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On Tuesday, Jon Rothstein reported that the UConn men's basketball team will be one of four teams in this year’s Jimmy V Classic, joining Texas Tech, Louisville and Indiana at Madison Square Garden.
Sources: UConn, Louisville, Indiana, and Texas Tech will be the four teams at the 2019 Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in December. Matchups are TBD. #iubb
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 7, 2019
This marks UConn’s first appearance in the Jimmy V Classic since 2017, when the Huskies took on Syracuse. It also guarantees another season with a game at MSG, marking five-straight seasons. Since the Catholic 7 left to form the new Big East, UConn has played a game in MSG every year except for the 2014-15 season.
While the pairings have not been announced yet, any of the opponents would be a great opportunity for the Huskies. Texas Tech is coming off a national championship game appearance under Chris Beard and has quickly become one of the fastest-rising programs in the country. A matchup with Louisville would lead to a showdown with Steven Enoch, who left the Huskies after the 2016-17 season. UConn and Indiana haven't faced off against one another since 2013.
With this matchup in addition to an already-tough nonconference slate that includes the Charleston Classic and games against Villanova and Florida. While it's a difficult road, it provides plenty of opportunities for Dan Hurley to get the Huskies to the NCAA tournament in his second year as head coach.