UConn and Syracuse Open Basketball Exhibitions at Mohegan Sun

UConn and Syracuse will use a pair of exhibition games at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, to evaluate their basketball teams ahead of the 2026-27 season. The women's teams meet Monday, October 12, while the men's programs face off Tuesday, October 13, at 7 p.m. as Syracuse coach Gerry McNamara begins his first season leading the Orange.

According to Syracuse Athletics, the men's exhibition is part of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Exhibition Event and marks the first meeting between the programs since 2018. Syracuse has faced UConn 95 times, making the Huskies the Orange's sixth most frequent opponent in program history.

UConn enters the men's matchup after reaching the national championship game last April under head coach Dan Hurley. The Huskies return senior guard Silas Demary Jr., who averaged 10.1 points and a Big East-best 5.9 assists per game last season, and Big East All-Freshman guard Braylon Mullins, who averaged 12.0 points while shooting 42.1 percent.

McNamara, a member of Syracuse's 2003 national championship team, is preparing to lead his alma mater after spending two seasons at Siena, where he guided the Saints to the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Syracuse will also face Siena on October 18 and Niagara on October 24 during its exhibition schedule.

McNamara said the team needs to test its preparations against unfamiliar competition after spending months practicing internally.

"The next step for our group is seeing a different opponent," McNamara said. "You know we've been going at this for about five months now to six months."

The exhibition will give the coaching staff an opportunity to assess the team's chemistry, execution, and lineup combinations before the regular season begins. McNamara plans to rotate players and evaluate how they perform in game situations.

"Play UConn, get a chance to see where we're at against the best of the best," McNamara said. "As we move the program forward, I think this will be a great measuring tool for us to know where we are, what we need to work on and how we need to move forward."

Although Syracuse intends to use the exhibition to evaluate its roster, McNamara said the team will still compete to win. He also wants players to have opportunities to demonstrate their abilities before regular-season roles are established.

"I'm not going to say we're going to sacrifice the result," he said. "I'm not saying that because when we're under the whistle, I'm going to do what I always do, and I'm going to try to coach to win."

McNamara said he believes the team is prepared for the challenge ahead as Syracuse continues building under its new coaching staff.

"Our group is ready," McNamara said.

Sophomore guard Kiyan Anthony is among the returning players expected to help Syracuse assess its combinations against UConn. Anthony averaged 8.0 points and 1.4 rebounds per game as a freshman, while sophomore forward Sadiq White Jr. contributed 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

Anthony said the exhibition would allow the team to experiment with its personnel and tactical approaches against another program.

"We're probably gonna play 12, 13 guys throughout that scrimmage and just see where we're at," Anthony said. "We can run different plays, different schemes and different execution plans."

Syracuse has added several transfers to its roster. Junior guard Gavin Doty followed McNamara from Siena after averaging 18.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game and earning 2025-26 MAAC First Team honors. Junior guard Aiden Tobiason arrives from Temple after averaging 15.3 points, while Garwey Dual joins from McNeese State after earning All-Southland Conference Defensive Team recognition and recording 56 steals.

In the frontcourt, Luke Wilson joins Syracuse from Appalachian State after earning Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year honors. Wilson averaged 10.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game and recorded 59 blocks last season. Former Siena forward Francis Folefac also joins the Orange after averaging 11.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

The women's exhibition provides a separate test for two programs coming off successful 2025-26 campaigns. UConn finished 38-1 and reached its record 25th NCAA Final Four, while Syracuse posted a 24-9 record and appeared in the NCAA Tournament, according to the schools' athletics departments.

UConn returns reigning National Player of the Year Sarah Strong, along with senior starters KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade. However, Blanca Quiñonez, Marine Dursus, and Allie Ziebell were not expected to play against Syracuse because of shoulder, foot, and ankle injuries, respectively, according to CT Insider. Their absences left UConn with 10 available players for Monday's game.

Syracuse women's basketball returns 2026 ACC Rookie of the Year Uche Izoje and has eight newcomers. The Orange previously lost to UConn 98-45 in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, when Azzi Fudd scored 34 points for the Huskies.

The women's exhibition was scheduled to air on NBC Sports Boston and stream on UConn+, with radio coverage provided by the UConn Sports Network. Syracuse's men's exhibition against UConn is scheduled to tip off Tuesday at 7 p.m. and stream through cuse.com.