HARTFORD, CT — The No. 4 UConn Huskies (3-0) return to PeoplesBank Arena on Friday night for their first high-major home test of the 2026-27 season, hosting the Ohio State Buckeyes (2-1) in a marquee non-conference clash.
Off to its eighth 3-0 start in nine seasons under head coach Dan Hurley, UConn enters Friday's contest riding a wave of early-season momentum. The Huskies have dominated their opening three games by an average margin of 30.0 points, highlighted by a 40-point rout of Gardner-Webb (86-46), a neutral-site national title rematch victory over No. 16 Michigan (85-77) in Boston, and an 83-41 dismantling of Wagner on Monday night in Storrs.
Game Information
-
Matchup: #4 UConn Huskies (3-0, 0-0 BIG EAST) vs. Ohio State Buckeyes (2-1, 0-0 Big Ten)
-
Date & Time: Friday, Nov. 13, 2026 | 7:30 p.m. ET
-
Location: PeoplesBank Arena (15,495) | Hartford, Conn.
-
TV: TNT (Brian Anderson, Grant Hill, Andy Katz)
-
Radio: UConn Sports Network / FOX Sports 97-9 (Mike Crispino, Wayne Norman)
Huskies Rolling Behind All-American Backcourt
UConn’s blistering start has been spearheaded by a dynamic backcourt duo garnering national preseason acclaim. Sophomore guard Braylon Mullins leads the Huskies in scoring at 17.7 points per game, shooting a sharp 89.5 percent from the free-throw line. Mullins erupted for 23 points—including a 10-of-11 mark at the charity stripe—in UConn's signature win over Michigan.
Alongside him, senior point guard and BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year Silas Demary Jr. has been an all-around force. Demary Jr. is averaging 14.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 3.7 steals per game while boasting an 8.0 assist-to-turnover ratio. He is coming off a dominant performance against Wagner in which he tallied 18 points, four rebounds, four assists, and a career-high six steals.
Frontcourt Depth & Injury Watch
In the paint, UConn has continued its tradition of productive center tandems. Seton Hall transfer Na'jai Hines (9.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.7 BPG) and Stanford transfer Oskar Giltay (5.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 75.0% FG) have anchored the interior, combining to shoot 65.2 percent from the floor. Meanwhile, BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year Colben Landrew has provided an immediate spark off the bench, averaging 10.0 points and 4.7 rebounds.
The Huskies will monitor the status of sophomore forward Nik Khamenia ahead of tip-off. The Duke transfer—who is averaging 10.7 points on 54.5 percent 3-point shooting—scored 11 points in just seven minutes against Wagner before exiting with an injury. Senior guard Solo Ball, a 1,000-point career scorer for the Huskies, also remains sidelined as he has yet to appear this season.
By the Numbers: Defensive Dominance
True to Dan Hurley’s coaching DNA, UConn has smothered opponents on the defensive end through three games, currently ranking No. 7 nationally in KenPom defensive efficiency:
| Metric | UConn Average | National Rank |
| Scoring Defense |
54.7 PPG
|
14th
|
| Field Goal % Defense |
34.2%
|
28th
|
| Turnover Margin |
+8.0
|
24th
|
| Turnovers Forced |
19.0 per game
|
28th
|
Against Wagner on Monday, UConn forced 26 turnovers and racked up 14 steals—its highest single-game steal total since 2021.
Series History & Hartford Fortress
Friday marks just the eighth all-time meeting between UConn and Ohio State, and the first since the Buckeyes claimed a 64-60 victory in Columbus on Nov. 11, 2016. Ohio State holds a narrow 4-3 edge in the series, though UConn won the most consequential matchup—a 64-58 victory in the 1999 Final Four that propelled the Huskies to their first national championship.
To even the all-time series, Ohio State will have to overcome one of the toughest home-court advantages in college basketball. UConn is celebrating its 50th season playing in Hartford, where it holds an .879 winning percentage (174-24) against non-conference foes. Under Hurley, the Huskies are 50-9 at PeoplesBank Arena and enter Friday night riding a 28-game regular-season winning streak in the building.
Following Friday’s clash with the Buckeyes, UConn’s gauntlet of a non-conference schedule continues next week when the Huskies travel west to face No. 12 Arizona on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.