UConn’s first real marker that basketball season is around the corner comes Thursday in New York City, where the Big East will stage its annual Media Day at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square.
It’s the league’s turn to kick off the yearly circuit, and the Huskies will be right in the middle of it. Coaches and players from all 11 men’s and 11 women’s teams will be on hand to field questions about what comes next, with Peacock set to stream the event live.
The men’s session opens at 9 a.m. ET, followed by the women at 12:30 p.m.
For UConn, the conversation is likely to land quickly on the same theme: unfinished business. Dan Hurley and Geno Auriemma, along with their players, should expect some version of the question about reaching the Final Four and coming up short of the championship.
That feeling is easy enough to understand. The men lost 69-63 to Michigan in the 2026 NCAA championship game. The women entered their semifinal against South Carolina at 38-0 and were stunned 62-48, falling short of a shot at the title game.
Now both programs turn the page to another season with familiar expectations. The UConn men are chasing their 40th NCAA Tournament appearance, ninth Final Four and seventh national championship.
Their season opens Nov. 2 against Gardner-Webb. The women, meanwhile, were denied a chance at back-to-back titles - which would have been their 13th - and begin Nov. 2 against Cornell.
Auriemma’s track record remains unmatched in scope. He has guided the Huskies to all 37 of their NCAA Tournament appearances and all 25 Final Fours, and UConn’s championship history under him includes titles in 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2025.
The Huskies’ representatives at Media Day mirror the shape of both rosters: a clear leader, promising sophomores expected to take another step, and veterans who matter to the program’s identity.
For the men, those players are Silas Demary Jr., Braylon Mullins and Jayden Ross. For the women, UConn will send Sarah Strong, Blanca Quiñonez and KK Arnold.
The rest of the Big East player list includes Butler’s Jalen Jackson, Drayton Jones, Asim Djulovic and Eduardo Klafke; Creighton’s Jasen Green, Jackson McAndrew and Wes Enis; DePaul’s Layden Blocker, Noah Meeusen and Théo Pierre-Justin; Georgetown’s Chol Machot, Kayvaun Mulready, Josiah Parker, Jaland Lowe and Elmarko Jackson; Marquette’s Nigel James Jr., Royce Parham, Sananda Fru and Adrien Stevens; Providence’s Malik Mack and Miles Byrd; St. John’s Ian Jackson and Ruben Prey; Seton Hall’s Roddie Anderson and Simeon Wilcher; Villanova’s Tyler Perkins and Kwame Evans Jr.; and Xavier’s Jovan Milicevic and Mike Nwoko.
In Other News...
UConn Faces A Much Tougher Syracuse Test Than The Record Shows
UConn gets Syracuse at noon Saturday in a matchup that looks a lot different once you dig past the record. The Orange are bringing in Steve Angeli as the starting quarterback, and they will have another layer of skill talent available as well, with receivers Umari Hatcher and Justus Ross-Simmons already giving that offense options to work with.
Calvin Russell III is also expected to be part of the mix for the first time after a remarkably quick recovery from an Achilles injury. For a UConn defense that has to prepare on a short week, that adds another name to track and another way Syracuse can stress a secondary that may have spent most of the week game-planning for one version of the Orange and now has to account for a more varied attack. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Fans Got One Tough Update In A Busy Huskies News Day
A busy stretch of UConn news brought a mix of scheduling updates and an unfortunate injury note, starting with the basketball side. The Huskies announced that tickets for the home preseason games against Texas and Purdue will go on sale Tuesday at 3 p.m. ET, a reminder that the new hoops season is already coming into focus as fans start circling dates on the calendar.
On the football side, UConn also locked in its matchup with Temple for October 10 at 3:45 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field, while the UConn Invitational golf tournament was trimmed to 36 holes because of rain and was set to finish Tuesday. The toughest update of the day, though, came from one of the program's former backs, as Cam Edwards now at Michigan State is dealing with a season-ending knee injury. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Faces A Familiar Problem In Jason Candles Biggest Test Yet
UConns home date with Syracuse on Saturday brings more than a Power 5 name onto the schedule. It also puts Jason Candle in a familiar football neighborhood, with connections across both sidelines and a test that comes with plenty of shared history. Syracuse is turning to Steve Angeli at quarterback, and the Orange are also expected to introduce freshman wide receiver Calvin Russell to college football in the same game.
The coaching overlap is just as notable for UConn. Candle and Syracuse defensive coordinator Vince Kehres worked together at Toledo, and UConn offensive coordinator Nunzio Campanile has Syracuse ties of his own, which gives the matchup an extra layer beyond the usual nonconference meeting. For Candle, it is the kind of game that can feel more personal than most, even before the ball is kicked off. [Read more 🡒]