Depending on your point of view, interrupting conference play for an out-of-league showdown is a golden opportunity or an unwelcome disruption.

UConn coach Kevin Ollie is all for it.

Bring on Georgetown, which visits the XL Center in Hartford on Saturday for a nationally-televised game (noon, Ch. 3) between two old Big East rivals.

"This is great, especially for our guys just to get us out of conference a little bit," Ollie said after practice Friday. "I love it. It's really getting our guys motivated. We've got a great opportunity to get a great win and boost our RPI, which we're looking for."

Georgetown coach John Thompson III prefers another time to renew the storied rivalry.

"It just turned out this is when they could do it," Thompson told reporters at Georgetown Thursday. "I wanted the series. ... We're in the middle of Big East play. To step aside and have a very important, very big, very emotional non-conference game, in my perfect world ... I'd rather not do that."

One thing the two coaches can agree on is the importance of the non-conference finale for both programs.

Saturday's victor will earn a resume-building victory and carry an extra dose of confidence back into conference play.

The American Athletic Conference Huskies (13-5) are treating it like a heavyweight fight. The Hoyas (12-7), who sit in second place in the Big East, are riding momentum from Tuesday's 81-72 road upset of No. 5 Xavier.

"They just beat the No. 5 team in the country (Xavier)," senior Omar Calhoun said. "If we win that game, it's going to help us a lot and will be a big win for us going into Cincinnati (Thursday). I feel like we're ready. We're all locked in and focused. We know how big this game is, so I feel like we're going to come out with a lot of energy."

Calhoun was a key figure in the last meeting, sinking a 3-pointer before the buzzer in a intensely competitive game that Georgetown won in double overtime, 79-78, on Feb. 27, 2013, at Gampel Pavilion. He called the shot probably the biggest of his UConn career.

No Husky, outside of the UConn coaching staff, knows Georgetown better than graduate guard Sterling Gibbs, who played four games against the Hoyas during his two seasons at Seton Hall before transferring to UConn.

Two of Gibbs' brothers — Ashton and T.J. — both were recruited by the Hoyas before choosing other schools. He's also been friends with Georgetown junior Reggie Cameron since the fifth grade.

"Their program speaks for itself," Gibbs said. "Their style of play has been around for years. They have some great players. ... It's going to be tough for us, but, I think we're up for the challenge.

Georgetown is difficult to defend, running sort of a Princeton-style offense complete with back-cuts, pick-and-rolls and lethal 3-point shooting. Its attack flows through senior guard D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, the team's leading scorer who's averaging 18.9 points and 5.6 assists in the last seven games.

The Hoyas will have a size advantage up front, where 7-foot, 275-pound center Bradley Hayes resides. So they have capable weapons inside and outside. And they're sound defensively, too.

UConn's defense, which has limilted its last four foes to a combined 33 percent from the field and an average of 59.2 points per game, will be on high alert.

"They execute their offense very, very well," Ollie said. "We know the tendencies of it and we've got a game plan for it, so hopefully it works. I want see our guys play with effort and attitude and then we'll see where the chips fall when the game is over with."

According to Ollie, other keys will be transition defense, eliminating points in the paint and winning the rebounding battle.

The road to a potential major victory will be much smoother if UConn can fire up its sputtering offense. The Huskies have failed to reach the 70-point mark in four of the last five games.

"We're working it out," Ollie said. "We've got to make some shots."

g.keefe@theday.com

Twitter: @GavinKeefe

UCONN vs. GEORGETOWN

Location: XL Center, Hartford

Tip: Noon (Ch. 3)

Records: UConn 13-5, Georgetown 12-7

Last game: UConn beat Tulane, 60-42, Tuesday; Georgetown won at No. 5 Xavier, 81-72

Probable starters, UConn, 6-2 grad. guard Sterling Gibbs (12.9 pts, 2.7 assists), 6-3 fr. guard Jalen Adams (5.8 pts), 6-7 so. forward Daniel Hamilton (12.2 pts, 8.7 rebs, 4.8 assists), 6-7 grad. forward Shonn Miller (13.5 pts, 5.5 rebs), 6-10 sr. forward Phil Nolan (1.6 pts, 1.6 rebs)

Georgetown, 6-2 so. guard Tre Campbell (4.6 pts), 6-3 sr. guard D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera (16.4 pts, 4.4 assists, 3.2 rebs), 6-7 jr. forward Reggie Cameron (6.9 pts, 2.7 rebs), 6-9 so. forward Isaac Copeland (10.6 pts, 4.9 rebs), 7-0 sr. center Bradley Hayes (8.5 pts, 6.6 rebs)

Noteworthy: Non-conference finale for Huskies, stand at 9-3. ... Renewal of rivalry that dates back to UConn's Big East days. ... Series: UConn trails 35-29, losing last meeting, 79-78 (2OT), in 2013. Dropped six of last eight. ... Hoyas reside in 2nd place in Big East, Huskies tied for 3rd in AAC. ... Georgetown owns wins over Xavier, Syracuse and Wisconsin. ... Top reserve: so. guard L.J. Peak (9.7 pts). ... Hoyas holding foes to 38.8 percent from field. Reserves average 22.3 pts per game. ... Gibbs, an ex-Seton Hall guard, averaged 17 pts in 4 career games vs. Georgetown. ... Hot: Huskies sinking 81 percent (68-for-84) from FT line in last 4 games. Cold: UConn's foes shooting 33 percent in last 4 games. ... UConn hit a 3-pter in 227 straight games. ... Injury news: jr. Amida Brimah (broken finger) out. ... Up next: UConn hosts Cincinnati Thursday in Hartford

— Gavin Keefe