By Saturday night, UConn's position could be significantly improved.

Or the Huskies could need some help over the regular season's final weeks.

It all depends on the results of the next two games.

UConn enters a crucial stretch Thursday night, hosting No. 21 Southern Methodist University (21-3, 9-3) at 8 p.m. at the XL Center in Hartford. Less than 48 hours later, it visits Cincinnati (19-7, 9-4) on Saturday afternoon. Both foes reside ahead of the Huskies (18-7, 8-4) in the American Athletic Conference standings.

Coach Kevin Ollie considers the short turnaround against quality competition good preparation for postseason.

"The NCAA tournament is going to be pretty much the same thing, Thursday and Saturday," Ollie said. "It's a good obstacle to face right now and get prepared for. ... To get a win against SMU and then turn around and get a win at Cincinnati would put (us) in a very, very good place."

The Huskies realize what's at stake, especially against the Mustangs, the last ranked team on their schedule. They've yet to defeat a top 25 opponent, losing to Gonzaga and Maryland.

"We know how big these two games are for us," senior Omar Calhoun said. "We're going to come out with a lot of energy and ready to play."

SMU has been on a mission since being banned from postseason play due to NCAA violations. During the preseason, the Mustangs set a goal to complete the season undefeated and then won their first 18 games despite playing with a shorthanded but very talented roster.

But they've stumbled lately, going 3-3 in the last six games. They remain very dangerous, leading the league in numerous categories, including scoring, 3-point field goal percentage and rebound margin. They attack inside with numbers and cash in a high percentage of offensive rebounds.

SMU, which resides in second place in the AAC behind Temple, still has a major goal within reach, and that's repeating as regular season champions.

"They lost a couple of games...," Ollie said. "But they're still playing great.  They're second in the nation in 3-point shooting. Their efficiency on offense is great. They're always stellar on the defensive end. We've got to get back in transition and play a solid game.

"We've got to rebound better. That's the one thing we've been emphasizing. The last two games, we slipped in the rebounding department. It's a must for us to rebound and contend with them on the backboards and then we can get out in transition."

In the short history of the AAC, SMU has dominated the series, losing only once in five league meetings. The Mustangs smothered the Huskies on the way to winning the AAC tournament championship game (62-54) last March 15 at the XL Center.

"In general, we've played our best basketball against them...," SMU coach Larry Brown said. "Any time you play UConn, even though I hate it because of Kevin, it's got to be a big game on our schedule."

Brown hates playing UConn because he's so fond of Ollie, a former player of his during Brown's NBA coaching days. Ollie feels the same about Brown, calling him a father figure and role model.

Ollie is not surprised that Brown has the Mustangs playing at a high level even though there's no postseason prize to play for.

"I knew coach Brown was going to keep a fire lit under them," Ollie said. "They're playing aggressive and want to win the conference outright. That's what they're playing for now. They're playing for the pride of SMU, trying to show up every day and every game and play their best basketball."

News and notes

• UConn recruit Zach Brown is back home in Miami after a short stint at Putnam Science Academy. He was reportedly asked to leave Putnam after recently being involved in a postgame incident. He committed to UConn last month and attended Miami High School in Florida before transferring to Putnam. ... In the latest NCAA RPI, UConn is 43rd and SMU 13th.

g.keefe@theday.com

Twitter: @GavinKeefe

UCONN vs. NO. 21 SMU

Location: XL Center, Hartford

Tip: 8 p.m. (ESPN2)

Records: UConn 18-7, 8-4; SMU 21-3, 9-3

Last game: UConn beat Tulsa, 75-73, Saturday; SMU defeated Gonzaga, 69-60, Saturday.

Probable starters: UConn, 6-2 grad. guard Sterling Gibbs (12.6 pts), 6-6 sr. guard Omar Calhoun (4.4 pts), 6-7 so. forward Daniel Hamilton (11.7 pts, 9.1 rebs, 5 assists), 6-7 grad. forward Shonn Miller (13.4 pts, 5.6 rebs), 7-0 center Amida Brimah (6.4 pts, 4.1 rebs, 2.4 blks).

SMU, 5-9 sr. guard Nic Moore (16.7 pts, 5.2 assists), 6-6 jr. guard Sterling Brown (9.6 pts, 4.5 rebs), 6-5 fr. guard Shake Milton (10.9 pts, 3 rebs), 6-8 jr. forward Ben Moore (12.1 pts, 7.1 rebs), 6-7 sr. forward Jordan Tolbert (11.8 pts, 8.7 rebs).

Noteworthy: First of two meetings this season. ... Series: UConn trails, 5-1, most recently losing 62-54 in AAC tournament title game March 15 at XL Center. Rodney Purvis led the Huskies with 29 pts. ... Mustangs ineligible for postseason play. ... Top reserve: sr. forward Markus Kennedy (9.5 pts, 6.2 rebs). ... Second-place Mustangs 3-3 in last six games after 18-0 start. ... Moore defending AAC player of the year. Leads league in assists, made 3-pters (2.7) and 2nd in scoring. ... In all games, SMU tops in AAC in scoring (79.4), FG percentage (50.1), reb margin (9.8) and assists (17.9) per game. ... UConn 0-2 vs. ranked teams, losing to Gonzaga and Maryland. ... Hot: SMU 3rd in nation in 3-pt FG percentage at 42.3. Cold: UConn's foes shooting 31.8 from 3-pt land, lowest mark since 2008-09 season. ... SMU 14-3 in last 17 road games, losing at UConn 81-73 last March 1. UConn 12-2 at home this season. ... Miller scored in double figures in 20 straight games. ... Key stat: Rebounding. Mustangs 7th in country in rebound margin. Huskies 15-1 when out-rebounding foes. ... Up next: UConn visits Cincinnati Saturday afternoon.

— Gavin Keefe