UConn HC Applauds Seton Hall for Big East Rise
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The UConn Huskies' season has opened with the familiar hum of a contender. The offense is still catching its rhythm, but the defense feels ready for March. The Huskies are now sitting on an 8-1 record, with their only loss being to Arizona.
Soon, the non-conference schedule will be behind them, and the Big East opponents will start coming in. However, before that happens, Dan Hurley, during a recent press conference, went on to talk about one of his opponents. Hurley went on to praise Seton Hall and their coach, Shaheen Holloway.
Under Holloway, the Pirates transformed from a preseason afterthought into a 25-win force last year. They went on to claim the NIT championship and had the most wins since the 2015–16 season. In fact, they even took down the Huskies in the regular season last year with a 68-69 win.
They had a 13–7 conference record despite being picked ninth, and turned the Prudential Center into a cauldron with 13 home victories. That momentum hasn’t faded just yet. Seton Hall sits at a 9–1 record this season, and of course, it caught Hurley’s attention.
“Yeah, I mean, they made a great start. I’m happy for Shaheen because he’s a friend and someone I’ve got a lot of respect for as a coach. And I love it for the league. What he’s done for the Big East has been big. So from a selfish standpoint, I’m thrilled for the Big East and for him as a friend and as a coach,” Hurley said.
Holloway’s rise backs it up. In just two seasons, he delivered Seton Hall its second NIT title and its first since 1953. He also produced the winningest first year for any Seton Hall head coach with seven total wins, 10 Big East victories, and a postseason berth.
This Elijah Fisher and-1 from yesterday's win had @DavePopkin fired up 🔥
— Seton Hall Men's Basketball (@SetonHallMBB) December 7, 2025
You can listen to every Seton Hall game on the @SHUAthletics Mobile App and the Varsity Network App.#DDD pic.twitter.com/7Y81v39Tcw
“There are years where you get it really right, and there are years where you don’t get it quite as right in terms of the group you put together and how they reflect you as a coach,” added Hurley. “The group he’s put on the court this year, they’re really good, obviously aggressive, and attacking players. But more than that, they fight. They might be the hardest-playing team I’ve seen on a night-in, night-out basis. They play so hard, and they just reflect Shaheen.”
This year, Holloway absolutely got it right. AJ Staton-McCray has been scoring 13.9 points per game while shooting 39.6% from three, giving the Pirates a dependable perimeter threat. Meanwhile, Tajuan Simpkins has been averaging 11.2 points on elite efficiency, making 48.1% from deep, while Adam “Budd” Clark is steadying the backcourt.
The Pirates have stayed perfect at home, winning six straight in Newark, and their balanced road and neutral-site success shows a maturity that can travel. It’s the clearest sign yet that the Big East race will not resemble past seasons where UConn separated early.
When Does Dan Hurley’s Huskies Face Seton Hall?
UConn’s non-conference slate wraps soon after a marquee matchup with the Texas Longhorns at the XL Center. Then comes the Big East gauntlet. The Huskies move through Butler, DePaul, Xavier, Marquette and Providence. Then on January 13, the Huskies face Seton Hall, under the lights at Prudential Center.
UConn and Seton Hall have met 55 times, and the Huskies hold a 37–18 edge. The rivalry has delivered tight battles, including UConn’s 57–56 win in 1999 and Seton Hall’s 67–66 upset in 2023. However, the rivalry has tilted back and forth over the decades.
SETON HALL PIRATES WITH THE STEAL AND BUCKET FOR THE WIN OVER UCONN 😱 😱 pic.twitter.com/c5HXMzojw9
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 15, 2025
UConn owns the largest margin, a 99–57 blowout in 2006. Last season, despite the regular-season defeat, the Huskies settled that battle in March with an 81-50 win. So when the Huskies walk into Newark on January 13, the Huskies will be stepping into a building where Holloway has rebuilt a fortress. And for Hurley, that’s exactly what makes the league better.
-fd44250df32912986cc6690f0b8bfa32.png "Shivani Menon")
Shivani Menon is a sports journalist with a background in Mass Communication and a passion for storytelling. She has written for EssentiallySports, College Sports Network, and PFSN, covering Olympic sports like track and field, gymnastics, and alpine skiing, as well as college football, basketball, March Madness, and the NBL Draft. When she's not reporting, she's either on the road chasing sunsets or getting lost in the rhythms of electronic soundscapes.