Once again, UConn’s men’s basketball calendar is stacked with games that will grab attention well beyond Storrs.
There are blue bloods on the schedule, rematches with Final Four and national title flavor, and a nonconference slate that sends the Huskies to Boston, New York, Chicago and Las Vegas before Big East play even settles in. That’s the backdrop for a team projected to sit near the top of the sport again in Year Nine under Dan Hurley, with seven games against opponents included in ESPN’s latest “way-too-early” top 25 and a few more that could work their way into the AP Top 25 by the time 2026-27 arrives.
Here are the 10 games that stand out most on the UConn slate:
1. Nov. 24 vs. Duke (Las Vegas)
This is the one that jumps off the page. UConn’s comeback from 19 points down against Duke produced the most memorable game of the 2025-26 season, and “The Shot” that finished it is still the image that lingers.
Now the Blue Devils get a shot at payback on Thanksgiving Eve in Las Vegas, and the matchup comes with plenty of star power again. Duke returns point guard Cayden Boozer and remains loaded with superstars and future pros.
It will be just the second meeting between the programs since 2014, and it also brings a reunion with Nik Khamenia, the former top-15 prospect who left Jon Scheyer for Dan Hurley soon after the transfer portal opened.
2. Nov. 6 vs. Michigan (Boston)
The edge of this one has dulled a bit with Dusty May going to the Dallas Mavericks, three Wolverines becoming first-round NBA Draft picks and Brandon McCoy Jr. tearing his ACL. Even so, the national championship rematch at TD Garden still carries major weight in the opening week of the season. Michigan will have a new coach in Mike Boynton, but it still brings back guards Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney, which keeps this one squarely in the spotlight.
**3. March 2 vs.
St. John’s**
Either meeting with St. John’s could have landed here, especially with the Madison Square Garden game set for a Friday night in late January.
But the return trip to Connecticut feels like the more consequential one, with both teams likely battling for position near the top of the Big East standings. Rick Pitino’s team has won back-to-back dual championships in the league, and he added the No. 1 portal class in the country, according to 247Sports.
4. Dec. 12 vs. Kansas
If this one takes place at Gampel Pavilion as expected, it could rank among the most anticipated games ever played there. Bill Self may not have his best Kansas team, but the Jayhawks are again expected to feature one of the nation’s top freshmen in Tyran Stokes, a 6-foot-7 playmaker who can fit anywhere from one through four. It’s the third meeting between these blue bloods since Hurley took over at UConn, and the first two were classics, both decided by five points or fewer at Phog Allen Fieldhouse.
5. Feb. 14 at Villanova
Valentine’s Day. Super Bowl Sunday.
UConn and Villanova in Philadelphia. That alone gives this one plenty of juice.
Add in Dan Hurley against Kevin Willard, and it has the feel of a marquee national event. Both programs have won four national championships in the last decade, and Willard’s second Villanova roster looks capable of pushing the Wildcats back toward the top tier.
The biggest addition is 7-foot-3 Italian center Luigi Suigo, who could be the top international prospect in the next NBA Draft.
6. Jan. 20 at Providence
Bryan Hodgson made an immediate splash after taking the Providence job by going into the pros to bring in Dink Pate, who has spent the last three years in the G League. Whether Pate plays or not, the approach alone should energize a Providence fan base that always turns up when UConn visits and Hurley is on the sideline. Last year’s dramatic comeback and overtime win for the Huskies sets the stage for another charged night.
7. Nov. 18 at Arizona
UConn will face each of last season’s Final Four teams, and this is one of the reasons the nonconference slate is so loaded. Arizona didn’t meet the Huskies on the biggest stage in Indianapolis, but it handed UConn its only nonconference loss last season with Braylon Mullins and Tarris Reed Jr. sidelined by injury. The matchup also gives the Huskies another look at their new front court, with Najai Hines set to match up against Motiejus Krivas.
8. Feb. 20 at Marquette
Even in a down season, Marquette still showed how dangerous Shaka Smart’s group can be. UConn knows that firsthand after blowing a chance at a share of the Big East regular season title in Milwaukee against a Golden Eagles team that finished with 12 wins. Smart had the best retention rate in the conference, including returning Big East Freshman of the Year Nigel James Jr., and also added help through the portal to strengthen the roster.
9. Dec. 4 vs. Illinois (Chicago)
Brad Underwood may be tired of seeing UConn by now. This will be the fourth meeting between the teams in as many years, with two in the regular season and two more in the Tournament, and Hurley’s Huskies have had the upper hand. The game in Chicago should draw a strong Illini crowd and likely brings a top-10 feel to a rematch of the most recent Final Four.
10. Dec. 20 vs. Virginia (MSG)
UConn has only one nonconference game at Madison Square Garden this season, which makes this one an easy inclusion. Virginia also appears to be moving in the right direction after winning 30 games in Ryan Odom’s first year. The Cavaliers return four potential starters from a team that got the program past the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.
Honorable mentions go to March 6 at Xavier and Feb. 7 vs. Creighton. Richard Pitino had more to work with in the transfer portal this offseason and should have Xavier more competitive in his second year, while Creighton moved on from Greg McDermott’s retirement with Alan Huss taking over and several players sticking around, including Jackson McAndrew, who missed almost all of last season with a foot injury.
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Ryan Boatrights post-playing career is already taking shape on the sideline, and it starts at the University of San Francisco. The former UConn national-champion point guard, who spent about a decade playing professionally overseas before retiring roughly a year ago, has moved into coaching after his playing days ended. His path has brought him to the West Coast, where he is beginning the next phase of his basketball life with a program that has been looking to fill out its staff.
What makes the move even more personal is how the opportunity surfaced. Boatrights connection to USF coach Chris Gerlufsen helped open the door, and the relationship between their families played a role in getting the conversation going after a spot on the staff opened up. For UConn fans, it is another reminder that Boatright remains close to the game and is already finding his footing in a new role. [Read more 🡒]
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What stands out most is the structure the conference is keeping in place, with every team facing the same grind of the full round robin. For UConn, that means the usual balancing act of road tests, home stretches and the kind of late-season pressure that tends to decide seeding and momentum, even before the tournament bracket comes into view. [Read more 🡒]