WEEK 4
Thu, Jan 28 Cincinnati
7:00 PM ET ESPN



Temple and Memphis at home in the first week will provide solid competition. UConn can't rely on a Tulane-like performance to beat either of these teams. It needs these two wins badly because they are at home. On the road at Tulsa and at Houston sounds like a tough 2 game road swing. It should surprise no one if they lose one of these 2 games. On the other hand, if they manage to win these 2 games, they will likely be ranked somewhere between 13-19 for a big CBS noon game against an underwhelming, but still good, Georgetown team. If Brimah isn't around for that, it may get ugly, since Georgetown has a bunch of big men.

This whole tough stretch ends with a Thursday night home game on ESPN against Cincy during the Super Bowl bye week.

After this stretch of 7 games, the schedule lightens up a bit as UConn takes on AAC scrubs intermixed with tougher games against SMU and Cincy.

I think these next 3 1/2 weeks are a key time for the team.

 

[JimHurley]

Memphis, Houston, Georgetown, and Cincinnati will all be good games. I'll be happy with 3 wins out of those.

 

[ASweet3781]

Yup. This upcoming stretch is the season. They better be locked in and consistent. Without Amida there are loseable games all over the place in that stretch and we don't have much margin to be losing games.

If this team is the team people say they are going to be you need to beat Temple, Memphis, Georgetown, and Cincinnati at home. And hopefully get the split on the road vs Tulsa and Houston. If we lose one of the home games we need to take both road games.

 

[imno1]

Gulp

 

[BFieldHusky]

At Tulsa and at Houston will be tough games, and have been the type of games this team has lost the first two years in this conference. I agree we need to take care of the upcoming home games: Temple, Memphis, Tulane, Georgetown and Cincy. I don't know what to make of Temple...they look great against Cincy, and then blown out at home by Houston. Memphis will give us trouble with their size, but I think our guard play will dominant them. Should beat Tulane and then GTown/Cincy will be tough. If we can go 6-1 in these next 7 games, we are in good shape.

 

[Palatine]

We need to 6-1 or 7-0 in these games.

 

[Leebo]

It's likely we'll be favored by more in the Temple and Memphis games than we were in the Tulane game. Obviously either of those could end up being tougher, but those teams are having down years and we're at home for them. I'm more concerned about Tulsa and Houston.

 

[Tenspro2002]

If we want a protected seed, we'll need to be no worse than 6-1. Should be doable, maybe a loss @ Tulsa, but really can't afford any others especially with 5 of them at home.

 

[BFieldHusky]

If we want a protected seed, we'll need to be no worse than 6-1. Should be doable, maybe a loss @ Tulsa, but really can't afford any others especially with 5 of them at home.

Protected seed meaning a 4 seed or better?

 

[Tenspro2002]

Protected seed meaning a 4 seed or better?

5 seed or better.

The way it breaks down (as I understand) is:

3 seed or better: can get favorable geographic treatment in the first round
4 or 5 seed: can't get favorable geographic treatment, but can't get screwed either
6 seed or worse: can get screwed

 

[BoatShow]

5 seed or better.

The way it breaks down (as I understand) is:

3 seed or better: can get favorable geographic treatment in the first round
4 or 5 seed: can't get favorable geographic treatment, but can't get screwed either
6 seed or worse: can get screwed

As a 7 seed our first 4 games were in the state of New York in 2014. They probably weren't really expecting us to beat even St Joes

 

[Tenspro2002]

As a 7 seed our first 4 games were in the state of New York in 2014. They probably weren't really expecting us to beat even St Joes

Yes, the first weekend was fairly neutral (in Buffalo, vs. two Philly schools) -- there really wasn't a venue where they could have advantaged Villanova and screwed us over. Obviously nobody was expecting us to get to the Garden where we had a massive home-court advantage.

Makes up for 2011, where we got to the Final Four despite back-to-back effective road games against SDSU and Arizona in Anaheim.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Memphis, Houston, Georgetown, and Cincinnati will all be good games. I'll be happy with 3 wins out of those.

no reason why we shouldnt win them all

 

[UConnSwag11]

Yes, the first weekend was fairly neutral (in Buffalo, vs. two Philly schools) -- there really wasn't a venue where they could have advantaged Villanova and screwed us over. Obviously nobody was expecting us to get to the Garden where we had a massive home-court advantage.

Makes up for 2011, where we got to the Final Four despite back-to-back effective road games against SDSU and Arizona in Anaheim.

2009 in michigan

 

[JimHurley]

no reason why we shouldnt win them all

We definitely can. Cincinnati scares me the most. They are ridiculously good on defense.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

If they're an upper echelon team (and for me the jury is definitely still out - right now they remind me more of last year's team than any of our great teams), they should look at this slate and think 7-0.

 

[UConnSwag11]

If they're an upper echelon team (and for me the jury is definitely still out - right now they remind me more of last year's team than any of our great teams), they should look at this slate and think 7-0.

yeah they dont compare to the great teams but theres no reason why they can't win them all during this stretch

 

[Matt1010]

It's likely we'll be favored by more in the Temple and Memphis games than we were in the Tulane game. Obviously either of those could end up being tougher, but those teams are having down years and we're at home for them. I'm more concerned about Tulsa and Houston.

We are early 11 point favorites tomorrow night against Temple (-11.5 @Tulane) and will likely be about -8 against Memphis. These are both games that we definitely have to win if we want a solid seed come tournament time.

 

[Leebo]

We are early 11 point favorites tomorrow night against Temple (-11.5 @Tulane) and will likely be about -8 against Memphis. These are both games that we definitely have to win if we want a solid seed come tournament time.

I saw -9 for Tulane, but I guess it went up. Either way, we can't lose those.

 

[Hankster]

Not thinking ahead because Temple is tonight. Memphis will be a tough one even at home. Two words. Shaq Goodwin. Watched him against South Carolina. A monster. Actually he was pulling a OBJ impersonation. He will be tough inside. Looks real strong and has no fear. Hopefully I eat my words and insert foot in mouth. I will be happy to do it. He maybe over zealous and build up a few early fouls. I am a Miller fan and wish him the best. Lets see what happens on this one.

 

[Rico444]

Memphis was supposed to be down last year, yet we lost to them twice. Let's not take anything for granted in this conference.

 

[upstater]

Not thinking ahead because Temple is tonight. Memphis will be a tough one even at home. Two words. Shaq Goodwin. Watched him against South Carolina. A monster. Actually he was pulling a OBJ impersonation. He will be tough inside. Looks real strong and has no fear. Hopefully I eat my words and insert foot in mouth. I will be happy to do it. He maybe over zealous and build up a few early fouls. I am a Miller fan and wish him the best. Lets see what happens on this one.

Unless he has developed his game significantly, he can be handled since he has the same go-to move to his left. Hedge a little that way and he gets discombobulated. That being said, UConn's defensive savvy is not there, and we don't have Brimah.

 

[Drew]

I know we won't lose the Tulane game at home but it does seem like that one could be another struggle/slop fest. Tuesday game after flying home from Houston Sunday night with Georgetown the following weekend.

 

[lange10]

I know we won't lose the Tulane game at home but it does seem like that one could be another struggle/slop fest. Tuesday game after flying home from Houston Sunday night with Georgetown the following weekend.

Getting way ahead of myself but if we win the 4 games prior to that, that'll be 9 in a row and we would steam roll Tulane. 4-0 these next 2 weeks and then I really start to consider us a possible 4-5 seed.

 

[James]

going 7-0 in the thick of the schedule here would indicate this team has gobs of upside come march. that would be the longest win streak we've had in some time (12). On any level of basketball once you start winning games at that clip your team just gells at a new level.

having said that i see them dropping atleast 1-2 of these, cincy and houston.