https://www.middletownpress.com/news/article/UConn-will-play-Yale-in-preseason-NIT-11898633.php
UConn will play Yale in preseason NIT
Yale and Connecticut will play in men's basketball for the first time since 1997 in the opening round of the Preseason NIT Nov. 17, according to sources.
SEAN BARKER
Published 12:00 am EDT, Wednesday, May 21, 2003
An official announcement is expected by the end of the week.
The game is expected to be telecaston ESPN2.
Originally, Yale had hoped to be placed in the same bracket with UConn to set up a potential second-round matchup with the Huskies, who have a strong chance to be ranked No. 1 in the preseason polls.
But the opportunity to play on national television was too good to pass up for the Bulldogs. Yale has played on regional cable networks and DirecTV, but never on a national cable broadcast.
This will be Yale's first sporting event to be broadcast nationally since the Yale-Harvard football game was on ESPN2 in 1994.
Also in this year's Preseason NIT are Texas Tech, Georgia Tech, Utah, Davidson, Georgia State, Hofstra, Louisiana-Lafayette, Marist, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri-Kansas City, Nevada, St. Francis, N.Y., and Vermont, which coached by former Yale head coach Tom Brennan.
Yale, which was 14-13 last season, will play non-conference home games against Sacred Heart (Dec. 4), Niagara (Dec. 20) and Wake Forest (Nov. 29 at Bridgeport's Harbor Arena). Home games with Fairfield and Holy Cross are also possibilities.
The Bulldogs will play at Bucknell (Nov. 26), South Carolina (Dec. 30), American (Jan. 3), and Rhode Island (Jan. 7) and at the Marist tournament (Dec. 22-23).
Also on UConn's schedule are a nationally televised road game at North Carolina and a homecoming game for All-American center Emeka Okafor in Houston against Rice. The Huskies are also expected to play a home game against Oklahoma that will be broadcast by CBS.
GORDON CASE CONTINUED
The court case for UConn men's basketball sophomore Ben Gordon, stemming from a Feb. 14th arrest for assault and disorderly conduct, was continued from Tuesday until June 10 at Rockville Superior Court in Vernon.
Gordon was involved in a domestic dispute with female student Megan Rourke, who was arrested for disorderly conduct. Rourke allegedly slapped Gordon before Gordon allegedly slapped Rourke, which resulted in a bloody lip for Rourke.
Rourke also had her case continued from Tuesday until June 10. Hartford-based attorney Rob Britt, who is representing Gordon, expects the issue to be resolved when the two parties return to court.
Also, former UConn men's basketball player Mike Hayes will be in Hartford Superior Court May 30 to face various felony charges of narcotics possession with intent to sell.
Hayes was arrested May 1 when he allegedly sold more than a pound of marijuana to an undercover Hartford police officer.
Hayes, 22, a Hartford native, is currentlyfree on a $10,000 bond, which was reduced from its original amount of $150,000.
New Haven Register staff writer Sean O'Rourke contributed to this story.