For members of the Massachusetts men’s basketball program and all those who support and follow the Minutemen, Jim Calhoun’s Connecticut Huskies are the bad guys — the bitter rival that is easy to hate, hard to compete with and near-impossible to beat. Despite their best efforts, the Minutemen haven’t beaten UConn since 1983, and have watched the Huskies capture national titles in 1998 and 2003.

However with the dawn of a new season comes hope, and with that a slight glimmer of faith. Tonight, Massachusetts and Connecticut meet again in the latest renewal of a rivalry that has the potential to be great, yet has never reached the point of being competitive. In a make-or-break season for UMass and coach Steve Lappas, the opportunity to finally topple its favorite enemy is clearer than ever.

With the raucous UMass student section likely to be filled for the first time since the last meeting between the two schools three years ago, UMass has a chance to re-ignite a passion for basketball this campus once cherished with just one win. To do just that, here’s what the Minutemen must do:

Rebound, Rebound, Rebound

Entering play averaging more than 60 rebounds per game, the Huskies are easily the best rebounding squad the Minutemen will face all season. While it’s not realistic for Lappas to ask his team to break even with UConn on the glass, the Minutemen must avoid being dominated on both ends if they want to hang in the game.

With five solid big men 6-foot-9 or taller, UMass is clearly outmatched and outsized along the front line. With that being said, whoever Lappas employs to guard Josh Boone, Charlie Villanueva, Rudy Gay, Hilton Armstrong and Ed Nelson/Marcus White must box out, and box out consistently. If UConn’s big men are allowed to camp out down low, their superior height and athleticism will translate into one-shot possessions for UMass and fast-breaks for the Huskies on one end, and easy put-backs for UConn on the other end.

Slow the Pace of the Game

Northeastern proved to Lappas and his players that they must slow the game down to be successful, and that will be no different against UConn. Calhoun’s aggressive man-to-man defense is designed around denying position and the ball all over the offensive end to force bad shots, so UMass must be persistent in enforcing its will on offense.

Unlike what they did against NU, the Minutemen must be patient and work the shot clock, much like they did in jumping out to a 31-9 halftime lead over the Huskies in Hartford, Conn. two seasons ago. If they can hold their own on the offensive glass and thus prevent UConn from running up-and-down the court, the Minutemen will have the opportunity to set up their offense and execute it as planned, which will likely translate into numerous touches inside for Freeman, and open shots for UMass’ perimeter players.

Make Open Shots

If the aforementioned assertion of its offensive gameplan goes as planned, UMass clearly must make the open shots it earns to have success. While Anthony Anderson and Maurice Maxwell have enjoyed solid starts shooting the ball, backcourt mate Art Bowers and forward Jeff Viggiano have not. If the Minutemen hope to steal one from the Huskies, then all four of these players, among others, must knock down open shots consistently.

Shooting just five percent from 3-point range and barely better than that from inside the arc, Bowers’ woes can likely be attributed to what Lappas calls “Achilles tendonitis.” Nonetheless, the Maroon and White cannot afford a sub par effort from any of its main scorers, and Bowers must find a way to chip in and make the shots he is capable of making — whatever shots those may be.

Keep Freeman Involved

As he has, and will, over the course of UMass’ 2004-05 season, Freeman will draw double teams from buzzer to buzzer tonight, and must find a way to work out of them and contribute in the scorebook. After being held to just nine points against All-American center Ronny Turiaf in a loss to Gonzaga, Freeman must show he can get the best of other talented big men as he continued to establish himself on the national hoops scene, and must be able to break through against vicious double and triple teams tonight for UMass to have success.

At 6-foot-8, Freeman will be outsized across the board with whoever Calhoun employs to guard him, and must find a way to score despite this. As UMass’ foremost scoring option, he must remain persistent on offense and on the glass, and capitalize on any opportunity he receives to score or get to the line. If he is able to move bodies down low and force UConn’s big men into foul trouble, then he will keep Calhoun’s front line rotation back on its heels and put his team in position to develop a rhythm on both ends.

Stay Out of Foul Trouble

Very simply, the Minutemen have little to no chance against the Huskies if either Freeman or Stephane Lasme has to leave the game prematurely due to foul trouble.

Without a legitimate option in the post outside of freshmen Lawrence Carrier, who prefers to play the wing, and Jeff “Big Deli” Salovski, who is still a step or two behind in his conditioning, UMass will be caught with its pants down if it doesn’t have one or both of its big men to combat UConn’s mammoth front line.

Neither Lasme nor Freeman can pick up any cheap fouls, and must therefore be extremely cautious in how they play defense and rebound. If they are able to remain aggressive and hold their own without fouling, they will greatly improve UMass’ chances of holding its own.