UConn coach Dan Hurley has led the No. 5 Huskies to an impressive 8-1 start to the season as he attempts to return his team to the elite status that was stripped away last season when they fell short of a three-peat national championship. The team that knocked them out of contention for a natty, the No. 18 Florida Gators, is up next on their schedule.
Hurley and Florida coach Todd Golden have won three of the last national championships and will clash once again at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday evening in a heavyweight matchup.
Dan Hurley Reveals Emotions at Florida Rematch
The Huskies entered the 2025 NCAA Tournament as a No. 8 seed versus the Gators’ No. 1 seed, and despite being heavy underdogs, they still pushed Golden’s team to the limit in a narrow 77-75 second-round loss.
During his media availability before the Huskies face the Gators on Tuesday, Hurley revealed his emotions at rewatching footage of the teams’ NCAA Tournament clash that ended his hopes for a three-peat.
“I got a lot of respect for those guys. I have a lot of respect for Todd (Golden). I loved the team,” Hurley said. “They truly earned that championship with the quality of teams they had to beat along the way, and then some games where they were tested and had to show the heart of a champion, the will, and the execution. It was all on display.”
“It didn’t make me too sad. It made me think how worthy of a champion they were and how far off we were last year, but we still played our way into an opportunity.”
The Gators have had an inconsistent start to the season, with a 5-3 record, including losses to the No. 13 Arizona Wildcats, TCU Horned Frogs, and the No. 4 Duke Blue Devils. On the other hand, the Huskies have only suffered a close 71-67 defeat to the No. 4 Wildcats.
Further, during the conference, Hurley predicted that the Gators would have a say in where the national championship ends up this season.
“Florida’s as big a challenge as anyone we’ve faced or anyone that we’ve seen,” Hurley said. “You’ll see them go on the road and show that championship DNA… When it’s all said and done, whoever wins the national championship come March, come April, the Florida Gators are going to have a lot to say about that.”
The clash between Florida and UConn on Tuesday could well serve as a barometer of both teams’ standing in college basketball this season after retooling their rosters via recruitment and the transfer portal.
