UConn seeks 10th straight Big Ten win against Ohio State
The Huskies face a Buckeyes squad led by top shooter John Mobley while missing key forward Nik Khamenia.
By Lauren Foster ·
UConn men's basketball tips off against Ohio State at 7:30 p.m. Friday at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford. The game will mark the fourth of five matchups the Huskies have scheduled against Big Ten opponents during the first month of the season.
UConn enters the contest with a 3-0 record. The team has won all three official and unofficial games against Big Ten schools so far this season. These victories include a win over Michigan on Friday and exhibition games against Michigan State and Purdue. On Dec. 4 in Chicago, the Huskies will face Illinois in a rematch of last season's Final Four game.
Since suffering a first-round loss to Maryland in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, UConn has compiled a 9-1 record against Big Ten teams. The sole defeat occurred in the April 2026 national title game against Michigan. The Huskies also defeated Purdue in the 2024 title game and recorded three wins against Illinois in recent postseason play.
UConn will play without sophomore forward Nik Khamenia. He left Monday night's victory over Wagner with a lower leg injury and is not expected to return to the lineup soon. The absence forces the team to adjust its rotation for the contest.
Ohio State holds a 2-1 record and is viewed as a strong contender in the conference. The Buckeyes lost their season opener to No. 23 BYU on the road. They then defeated Marshall at home on Monday by 10 points after allowing 47 second-half points. Junior John Mobley leads the Buckeyes as one of the top long-distance shooters in the country.
UConn coach Dan Hurley compared Ohio State to Texas, a team UConn faced last season in Hartford. Hurley noted that Texas was not ranked but proved to be a Sweet 16 team. He described Ohio State as an incredibly well-coached and talented squad that can reach a second weekend in the NCAA Tournament.
The teams have not played in 10 years. Their previous meeting was a UConn loss in Columbus on Dec. 10, 2016, where Ohio State outshot the Huskies 34-9 from the free-throw line. Ohio State leads the all-time series 4-3. Past notable contests include UConn's 1988 NIT final win and a 1999 Final Four victory that propelled them to their first national championship.
