Mar 21, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the first half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

UConn Lands Huge March Madness Prediction

Originally posted on UConn Huskies on SI
By Connor Mardian | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 3:37 PM ET

The UConn Huskies are rearing for tipoff. After last season saw UConn slightly fall below its lofty standards with a 24-11 record, head coach Dan Hurley refreshed his roster, which has seen highly-touted five-star Braylon Mullins draw national attention.

Among a class that 247Sports ranked as the 9th-best in the nation, sit four four-stars in Eric Reibe and Jacob Furphy, who join as freshmen along with three-star Jacob Ross. Meanwhile, transfers Malachi Smith and Silas Demary Jr. have also joined the fray as transfers.

This improved team has seen a number of pundits swing back in favor of the Huskies potentially delivering another big season under Hurley.

ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi recently updated his men’s bracketology, and UConn was tipped as a 2nd seed.

Lunardi landed UConn in the Midwest region. If you were to take the higher seed in every matchup in the Midwest region, then the Huskies would take on Siena, Wisconsin, Tennessee and Houston before falling to Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars, who were predicted as a one seed. Of course, right now everything is mere speculation, but that looks a very dangerous Midwest region, which is capped off by the last season’s national runner-up squad.

This season, the Huskies will be tested, to say the least. With BYU, Arizona, Illinois, Kansas, Florida, and Texas all slated before Big East play even begins, it shows that Hurley’s team would have the mettle if they can hold onto that second seed.

Since rejoining the Big East, in the 2020-21 season just once UConn has claimed the regular-season title just once in 2023-24, and it was that same 2023-24 season that saw UConn win the conference tournament as well, once again proving a difficult conference schedule to fare with.

The seeding must show Lunardi’s faith in a team that will be enduring a lot of difficult opponents this season.

Final Thoughts

This seeding possibly feels a little high. This was a Husky side that had its struggles last season, and with the opponents both in and out of conference they are set to play, it would not be a surprise to see this team fall to a third or fourth seed, depending on how the Big East Conference Tournament plays out. This doesn’t mean UConn stands no chance of winning its seventh NCAA Title, because the second NCAA Tournament play begins, it is a whole new season.

The first chance to see Hurley’s team is on November 3rd against New Haven, a school that recently earned Division I status and will be playing in the Northeast Conference.

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