UConn to Open Next Season at Barclays Center vs. Maryland

As first reported by the Washington Post, UConn will be opening up its 2013-14 season at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn against Maryland.

It's an excellent idea for the Huskies on two fronts: with its conference tourney no longer at Madison Square Garden, UConn will now play (at least) three games in NYC next year -- against the Terps on Nov. 8 in Brooklyn and a pair of 2013 2K Classic games at MSG on Nov. 21 and 23.

Also, playing a high-quality team from a major conference is exactly what UConn needs to do more of in the coming seasons, or at least until it gets into a better league. As of now, the Huskies will be playing Maryland, Washington and possibly Boston College (2K Classic) in non-conference bouts. Of course, with Louisville sticking around for one more season in the yet-to-be-named conference, the Huskies' conference schedule will be pretty strong for another year, with Louisville, Temple, Memphis and Cincinnati on the slate.