University of Connecticut
Syracuse
10/12/2026 2:24:00โฏPM | Men's Basketball
UNCASVILLE, Conn. โย The UConn men's basketball team kicks off the 2026-27 preseason on Tuesday, Oct. 13 with a rivalry renewed at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Huskies will face former conference foe Syracuse for a 7 p.m. tip in the Hall of Fame Exhibition. The match-up will air on NBC Sports Boston and UConn+ (out of market) with Brendan Glasheen, Tim Welsh and Kayla Burton on the call.ย
UConn begins its 2026-27 journey following a 2025-26 season that saw it fall short on the final day, finishing 34-6 and as national runner-up at the Final Four after winning the NCAA East Regional. The Huskies under ninth-year head coachย Dan Hurleyย are amidst a run of unprecedented success both at UConn and nationally. For the first time in program history, Connecticut has reached six-straight NCAA Tournaments and has reached the Final Four three times in four years. Only four other programs (Duke 1989-94, Kentucky 1996-98 and 2011-15, UCLA 2006-08 and Michigan State 1999-01) have accomplished three trips in four seasons during the modern NCAA Tournament era (1979-pres.).ย
While the preseason bout will not count towards the all-time series, Connecticut is 39-56 all-time against Syracuse. The two BIG EAST charter members began to meet regularly in the mid-1950s and played continuously until the Orange left the conference in 2013. They have met four times since, going 2-2 at four neutral sites (three at MSG, one in the Bahamas). The last meeting came on Nov. 15, 2018 in the 2K Classic at The Garden. In Hurley's third regular season game at UConn, the Huskies pulled off a top-15 upset with an 83-76 triumph over No. 15 Cuse.ย
UConn returns one of the most potent backcourts in the country, headlined by BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Yearย Silas Demary Jr.ย and Preseason First Team All-Conference pickย Braylon Mullins.ย Also back is wingย Jayden Ross,ย who was UConn's most-used reserve a season ago, and his brotherย Jacob Rossย who redshirted as a freshman.ย Solo Ballย rounds out the five UConn returners after a Second Team All-Conference campaign in '25-26 but is out indefinitely following offseason wrist surgery.ย
The Huskies welcome 10 newcomers to the roster this season, with three freshmen and seven incoming transfers. Headlining the rookies is BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Yearย Colben Landrew,ย who is joined by fellow impact freshmenย Egor Amosovย andย Junior County.ย A quartet of sophomore transfers inย Elmir Dzaficย (Arkansas),ย Oskar Giltayย (Stanford),ย Na'jai Hinesย (Seton Hall) andย Nik Khameniaย (Duke) will bolster the frontcourt after the departures of first round picks Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr. Seniorย Nils Machowskiย (Wofford), juniorย Jaye Nashย (Jacksonville State) and grad studentย Isaiah Shawย (Northern Arizona) round out the incoming transfers to add firepower and experience to the backcourt.ย
The Hall of Fame exhibition is the first of three preseason games for the Huskies, also set to face Michigan State in Lansing and Purdue in Hartford. The regular season commences on Nov. 2 against Gardner-Webb at PeoplesBank Arena.ย
