STORRS – The UConn men's basketball team (23-10) is heading to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth-straight season. Connecticut has received an at-large bid to the Big Dance and the 8-seed in the West Region. The Huskies will face 9-seed Oklahoma (20-13) on Friday, March 21 in Raleigh, N.C. Tip time and TV network for the back-to-back national champs March Madness debut will be available later tonight.

The five-year NCAA streak is only the third in UConn program history - tied with the 2002-06 run under Jim Calhoun and a string from 1956-60 under Hugh Greer for the longest in program history. Dan Hurley has now taken seven teams to the NCAA Tournament, where he holds a 14-4 record, in his 15 seasons as a collegiate head coach.

UConn enters the Big Dance coming off a run to the BIG EAST Tournament semifinals and winners of five of their last six. The Huskies compiled a 23-10 record during the regular season and finished third in the BIG EAST with a 14-6 league record. Connecticut won seven true road games this year and compiled a 13-9 record in Quads 1+2, including marquee wins over Baylor, Gonzaga, at Texas, at Marquette and at Creighton.

Oklahoma earned an at-large bid out of the SEC conference. The Sooners are 20-13 this season and went 6-12 in league play. OU ranks 43^rd in NET and holds an 11-12 against the top two Quads. The Huskies and Sooners have squared off four times in the past, playing consecutive home-and-home series from 2002-05. UConn is 1-3 against OU, with the win coming at Gampel Pavilion in 2004. They have never met on a neutral floor.

The Huskies have relied on the strength of their potent offense this season, ranking among the top 15 in Kenpom offensive efficiency throughout the season. Connecticut is top-20 nationally in assists per game, assist/turnover ratio, free throw percentage and assist rate while leading the BIG EAST in field goal percentage.

Solo Ball leads the balanced UConn attack with 14.6 points per game, followed closely by Liam McNeeley at 14.5 and Alex Karaban with 14.4. Ball is among the nation's most efficient 3-point shooters and ranks 21^st nationally and first in the BIG EAST with a 42.2 percent mark from downtown. McNeeley is the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and adds 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting a team-best 86.1 percent from the stripe.

Ball and Karaban were both All-BIG EAST Second Team picks. Karaban captains the Huskies and does a bit of everything, adding 5.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 35.7 percent from 3-point range and 83.9 percent from the foul line. Hassan Diarra is top-25 nationally with 5.8 assists per game and adds 7.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals per contest.

The Huskies have been strong at the rim this season and lead the country with 6.4 blocked shots per game. Connecticut has deployed a highly effective tandem once again at the center spot, with Samson Johnson serving as the regular starter and averaged 7.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 77.1 percent from the floor. That mark ranks fifth in the nation and would set the UConn single-season record – currently held by Johnson. He is backed up by BIG EAST Sixth Man of the Year Tarris Reed Jr., who contributes 9.7 points, a team-high 7.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 67.7 percent from the field. He is among the nation's leaders in offensive and defensive rebound percentage and has helped UConn move into the top-20 nationally with a +6.4 rebounding margin.

Joining UConn and Oklahoma in Raleigh are top seed Florida (30-4) and 16-seed Norfolk State (24-10) with the winners set to square off on Sunday, March 23. Tip time and TV information for that game will be announced following the conclusion of Friday action.