SEATTLE – This year’s UConn men’s basketball nonconference schedule, at least the three top 10 matchups, were decided toward the end of last season, as the program reestablished itself among the best in the nation. As it turned out, all of the nonconference games against major conference opponents were on neutral courts or on the road.
“Right now we have our program in a place where we look like one of the top teams. When you are, you get these types of games,” Hurley told reporters before Friday’s game against No. 10 Gonzaga in Seattle.
Thus far, the Huskies have yet to disappoint. Even in the first loss of the year, fans who made the trip had a once-in-a-lifetime, bucket list type of experience in Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse. Those who couldn’t make it got to watch their team, in December, play an intense, close game against one of the sport’s most storied programs. A much shorter trip for three games in Madison Square Garden provided a similar thrill.
“That grouping this year with those big nonconference games, they’ve just been really exciting matchups,” Hurley said. “I think with where we’re at as a program, we’re just looking at these games like we’re playing three or more of the best teams in the country – none of which are at home, they’re all neutral or on the road.”
After that lone true road game in Kansas, Hurley stressed the importance for high-profile programs to meet early in the season to bring necessary attention to the sport. As the defending national champs, UConn took advantage of its status and was finally able to schedule events like the Empire Classic, the Jimmy V Classic and Friday’s Seattle Tip-Off.
But Hurley’s ultimate hope is that blue-blood programs and others at the top of the sport will be willing to schedule home-and-home series with the Huskies going forward. He even, a bit sarcastically, called out programs like Duke, Kansas, North Carolina and others.
“I know that it’s frustrating for fans that these games aren’t being played on campus,” Hurley said. “I think this is a one-off in terms of it being an outlier year where we didn’t get any of these games at home which sucks for our fans but it’s been good for our brand overall. And it’s a one-off, there won’t be any more years where we don’t get one or more of these in Gampel or at the XL.”
The last time UConn hosted a ranked nonconference opponent was in November 2019, when it beat 15th-ranked Florida, 62-59, at Gampel Pavilion. At that time, the Huskies playing their final season in the American Athletic Conference, the idea of scheduling that game didn’t have the intimidation factor that it would now. And, UConn returned the favor when it went to Florida last year, winning that one as well, 75-54.
Still, the way this year’s nonconference slate shook out should benefit the team down the line.
“It’s just a great way to test yourself in both the Big East Conference and then these types of matchups will pay big dividends in March when you’re only playing the best teams,” Hurley said. “And we’ll have experience playing the best teams that college basketball can offer.”
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