The two-time defending national champions in men’s college basketball are back in action on Wednesday, Dec. 18 when the No. 11 UConn Huskies go against the Xavier Musketeers at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn.
The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on FS1. Fans looking to watch this men’s college basketball game can do so by using FuboTV, which offers a free trial and $30 off your first month, or DirecTV Stream, which also offers a free trial. SlingTV doesn’t offer a free trial but does have other promotional offers available.
UConn has bounced back from the three-game losing skid at the end of November and has since collected wins against ranked Baylor and Gonzaga squads during a four-game winning streak that improved the Huskies to 8-3.
Xavier is also 8-3, with all those losses coming in its last five games. This will be the first Big East conference game for both squads this season.
Who: Xavier Musketeers vs. No. 11 UConn Huskies
When: Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. EST
Where: XL Center in Hartford, Conn.
Stream: FuboTV; Sling; DirecTV Stream
What is FuboTV?
FuboTV is an internet television service that offers more than 200 channels across sports and entertainment including Paramount+ with SHOWTIME. From the UEFA Champions League to the WNBA to international tournaments ranging across sports, there’s plenty of options available on FuboTV, which offers a free trial and $30 off the first month for new customers.
What is DirecTV Stream?
DirecTV Stream offers practically everything DirecTV provides, except for a remote and a streaming device to connect to your television. Sign up now and get three free months of premium channels including MAX, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME and Starz.
What is SlingTV?
SlingTV offers a variety of live programing ranging from news and sports and starting as low as $20 a month for your first month. Subscribers also get a month of DVR Plus free if they sign up now. Choose from a variety of sports packages without long-term contracts and with easy cancelation.
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No. 2 Auburn closes the gap on No. 1 Tennessee as the SEC holds 5 of top 7 spots in AP Top 25
By DAVE SKRETTA AP Basketball Writer
Tennessee held onto No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the second consecutive week, though No. 2 Auburn closed the gap as the top five remained unchanged in the men’s college basketball poll Monday.
The Volunteers received 50 first-place votes from the national media panel after wins over Miami and Illinois pushed coach Rick Barnes’ program to 10-0 for only the fifth time in school history. Auburn picked up nine first-place votes from last week and had 12 total. Iowa State, Duke and Kentucky rounded out the top five.
Tennessee is among five unbeatens left in men’s Division I basketball and one of three from the Southeastern Conference, joining No. 7 Florida (10-0)and No. 14 Oklahoma (10-0). Drake (9-0) and Utah State (10-0) also enter this week undefeated.
“We know watching film there’s a lot of areas we have to get better with, more consistent,” Barnes said Monday. “It’s everybody. Coaches getting better, players getting better. When you’re in December, you have to be real. Look at film and realize we’ve done this or that, but we have a long way to go to be where we want to be.”
Auburn improved to 9-1 with its 91-53 blowout of Ohio State in Atlanta. Johni Broome showed the way with 21 points and 20 rebounds for the Tigers’ first 20-20 game in 35 years, then he raced back to Auburn for his graduation Saturday night.
“They may be the best team in the country right now,” Ohio State coach Jake Diebler said. “They have a lot of experience, and they made us pay when we made a mistake.”
The SEC continued to dominate the Top 25 with the Vols and Tigers joined by Kentucky, No. 6 Alabama and No. 7 Florida in giving the league five of the top seven. Kansas moved up two spots to No. 8 while Marquette and Oregon rounded out the top 10.
Two-time defending national champion UConn jumped seven spots to No. 11 after beating then-No. 8 Gonzaga. The Huskies were followed by Texas A&M, the Bulldogs, the Sooners and Houston, which remained at No. 15.
Purdue dropped five spots to No. 16 after its loss to the Aggies, and was followed by Ole Miss, UCLA, Cincinnati and Michigan State. Dayton entered the poll for the first time this season at No. 22, just behind Memphis, which returned after its win over Clemson. Wisconsin dropped out after its loss to Illinois while Mississippi State fell out after a narrow win over McNeese State.
San Diego State, Michigan and Clemson round out the Top 25.
Mid-major monitoring
Drake appeared on 11 ballots after an easy win over St. Ambrose kept first-year coach Ben McCollum’s club unbeaten. Utah State showed up on 10 ballots after blowing out South Florida to give the Aggies their best start in school history.
“I’ve said all along, this is a place you can win at a high level consistently, and we’ve shown that, right? Year after year,” Utah State coach Jarrod Calhoun said. “We never talk about making history. It was never talked about all week. … It’s about getting better each day. It’s about enjoying the process.”
Rising and falling
UConn made the biggest jump this week, climbing seven spots to No. 11 after beating Gonzaga. UCLA climbed six spots to No. 18 after beating Arizona for its eighth straight win, while Texas A&M moved up five spots to No. 12.
Michigan plummeted 10 places to No. 24 after blowing its halftime lead in an 89-87 loss to Arkansas in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. Clemson fell nine spots to No. 25 while Gonzaga and Purdue each dropped five spots.
In and out
Memphis spent a week at No. 16 earlier this year before a loss to Arkansas State. They returned while Dayton made its season debut at the expense of Wisconsin and Mississippi State, which received the most votes of those outside the Top 25.
Conference watch
The SEC has eight teams in the Top 25 along with the first three outside the poll in Mississippi State, Arkansas and Missouri. The Big Ten has five, the Big 12 has four, and the ACC and Big East two apiece. Nine leagues had a ranked team.
The Associated Press contributed to this article
