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UConn Quietly Creating Distance From Big East
Dec 16, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley watches from the sideline as they take on the Butler Bulldogs at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II-Imagn Images

UConn Quietly Creating Distance From Big East

Originally posted on UConn Huskies on SI  |  By Aman Sharma  |  Last updated Jan 3, 2026 9:00 AM ET

Through the opening weeks of conference play, UConn Huskies have done more than win. They have separated.

Dan Hurley’s program, already established as the standard of the Big East, has opened league action by imposing control in ways that go beyond the final score.

With a 13–1 overall record and a perfect 3–0 mark in conference games, UConn is dictating tempo, sharing the ball at an elite level, and wearing down opponents with depth.

According to national observers, the result is a growing divide that makes UConn look less like a conference peer and more like an outlier.

Balance and Efficiency are Driving the Early Gap

The early numbers explain why the separation feels real. UConn has won its first three Big East games against Butler, DePaul, and Xavier by a combined 60 points, an average margin of 20 points per game.

That level of dominance is not built on one player catching fire. It is rooted in structure. Against Xavier, the Huskies assisted on 26 of 33 made field goals, part of a broader trend that saw them total 60 assists on 92 made shots across recent games.

The offense moves with purpose and patience, forcing defenses to defend every option on the floor.

CBS Sports analyst Jon Rothstein summed up the challenge facing the league.

“This team is different,” Rothstein said. “This team has incredible balance, this team has incredible depth and I think it’s really going to be difficult for opponents to now try and game plan for UConn in the Big East. They don’t need to rely on one player to go off to get 20 or 25 to go win a game. And I’m starting to see, more and more, the gap between UConn and the rest of the conference.”

The contrast with recent championship teams is notable. The 2023 title run centered on a clear core led by Adama Sanogo, Andre Jackson Jr. and Jordan Hawkins.

The 2024 group, which finished 37–3, leaned heavily on experienced guards Tristan Newton and Cam Spencer, with Steph Castle and Donovan Clingan anchoring the wings and paint. This season’s roster spreads responsibility more evenly, making defensive preparation far more complex.

Depth, Context and the Conference Landscape

Context matters when measuring the gap. UConn’s only loss came at home against Arizona, the nation’s top-ranked team, and it happened without Tarris Reed Jr. and Braylon Mullins available.

Even shorthanded, the Huskies were competitive. That type of resilience is rare within the conference and highlights the depth Hurley has assembled.

Hurley also anticipated a softer Big East season when building a demanding nonconference slate that included six Quadrant 1 games. UConn responded by beating Kansas, Illinois and Florida, while several conference rivals struggled outside league play.

St. John’s, viewed by many as UConn’s primary challenger, managed only one Quadrant 1 win in that stretch. Four Big East programs currently sit outside the top 100 in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency rankings, reinforcing the uneven landscape.

The most recent example of UConn’s control came against Xavier. The Huskies raced to a 33–8 lead within the first 11 minutes and later rebuilt separation after a brief push, closing out a 90–67 win.

It marked just the third time Hurley has started conference play 3–0 since arriving in Storrs.

The schedule remains manageable in the short term, with upcoming games against Marquette, Providence and DePaul before a road test against Seton Hall at the Prudential Center on Jan. 13.

Still, through early January, the evidence is clear. UConn is not simply winning the Big East. It is redefining the distance between itself and everyone else, one disciplined possession at a time.

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This article first appeared on UConn Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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