UConn didn’t just unveil its 2026-27 nonconference schedule Thursday afternoon. It took a swing at Duke while doing it.
The Huskies used the “Last Meeting” section of the release to revisit Braylon Mullins’ unforgettable 35-foot shot in the final seconds of the 2026 Elite Eight, the one that wiped out a 19-point first-half deficit and sent UConn past Duke in a game that instantly became part of the program’s lore. Instead of a standard recap, UConn went with Ian Eagle’s TNT call from the finish.
The quote reads as follows: “Get it in to Boozer, back for Sarr, ahead, Boozer, that ball deflected! And stolen by Mullins! Karaban, two seconds, Mullins, tosses it up…OOHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
The jab landed far beyond Storrs. ESPN and other outlets picked up on the playful dig, and UConn’s schedule release quickly made the rounds. It also fit the tone of a nonconference slate that is loaded with heavyweight names, including Michigan, Ohio State, Kansas, Virginia, Arizona and Illinois.
Mullins’ shot nudged the all-time series to 6-5 in Duke’s favor, with six of the 11 meetings coming in the NCAA Tournament. The rivalry has stretched back to the 1964 East Regional Final, when Duke rolled to a 101-54 win over first-year UConn head coach Fred Shabel after putting up 64 first-half points.
That 2026 Elite Eight finish also carried a bit of historical payback. Duke’s Christian Laettner had broken UConn’s heart 36 years earlier with his double-clutch finish just inside the 3-point line in the 1990 East Regional Final, a 79-78 Blue Devils win. UConn later answered with four straight victories over Duke from 1999 through 2014, including another 79-78 result in the 2004 Final Four in San Antonio.
The teams are set to meet again this season on Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The game will air on Amazon Prime, with tipoff time still to be determined.
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