The Huskies’ head to Maui with hopes of winning the tournament for the third time in program history.
Every season, Dan Hurley has a picture of a trophy on an easel to inspire the UConn men’s basketball team and show them what they are working for. This year, the first trophy on that easel is none other than the Maui Invitational — one of the most prestigious multi-team events (MTE) in the college game.
The Huskies have traveled to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational five times in program history, winning it all in 2005 and 2010. UConn will take on former American Athletic Conference foe Memphis in its first game of the tournament on November 25 at 2:30 p.m. ET. After that, the Huskies will play either Colorado or Michigan State the next day. The likes of Auburn, Iowa State, Dayton and North Carolina loom on the opposite side of the bracket, with the Huskies taking on one of those teams on November 27.
Memphis
Fast Facts
Head Coach: Penny Hardaway (Seventh season)
2023-24 record: 22-10 (11-7 American Athletic Conference)
Final 2023-24 KenPom.com ranking: No. 76
2024-25 KenPom ranking: No. 42
Series History
UConn is 8-8 all time against Memphis in series that mostly took place while the two were in the American Athletic Conference. It will be the first time these two schools have faced one another since the 2019-20 season.
2023-24 in Review
The Tigers still racked up 24 wins last season, but were largely disappointing and posted arguably its worst season yet under Hardwaway. Memphis did win 10 games in a row, highlighted by victories over Texas A&M, Clemson and Virginia, but four-straight losses immediately after, including a home loss to Rice, derailed any NCAA tournament hopes. The Tigers finished the regular season winning four of five, including an impressive win over Florida Atlantic at home, but dropped a road game to the Owls in the regular season finale and had its season end with a 71-65 loss to Wichita State in the AAC tournament.
2024-25 Preview
Despite being the highest ranked team in KenPom by a significant margin, the Tigers received just four first-place votes in the AAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll to UAB’s nine and were picked to finish second in the conference. Memphis did have two First Team all-AAC selections in guards PJ Haggerty and Tyrese Hunter, with fellow backcourt mate Colby Rogers earning Second Team honors. That trio should power the Tigers this season as they hope to return to the NCAA Tournament. If not, Hardaway’s time at Memphis could be coming to an end.
Colorado
Fast Facts
Head Coach: Tad Boyle (15th season)
2023-24 record: 26-11 (13-7 Pac-12)
Final 2023-24 KenPom.com ranking: No. 24
2024-25 KenPom ranking: No. 80
Series History
UConn and Colorado have met just once, with UConn winning 74-67 in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
2023-24 in Review
Colorado posted its best regular season ever under Boyle, racking up 26 wins in the final year of the Pac-12. The Buffs finished the regular season on a six-game win streak and likely cemented its NCAA tournament berth with wins in the Pac-12 tournament over Utah and Washington State before falling to Oregon in the conference title game. CU won its First Four matchup against Boise State and upset 7-seed Florida in the First Round before falling to Marquette in the Second Round.
2024-25 Preview
The Buffaloes will have things a little tougher than last year as they enter year one of a competitive Big 12 Conference. CU was picked to finish 15th out of 16 schools in the preseason coaches’ poll and had no nominees for any preseason Big 12 awards. After losing six of the team’s top seven scorers from last season, Boyle will lean on Washington State transfer Andrej Jakimovski and Julian Hammond, the Buffs’ top reserve from last season, to stay out of the basement of the Big 12.
Michigan State
Fast Facts
Head Coach: Tom Izzo (28th season)
2023-24 record: 20-15 (10-10 Big 10)
Final 2023-24 KenPom.com ranking: No. 16
2024-25 KenPom ranking: No. 35
Series History
The Huskies and Michigan State have met a total of eight times, with the series deadlocked at 4-4. The two schools last faced off on Nov. 25, 2021 — a 64-60 Spartans win in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
2023-24 in Review
It was a typical season for Sparty and Izzo as MSU posted 20 wins, boasted a strong defense, made the NCAA Tournament for a 26th-straight season before bowing out in the second round. Michigan State did well in a tough Big 10 but was 1-6 against teams in the KenPom top 10. The Spartans defeated Mississippi State in the first Round of the NCAA tournament before losing to 1-seed North Carolina in the second Round.
2024-25 Preview
Sparty was tabbed to finish fifth in the preseason Big 10 coaches’ poll and was one of six schools to receive a first-place vote. Jaden Akins expects to lead a young and talented group to MSU’s 27th-straight NCAA Tournament. No Spartans earned any preseason Big 10 honors, but the Spartans talent all over and should remain a tough competitor in night in and night out in the Big 10.
Auburn
Fast Facts
Head Coach: Bruce Pearl (11th season)
2023-24 record: 27-8 (13-5 SEC)
Final 2023-24 KenPom.com ranking: No. 4
2024-25 KenPom ranking: No. 3
Series History
Auburn and the Huskies are 2-2 against one another all time. The two schools last squared off against one another in 2021.
2023-24 in Review
Auburn was another legitimate title threat last season, posting a 27-8 record and winning the SEC conference tournament. Despite the Tigers being top 10 in offensive and defensive efficiency, Bruce Pearl’s squad suffered one of the more shocking upsets of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, falling to 13-seed Yale in the first round.
2024-25 Preview
The Tigers are once again a KenPom darling, ranked No. 3 in the site’s preseason rankings and are No. 11 in the preseason AP Poll. Big man Johni Broome remains one of the top players in the country and will challenge Alabama’s Mark Sears for the SEC Player of the Year award. The trip to Maui is another notch in the belt for a pretty tough nonconference schedule for Pearl’s squad — the Tigers will face a tough Iowa State squad in their Maui opener and also deal with Houston, Duke and Purdue before they begin conference play, three teams all currently inside the top 10 of KenPom.
Iowa State
Fast Facts
Head Coach: T.J. Otzelberger (Fourth season)
2023-24 record: 29-8 (13-5 Big 12)
Final 2023-24 KenPom.com ranking: No. 8
2024-25 KenPom ranking: No. 6
Series History
The Cyclones and Huskies are 2-2 against one another in a series that dates back to 2012. The two schools last played one another in 2022 in PK85, a 71-53 UConn win.
2023-24 in Review
The Cyclones posted a 29-8 record last season on the back of the best defense in college basketball, finishing the year first overall in KenPom’s defensive efficiency. With breakout freshman Milan Momcilovic fueling ISU, the Cyclones went on to win the Big 12 Tournament but ultimately fell to Illinois, one of the country’s best offenses last season, in the Sweet 16.
2024-25 Preview
ISU’s defense will once again be prolific — KenPom has the Cyclones pegged as the second-best defensive unit in the country in terms of the defensive efficiency. The question remains — can they score enough to make it matter? Iowa State is No. 5 in the preseason poll and will be led by All-American honorable mention Tamin Lipsey, who also earned First Team Preseason All-Big 12 honors. He’s joined by Momcilovic, who returns to build on his breakout freshman season, and Keshon Gilbert, who averaged 13.7 points per game last season.
Dayton
Fast Facts
Head Coach: Anthony Grant (Eighth season)
2023-24 record: 25-8 (14-4 Atlantic 10)
Final 2023-24 KenPom.com ranking: No. 32
2024-25 KenPom ranking: No. 27
Series History
The Huskies are 1-2 all time against Dayton and haven’t played against the Flyers in over a decade.
2023-24 in Review
Dayton finished last season at 25-8 and earned an NCAA at-large bid with some impressive wins over the likes of Cincinnati, St. John’s and VCU. Led by DaRon Holmes, the Flyers defeated Nevada in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Arizona.
2024-25 Preview
Much like Memphis, KenPom loves Dayton more than the conference’s coaches do. The Flyers did receive six first-place votes, but were tabbed to finish second in the preseason coaches’ poll behind VCU. Despite losing Holmes to the NBA, Dayton returns sharpshooter Nate Santos (41.8 percent from three last season) and added solid transfers in Ohio state transfer Zed Key and defensive stalwart Posh Alexander by way of St. John’s and Butler.
North Carolina
Fast Facts
Head Coach: Hubert Davis (Fourth season)
2023-24 record: 29-8 (17-3 ACC)
Final 2023-24 KenPom.com ranking: No. 9
2024-25 KenPom ranking: No. 15
Series History
UConn is 2-5 all-time against North Carolina, but the Huskies did defeat UNC 87-76 last year in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.
2023-24 in Review
North Carolina was a dangerous team and legitimate national title threat last season. On the backs of seniors RJ Davis and Armando Bacot, the Tar Heels were 29-8 and top 15 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Unfortunately for UNC, there was no hardware to show for it — the Tar Heels were upset by NC State in the ACC Tournament title game and fell to Alabama in the Sweet 16.
2024-25 Preview
Davis returns for the Tar Heels, who rank No. 9 in the preseason AP poll and were tabbed to finish second in the ACC behind Duke. Davis’ return along with the additions of transfers Cade Tyson and Ven-Allen Lublin and stellar recruiting class give the Tar Heels a similar ceiling as last year, when they were legitimate Final Four contenders before falling to a tough Alabama squad.