FACTS & STATS: Gampel Pavilion (10,027) -- Storrs, Connecticut. Television: None. Home Record: WCU 0-0, UConn 0-0. Away Record: WCU 0-0, UConn 0-0. Neutral Record: WCU 0-0, UConn 0-0. Conference Record: WCU 0-0, UConn 0-0. Series Record: First-ever meeting.

GAME NOTES: The second-ranked Connecticut Huskies begin their quest for a national championship tonight, as they welcome the Western Carolina Catamounts to Gampel Pavilion for a non-league showdown.

The Huskies once again were a force at the national level last season, posting a 24-9 overall mark. UConn however, collapsed at the end of the season, making a quick exit in the Big East Tournament before being upset in overtime by San Diego in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. There are four starters and several key reserves back and those players are certainly out to make up for last year's postseason failures. Getting off to a good start shouldn't be a problem, as UConn is 18-4 in season openers under head coach Jim Calhoun. The Huskies are also a perfect 19-0 in their first game of a season at Gampel Pavilion and that certainly doesn't' bode well for tonight's opponent.

Western Carolina is coming off a disappointing showing in 2007-08, as they logged just a 10-21 ledger. The Catamounts do welcome back three starters, so that should give head coach Larry Hunter some optimism for a turnaround. WCU however, are 0-10 against Top 25 opponents since 1993-94 and that trend will most likely continue in tonight's first-ever meeting between the two programs.

While WCU may welcome back three starters, it doesn't return much experience otherwise, so expect a slow start from this team. Brandon Giles is clearly the team's go-to-guy, as the 6-6 guard led the squad in scoring (15.3 ppg) this past season and he also pulled down 4.0 rpg. Brigham Waginger made 14 starts at the perimeter last season, but he averaged just 4.7 ppg and shot poorly from three-point range. The frontcourt is in a little better shape, as the team returns Jake Robinson and Blake Gallagher. The 6-8 Robinson turned in 10.6 ppg, but didn't do much on the boards, grabbing only 3.0 rpg. Gallagher, who also stands at 6-8, has more potential of the two and will look to improve on a rookie campaign in which he averaged 4.9 ppg and 5.1 rpg.

The Huskies averaged 77.5 ppg and 41.9 rpg last season and there is no reason those already impressive numbers can't be improved upon with their returning talent. At the perimeter, A.J. Price and Jerome Dyson are both big time talents and they averaged 14.5 ppg and 12.5 ppg, respectively, last season. The 6-2 Price also ran the show by dishing out 5.8 apg, while the 6-3 Dyson had 42 steals. There is no drop off in the frontcourt either, as Jeff Adrien and Hasheem Thabeet are two of the top big men around. The 6-7 Adrien nearly averaged a double-double with 14.8 ppg and 9.1 rpg and he shot 50.0 percent from the field. Thabeet, a one-time project with a 7-3, 236-pound frame, has developed nicely and turned in 10.5 ppg and 7.9 rpg, while finishing third in the nation with 147 blocks. With another year of experience behind him, expect Thabeet to be even more of a dominant force this time around.

UConn is the obvious choice here, as it should be able to dominate inside and out, en route to a convincing victory.

Predicted Outcome

Connecticut 90, Western Carolina 59