UConn HC Makes Bold Claim Before Big East Tournament
In this story:
The UConn Huskies closed their regular season with a 68–62 defeat to Marquette. The game broke UConn’s six-game winning streak in the series and repeated some familiar frustrations. The Huskies struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 3-for-24 from three, while 16 turnovers stalled the offense.
Yet even in the loss, there were moments when the Huskies looked dangerous. Tarris Reed Jr. continued his late-season surge with 16 points and 10 rebounds for his third straight double-double, while Silas Demary Jr. added 17 points and eight assists. The Huskies also dominated the glass with a 40-25 rebounding edge.
While such a defeat and their coach's ejection in March means trouble, Dan Hurley is not dwelling on it. He is, instead, turning his focus to the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. In fact, speaking to NBCSports, Hurley revealed what he thinks about his upcoming battle.
“I mean, when you've gone deep into the tournament like we've been able to do here, you realize that the second weekend is the only thing that surpasses the Big East Tournament,” Hurley said. “The Elite Eight, the Sweet Sixteen in a big spot. But the Big East Tournament, the electricity, the juice in the building, there's nothing like it outside of the second weekend and beyond. It's all you watched as a kid. It's your memories growing up with Pearl Washington versus Georgetown, St. John's. I remember Chris Mullin, Walter Berry, Willie Glass from Atlantic City. Those were your memories of college basketball. So to be a part of it is just a thrill.”
Despite the loss to Marquette, the Huskies and Hurley have a lot of reasons to believe they can create more of those “memories”. UConn finished the regular season 27–4 overall and 17–3 in the Big East, ranking them second in the conference behind St. John's.
UConn also ranks among the national leaders in defensive efficiency, holding opponents to just 65.3 points per game while sitting inside the top ten in multiple defensive metrics. Offensively, the Huskies are averaging 18.6 assists per game while leading the Big East in field-goal percentage. Still, Hurley knows the margins tighten once tournament play begins.
“I think if we had another regular-season game to play on Wednesday, I'd be really afraid for my team,” Hurley said. “But coming off that type of loss on the road to end the regular season and heading to NYC, with it being 60 degrees out and the snow melting, and we're heading for New York, we'll be ready to go.”
And if UConn plays the way it’s capable of, Madison Square Garden could soon feel exactly the way Hurley described.
Huskies Open Big East Run Against a Familiar Foe
The road begins at Madison Square Garden, where UConn will face Xavier in the Big East quarterfinals. Ideally, this is a game the Huskies should be confident about. When the two teams met early this season, the Huskies took a 28-point halftime lead before winning 92–60
Then again, Tournaments are unpredictable. The Huskies are participating in the Big East Tournament for the 39th time and hold a 43–30 all-time record in the event, with eight titles tied for the most in conference history, including last year’s championship run.
The Quarterfinal bracket is set! pic.twitter.com/xN6SWGdna4
— BIG EAST MBB (@BIGEASTMBB) March 12, 2026
If the Huskies win against Xavier, UConn moves into the semifinals for the sixth straight season, potentially setting up matchups with Villanova, DePaul, or Georgetown. There is also a looming possibility of the Huskies playing St. John’s again at MSG.
The Huskies split their regular-season meetings with the Red Storm, dropping the first matchup before winning the rematch later in the year. If both teams advance, Madison Square Garden would truly be, as Hurley said, “electric.”
-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.