3 Reasons The UConn Huskies Can Win The 2026 NCAA Championship
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The UConn Huskies may not have been able to complete the national championship three-peat, falling in the second round of March Madness last season. However, the Huskies should be right back in championship contention this year and have as good a chance as anyone to win the whole thing.
There are plenty of reasons why UConn can win a national championship during the 2026 season.
Let’s take a look at three of them.
Previous Championship Experience
It takes a lot to win a national championship, and thankfully, there are players on UConn’s roster who already know what it takes to do just that.
Alex Karaban already has two rings during his Huskies career, playing a key role on each of those teams. Then there is Jaylin Stewart and Solo Ball, who were members of UConn’s 2024 championship run.
Don’t underestimate this experience. This trio knows exactly what it takes to win a title and navigate March Madness and can lead the way for freshmen such as Braylon Mullins and Jacob Furphy, who have never been there before.
Purdue is going to be a threat, Houston will be elite again, and Florida is coming off a national championship victory. Still, they’ll be heavily relying on two freshmen and a duo of transfer portal adds to lead the way.
No roster in college basketball has the championship experience UConn has.
Dan Hurley
Many coaches will spend years at the college level and never win a championship. It’s even rarer for a coach to win multiple national titles. However, Dan Hurley can confidently say that he’s one of 16 college basketball coaches to have won numerous championships during their career.
This experience can’t be when it comes to the NCAA Tournament. Hurley knows what it takes to make it through a demanding.
Hurley is considered one of the best coaches in college basketball over the last 25 years. He knows how to get the most out of his players and teams, and is elite at game planning for his opponents.
No matter what the roster looks like, a Dan Hurley-led team always has the potential to make some noise in March. Luckily, this iteration of the Huskies is loaded with talent, and with Hurley at the helm, they have a great recipe to win their third championship in four seasons.
UConn’s Demanding Non-Conference Schedule
The only way to be the best is to beat the best, and that’s clearly the approach the Huskies took when considering their non-conference schedule.
The Huskies have matchups with Arizona, BYU, Florida, and Kansas at times throughout this season. All of those teams are recognized as top-25 teams heading into the new season.
UConn will have multiple tests throughout the year to see where they stands against college basketball’s best teams. These games will only make them more prepared come March.
Read More UConn Huskies Coverage:
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MORE: UConn Lineman Wes Hoeh Named to Preseason Award Watchlist
MORE: UConn Huskies Legend Diana Taurasi Reflects on Shaping the Rise of Women’s Basketball
Tommy Wild has been primarily contributing across the Browns, Guardians and Cavaliers sites in the On SI network since 2022. Born, raised, and having graduated from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Tommy knows firsthand how passionate the fan base is and he does his best to replicate that in his writing.