In a recent piece he published for ESPN, Dick Vitale ranked the top 16 teams before the start of the 2024-25 college basketball season. Of course, the UConn Huskies are on that list, positioned third overall– behind the Kansas Jayhawks of Bill Self and the Alabama Crimson Tide of Nate Oats.
For Vitale, Dan Hurley’s squad can top the field again. It is going to be easier said than done for the Huskies, but they have what it takes, beginning with their head coach.
Dare I mention “three-peat”? Dan Hurley certainly has the semblance of a team that can make another run with St. Mary’s transfer Aidan Mahaney joining Hassan Diarra in the backcourt. Alex Karaban headlines the frontcourt and is the early front-runner for Big East player of the year.
The UConn Huskies can’t be underestimated even with key departures
The Huskies have a shot at history, as a national title in 2025 would make UConn just the second team ever to win three straight NCAA tournament championships. The last (and only so far) program to do it was the UCLA Bruins, who topped the tourney for seven consecutive seasons, starting in 1967 and ending in 1973.
Hurley’s decision to stay in Storrs instead of moving to the pros to coach the Los Angeles Lakers was a huge shot in the arm of the Huskies, who defeated the San Diego State Aztecs and the Purdue Boilermakers in the 2023 and 2024 national title games, respectively.
Although Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer, Donovan Clingan, and Stephon Castle are all gone, Alex Karaban, Diarra, Samson Johnson, Solomon Ball and Jaylin Stewart are all running it back with the Huskies, who also have five-star recruit Liam McNeeley now in the mix. That’s not to mention transfers Aidan Mahaney (Saint Mary’s Gaels) and Tarris Reed Jr. (Michigan Wolverines).
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