UConn men’s basketball earns 7 seed in 2021 NCAA Tournament, will take on Maryland in First Round

For the first time since 2016, UConn men’s basketball is in the NCAA Tournament. After posting a 15-7 regular-season record and going 11-6 in the Big East, the Huskies were one of 37 teams that received an at-large bid, earning the No. 7 seed in the East region.

UConn will take on No. 10 Maryland in the First Round on Saturday, Mar. 20, with tip-off set for 7:10 p.m. and coverage provided by CBS. Ian Eagle, Jim Spanarkle, and Jamie Erdahl will be on the call. Should the Huskies win, they will play the winner of No. 2 Alabama and No. 15 Iona on Monday, Mar. 22.

This year’s NCAA Tournament will be held entirely in Indianapolis to help mitigate a potential COVID-19 outbreak.

Maryland posted a 16-13 overall record this season and went 9-11 in a loaded Big Ten conference that saw nine teams make this year’s tournament. The Terrapins posted impressive wins over Illinois and Purdue this season and lost to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals. The Huskies are ranked No. 16 in KenPom while Maryland is ranked No. 31.

UConn and Maryland have met seven times in the past, with the Terps beating the Huskies 76-66 in their most recent matchup in 2015. UConn beat Maryland at the beginning of their 2013-14 championship season with a 78-77 win at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Terps also beat UConn twice during the 2001-02 season, taking down the Huskies in the East region finals en route to their only national championship in 2002. UConn is 4-3 all-time against Maryland and 1-1 against the Terps in postseason play.