Texas basketball vs. UConn: TV schedule, streaming info, game time

No. 19 Texas basketball has its biggest game of the regular season so far ahead on Nov. 20 in the Empire Classic in New York City against the defending National Champion and No. 5 ranked UConn Huskies. Texas and head coach Rodney Terry are looking for a statement win against head coach Dan Hurley and the Huskies early this season.

UConn is the first ranked opponent the Longhorns have faced this season. The same could be said for UConn, with Texas being the first ranked opponent it’s faced so far.

Texas reached the finals of the Empire Classic after senior guard Max Abmas nailed a last-second game-winner from the mid-range to beat the Louisville Cardinals 81-80 on Nov. 19. The win over Louisville moved Texas to 4-0 (0-0 Big 12) this season.

UConn cruised to a comfortable 77-57 win over the Indiana Hoosiers in its semifinal game in the Empire Classic on Nov. 19. The Huskies enter the matchup against the Longhorns with a 4-0 (0-0 Big East) record.

Here’s a look at the TV/streaming information and game time as No. 19 Texas takes on No. 5 UConn in the Empire Classic final at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Nov. 20.

How to watch Texas basketball vs. UConn

TV/Stream: ESPNU/FuboTV

Radio/Audio Stream: Longhorn Radio Network

Game time: 6 p.m. CT

Live stats: Statbroadcast

All games in the Empire Classic are broadcast live on the ESPN family of networks. The Texas-UConn game on Nov. 20 will be broadcast live on ESPNU. Karl Ravech, Jay Williams, and Myron Medcalf will call the game live on ESPNU.

Craig Way and Eddie Oran will be on the radio broadcast for the Texas-UConn game on Longhorn Radio Network.

Texas vs. UConn series history

UConn holds the edge in the all-time series against Texas, with a record of 3-6. The Huskies won the last meeting against the Longhorns, 71-66, during the 2015-16 season. This is the fifth time UConn and Texas have matched up as ranked foes.

Texas basketball vs. UConn: Prediction and odds for Nov. 20

UConn is a 6.5-point favorite over Texas after opening as a 5.5-point favorite on Nov. 19 (per Caesars Sportsbook). The over/under is 144.5 points.

According to the ESPN matchup predictor, Texas has a 39.0 percent chance of beating UConn.

Kenpom predicts the final score of this game to be a 75-68 win for the Huskies.

UConn could very well be the best team Texas faces in non-conference play during the regular season. Hurley’s squad is one of the most well-rounded teams in college hoops this season. UConn has it all in the starting five: NBA talent, length, scoring, rebounding, and defense.

All five of UConn’s starters are scoring in the double figures early this season. This group is led by their leading scorer and redshirt senior guard, Tristen Newton, who is averaging 17 points per game, eight rebounds, and five assists. Newton does so much for UConn as he leads the team in assists, points, rebounds, and steals.

UConn also returns productive starters from last season’s national title squad, including sophomore forward Alex Karaban and sophomore center Donovan Clingan. Karaban is another gifted scorer, averaging 16 points per game this season, and can also space the floor.

Clingan is a seven-footer that gives UConn a major edge in rim protection and rebounding. He leads the nation in offensive rebounding percentage (24.9 percent) and leads the Big East in bock percentage (11.9 percent) this season.

The Huskies also boast key newcomers in the starting lineup in Rutgers senior transfer guard/wing Cam Spencer and freshman wing Stephon Castle, who have helped to replenish lost depth in the wing rotation during the offseason. Spencer is one of the best sharpshooters in college basketball. In this game, he’ll be a tough contest for Texas on the defensive end.

Castle is one of the standout freshmen Hurley brought on campus during the offseason. He averaged nearly 15 points per game in the first two games of the season but missed the last two contests for the Huskies due to an injury.

Texas needs to play its best game of the season so far to have a shot at pulling the upset against the reigning National Champion Huskies in the final of the Empire Classic.

If Texas finds its shooting rhythm from beyond the arc it showed in the season’s first three games, that would provide a major lift on the offensive end against UConn. The Longhorns shot better than 45 percent from beyond the arc in the first three games of the season. But they struggled shooting from deep against Louisville on Nov. 19, going just 2-of-17 from three-point range.

Texas also must defend better on the perimeter and reduce its reliance on redshirt junior big man Kadin Shedrick, bailing them out in late-shot clock situations down low. Louisville registered over 50 points from its three top guards in yesterday’s game and shot better than 50 percent from the field and 50 percent from deep.

And while Shedrick was fantastic while having a career-day production-wise in the win over Louisville, with a career-high 27 points, Texas will have a much tougher frontcourt matchup against Clingan and the Huskies in this game.

Final score prediction: UConn-78, Texas-74