Breaking down UConn's 2017-18 schedule

Breaking down UConn's 2017-18 schedule. It's a good one:

Monday, Oct. 30               vs. Merrimack  (XL Center, 7 p.m.)                           

An exhibition game

Sunday, Nov. 5                  vs. Queens College (Gampel Pavilion, 5:30 p.m.)                                

Exhibition will be first game under new roof at Gampel                                          

Friday, Nov. 10                  vs. Colgate (GP, 7 p.m., SNY)                                      

UConn has won seven straight vs. Patriot League foes, dating back to 1974

Tuesday, Nov. 14             vs. Stony Brook (XL, 7 p.m., SNY)                              

Part of the PK80 Invitational … sort of.

Sunday, Nov. 19               vs. Boston Univ. (XL, 6 p.m., SNY)                             

New Haven’s Walter Whyte should be impact freshman for Terriers

Thursday, Nov. 23            vs. Oregon (Moda Center, 9 p.m., ESPNU)           

Ducks lost three NBA draft picks from Final Four team that beat UConn in Maui last November

Friday, Nov. 24                  vs. Michigan State/DePaul (Veterans Col., TBD) 

Huskies will face either Tom Izzo’s Spartans or Dave Leitao’s Blue Demons in PK80 Invitational bout

Sunday, Nov. 26               TBD                                                                                       

UConn will play third and final game of PK 80 Invitational vs. either defending champ North Carolina, Oklahoma, Arkansas or Portland

Wednesday, Nov. 29      vs. Columbia (GP, 7 p.m., SNY)                                   

UConn is 8-2 all-time against Lions

Saturday, Dec. 2               vs. Monmouth (XL, 4 p.m., SNY)                                               

 King Rice’s Hawks have been a MAAC powerhouse last few years

Tuesday, Dec. 5                          vs. Syracuse (MSG, 9 p.m., ESPN)                             

Old Big East rivals will play for third time in three years, this time at Jimmy V Classic in Madison Square Garden

Saturday, Dec. 9               vs. Coppin State (GP, TBD, ESPN2/ESPNU)           

Last time Huskies played Eagles, Amida Brimah scored career-high 40 points

Thursday, Dec. 21            at Arizona (McKale Center, TBD, TBD)                     

Beginning of home-and-home series with Wildcats, who will be preseason No. 1 on a lot of lists

Saturday, Dec. 23             at Auburn (Auburn Arena, 2:30 p.m., ESPN2)      

Bruce Pearl’s Tigers popped UConn in OT last December in Hartford

Saturday, Dec. 30             vs. Wichita State (XL, noon, CBS)                               

This will be first-ever AAC game and first visit to Connecticut by new AAC mates, who’ll be a preseason national top-10

Wednesday, Jan. 3          at Tulsa (Reynolds Center, 7  p.m, ESPNews)       

Will Huskies visit the Bob Dylan Archives center on campus during their visit?

Saturday, Jan. 6                                vs. East Carolina (XL, noon, ESPNews)                   

 Pirates have one of AAC’s better all-around players in Kentrell Barkley

Wednesday, Jan. 10        vs. UCF (GP, 7 p.m., CBSSN)                                       

 Knights are led by the long (7-foot-6 Tacko Fall) and short (high-scoring guard B.J. Taylor) of it

Saturday, Jan. 13              at Tulane (Devlin Fieldhouse, 1 p.m., ESPNews) 

Led by talented Cameron Reynolds, Mike Dunleavy, Sr.’s Green Wave should be improved

Tuesday, Jan. 16               at Memphis (FedExForum, 9 p.m., CBSSN)           

The Lawson brothers (AAC top rebounder Dedric, rookie of the year K.J.) are now in Kansas

Saturday, Jan. 20              vs. Villanova (XL, noon, CBS)                                       

Start of three-game series vs. former Big East foes

Thursday, Jan. 25             vs. SMU (GP, 7 p.m., CBSSN)                                      

UConn gets reprieve, won’t travel to Dallas for its annual thrashing by the Mustangs this season

Sunday, Jan. 28                 at Temple (Liacouras Center, 8 p.m., ESPN2)       

Jalen Adams’ last-second layup beat Owls in Philly last February 

Wednesday, Jan. 31        at UCF (CFE Arena, 9 p.m., CBSSN)                           

Watch out for coach Johnny Dawkins’ son, Aubrey, who might be league’s best newcomer

Saturday, Feb. 3               vs. Cincinnati (GP, noon, ESPN/ESPN2)                  

This will be a homecoming for East Hartford native/Sacred Heart transfer Caine Broome

Wednesday, Feb. 7         vs. USF (GP, 7 p.m., ESPNU)                                       

Just about everybody’s gone from last year’s 7-23 train wreck

Saturday, Feb. 10             at Wichita State (Koch Arena, TBD, ESPN)             

UConn’s only previous meeting vs. Shockers was in 2010 Maui Invitational. Kemba happened.

Thursday, Feb. 15            vs. Tulsa (XL, 7 p.m., ESPNU)                                       

Golden Hurricane has nearly everyone back from last year’s 15-17 team

Sunday, Feb. 18                                at ECU   (Minges Coliseum, 3 p.m., ESPNews)      

Site of one of UConn’s more disheartening league losses last March

Thursday, Feb. 22            at Cincinnati (BB&T Arena, 7 p.m., ESPN)               

High-powered Bearcats will give Wichita State a run for its money at top of league standings

Sunday, Feb. 25                                vs. Memphis (GP, 2/4 p.m., ESPN/ESPNU)           

Tubby Smith’s Tigers were decimated by transfer, graduation last spring

Wednesday, Feb. 28       vs. Temple (GP, 7 p.m., CBSSN)                                

Led by Obi Echeniyonia, Shizz Alston, Quinton Rose, Owls should be much-improved this season

Sunday, March 4              at Houston (TBD, 4 p.m., CBSSN)                               

Game will be played either at Texas Southern or Toyota Center, home of Houston Rockets

Thursday-Sunday, March 8-11    AAC Championships (ESPN)                        

At the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida – where UConn won its only other AAC title two years ago