UConn vs Indiana: 2023-24 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

An early contender for the game of the year might not be that long of a wait when the Indiana Hoosiers and defending National Champion Connecticut Huskies take the Madison Square Garden floor on Sunday.

TV schedule: Sunday, November 19, 1:00 PM ET. ESPN

Arena: Madison Square Garden in New York, New York

One of the biggest non-conference tournaments in college basketball is the Saatva Empire Classic, located at the World’s Most Famous Arena in the heart of New York City. This year, the tournament will feature four powerhouses: the Texas Longhorns, Louisville Cardinals, Indiana Hoosiers, and the fifth-ranked Connecticut Huskies.

This will mark the 11th meeting between UConn and Indiana. The last time both programs faced off was in the Jimmy V Classic in 2019. Connecticut has the 6-4 edge in the series’ history, which dates back to 1938. Both teams have played in the Empire Class before when the Huskies took down the Hoosiers in the championship game in 2013, when the tournament was called the 2K Classic.

The Hoosiers were picked to finish sixth in the Big Ten preseason media poll behind Purdue, Michigan State, Illinois, Maryland, and Wisconsin. The B10 Preseason Freshman of the Year also comes from Indiana in power forward Mackenzie Mgbako, ranked tenth-best overall player in his class. He significantly boosts Mike Woodson‘s squad and will be a significant asset to the program after recently losing Trayce Jackson-Davis, Race Thomspon, and Jalen Hood-Schifino to graduation and opportunities to play professionally. Mgabko has the potential to become a 2024 first-round NBA draft pick.

The player to watch for the Hoosiers will be Oregon transfer Kel’El Ware. The seven-foot center has emerged as Indiana’s best player this season and arguably one of the best transfers in the conference. Through three games this season, the sophomore big man is averaging 18.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and shooting 74.1 percent. Last time out against Wright State, he posted 22 points, 12 rebounds, and shot 81.8 percent from the field. He has been a significant reason for the Hoosiers’ success early this season.

Indiana will also rely on sophomore forward Malik Reneau, who has already been impressive this season, averaging 15.0 points and shooting 58.1 percent, and senior guard Xavier Johnson, who returns after suffering a season-ending foot injury after 11 games last year. It will be interesting to see who steps on Sunday against Connecticut, but look out for the Reneau and Ware duo to keep it close and keep UConn’s Dan Hurley on his toes.

The Connecticut Huskies were projected to finish second this season in the Big East behind the Marquette Golden Eagles led by head coach Shaka Smart. Despite winning the regular season and being crowned Big East tournament champion last season, Marquette came up short in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. On the other hand, the Huskies went on to win their fifth national championship and will look to repeat the success again this season, but will have to do it without Adama Sanogo, Jordan Hawkins, and Andre Jackson Jr.

Coach Hurley and his staff will rely on Alex Karaban, Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer, Donovan Clingan, and freshman phenom Stephon Castle this year. Karaban leads the way as the Huskies’ top scorer. The sophomore is averaging 17 points, 6.3 rebounds, and shooting 65.4 percent. Newton is another returner on Connecticut’s roster who significantly impacted last year’s team. Both Spencer and Clingan are averaging 15.0 points per game for the Huskies, but the player to watch has been Castle. The 6-foot-6 guard has quickly made his presence known in Storrs, averaging 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and shooting 66.7 percent, but will now miss a significant amount of time with a knee injury.

That said, I expect the duo of Karaban and Clingan to step up in the frontcourt for the Huskies. Last year, Clingan showed promise of a bright future with UConn; however, he played limited minutes and was a key bench piece for UConn, sharing time with Sanogo. We can expect the Connecticut native to carry a big load and be a major part of the Huskies’ success this year as a starter.

I expect this to be a highly competitive game on both sides of the floor, but Indiana will need help to match UConn’s performance. I wouldn’t be surprised if both teams come out of the gate with a lot of energy; however, with the home-court advantage of the MSG crowd, Connecticut will have the last laugh and advance to the Saatva Empire Classic championship game.

Prediction: No. 5 UConn 80, Indiana 64