UConn HC Downplays St. John’s Ahead of Big East Tournament

Dan Hurley hints St. John’s may not be the UConn Huskies’ biggest Big East Tournament threat, despite a looming MSG rematch.

Feb 28, 2026; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley watched from the sideline as they take on the Seton Hall Pirates at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The UConn Huskies are nearing the end of their regular season. In their penultimate game against Seton Hall, the Huskies won 71-67. UConn had a 10-0 run before closing the game with clutch stops and free throws in the final minutes.

The Huskies shot 45.7 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from deep while forcing nine steals. Now, with the season almost ending, Dan Hurley and his squad will soon shift focus to the Big East Tournament.

With the Tournament comes the possibility of facing foes the Huskies have fallen to earlier this season. In fact, not so long ago, Hurley spoke with Jon Rothstein and discussed facing these teams.

“Yeah, I mean it only registers now as you're saying it because all you're thinking about is the next one. Really, you're thinking about Marquette over the weekend and getting that 18th conference win. Then you go from there,” Hurley started.

While the approach is optimistic, the Tournament also brings the possibility of another match against St. John’s at Madison Square Garden. The two teams have already split their regular-season battles this year.

The first meeting came at Madison Square Garden earlier in the season, where St. John’s took down UConn with an 81-72 defeat. That loss broke the Huskies’ 18-game winning streak. The Huskies shot 55 percent from three. However, the difference came at the free-throw line, where the Red Storm attempted 31 free throws compared to UConn’s 12.

But when the teams met again recently, the tables turned. The Huskies took down St. John’s 72-40 at PeoplesBank Arena. The Huskies held the Red Storm to 19.6 percent shooting, including just 2-of-28 from three in the second half, and St. John’s went the final 17:28 without a field goal.

The Red Storm seems to be gaining ground at MSG. In fact, Hurley himself, after winning the last game, went on to say, “I do want to move that Big East Tournament somewhere else because I think St. John’s is too big of an advantage to play in the Big East Tournament at MSG now that their fan base has, you know, woken up and packs that place.”

St John’s is no doubt one of the best teams in the Big East this season; however, Hurley seems to be more worried about facing two other teams.

“I think there are definitely teams in this league that could potentially knock us both (St.John’s and UConn) off before you get there. We just played one of them, potentially the Seton Hall team. I wouldn't enjoy playing them in a Big East Tournament again, or Villanova, or some of these teams that can definitely pick you off,” Hurley said.

Last look at the standings before we start the final games of the regular season 👀 pic.twitter.com/WBQsaonbmI

— BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) March 3, 2026

Those comments carry weight considering how both teams have played UConn this season. The Huskies have beaten Seton Hall twice this season, including the recent 71-67 win in Storrs and an earlier 69-64 road win. Meanwhile, UConn beat the Wildcats 75-67 in Hartford before pulling away late for a 73-63 win in Philadelphia.

Yet, despite it all, Hurley did admit that the idea of another St. John’s showdown in New York has its appeal.

“But that would be pretty cool,” Hurley added. “A Saturday night game, UConn vs. St. John's at the Garden. That would be a pretty cool way to end it.”

Huskies Have One More Game Before Big East Tournament

Before any postseason drama begins, UConn has one more regular-season game. The Huskies take a road trip to Marquette to play at Fiserv Forum. Since 2006, the Huskies have held a 14-8 record in the series and have won six straight meetings. Additionally, UConn defeated Marquette 73-57 earlier this season.

That game is the final test before the Big East Tournament begins March 11 at Madison Square Garden.UConn, St. John’s, and Villanova have separated themselves from the rest of the league with double-digit conference wins, making them the most likely contenders to cut down the nets in New York.

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