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The University of Tulsa men’s basketball team will begin its third season in the American Athletic Conference on New Year’s Eve with a home game against Connecticut.

The league schedule released Thursday includes 18 games. The Hurricane will face UConn only at home and Temple only on the road, and play home-and-away games against SMU, Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis, East Carolina, Tulane, Central Florida and South Florida.

All 18 of TU’s conference games will be televised on an ESPN network or by CBS Sports Network.

To open league play, the Hurricane will battle four of the top seven teams from last season, with games against UConn, at Houston, Memphis and at defending champion Temple.

“The American is a tremendous conference,” coach Frank Haith said. “You look at last year’s NCAA Tournament and we were among the leaders in college basketball for NCAA bids received.

“The coaching and talent in the American makes it one of the best in college basketball and the depth of our league schedule illustrates that perfectly. From our conference opener on New Year’s Eve all the way through March, we are going to be playing some meaningful basketball games on national TV night in and night out.”