UConn and Syracuse are back on the same court Tuesday, and even though this one won’t count in the standings, it still feels like more than a routine exhibition.
The programs haven’t met in men’s basketball since November 2018, ending a stretch that once defined a major conference rivalry. They spent years battling as Big East foes before Syracuse moved to the ACC, and UConn’s all-time mark against the Orange sits at 39-56. That history gives this preseason meeting some real texture, even if the game itself won’t add to the series ledger.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. NBC Sports Boston and UConn+ will carry the game.
For UConn, this is the first stop in a three-game exhibition slate that continues with trips to Michigan State on Oct. 20 and Purdue on Oct. 27. Dan Hurley gets a look at a roster that brings back guards Silas Demary Jr., Solo Ball and Braylon Mullins, with the focus on how those returnees mesh with the new pieces around them.
Syracuse comes in with its own storyline, featuring sophomore guard Kiyan Anthony, the son of former Orange star Carmelo Anthony. It’s a chance to see him and the rest of the roster in a spotlight setting before the games start counting, though a preseason matchup can only reveal so much about roles and rotation plans.
That’s the balance here: the name brands and old rivalry create the draw, but the basketball itself still matters. UConn wants answers on how its backcourt fits together. Syracuse gets a test against a program that has stayed in the national-title conversation under Hurley.
And because it’s an exhibition, the outcome won’t touch either team’s record. Coaches can mix and match lineups, poke at different combinations and use the night to learn. Fans, meanwhile, get something they haven’t had in a while: UConn and Syracuse sharing a floor again.
It’s also the first checkpoint in UConn’s preseason. If the Huskies look sharp against Syracuse, they head into the Michigan State game with a little more confidence. If not, Hurley still has two more exhibition chances to sort things out before the real season begins.
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UConns New-Look Roster Faces An Early Rivalry Test
The first real look at UConns revamped mens basketball roster comes Oct. 13, when the Huskies meet Syracuse in a Hall of Fame Exhibition at Mohegan Sun Arena. It is an early measuring stick for a group that still has some continuity, thanks to returning pieces like Silas Demary Jr. and Braylon Mullins, but also a fresh cast that includes 10 newcomers and plenty of moving parts to sort out before the games start counting.
Before the regular season opener on Nov. 2 against Gardner-Webb, the Huskies will also see Michigan State and Purdue in preseason tune-ups that should help reveal where this team stands in a hurry. The exhibition slate gives UConn a chance to build chemistry and establish roles, but it also comes with the kind of early test that can expose just how far a new-look roster still has to go. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Still Has National Respect But This Schedule Will Test Everything
Even with major roster turnover, UConn still enters the new season with real national respect in the numbers. Ken Pomeroys initial 2026-27 preseason rankings have the Huskies at No. 11, projecting a profile that looks a lot like last years team, with the kind of balance that usually keeps Dan Hurleys program in the national conversation. UConn checks in at No. 29 offensively and No. 6 defensively, and it remains the clear Big East favorite on paper.
The catch, as always, is the schedule. UConns nonconference slate is loaded with opportunities that can either harden a young roster quickly or expose how much work is still ahead, with four preseason top-10 opponents waiting before league play really takes over. For a team that has earned the benefit of the doubt, this is the part of the calendar that will show whether the Huskies are built to stay in that tier or merely start there. [Read more 🡒]
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The UConn-Syracuse rivalry still carries the kind of edge that lingers long after the old Big East days faded, and it is easy to see why. The matchup helped shape an era of college basketball in the Northeast, with classic tournament battles and plenty of familiarity between fan bases that never really stopped caring. Even now, the series remains tied to memories like the six-overtime thriller in 2009, a game that still sits near the top of the list for anyone who lived through it.
Dan Hurley has brought his own hard-nosed brand to UConn, while Syracuses side of the story has taken on a new chapter under Gerry McNamara. That keeps this meeting from feeling like a relic of conference realignment, because the names on the sidelines still connect directly to what made the rivalry mean something in the first place. The history is deep, the emotions are familiar, and there is still one more layer of old-business tension waiting to be revisited. [Read more 🡒]