UConn men’s basketball to face Oregon in first round of Phil Knight Invitational

UConn men’s basketball will open the Phil Knight Invitational against the Oregon Ducks on Thursday, Nov. 24, the team announced Monday. The Thanksgiving matchup is set for 8 p.m. ET at the Moda Center on ESPN2.

The Huskies second game will take place at Veterans Memorial Coliseum against Alabama or Michigan State. If they win, they’ll play on Friday, Nov. 25 at 10 p.m. ET and if they lose, they’ll play on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 12:30 a.m. ET. The final games will be held on Sunday, Nov. 27.

If the matchups sound familiar, it’s because they are. During the PK80 tournament in 2017, UConn opened with a 71-63 victory over Oregon before falling to Michigan State and Arkansas in its final two games out west.

The Huskies are 1-1 all-time against the Ducks. The first meeting came at the 2016 Maui Invitational, a 79-69 victory for Oregon.

The 2022 Phil Knight Legacy and the 2022 Phil Knight Invitational will take place in Portland to honor Nike founder Phil Knight. In 2017, PK80 was held in the Rose City to celebrate Knight’s 80th birthday — an event both UConn basketball teams also participated in. Geno Auriemma’s squad will open the Phil Knight Legacy against Duke at 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 25.