UConn has struggled to start off conference play this season. Can the Huskies avoid an 0-3 start in the AAC against the SMU Mustangs?
TV schedule: Thursday, January 10 7:00 pm ET. CBSSN
Arena: Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT
UConn Basketball 9-6 (0-2) looked fantastic to start the season under first-year head coach Dan Hurley. The Huskies started out 6-1 and defeated the 15th-ranked Syracuse Orange. The offense looked as good as it ever has and they looked primed to make a run in the American in the new year.
Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened, with UConn going 3-5 in the team’s last eight games. They’ve lost by a combined 20 points to open conference play against both South Florida and Central Florida. At 0-2, the Huskies have struggled to get their offense on track, with the lack of production from the frontcourt players being a key sticking point.
They look to get off the snide at home against SMU 10-4 (2-0), a team who despite its record, might not be a top-tier AAC team. The Mustangs opened up conference play versus the two worst teams in the league (Tulane and East Carolina), with Georgetown being their only non-conference win over a power conference team.
SMU still has potential to knock off any team in the league, led by Jahmal McMurray. The senior guard had a game-high 25 points to beat the Green Wave last time out and is leading the team in scoring with an 18.8 ppg. 6’4 guard Jimmy Whitt may be the team’s best overall player, coming off of a double-double versus Tulane while still leading the team in assists for the season.
These two teams split last season’s meetings, with UConn winning the regular season matchup before SMU getting revenge in the quarterfinal of the AAC Tournament. At this point in time, neither ball club has at-large aspirations for the NCAA Tournament unless they each make a big run starting now during the season.
While UConn has struggled as of late, they still are a step above the recent competition for SMU. With the game being in Storrs and the Huskies a bit desperate to not be last in the standings, I believe that the guards will just do enough to propel them to victory.