Dan Hurley took over the UConn Huskies’ men’s basketball program’s head coaching duties in 2018. Over the next five years, he instilled a new mentality and culture within the program, which led to back-to-back NCAA titles in 2023 and 2024.
Last season, Hurley’s team was the runner-up in the NCAA Tournament, losing 63-69 in the finals against the Michigan Wolverines. The loss has only motivated Hurley to make his team a stronger contender next season.
Hurley was praised last year for his team’s non-conference schedule. This year, he has scheduled tougher matchups for his team, and CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein believes he’s “raising the bar at UConn.”
UConn’s non-conference schedule in 2026-27 includes a national title rematch against Michigan at TD Garden in Boston. UConn will also play Ohio State, Duke in Las Vegas, Arizona, Illinois at United Center, Kansas, and Virginia at MSG.
A non-conference schedule doesn’t get better than that, and Rothstein heaped praise on Dan Hurley on Inside College Basketball.
“Shouts to UConn coach Dan Hurley. Dan Hurley keeps raising the bar with UConn’s non-conference schedule. The schedule last year was the best in the history of UConn basketball from a non-conference perspective. This schedule is better,” Rothstein said.
“This is the amazing thing when we look at that schedule. The team that has the worst preseason rating of all those teams, according to the Rothstein 45…is Kansas,” he added. “All three teams that were in the Final Four, Arizona, Michigan, and Illinois, UConn is playing.”
Rothstein said that UConn’s Thanksgiving Eve matchup in Las Vegas against Duke will be one of the most anticipated non-conference matchups in years.
Jon Rothstein Praised Dan Hurley’s Scheduling
Rothstein said that the UConn Huskies have a huge fan following in the Northeast. He recalled having a conversation with Dan Hurley when he was on his book promo tour, and he felt like UConn should drop in for those fans every year.
Rothstein believes that the games scheduled at Madison Square Garden and in Boston indicate that the UConn program has understood the power of their fan following and they’re giving fans what they want for the second year in a row.
UConn will play the national championship game rematch against the Michigan Wolverines at TD Garden in Boston, and they will face Virginia at MSG.
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