2017–18 UConn Huskies men's basketball team
American college basketball season
The 2017–18 UConn Huskies men's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season . The Huskies were led by sixth-year head coach Kevin Ollie . The Huskies split their home games between the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut , and the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion on the UConn campus in Storrs, Connecticut as members of the American Athletic Conference . They finished the season 14–18, 7–11 in AAC play to finish in eighth place. They lost in the first round of the AAC tournament to SMU .
The school announced on January 26, 2018, that the NCAA was investigating recruitment of at least three basketball players for possible recruiting violations.[ 1] [ 2] [ 3] On March 10, the school fired head coach Kevin Ollie for just cause related to the NCAA investigation.[ 4] On March 22, 2018, it was announced that the school had hired Dan Hurley as head coach.[ 5] [ 6] On July 2, 2019, the wins for the 2017–18 season were vacated due to NCAA Sanctions.
Previous season
The Huskies finished the 2016–17 season 16–17, 9–9 in AAC play to finish in a tie for fifth place. They defeated South Florida [ 7] [ 8] and Houston [ 9] to advance to the semifinals of the AAC tournament where they lost to Cincinnati .[ 10]
Offseason
Departures
Incoming transfers
Name
Number
Pos.
Height
Weight
Year
Hometown
Notes
Antwoine Anderson
0
G
6'1"
190
Graduate Student
Rochester, NY
Transferred from Fordham . Under NCAA transfer rules, Anderson will be eligible to start at the beginning the 2017–18 season . Anderson has one year of remaining eligibility.
Eric Cobb
23
F
6'9"
295
Junior
Jacksonville, FL
Transferred from Chipola College . Under NCAA transfer rules, Cobb will be eligible to start at the beginning the 2017–18 season . Cobb will have two years of remaining eligibility.
David Onuorah
34
F
6'9"
230
Graduate Student
Lithonia, Ga.
Transferred from Cornell . Under NCAA transfer rules, Onuorah will be eligible to start at the beginning the 2017–18 season . Onuorah has one year of remaining eligibility.
Kwintin Williams
11
PF
6'7"
215
Sophomore
Anchorage, AK
Transferred from Arizona Western College . Under NCAA transfer rules, Williams will be eligible to start at the beginning the 2017–18 season . Williams will have three years of remaining eligibility.
Sidney Wilson
15
F
6'7"
183
Freshman
Bronx, NY
Transferred from St. John's . Under NCAA transfer rules, Wilson will be eligible to start at the beginning the 2018–19 season. Wilson will have four years of remaining eligibility.
2017 recruiting class
Preseason
At the conference's annual media day, the Huskies were picked to finish in sixth place in the AAC.[ 11] Junior guard Jalen Adams was named to the preseason All-AAC first team.[ 11]
Roster
2017–18 UConn Huskies men's basketball team
Players
Coaches
Pos.
#
Name
Height
Weight
Year
Previous school
Hometown
G
0
Antwoine Anderson
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
170 lb (77 kg)
GS
Fordham
Rochester, NY
G
1
Christian Vital
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
178 lb (81 kg)
So
St. Thomas More
Queens, NY
G
3
Alterique Gilbert
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
171 lb (78 kg)
RS Fr
Miller Grove
Lithonia, GA
G
4
Jalen Adams
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
195 lb (88 kg)
Jr
Brewster Academy
Roxbury, MA
F
5
Isaiah Whaley
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
Fr
Mt. Zion Prep
Charlotte, NC
F
11
Kwintin Williams
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
So
Arizona Western
Anchorage, AK
F
12
Tyler Polley
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
Fr
Sagemont
Fort Lauderdale, FL
F
15
Sidney Wilson (I)
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
183 lb (83 kg)
Fr
St. John's University
Bronx, NY
F
21
Mamadou Diarra
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
217 lb (98 kg)
RS Fr
Putnam Science Academy
Queens, NY
G/F
22
Terry Larrier
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
RS Jr
VCU
Bronx, NY
F
23
Eric Cobb
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
280 lb (127 kg)
Jr
Chipola
Jacksonville, FL
F
24
Christian Foxen (W)
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
Sr
South Kent
Rocky Hill, CT
C
25
Josh Carlton
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
242 lb (110 kg)
Fr
DeMatha Catholic
Hyattsville, MD
G
31
Michael Noyes (W)
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
GS
Granby Memorial
Granby, CT
F
34
David Onuorah
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
249 lb (113 kg)
GS
Cornell
Lithonia, GA
G
45
Omotayo Aiyegbusi (W)
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
206 lb (93 kg)
So
Saint Joseph's
Philadelphia, PA
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
(W) Walk-on
Roster Last update: 6/6/17
Schedule and results
Date time, TV
Rank#
Opponent#
Result
Record
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Site (attendance) city, state
Exhibition
Oct 25, 2017 *7:00 pm, Fox Sports Go
vs. Providence ARC disaster relief exhibition
L 76–90
–
22 – Adams
4 – 4 tied
2 – 3 tied
Mohegan Sun Arena (6,415)Uncasville, CT
Oct 30, 2017 *7:00 pm, HuskyVision
Merrimack
W 79–63
–
17 – Larrier
6 – Tied
5 – Tied
XL Center (3,861)Hartford, CT
Nov 5, 2017 *5:30 pm, HuskyVision
Queens (NY)
W 100–43
–
20 – Carlton
7 – Vital
6 – Polley
Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (3,277)Storrs, CT
Regular season
Nov 10, 2017 *7:00 pm, SNY
Colgate
W 70–58
1–0
27 – Larrier
8 – Cobb
6 – Anderson
Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (7,154)Storrs, CT
Nov 14, 2017 *7:00 pm, SNY
Stony Brook PK80–Phil Knight Invitational
W 72–64
2–0
19 – Adams
7 – Tied
4 – Gilbert
XL Center (5,431)Hartford, CT
Nov 19, 2017 *6:00 pm, SNY
Boston University
W 85–66
3–0
30 – Vital
7 – Larrier
6 – Gilbert
XL Center (6,308)Hartford, CT
Nov 23, 2017 *9:00 pm, ESPNU
vs. Oregon PK80–Phil Knight Invitational Victory Bracket quarterfinals
W 71–63
4–0
18 – Larrier
7 – Larrier
2 – Adams
Moda Center (13,439)Portland, OR
Nov 25, 2017 *12:00 am, ESPN
vs. No. 4 Michigan State PK80–Phil Knight Invitational Victory Bracket semifinals
L 57–77
4–1
22 – Adams
7 – Larrier
3 – Gilbert
Memorial Coliseum (8,853)Portland, OR
Nov 26, 2017 *3:00 pm, ESPN
vs. Arkansas PK80–Phil Knight Invitational Victory Bracket 3rd Place Game
L 67–102
4–2
25 – Adams
5 – Diarra
3 – Adams
Moda Center (11,571)Portland, OR
Nov 29, 2017 *7:00 pm, SNY
Columbia
W 77–73 OT
5–2
29 – Vital
14 – Larrier
7 – Adams
Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (3,808)Storrs, CT
Dec 2, 2017 *4:00 pm, SNY
Monmouth
W 84–81 OT
6–2
31 – Adams
8 – Larrier
4 – Adams
XL Center (6,582)Hartford, CT
Dec 5, 2017 *9:00 pm, ESPN
vs. Syracuse Jimmy V Classic /Rivalry
L 63–72
6–3
22 – Adams
7 – Diarra
4 – Vital
Madison Square Garden (17,532)New York, NY
Dec 9, 2017 *2:00 pm, ESPNews
Coppin State
W 72–59
7–3
15 – Adams
8 – Whaley
8 – Adams
Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (3,046)Storrs, CT
Dec 21, 2017 *9:00 pm, ESPN2
at No. 18 Arizona
L 58–73
7–4
18 – Larrier
7 – Vital
2 – Tied
McKale Center (14,392)Tucson, AZ
Dec 23, 2017 *2:30 pm, ESPN2
at Auburn
L 64–89
7–5
14 – Adams
7 – Adams
4 – Adams
Auburn Arena (8,039)Auburn, AL
Dec 30, 2017 12:00 pm, CBS
No. 8 Wichita State
L 62–72
7–6 (0–1)
18 – Tied
5 – Tied
6 – Adams
XL Center (15,564)Hartford, CT
Jan 3, 2018 7:00 pm, ESPNews
at Tulsa
L 88–90 2OT
7–7 (0–2)
29 – Adams
13 – Adams
9 – Adams
Reynolds Center (3,903)Tulsa, OK
Jan 6, 2018 12:00 pm, ESPNews
East Carolina
W 70–65
8–7 (1–2)
18 – Adams
7 – Whaley
4 – Adams
XL Center (6,717)Hartford, CT
Jan 10, 2018 7:00 pm, CBSSN
UCF
W 62–53
9–7 (2–2)
18 – Vital
7 – Vital
5 – Adams
Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (5,065)Storrs, CT
Jan 13, 2018 1:00 pm, ESPNews
at Tulane
W 67–57
10–7 (3–2)
25 – Adams
7 – Onuorah
6 – Adams
Devlin Fieldhouse (1,902)New Orleans, LA
Jan 16, 2018 9:00 pm, CBSSN
at Memphis
L 49–73
10–8 (3–3)
15 – Carlton
9 – Carlton
3 – Anderson
FedEx Forum (2,417)Memphis, TN
Jan 20, 2018 *12:00 pm, CBS
No. 1 Villanova
L 61–81
10–9
19 – Adams
9 – Carlton
5 – Adams
XL Center (15,564)Hartford, CT
Jan 25, 2018 7:00 pm, CBSSN
SMU
W 63–52
11–9 (4–3)
20 – Vital
12 – Carlton
4 – Tied
Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (7,322)Storrs, CT
Jan 28, 2018 8:00 pm, ESPN2
at Temple
L 57–85
11–10 (4–4)
15 – Vital
6 – Tied
3 – Tied
Liacouras Center (6,103)Philadelphia, PA
Jan 31, 2018 9:00 pm, CBSSN
at UCF
L 61–70
11–11 (4–5)
15 – Larrier
9 – Vital
5 – Adams
CFE Arena (5,233)Orlando, FL
Feb 3, 2018 12:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 8 Cincinnati
L 57–65
11–12 (4–6)
20 – Adams
9 – Vital
4 – Adams
Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (9,170)Storrs, CT
Feb 7, 2018 7:00 pm, ESPNU
South Florida
W 68–65
12–12 (5–6)
19 – Adams
6 – Carlton
6 – Adams
Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (6,636)Storrs, CT
Feb 10, 2018 6:00 pm, ESPN2
at No. 22 Wichita State
L 74–95
12–13 (5–7)
22 – Tied
8 – Williams
4 – Adams
Charles Koch Arena (10,506)Wichita, KS
Feb 15, 2018 7:00 pm, ESPNU
Tulsa
L 71–73
12–14 (5–8)
20 – Vital
10 – Vital
11 – Adams
XL Center (10,656)Hartford, CT
Feb 18, 2018 3:00 pm, ESPNews
at East Carolina
W 84–80
13–14 (6–8)
26 – Adams
6 – Vital
7 – Anderson
Williams Arena (4,524)Greeenville, NC
Feb 22, 2018 7:00 pm, ESPN
at No. 11 Cincinnati
L 52–77
13–15 (6–9)
15 – Vital
9 – Larrier
3 – Anderson
BB&T Arena (8,217)Highland Heights, KY
Feb 25, 2018 4:00 pm, ESPN
Memphis
L 79–83
13–16 (6–10)
25 – Adams
7 – Williams
5 – Adams
Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (8,574)Storrs, CT
Feb 28, 2018 7:00 pm, CBSSN
Temple
W 72–66
14–16 (7–10)
25 – Adams
12 – Vital
8 – Adams
Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (7,674)Storrs, CT
Mar 4, 2018 4:00 pm, CBSSN
at No. 25 Houston
L 71–81
14–17 (7–11)
22 – Adams
7 – Larrier
6 – Adams
H&PE Arena (5,237)Houston, TX
American Athletic Conference tournament
Mar 8, 2018 12:00 pm, ESPNU
(8)
vs. (9) SMU First round
L 73–80
14–18
24 – Vital
8 – Diarra
5 – Adams
Amway Center (7,856)Orlando, FL
*Non-conference game.
# Rankings from
AP Poll . (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in
Eastern Time .
Source: [ 12]
References
^ Amore, Dom. "NCAA Investigating UConn Men's Basketball Program; Inquiry Includes Recruitment Of At Least Three Players" . courant.com . Retrieved January 31, 2018 .
^ "UConn men's basketball under NCAA investigation" . ABC News . Retrieved January 31, 2018 .
^ "NCAA investigating UConn men's basketball program" . CBSSports.com . Retrieved January 31, 2018 .
^ Amore, Dom. "Kevin Ollie Fired After UConn Claims 'Just Cause'; Coach Says He Will Fight" . courant.com . Retrieved March 12, 2018 .
^ Goodman, Jeff (March 22, 2018). "Dan Hurley leaving Rhode Island, named head coach at UConn" . ESPN.com . Retrieved March 22, 2018 .
^ "Dan Hurley to become next head coach at UConn" . USA TODAY . Retrieved March 22, 2018 .
^ AMORE, DOM. "UConn Battles, Defeats South Florida, 77–66; Houston Up Next Tonight" . courant.com . Retrieved October 24, 2017 .
^ "Purvis scores 30 to lead UConn over USF in AAC Tournament" . USA TODAY . Retrieved October 24, 2017 .
^ "Connecticut vs. Houston – Game Recap – March 10, 2017 – ESPN" . ESPN.com . Retrieved October 24, 2017 .
^ Courant, Hartford. "UConn Men vs. Cincinnati AAC Tournament" . courant.com . Retrieved October 24, 2017 .
^ a b "Cincinnati Selected as 2017–18 American Men's Basketball Preseason Favorite" . Retrieved October 24, 2017 .
^ "2017–18 Connecticut Huskies Men's Basketball Schedule" . UConnHuskies.com . Archived from the original on June 25, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2017 .
Venues Rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons NCAA national championships in bold; NCAA Final Four appearances in italics