Indiana Hoosiers Basketball: First Look At UConn

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On Thursday, it was announced that Indiana will face UConn in the annual Jimmy V Classic Dec. 10 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

So what exactly should Hoosier fans know about the Huskies? Here's an early look.

Overall Record: 16-17

Key Wins: No. 15 Syracuse 83-76 (2k Classic)

Key Losses: No. 11 Florida State 79-71 (Never Forget Tribute Classic), Villanova 81-58, No. 9 Houston 71-63.

UConn got off to a pretty good start with a 9-4 record in non-conference play. However, it only managed to win six of its 18 American Athletic Conference (AAC) games the rest of the way. The Huskies won their AAC tournament opener over South Florida but got demolished in their rematch with Houston 84-45 to end their campaign on a sour note. Including the postseason, they went just 1-4 against top 25 teams last year.

Bouknight is a familiar name to IU fans in that he's a sharpshooting former target from the previous recruiting cycle. Gaffney is a former teammate of former IU forward Jake Forrester. Cole transferred into the program from Howard this week but will won't play against IU due to having to sit out the upcoming season in accordance with NCAA transfer rules.

Adams graduated, so UConn will lose not only a former five-star prospect but its leading scorer (16.9 points per game) and free throw shooter (82.9 percent) as well. Cobb, a former junior college transfer, was the Huskies' third-leading rebounder last winter. Smith and Yakwe arrived in Storrs, Conn., by way of transfer. Smith was second in steals and third in assists, but Yakwe and Williams didn't offer much in 10.9 and 3.3 minutes per game off the bench respectively.

UConn primarily excelled at two things on paper: pounding the offensive glass and blocking shots. Its 145 blocks were 57th-most nationally, while its 380 offensive rebounds were 66th.

The Huskies averaged 73.8 points per game while limiting opponents to 71.3.

Meanwhile, they shot 42.8 percent from the floor in AAC play - sixth-highest in the league - but owned the third-worst field goal defense in allowing conference foes to shoot 44.3 percent from the floor.

Guard Christian Vital was UConn's second-leading scorer as a junior at 14.2 points per game, and he shot 45.3 percent from the floor and team-high 40.9 percent from 3-point range (minimum 100 attempts). He figures to take on the role of go-to player when the Huskies need a bucket.

Forward Josh Carlton was UConn's leading rebounder as a sophomore with 204 total.

Point guard Alterique Gilbert, a former four-star and national top 40 prospect in 2016, led the Huskies in assists with 91 as a sophomore.

Small forward Sidney Wilson, a former four-star and national top 80 prospect, didn't have a huge role as a redshirt freshman but is another talented player in the fold. Wilson originally signed with St. John's after reclassifying from 2018 to 2017, then had a change of heart and transferred to UConn in early September 2017. He had to sit out the 2017-18 season in accordance with NCAA transfer rules, thus explaining the delay in his UConn debut.

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