Storrs — Dan Hurley pointed to a banner featuring UConn basketball legend Kemba Walker on the practice facility wall on Tuesday while fondly recalling his last time walking the sideline as a head coach at Madison Square Garden.

In January of 2008, Hurley's St. Benedict's Prep team beat Rice High School and Walker, 55-52, in a battle between two nationally-ranked high school teams in the Nike Super Six Invitational before 4,500 fans at the Garden. One Rice assistant coach was Kimani Young, who's now on Hurley's staff at UConn.

Samardo Samuels earned game most valuable player honors with 14 points and 13 rebounds for the winners while Walker finished with 18 points and eight turnovers.

Hurley will return to the Mecca of college basketball on Thursday as UConn faces former Big East rival Syracuse in the semifinals of the 2K Empire Classic.

"My last time there as a head coach I was able to get an all-timer here and I beat Kimani, so it went well for me," Hurley said. "That was a big Nike event that they ran for years, the Nike Super Six. It was a great thrill, especially as a high school coach."

UConn (2-0) will play two games in the 2K Empire Classic, playing either No. 13 Oregon or Iowa on Friday.

It will be the 95th meeting in the series with Syracuse (2-0), which is ranked 15th.

Hurley, a New Jersey native who grew up in Big East country and played at Seton Hall, looks forward to his first UConn-Syracuse game.

"It will be fun," Hurley said. "It's an exciting thing to be a part of. Obviously, great Big East memories there. The UConn-Syracuse rivalry, just all the great games played there and the great players, just to be a part of that is a pretty cool thing that's not lost on me.

"... As a kid, you dream of playing there and dream about coaching there, too, as you get later in life. There's no experience like pulling up on the bus in a city like that with an arena in the smack of the middle of it and just the history, and just getting on the elevator. The whole thing is never old. Ever."

Injury issues

UConn and Syracuse are both dealing with early-season injuries.

The Huskies will have reserve sophomore forward Isaiah Whaley available. He is working his way back from a sprained ankle that he suffered in the season opener last Thursday against Morehead State. Reserve forward Kassoum Yakwe is improving.

The Orange could still be without starting point guard Frank Howard, who missed the first two games with an ankle injury. Howard, a senior, returned to practice on Friday. Freshman reserve guard Jalen Carey has been limited by an ankle injury, averaging 16.5 minutes in on the first two games.

Freshman Buddy Boeheim, the coach's son, has started the first two games.

"Frank Howard's not back and Jalen Carey's been hurt," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said by phone on Tuesday. "When you're missing your point guard, you're not as consistent on either end of the court as you'd like to be. It's not likely they'll be at full strength, or at any strength this week. The other guys are doing what they can do to get better."

Homecoming for Yakwe

It will be a homecoming trip to New York for Yakwe, who spent the last four seasons at St. John's before transferring to UConn. He's played more games at Madison Square Garden than any of his teammates.

"We had pretty much nine or 10 games very single season, so it's home for me," Yakwe said. "I like playing there because of all the big-time players that played there. It means a lot to play there. It's history."

His favorite game at Madison Square Garden happens to be against Syracuse. During the 2015-16 season, Yakwe, then a freshman, had 15 points, three rebounds and two blocks in a win over the Orange.

"It was great to actually play against them," said Yakwe, who made his UConn debut in Sunday's win over Missouri-Kansas City after missing time due to a nagging foot injury.

g.keefe@theday.com