It appears the UConn men’s basketball team will welcome home a familiar face for its season opener, which will likely also be a celebration of the 2023 national championship, after Northern Arizona released its 2023-24 schedule online.
According to their website, the Lumberjacks will be heading to Storrs for a first-ever matchup against UConn on Nov. 6.
Tim Russo, who served as a graduate manager for the Huskies during the championship season last year, was hired by NAU as an assistant coach in early June. Russo, the son of famed New York sports radio personality Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, played basketball at New Canaan High and went on to become a student assistant coach for Division II University of Tampa from 2017-21.
Officially official 🪓
Welcome to Flagstaff @timrusso0 👏#RaiseTheFlag | #BigSkyMBB https://t.co/vnLl3SkTdU
— NAU Men’s Basketball (@NAUBasketball) June 5, 2023
Northern Arizona finished the 2022-23 season with a 12-23 record but made a run to the Big Sky tournament final, where the Lumberjacks lost to No. 2-seed Montana State.
UConn’s full nonconference slate hasn’t yet been released, though the defending champs have a handful of quality contests already announced. Here is what we know so far:
UConn will play Indiana in the Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 19, then meet either Texas or Louisville on Nov. 20 in the championship or the consolation game, depending on how the preliminary games shake out. The Huskies will then head out to Allen Fieldhouse for the Big East-Big 12 Battle against Kansas on Dec. 1.
A return to Madison Square Garden is set for Dec. 5, when UConn will square off with North Carolina in the Jimmy V Classic. UConn is also reported to begin a multiyear series with last season’s Elite Eight foe Gonzaga. The ’23-24 matchup is expected to be held in Seattle, though a date and time have not been announced.