Dan Hurley Makes Exciting UConn Announcement on Friday

As of now, there’s no word yet on who UConn’s opponent will be—but whoever it is, expect a heavyweight showdown.

The biggest offseason headline for UConn so far? Star forward Alex Karaban decided to skip the 2025 NBA Draft and return for his senior year. That’s a massive win for Hurley and the program.

The Huskies also made some noise in the transfer portal. Most recently, they landed Malachi Smith from Dayton. Smith played 86 games during his career with the Flyers and averaged 10.4 points per game last season.

They also picked up Silas Demary Jr., a former Georgia Bulldog, who brings SEC experience and more backcourt depth to the table.

Those two additions will complement a strong incoming recruiting class featuring Darius Adams, Jacob Furphy, Braylon Mullins, and Eric Reibe.

The Jimmy V Classic has delivered great hoops since it tipped off in 1995. For its first eight years, it was held at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Since 2003, it’s been played annually at Madison Square Garden, except in 2020, when it was temporarily moved to Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis due to the pandemic.

Last year’s event saw the Arkansas Razorbacks outlast Michigan 89-87, while Tennessee cruised past Miami 75-62.

UConn last played in the Jimmy V Classic in 2023, when they beat North Carolina 87-76. Before that, though, the Huskies had dropped four straight games in the event: to NC State in 2012, Maryland in 2015, Syracuse in 2017, and Indiana in 2019.

With another appearance on the horizon, UConn looks poised to make more noise under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.