# 2021–22 UConn Huskies men's basketball team

The 2021–22 UConn Huskies men's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Huskies were led by fourth-year head coach Dan Hurley in the team's second season since their return to the Big East Conference. The Huskies played their home games at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut and the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut. They finished the season 23–10, 13–6 in Big East play to finish in third place. They defeated Seton Hall in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals of the Big East tournament where they lost to Villanova. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 5 seed in the West Region, where they were upset in the First Round by New Mexico State.

## Previous season

In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Huskies finished the season 15–8, 11–6 in Big East play to finish in third place. They defeated DePaul in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament before losing Creighton in the semifinals. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 7 seed in the East Region. They were eliminated by Maryland in the First Round.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| James Bouknight | 2 | G | 6'5" | 190 | Sophomore | Brooklyn, NY | Declare for 2021 NBA draft |
| Brendan Adams | 10 | G | 6'4" | 195 | Junior | Baltimore, MD | Transferred to George Washington |
| Josh Carlton | 25 | F/C | 6'11" | 240 | Senior | Winterville, NC | Graduate transferred to Houston |
| Javonte Brown | 31 | C | 7'0" | 250 | Freshman | Toronto, ON | Transferred to Texas A&M |

### 2021 recruiting class

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Samson Johnson #10 PF | Lomé, Togo | The Patrick School | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Aug 10, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 86 ||||||
| Rahsool Diggins #12 PG | Philadelphia, PA | Archbishop Wood High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Jul 26, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 85 ||||||
| Jordan Hawkins #13 SG | Gaithersburg, MD | DeMatha Catholic High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Jul 26, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 84 ||||||
| Corey Floyd Jr. #20 PG / SG | Franklin, NJ | Roselle Catholic High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jan 14, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 81 ||||||
| Alex Karaban #5 PF | Northborough, MA | IMG Academy | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Aug 2, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 87 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 14 247Sports: 23 ESPN: 17 ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2021 UConn Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 12, 2021. "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 12, 2021. ||||||

### 2022 Recruiting class

College recruiting information (2022) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Donovan Clingan #14 C | Bristol, CT | Bristol Central High School | 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) | 265 lb (120 kg) | Jul 2, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 85 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 14 247Sports: 23 ESPN: 17 |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2022 UConn Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 12, 2021. "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 12, 2021. |||||||

## Schedule and results

The Huskies game against Providence on January 15, 2022 was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols at Providence.
| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 9, 2021* 6:30 p.m., FS1 | No. 24 | Central Connecticut | W 99–48 | 1–0 | 20 – Sanogo | 7 – Akok | 3 – 3 tied | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,167) Storrs, CT |
| November 13, 2021* 12:00 p.m., FS2 | No. 24 | Coppin State | W 89–54 | 2–0 | 20 – Sanogo | 9 – Tied | 8 – Gaffney | XL Center (9,690) Harford, CT |
| November 17, 2021* 6:30 p.m., FS2 | No. 23 | LIU | W 93–40 | 3–0 | 17 – Polley | 7 – Tied | 6 – Cole | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (8,481) Storrs, CT |
| November 20, 2021* 12:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 23 | Binghamton | W 87–63 | 4–0 | 15 – Martin | 11 – Maritn | 4 – Martin | XL Center (9,335) Hartford, CT |
| November 24, 2021* 2:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 22 | vs. No. 19 Auburn Battle 4 Atlantis Quarterfinals | W 115–109 $^{2OT}$ | 5–0 | 30 – Sanogo | 8 – Martin | 6 – Cole | Imperial Arena (1,174) Nassau, Bahamas |
| November 25, 2021* 12:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 22 | vs. Michigan State Battle 4 Atlantis Semifinals | L 60–64 | 5–1 | 18 – Sanogo | 12 – Martin | 3 – Cole | Imperial Arena (1,173) Nassau, Bahamas |
| November 26, 2021* 1:30 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 22 | vs. VCU Battle 4 Atlantis 3rd Place Game | W 70–63 $^{OT}$ | 6–1 | 26 – Cole | 14 – Jackson | 4 – Jackson | Imperial Arena (673) Nassau, Bahamas |
| November 30, 2021* 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | No. 17 | Maryland Eastern Shore | W 72–63 | 7–1 | 25 – Cole | 7 – Tied | 5 – Gaffney | XL Center (8,782) Hartford, CT |
| December 4, 2021* 4:00 p.m., FS2 | No. 17 | Grambling State | W 88–59 | 8–1 | 18 – Cole | 8 – Whaley | 7 – Cole | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (9,159) Storrs, CT |
| December 8, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 15 | at West Virginia Big East–Big 12 Battle | L 53–56 | 8–2 | 15 – Whaley | 10 – Akok | 3 – Tied | WVU Coliseum (12,045) Morgantown, WV |
| December 11, 2021* 4:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 15 | vs. St. Bonaventure Never Forget Tribute Classic | W 74–64 | 9–2 | 15 – Cole | 11 – Jackson | 5 – Jackson | Prudential Center Newark, NJ |
| Big East regular season |||||||||
| December 18, 2021 5:00 p.m., FOX | No. 20 | Providence | L 53–57 | 9–3 (0–1) | 16 – Cole | 14 – Jackson | 8 – Cole | XL Center (15,564) Hartford, CT |
| December 21, 2021 9:00 p.m., FS1 | | at Marquette | W 78–70 | 10–3 (1–1) | 25 – Martin | 7 – Jackson | 7 – Cole | Fiserv Forum (12,569) Milwaukee, WI |
| January 8, 2022 12:00 p.m., FOX | | at No. 24 Seton Hall | L 87–90 $^{OT}$ | 10–4 (1–2) | 18 – Sanogo | 16 – Sanogo | 4 – Tied | Prudential Center (10,977) Newark, NJ |
| January 12, 2022 8:30 p.m., FS1 | | St. John's | W 86–78 $^{OT}$ | 11–4 (2–2) | 26 – Sanogo | 18 – Sanogo | 8 – Cole | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (6,671) Storrs, CT |
| January 15, 2022 2:00 p.m., FS1 | | at No. 23 Providence | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols | Dunkin' Donuts Center Providence, RI |
| January 18, 2022 7:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 25 | Butler Rescheduled from January 1 | W 76–59 | 12–4 (3–2) | 17 – Cole | 15 – Sanogo | 3 – 3 tied | XL Center (11,538) Hartford, CT |
| January 20, 2022 9:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 25 | at Butler | W 75–56 | 13–4 (4–2) | 27 – Martin | 10 – Whaley | 5 – Jackson | Hinkle Fieldhouse (6,797) Indianapolis, IN |
| January 25, 2022 8:40 p.m., CBSSN | No. 20 | Georgetown Rivalry | W 96–73 | 14–4 (5–2) | 19 – Sanogo | 8 – Tied | 7 – Cole | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (7,429) Storrs, CT |
| January 29, 2022 6:30 p.m., FS1 | No. 20 | at DePaul | W 57–50 | 15–4 (6–2) | 25 – Cole | 13 – Jackson | 3 – Jackson | Wintrust Arena (4,376) Chicago, IL |
| February 1, 2022 6:30 p.m., FS1 | No. 17 | Creighton | L 55–59 | 15–5 (6–3) | 20 – Whaley | 9 – Tied | 3 – Cole | XL Center (10,443) Hartford, CT |
| February 5, 2022 12:00 p.m., FOX | No. 17 | at No. 12 Villanova | L 74–85 | 15–6 (6–4) | 25 – Cole | 5 – Whaley | 4 – Cole | Wells Fargo Center (19,786) Philadelphia, PA |
| February 8, 2022 6:30 p.m., FS1 | No. 24 | No. 18 Marquette | W 80–72 | 16–6 (7–4) | 24 – Sanogo | 15 – Tied | 5 – Cole | XL Center (12,188) Hartford, CT |
| February 11, 2022 7:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 24 | at No. 25 Xavier Rescheduled from December 28 | L 68–74 | 16–7 (7–5) | 22 – Cole | 6 – Tied | 3 – Tied | Cintas Center (10,388) Cincinnati, OH |
| February 13, 2022 12:00 p.m., FOX | No. 24 | at St. John's | W 63–60 | 17–7 (8–5) | 17 – Martin | 16 – Jackson | 5 – Cole | Madison Square Garden (6,567) New York, NY |
| February 16, 2022 8:30 p.m., CBSSN | No. 24 | Seton Hall | W 70–65 | 18–7 (9–5) | 20 – Sanogo | 16 – Sanogo | 6 – Jackson | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,167) Storrs, CT |
| February 19, 2022 12:00 p.m., FOX | No. 24 | Xavier | W 72–61 | 19–7 (10–5) | 16 – Tied | 11 – Martin | 3 – 3 tied | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,167) Storrs, CT |
| February 22, 2022 8:00 p.m., FS1 | No. 21 | No. 8 Villanova | W 71–69 | 20–7 (11–5) | 20 – Sanogo | 9 – Martin | 8 – Jackson | XL Center (15,564) Hartford, CT |
| February 27, 2022 12:00 p.m., CBS | No. 21 | at Georgetown Rivalry | W 86–77 | 21–7 (12–5) | 18 – Cole | 14 – Martin | 6 – Jackson | Capital One Arena (7,114) Washington, D.C. |
| March 2, 2022 8:30 p.m., FS1 | No. 18 | at Creighton | L 62–64 | 21–8 (12–6) | 20 – Cole | 16 – Sanogo | 4 – Cole | CHI Health Center Omaha (17,126) Omaha, NE |
| March 5, 2022 5:00 p.m., FOX | No. 18 | DePaul | W 75–68 | 22–8 (13–6) | 26 – Sanogo | 16 – Martin | 4 – Jackson | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,167) Storrs, CT |
| Big East tournament |||||||||
| March 10, 2022 9:30 p.m., FS1 | (3) No. 20 | vs. (6) Seton Hall Quarterfinals | W 62–52 | 23–8 | 17 – Tied | 11 – Sanogo | 4 – Tied | Madison Square Garden (19,812) New York, NY |
| March 11, 2022 9:00 p.m., FS1 | (3) No. 20 | vs. (2) No. 8 Villanova Semifinals | L 60–63 | 23–9 | 19 – Martin | 13 – Sanogo | 8 – Cole | Madison Square Garden (19,812) New York, NY |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 17, 2022* 6:50 pm, TNT | (5 W) No. 21 | vs. (12 W) New Mexico State First Round | L 63–70 | 23–10 | 20 – Cole | 8 – Sanogo | 4 – Jackson | KeyBank Center Buffalo, NY |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. W=West. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
Source

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking RV = Received votes т = Tied with team above or below :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final |
| AP | 24 | 23 | 22 | 17 | 15 | 20 | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 20 | 17 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 21 | Not released |
| Coaches | 23 | 23^ | 21 | 17 | 18 | 22 | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25т | 19 | 17 | 23 | 24т | 20 | 19 | 20 | 21 | RV |
*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings. ^Coaches do not release a Week 1 poll.

## Awards and honors
### Big East Conference honors
#### All-Big East First Team

* R. J. Cole
* Adama Sanogo

#### Big East All-Freshman Team

* Jordan Hawkins
Source