Duke vs UConn: ‘Two of the biggest brands in college basketball going at it to make Final Four’

WASHINGTON – Things didn’t work quite as Dan Hurley hoped.

Earlier this week, the Connecticut coach implored fans of the Huskies and rival St. John’s to put aside the rivalry and root for each team to advance out of the East Region semifinals for the fourth matchup this season, this time in the Elite Eight.

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The No. 2 Huskies took care of their end of the bargain, beating No. 3 Michigan State 67-63 thanks to the play of veterans Alex Karaban, Tarris Reed Jr. and Solo Ball. But the No. 5 Red Storm couldn’t get over the hump against No. 1 Duke, losing 80-75 in the most physical game of this year’s NCAA Tournament.

March Madness Sweet 16 winners, losers: Big Ten puts 4 teams in Elite 8

More: Caleb Foster ‘had no business playing tonight.’ But he did — and led Duke to Elite 8

Instead of an all-Big East rematch, the Elite Eight will feature a rekindled rivalry between the Huskies and Blue Devils, who engaged in three similarly high-stakes tournament games in the 1990s culminating in a UConn win in 1999 for the first of the program’s six national championships.

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“UConn and Duke have been the two best college basketball programs on the men’s side in the last 30 years,” Hurley said. “So it’s a pretty cool matchup.”

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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach

UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach

UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach

UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts in the first half during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

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Publish date : 2026-03-28 22:31:00

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