Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

UConn's first flight in a month turned into a nightmare full of multiple delays

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 4/4/24

The UConn men's basketball team went one month between flights before a wild adventure full of delays that stretched into early Thursday morning.

That should read NCAA handles all *travel* in tweet below. https://t.co/moxljKjdOx
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 3, 2024

The plane from Cincinnati would require a fuel stop because it’s smaller. The Huskies are going to get to Arizona with hours to spare before Thursday media availability. They have tried for an hour working every charter possible, but nothing is available for the next five hours.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 3, 2024

Obviously a travel disaster for the No. 1 overall seed. All other teams are on the ground in Arizona. Alabama and Purdue got in yesterday, NC State just landed in the past hour.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 3, 2024

Latest from UConn to @CBSSports: A smaller plane is currently scheduled to arrive from Cincinnati a little after 11 ET. UConn’s had to trim its travel party, but will still be a flight time decision as far as refueling. “It’s going to come down to weight,” I’m told.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 4, 2024

In what has turned into the most absurd story of the day and one of the stranger ones in recent memory, I can report that UConn is speeding down the runway now and taking off, per people on the plane.

1:33 am ET

Can’t wait for Dan Hurley’s press conference tomorrow.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 4, 2024

The Huskies' penultimate regular season contest was on March 6 on the road against Marquette before they needed to travel only 50 miles from their Storrs, Connecticut, campus to close the campaign vs. Providence.

UConn then won the Big East Tournament, which takes place just under 150 miles away at Madison Square Garden. Coach Dan Hurley's crew has coasted to the Final Four over the past two weeks with a pair of victories at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and two more easy wins at TD Garden in Boston.

The men's Final Four will be held Saturday to Monday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Following a nearly five-hour flight in a "smaller" Allegiant airplane, the Huskies arrived at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix at approximately 3:15 a.m. local time, according to an Associated Press and ESPN report.

On the ground in AZ #MadeForMarch | #MixForSix pic.twitter.com/X4WfcWncPI
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) April 4, 2024

No. 1 UConn will play the fourth-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide in the national semifinals at 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday. If the Huskies advance, they'll face the winner of No. 1 Purdue and No. 11 North Carolina State in the national championship game on Monday night.

UConn looks to become the first program since the 2006-07 Florida Gators to win back-to-back titles.

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