The UConn Huskies men's basketball program is the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
Division I men's college basketball team of the
University of Connecticut
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university system with its main campus in Storrs, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School, named after two benefactors. In 1893, ...
in
Storrs, Connecticut
Storrs ( ) is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in the New England town, town of Mansfield, Connecticut, Mansfield in eastern Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The village is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, ...
. They currently play in the
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...
and are coached by
Dan Hurley. With six national championships and 45 conference titles, the program is considered one of the
blue bloods of college basketball.
UConn has won six
NCAA tournament championships (
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
,
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
,
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
,
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
,
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
and
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
), which puts the program in a tie for
third most all time and is the most of any program since the tournament expanded to 64 teams. The Huskies have won eight
Big East tournament championships (tied for most all time) and 11
Big East regular season championships (most all time). UConn has 37 NCAA tournament appearances (tied for 11th most all time) and has played in seven NCAA Final Fours (tied for 10th most all time), 13 NCAA Elite Eights (11th most all time) and 19 NCAA Sweet Sixteens (tied for 11th most all time). UConn won the
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is an annual men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since 2023, all rounds of the tournament are played at various sites across the country whi ...
(NIT) championship in
1988 and the NIT third-place game in
1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
, with 13 NIT appearances in total. The Huskies also have one
American Athletic Conference tournament championship and two
ECAC New England regional tournament championships.
From the Huskies' first game in
1900–01 season to the end of the
2024–25 season, the program has amassed 1,861 wins and compiled a .645 winning percentage, both top 25 in NCAA Division I history.
Initially a New England regional powerhouse, UConn won multiple conference championships in the 1920s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, including a run of 10-straight
Yankee Conference
The Yankee Conference was a collegiate sports conference in the eastern United States. From 1947 to 1976, it sponsored competition in many sports, but was a football-only league from mid-1976 until its dissolution in 1996. It is essentially the a ...
championships from 1951 to 1960.
The Huskies appeared in the NCAA tournament 11 times between 1939 and 1970—second most of any school in the tournament's early era—reaching their first Sweet Sixteen in 1956 and first Elite Eight in 1964. The program began its emergence as a national powerhouse after becoming a charter member of the newly formed
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...
in 1979, building steadily from its first national postseason championship in the NIT in
1988 to its first NCAA championship in
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
.
Since 1999, the Huskies have won six national championships in a span of 25 years, one of the best runs in the sport's history. In 2024, UConn became the eighth school in NCAA Division I history to win back-to-back national championships, and the first to do so in 17 years. After the 2023–24 season,
Fox Sports
Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The name originates from Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States, which in turn derives its name from Fox Fi ...
dubbed the Huskies' sustained success "the greatest run of the 21st century" and recognized UConn as "one of the greatest programs in the history of college basketball."
History
Early History (1901–1946)
Connecticut Agricultural College played its first organized men's basketball game on February 8, 1901, a 17–12 win against Willimantic High School. The victory led the school to add men's basketball as a varsity sport the following year. The program's first intercollegiate game came in the 1904–05 season, a 66–22 loss to
UMass. Connecticut did not have a home court during these early years and eventually ceased competition in 1908 as a result.
An independent team was given permission to compete under the school's name from 1910 to 1914. Connecticut resumed sponsorship of men's basketball as a varsity sport in the 1914–15 season following the construction of
Hawley Armory, the school's first on-campus basketball court. The Aggies, as they were called at the time, had no coach from 1901 to 1915 and posted a 1–4 record on the 1914–15 season.
1915–1921: John Donahue and Ross Swartz
Looking to improve on its performance in the previous seasons, Connecticut named John F. Donahue as the program's first head coach in 1915. However, he led the team to four losing seasons and an 11–23 overall record during his tenure as head coach. Connecticut named
M. Ross Swartz as Donahue's replacement in 1919. He posted a 7–5 record in his first year—the school's first winning season since returning basketball as a varsity sport—but finished 7–9 in his second.
1921–1922: Wilder Tasker

With losing records in five out of the previous six years, Connecticut finally turned the corner when it named
J. Wilder Tasker as head coach for the 1921–22 season. The Aggies played their most aggressive schedule to date, and opened the season with a 38–33 win against Harvard in Cambridge. In its second game, the team notched the program's first major upset, a 33–31 win over
Army
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
at West Point on December 21, 1921.
Army was ranked No. 3 in the nation that season by the retrospective
Premo-Porretta Power Poll
The Premo-Porretta Power Poll is a retroactive end-of-year ranking for American college basketball teams competing in the 1895–96 through the 1947–48 seasons.
The Premo-Porretta Polls are intended to serve collectively as a source of informa ...
.
Connecticut finished the year 15–4 overall, the program's best season to date. Tasker returned for the 1922–23 season but abruptly resigned after the team's first game, a 52–19 loss to Army. He left Connecticut with a 15–5 overall record. Roy J. Guyer coached the remainder of the season, finishing 8–6 as interim head coach.
1923–1927: Sumner Dole
Connecticut named
Sumner Dole as head coach ahead of the 1923–24 season. After posting a losing record in his first season, Dole led Connecticut to back-to-back
New England Conference
The New England Conference (full name: New England College Conference of Intercollegiate Athletics) was a collegiate sports conference in the Eastern United States, more specifically in New England, that operated from 1923 to 1947. As four of its ...
championships in 1925 and 1926.
Hugh Greer
Hugh Scott Greer (August 5, 1904 – January 14, 1963) was an American men's college basketball coach. Known as the "Father of Connecticut Basketball," he was the head coach of the UConn Huskies men's basketball team from 1947 to 1963. He develo ...
was captain of the 1925–26 team.
That season included a 30–26 win over
UMass, a team ranked No. 25 in the country that season by the retrospective Premo-Porretta Power Poll.
After the 1926–27 season, Dole stepped down as men's basketball head coach, but continued to coach the school's football team. He finished with a 34–22 record over four seasons as head coach.
1927–1931: Louis Alexander
With Dole shifting his focus to the school's football team, Louis A. Alexander was named Connecticut's first men's basketball-only head coach in 1927. In his first season, Alexander won the school's third New England Conference championship. That season included a 39–36 win over
Springfield College
Springfield College is a private university in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. The institution's mission, called the Humanism, Humanics philosophy, calls for educating students in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service ...
, a team ranked No. 11 in the nation that year by the retrospective Premo-Porretta Power Poll.
Alexander led the team to winning records again in the next two seasons before stepping down halfway through the 1930–31 season. He left Connecticut with a 35–19 overall record. Dole, who was still head coach of Connecticut's football team, coached the remainder of the men's basketball season, posting a 5–3 record as interim head coach and bringing his overall record to 39–25.
1931–1936: John Heldman Jr.
Connecticut named John Heldman Jr. head coach ahead of the 1931–32 season.
Harrison "Honey" Fitch, the program's first
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
player, joined the team in the 1932–33 season. Heldman made the controversial decision to bench Fitch in a game against the
US Coast Guard Academy in 1934 after Coast Guard refused to play if Fitch was on the floor. Heldman coached the following year, but resigned after the first game of the 1935–36 season, a loss to the school's alumni. Heldman finished with a 19–42 overall record.
J. O. Christian coached the remainder of the 1935–36 season, finishing with a 3–10 record as interim head coach.
1936–1945: Don White
After five straight losing seasons,
Don White was named head coach of the Huskies for the 1936–37 season. Prior to arriving at UConn, White spent 12 seasons as the head coach at
Washington University. He led Connecticut to an 11–7 record in his first year. In the 1940–41 season, the team went 14–2 and won the school's fourth New England Conference championship. One of the first true stars from Connecticut was Hartford's Bernie Fisher, who played under White. He was captain of the 1944–45 team, which was the first Huskies team to play a game in Madison Square Garden. That season also included a 67–59 win over
Rhode Island
Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
, a team ranked No. 19 in the country that year by the retrospective Premo-Porretta Power Poll.
White left the Huskies after eight seasons to become the head coach at
Rutgers
Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College and was aff ...
. He compiled an overall record of 94–59 during his time with Connecticut.
1945–1946: Blair Gullion
Connecticut hired
Blair Gullion as White's replacement for the 1945–46 season. Gullion spent three seasons as head coach at
Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
prior to World War II and took over as Connecticut's head coach after returning from his service in the war. He coached the Huskies to an 12–6 record in his first season. At the start of the 1946–47 season, Connecticut joined the newly formed
Yankee Conference
The Yankee Conference was a collegiate sports conference in the eastern United States. From 1947 to 1976, it sponsored competition in many sports, but was a football-only league from mid-1976 until its dissolution in 1996. It is essentially the a ...
. Gullion left the team six games into the season to accept a position as
Washington University's athletic director, finishing with a 15–8 overall record as head coach.
Hugh Greer Era (1946–1963)

The modern era of UConn basketball began in 1946, when
Hugh Greer
Hugh Scott Greer (August 5, 1904 – January 14, 1963) was an American men's college basketball coach. Known as the "Father of Connecticut Basketball," he was the head coach of the UConn Huskies men's basketball team from 1947 to 1963. He develo ...
became head coach after Gullion's midseason departure. Greer, a former player at the school in the 1920s, was in his second season as UConn's freshman team coach when Gullion resigned. Prior to that, Greer had coached at South Windsor's Ellsworth High School, winning five state championships between 1939 and 1945.
Led by senior
Walt Dropo, a three-sport star at the school, the Huskies started the 1946–47 season 4–2 under Gullion, with road losses to rival
Rhode Island
Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
and an
NYU team that appeared in the NCAA tournament the previous year. Gullion resigned after the loss to NYU. The school then asked Greer to helm the team. He led UConn to a perfect 12–0 mark to finish the year, giving the team an overall record of 16–2 on the season. This was the best single season finish in school history to that point.
In the 1947–48 season, UConn moved into a new home arena, the Storrs Cage, replacing Hawley Armory. The structure was built by salvaging parts from a World War II airplane hangar, leading to the nickname "the Hangar." This facility had a capacity of 4,000 seats, allowing general admission attendance for the first time.
The team's first game in the Storrs Cage was a 63–29 win over
Maine
Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
in January 1948. The Huskies won their first Yankee Conference title at the end of that season.
UConn made its first
NCAA tournament appearance in the 1950–51 season, where they lost to
St. John's 63–52 at Madison Square Garden. The Huskies finished the season with a 22–4 overall record. In 1953–54 season, Greer famously led UConn to a 78–77 victory against undefeated Holy Cross, breaking the Crusaders' 47-game home winning streak and keeping them out of the NCAA tournament.
Holy Cross won the NIT title a few weeks later. UConn made its second
NCAA tournament appearance and finished the year with a 23–3 overall record.
The
UConn Field House replaced the Cage as the team's home court at the start of the 1954–55 season. UConn defeated rival Rhode Island in resounding fashion, 116–77, in the field house's inaugural game on December 1, 1954. The Huskies ended the season with their first
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is an annual men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since 2023, all rounds of the tournament are played at various sites across the country whi ...
appearance and a 20–5 overall record.

In the 1955–56 season, Greer led UConn to its third
NCAA tournament appearance and its first trip to the Sweet Sixteen following an 84–75 win over
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
in the first round. The Huskies narrowly lost to
Temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...
65–59 in the East Regional semifinal game played at Madison Square Garden.
UConn made five consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament between 1956 and 1960.
In 1960–61, UConn unexpectedly posted the program's first losing season in 17 years. It was the only losing season of Greer's tenure. The reason for the Huskies' struggles became apparent in March 1961, when two players were questioned as part of the
1961 NCAA men's basketball gambling scandal that resulted in the arrest of 37 players from 22 schools. Team captain Pete Kelly and center Glenn Cross were ultimately found to have accepted bribes to
shave points throughout the season. Greer was devastated and never recovered from the scandal.
The Huskies improved to winning form in the 1961–62 season, but finished one game behind UMass in the race for the Yankee Conference title. Greer died of a heart attack 10 games into the 1962–63 season. His final game was a 92–64 win over Maine, played at the UConn Field House on January 12, 1963. He died two days after and was replaced by assistant coach George Wigton. Wigton and the Huskies posted an 11–3 record through their final 14 regular season games to win the Yankee Conference title and advance to the NCAA tournament for the eighth time in program history.
Under Greer, UConn won 12 Yankee Conference titles in 16 seasons, including 10 consecutive titles from 1951 to 1960. Greer also led UConn to its first seven NCAA berths and one NIT appearance while compiling an overall head coaching record of 286–112.
Fred Shabel Era (1963–1967)
UConn named
Fred Shabel as Greer's permanent replacement at head coach on April 1, 1963. Shabel previously spent six seasons as an assistant coach at
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
, four of which were under
College Basketball Hall of Fame
The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Kansas City, Missouri, is a hall of fame and museum dedicated to men's college basketball. The museum is an integral portion of the College Basketball Experience created by the Nation ...
coach
Vic Bubas. He played a role in Duke's first Final Four run in 1963 and initially accepted an offer to coach at Rutgers the following season, but withdrew after feeling unprepared to lead their program to success. Instead, he chose to accept an offer from Connecticut, which he believed had a clear path to the NCAA tournament in the Yankee Conference.
Shabel implemented a number of changes that had a significant impact on UConn's program and its culture. He introduced multiple defensive schemes for the first time, began calling offensive sets from the bench and pushed for the creation of the UConn pep band. Unlike Greer, who remained seated during most games, Shabel often stood and walked along the sideline.
Shabel's first year at the helm was an uneven one, with an 6–8 record in non-conference play in the 1963–64 season. However, the Huskies went 8–2 in Yankee Conference regular season play, tying with Rhode Island atop the conference standings to claim the program's 14th Yankee Conference title. In a one-game playoff, UConn defeated Rhode Island 61–60 on the road to break the tie, clinching the program's ninth appearance in the NCAA tournament. In the first round, UConn avenged a regular season loss to Temple, beating the heavily favored Owls 53–48 in the Philadelphia. They faced even more difficult matchup with
Princeton in the Sweet Sixteen. Before the game, Princeton coach
Butch van Breda Kolff said he was so confident in his team's ability to win that he did not watch the Huskies' game against Temple. A tightly contested game throughout, UConn's
Dom Perno stole the ball from future Hall of Famer
Bill Bradley
William Warren Bradley (born July 28, 1943) is an American politician and former professional basketball player. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was a United States Senate, United States senator from New ...
in the final seconds to seal a 52–50 win, sending the Huskies to the Elite Eight for the first time ever.
The run ended there, however, as UConn lost to Shabel's former team, Duke, by a score of 101–55 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Under Shabel, the Huskies won four Yankee Conference championships in four years, leading to three NCAA tournament berths. By the mid-1960s, UConn had appeared in the NCAA tournament 11 times, second most in the country. After the 1966–67 season, Shabel stepped down as head coach to become the athletic director at
Penn. He later attributed the move to the school's ambivalence about committing greater financial resources to athletics, including the administration's decision to decline an invitation to the NIT in 1966 without consulting him.
Burr Carlson Era (1967–1969)
After Shabel's departure, UConn offered the head coaching job to
Larry Brown, then a young assistant coach at
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
. Brown declined, saying he felt he was too "young" to take a head coaching position.
The job ultimately went to Burr Carlson, a former player and an assistant under Shabel. Carlson led UConn to back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in over 30 years and was fired.
Dee Rowe Era (1969–1977)

UConn named
Dee Rowe head coach ahead of the 1969–70 season. Under Rowe, the Huskies returned to form, winning the Yankee Conference title in his first year. Rowe posted six winning seasons in eight years, with two NCAA berths and two NIT appearances. On Feb. 19, 1974, UConn became the first school in New England and one of the first in the country to start five black players in an intercollegiate basketball game.
In 1976, UConn won the
ECAC New England regional championship to earn an NCAA berth and then beat
Hofstra in the first round of the
1976 NCAA tournament to reach the Sweet Sixteen for the fourth time ever.
At the end of the
1975–76 season, the Yankee Conference dropped basketball, which left UConn as an independent. Rowe coached the Huskies' first season as an independent before retiring from coaching at 48 years old, citing heath issues at the time. He later would cite "burn out" as the reason for his decision.
Dom Perno Era (1977–1986)
Former UConn star
Dom Perno was tapped as Rowe's successor for the 1977–78 season. Perno oversaw UConn's transition from an independent program to a member of the newly formed
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference (stylized as BIG EAST) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference that competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Division I, Division I in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports. H ...
in 1979, where UConn was one of the seven founding schools. Under Perno, the Huskies had some early success, winning an ECAC New England regional championship in 1979 and earning one NCAA berth and three NIT appearances over his first five years. However, after four consecutive losing seasons, Perno resigned on April 14, 1986.
Jim Calhoun Era (1986–2012)

UConn hired
Northeastern head coach
Jim Calhoun to take over the program in the 1986–87 season. Before coming to Connecticut, Calhoun spent 14 seasons at Northeastern, leading the team to the NCAA tournament five times in his last six years with the school. In his final season, Calhoun's Northeastern team defeated UConn 90–73 in a game at the
Hartford Civic Center
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 census. Hartford is the most populous city in the Capitol Planning Region and the core city of ...
.
1986–87 Season: Calhoun's First Year
Calhoun inherited a team that included future NBA player
Clifford Robinson. However, Robinson and fellow starter Phil Gamble were declared academically ineligible halfway through the year.
Calhoun finished his first year with a record of 9–19, his only losing season as UConn's head coach.
1987–88 Season: NIT Champions
Heading into the 1987–88 season, Robinson and Gamble regained their academic eligibility and the team showed significant improvement.
The Huskies won a game in the Big East tournament for the first time since 1980 and gained a berth in the
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is an annual men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since 2023, all rounds of the tournament are played at various sites across the country whi ...
. UConn went on a run in the tournament and defeated
Ohio State
The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...
72–67 at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
to win the NIT, the school's first national basketball title.
UConn finished the season with a 20–14 record, its first winning season since 1982. The Huskies would ultimately achieve winning records in every season from 1988 through 2016.
1989–90 Season: 'Dream Season', National Breakthrough

The 1990 "Dream Season" brought UConn basketball back to the national stage. Led by
Chris Smith,
Nadav Henefeld,
Scott Burrell,
Tate George, and
Rod Sellers, UConn went from unranked in the preseason to winning the Big East regular season and tournament championships, both for the first time.
January 1990 in particular marked several major milestones for the team. After an already historic 13–3 start to the season, the Huskies were able to defeat No. 5
Syracuse and No. 2
Georgetown in back-to-back games played at the
Hartford Civic Center. After their 70–65 victory over the Hoyas on January 20th, the Huskies entered the AP ranking for the first time ever at No. 20. 1990 also marked the opening of Gampel Pavilion, the program's new on-campus home, which opened on January 21st.
UConn entered the
Big East tournament ranked No. 8 in the nation and with a 12–4 record in conference play. As the No. 2 seed in the tournament, the Huskies handily defeated
Seton Hall
Seton Hall University (SHU) is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizab ...
in the quarterfinals before capturing a 65–60 victory over No. 5 Georgetown the following day. On March 11, UConn defeated No. 4 Syracuse 78–75 in the championship game to capture their first ever Big East title, thus assuring their place in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1979.
In the
NCAA tournament, the Huskies garnered a No. 1 seed in the East Region for the first time ever. They easily won their first two matches, winning both games by 20 points or more. In the Sweet Sixteen, UConn trailed No. 17
Clemson 70–69 with 1 second remaining. Scott Burrell's full-court pass found Tate George on the far baseline. George spun, fired, and hit a buzzer-beater that is known in Connecticut simply as "The Shot".
However, they would be eliminated on a buzzer-beater two days later by No. 15
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
in the Elite Eight, losing in overtime 79–78. UConn finished the season with a 31–6 overall record.
The 1989–90 season ultimately marked the beginning of UConn's' sustained success in men's basketball on the national level, and the program began making regular appearances in the NCAA tournament going forward.
1990s: Creation of a Basketball Powerhouse
During the 1994–95 season, the Huskies hosted Syracuse on ESPN. During an exciting stretch of the second half of that game, ESPN color commentator
Dick Vitale
Richard "Dick" John Vitale (; born June 9, 1939), also known as "Dickie V", is an American basketball sportscaster. A former head coach in the college and professional ranks, he is well known for his 41-year tenure as a college basketball broadc ...
declared that Storrs was the "basketball capital of the world" as both the men's and women's teams were having undefeated seasons so far. The Huskies beat Syracuse but later lost to Kansas to end their undefeated season. UConn ultimately continued to rise as a national program throughout the 1990s, winning five more Big East regular season and three more
Big East tournament championships, as well as making the Elite Eight twice (1995, 1998), prior to their 1998–99 national championship season.
One of the most notable players of the era was future NBA legend
Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a play ...
, who played for the Huskies from 1993 until he was selected as the No. 5 overall pick in the
1996 NBA draft
The 1996 NBA draft was the 50th NBA draft, draft in the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was held on June 26, 1996–97 NBA season, 1996, at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In this draft, NBA teams took turns s ...
. In his junior season, Allen averaged 23.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals in 34.7 minutes per game. In the
1996 Big East Championship against
Georgetown, Allen made the winning shot with only 14 seconds remaining to achieve a 75–74 victory over the Hoyas. This game is widely considered one of the greatest in Big East tournament history, as UConn was able to end the game with a 12–0 run with under 5 minutes to play. Following the championship, Allen was named the
Big East Player of the Year and earned first-team
All-Big East for the second year in a row.
1998–99 Season: 'We Shocked the World', 1st NCAA Title
UConn entered the 1998–99 season ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll, returning its entire starting five from the previous year's Elite Eight team. Calhoun convinced leading scorer
Richard "Rip" Hamilton to return for his junior season instead of departing for the NBA, putting the Huskies in position to make a historic run. UConn started the season 19–0, with wins over five ranked teams. By early December, the Huskies were ranked No. 1 in the AP poll, where they stayed for a program-record 10 weeks. The team's first loss came to No. 16 Syracuse on February 1, 1999, a 59–42 defeat in front of a sold-out crowd at the Hartford Civic Center. Both Hamilton and starting center
Jake Voskuhl were out with injuries. UConn quickly rebounded, however, beating No. 4 Stanford 70–59 on the road. The Huskies finished the year ranked 1st in the Big East, winning their fifth conference regular season title in six years. On March 3, 1999, UConn defeated No. 3 seed St. John's 82–63 to win their fourth
Big East tournament championship.
Kevin Freeman was named the tournament's MVP.
The Huskies received a No. 1 seed in the
NCAA tournament for the third time in program history. On March 20, 1999, UConn defeated No. 10 seed Gonzaga 67–62 in the Elite Eight to advance to the program's first-ever Final Four. In the National Semifinals, the Huskies defeated No. 4 seed Ohio State 64–58 to advance to the championship game. Facing the No. 1 overall seed
Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
, UConn was a 9.5-point underdog heading into the matchup. However, the Huskies prevailed by a score of 77–74 to claim the program's first-ever national championship. As time expired,
Khalid El-Amin ran over to a television camera on the court and shouted, "We shocked the world!" Richard Hamilton was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, contributing 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in the championship game. UConn finished with a 34–2 overall record to achieve its best seasonal winning percentage in the program's history (as of 2024).
After the season, Hamilton was selected in the
1999 NBA draft
The 1999–2000 NBA season, 1999 NBA draft was held on June 30, 1999, at the MCI Center (now Capital One Arena) in Washington, D.C. It was the first draft in which four players from the same college were picked in the first round, with Elton Bran ...
as the No. 7 overall pick.
2003–04 Season: 'Calhoun's Best Team', 2nd NCAA Title

Expectations were high at UConn heading into the 2003–04 season. Returning their entire starting lineup from the previous year's Sweet Sixteen team, the Huskies were selected as the preseason No. 1 team in the AP Top 25 poll. UConn faced its first setback in the fourth game of the season, losing to Georgia Tech 77–61 in the
Preseason NIT semifinals. However, the team responded with 11 consecutive wins, including an 86–59 victory over No. 7 Oklahoma at Gampel Pavilion on January 11, 2004. The streak ended with an 86–83 loss at No. 11 North Carolina on January 17, 2004. UConn ultimately finished the year second in the Big East, obtaining a 12–4 record in conference play during the regular season. In the Big East tournament, the team defeated No. 7 seed Notre Dame in the quarterfinals and No. 11 seed Villanova in the semifinals with relative ease. On March 13, 2004, the Huskies defeated No. 1 seed Pittsburgh 61–58 in the championship game to win the program's sixth
Big East tournament championship.
Ben Gordon scored a tournament-record 84 points over three games and was named the tournament's MVP.
The Huskies were awarded a No. 2 seed in the
NCAA tournament and advanced to the program's second Final Four with an 87–71 win over No. 8 seed Alabama in the Elite Eight on March 27, 2004. In the National Semifinals, UConn came back from an 8-point deficit with three minutes remaining to defeat No. 1 seed Duke 79–78 on April 3, 2004. The Huskies won their second NCAA championship on April 5, 2004, defeating No. 3 seed Georgia Tech 82–73 in a rematch of their regular season contest.
Emeka Okafor was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, and UConn finished the season with a 33–6 overall record.
After the season, Okafor and Gordon were selected in the
2004 NBA draft as the No. 2 and No. 3 overall picks, respectively. Calhoun said he considers the 2003–04 team to be the best he ever coached.
Calhoun was inducted into the
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...
in 2005.
2008–09 Season: 6OT Game, 3rd Final Four
After steadily rebuilding over the prior two years, UConn entered the 2008–09 season ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. The Huskies returned their entire starting lineup from the previous season and added 2008
McDonald's All-American
McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American multinational fast food chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese chain Mixue Ice Cream & Tea.
Brothers ...
Kemba Walker to the roster. The team started the year 11–0, including double-digit wins over No. 17
Miami
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
and No. 25
Wisconsin
Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
en route to the
US Virgin Islands Paradise Jam championship. With an 88–83 win over No. 8
Gonzaga in Seattle on December 20, 2008, UConn earned its third ranked victory of the year ahead of conference play. The Huskies' first stumble came in their Big East opener, a 74–63 loss at home to No. 11
Georgetown. The team responded with 12 straight conference wins that propelled UConn to a No. 1 ranking in the AP poll by February. In mid-February, the team lost key starter
Jerome Dyson to a season-ending knee injury in a 63–49 win against No. 23 Syracuse. UConn finished the regular season 4–2 without Dyson—with the two losses coming against
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
, ranked top-five in both matchups.
The Huskies finished the year tied for second in the Big East and received the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. In the
Big East tournament quarterfinals, UConn lost to No. 6 seed Syracuse in a six-overtime game remembered as one of the greatest college basketball games of all time. The Orange appeared to a hit a game-winning shot at the end of regulation, but the basket was waived off after review. Syracuse never led in the first five overtimes, but UConn was unable to put the game away. The Huskies went scoreless in the first two and a half minutes of the sixth overtime and fell to the Orange 127–117. Despite the loss, UConn was awarded a No. 1 seed in the
NCAA tournament and advanced to the program's third Final Four with a 82–75 win over No. 3 seed
Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
.
The Huskies' run ended in the Final Four with an 82–73 loss to No. 2 seed
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the ...
. UConn finished the season with a 31–5 overall record. After the season,
Hasheem Thabeet and
A. J. Price were selected in the
2009 NBA draft
The 2009 NBA draft was held on June 25, 2009, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, the National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball p ...
as the No. 2 and No. 52 overall picks, respectively.
2010–11 Season: 'Cardiac Kemba', 3rd NCAA Title
UConn entered the 2010–11 season unranked and picked to finish tenth in the Big East. But after a 10–0 start that included wins over No. 2 Michigan State and No. 8 Kentucky en route to the
Maui Invitational Tournament
The Maui Invitational is an annual early-season college basketball tournament that takes place Thanksgiving week, normally in Lahaina, Hawaii, at the Lahaina Civic Center on the island of Maui. It is hosted by Chaminade University of Honolulu, ...
championship, the Huskies catapulted to No. 7 in the AP Top 25 poll. The team reached No. 4 in the poll by the start of conference play. However, the Huskies struggled against their Big East opponents, finishing the regular season in a tie for ninth place after losing four of their last five games. The team finished the regular season with a 9–9 record in conference play and ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll.
In the first two rounds of the
Big East tournament, UConn defeated No. 16 seed DePaul and No. 8 seed Georgetown. In the quarterfinals,
Kemba Walker hit a step-back, game-winning shot as time expired to defeat No. 1 seed Pittsburgh, 76–74.
Dave Pasch immortalized the shot with his call on the ESPN broadcast: "Cardiac Kemba does it again!" The Huskies defeated No. 4 seed Syracuse in overtime in the semifinals and then defeated No. 3 seed Louisville in the championship game to claim the program's seventh Big East tournament title. UConn became the first school to win five conference tournament games in five days, and Kemba Walker scored a tournament-record 130 points.
The Huskies were awarded a No. 3 seed in the
NCAA tournament and ultimately advanced to their fourth Final Four after a 65–63 victory over No. 5 seed
Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
in the Elite Eight. They defeated No. 4 seed Kentucky 56–55 in the Final Four and No. 8 seed
Butler
A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...
53–41 in the national championship game to capture the schools third NCAA title. Walker was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, averaging 23.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game throughout the season. UConn finished the season with a 32–9 overall record, becoming the first and (as of 2024) only men's or women's basketball team to play 41 games in one season.
After the season, Walker was selected in the
2011 NBA draft
The 2011 NBA draft was held on June 23, 2011, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (23:00 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. Kia Motors was the presenting sponso ...
as the No. 9 overall pick.
Calhoun officially announced his retirement on September 13, 2012.
Kevin Ollie Era (2012–2018)
Kevin Ollie was named UConn's next head coach at Jim Calhoun's retirement press conference in Gampel Pavilion. Ollie played for Calhoun from 1991 to 1995 before spending 13 seasons as a journeyman in the
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
. He returned to UConn in 2010 to serve as one of Calhoun's assistant coaches during the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons.
2012–13 Season: Ollie's First Year, Postseason Ban
UConn came into the 2012–13 season facing a ban from postseason play by the NCAA because of a low APR score in 2010. In Ollie's first game, UConn upset No. 14 Michigan State 66–62 at
Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Rhineland-Palatinate, southwestern Germany. It serves as the headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and NATO Alli ...
in Germany. The Huskies entered the AP Top 25 at No. 23 and reached No. 21 the following week. After a 4–0 start, they fell out of the poll for the remainder of the year following a 66–60 loss to New Mexico in the
Paradise Jam championship game. The season featured wins at No. 17 Notre Dame and against No. 6 Syracuse at the XL Center, as well as a double-overtime loss to No. 7 Georgetown at Gampel Pavilion. UConn finished the season with a 20–10 overall record. Due to their postseason ban, the Huskies were unable to participate in the Big East Tournament, nor were they able to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Conference realignment resulted in the
breakup of the old Big East at the end of the 2012–13 season. Instead of leaving with the so-called
Catholic 7 schools, UConn chose to remain a member of the original Big East's legal successor, later named the
American Athletic Conference
The American Athletic Conference (AAC), also known as The American, is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States, featuring 13 full member universities and 6 affiliate member universities that compete in t ...
. Until leaving the American in 2020 to join the new Big East, UConn was the only charter member of the original Big East still playing in the conference.
2013–14 Season: 'Hungry Huskies', 4th NCAA Title
The Huskies came into Ollie's second season ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25 poll. They started the year 9–0, which included a 59–58 win over Indiana in the
2K Sports Classic championship game and a 65–64 win over No. 15 Florida on a buzzer-beater from
Shabazz Napier. UConn climbed to No. 10 in the AP poll before losing its first game to Stanford on December 18, 2013. The team finished the year tied for third in the inaugural season of the American Athletic Conference and advanced to the AAC tournament championship game, where they lost by 10 points to No. 5 Louisville. UConn was selected to the NCAA tournament as a No. 7 seed and then defeated No. 10 seed St Joseph's in overtime, No. 2 seed Villanova, and No. 3 seed Iowa State in the Sweet 16 to advance to the regional final. On March 30, 2014, Kevin Ollie became the first UConn coach other than Jim Calhoun to lead the Huskies to a Final Four after defeating #4 seed Michigan State 60–54 in the Elite Eight.
The Huskies beat the No. 1 overall seed Florida 63–53 in the Final Four and then won the national championship on April 7, 2014, defeating No. 8 seed Kentucky, 60–54.
Shabazz Napier was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player and in his postgame remarks called out the NCAA for the previous year's postseason ban: "You're looking at the hungry Huskies. This is what happens when you ban us." Other major contributions to the team's unexpected tournament run came from point guard
Ryan Boatright, who averaged over 12 points and 3.5 rebounds per game throughout the season, and small forward
DeAndre Daniels. Ollie's team was the first No. 7 seed to ever win the NCAA tournament. UConn finished the season with a 32–8 overall record.
After the season, Napier and Daniels were selected in the
2014 NBA draft as the No. 24 and No. 37 overall picks, respectively.
2014–15 Season: AAC Final Loss, No NCAA Bid
Despite losing four of its top five scorers from the previous year, UConn entered the 2014–15 season ranked No. 17 in the AP Top 25 poll. The Huskies started the year 3–0, but fell out of the top 25 amid a three-game losing streak to West Virginia, No. 7 Texas and Yale—the last two of which were 1-point losses on last-second shots by the opponent. UConn was eventually able to gain some momentum near the end of conference play, defeating No. 21 SMU at the XL Center on March 1, 2015. However, the team then went on to lose their final two games of the regular season.
UConn finished the regular season tied for fifth in the American. In the AAC tournament quarterfinals,
Ryan Boatright hit a game-winning 3-point shot against No. 3 seed Cincinnati as time expired. The team advanced to the conference championship game for the second straight year after a win over No. 2 seed Tulsa in the semifinals. However, UConn lost to No. 1 seed SMU 62–54 in the championship and missed the NCAA tournament as a result. The season ended with a first-round exit in the NIT, losing to Arizona State 68–61 in a game played at Gampel Pavilion. UConn ultimately finished the season with a 20–15 overall record.
2015–16 Season: AAC Champions
UConn entered the 2015–16 season ranked No. 20 in the AP Top 25 poll. The Huskies started 4–0 and climbed to No. 18 in the poll. However, they dropped three of their next four, losing to Syracuse, No. 10 Gonzaga and No. 6 Maryland, and fell out the top 25. The team bounced back and briefly re-entered the top 25 in mid-December. They would again re-enter the top 25 in January before falling out for the remainder of the year. UConn posted an 11–7 record in conference play, narrowly missing a three-way tie for third place at 12–6 in the American. Instead, the Huskies finished sixth, but received the No. 5 seed in the tournament because SMU was ineligible for postseason play.
In one of the program's most memorable postseason games, UConn defeated No. 4 seed Cincinnati 104–97 in quadruple overtime the AAC tournament quarterfinals. Down by 3 with 0.6 seconds left on the clock in the third overtime,
Jalen Adams hit a three-quarter court shot to force the fourth and final overtime. UConn then defeated No. 1 seed Temple in the semifinals and No. 6 seed Memphis in the championship game to win the American Athletic Conference tournament championship.
Daniel Hamilton was named the conference tournament's MVP. UConn returned to the
NCAA tournament at a No. 9 seed and defeated No. 8 seed Colorado 74–67 in the Round of 64. However, the Huskies were eliminated by the No. 1 overall seed Kansas Jayhawks 73–61 in the Round of 32. UConn finished their season with a 25–11 overall record. After the season, Hamilton was selected as the No. 56 overall pick in the
2016 NBA draft.
2016–17 Season: Ollie's First Losing Season
Despite losing their MVP in Daniel Hamilton, UConn entered the 2016–17 season ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25 poll. However, they fell out of the rankings after opening the year with upset losses at home to Wagner and Northeastern. On December 5, 2016, the Huskies defeated Syracuse 52–50 in the Tire Pro Classic at Madison Square Garden. This win gave the team some confidence after a disappointing 3–4 start to the season. However, without their previous season's MVP in Daniel Hamilton, UConn would continue to struggle against their AAC opponents going forward, losing four out of their last five games in AAC play.
The team finished the regular season tied for fifth place in the American with a 9–9 record in conference play, and were given the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament. The Huskies managed to pull off an upset win over No. 3 seed Houston in the AAC tournament quarterfinals, but lost in the semifinals to No. 2 seed Cincinnati the following day. UConn finished with a 16–17 overall record, the program's first losing season in 30 years.
2017–18 Season: Consecutive Losing Seasons
The Huskies were unranked for the entire 2017–18 season and had 11 double-digit losses. On January 26, 2018, the school announced the NCAA was investigating UConn for possible recruiting violations related to three players. The team finished the regular season tied for eighth place in the American (7–11 record in AAC play) and lost to No. 9 seed SMU 80–73 in the first round of the conference tournament on March 8, 2018. UConn finished with a 14–18 overall record in what is widely considered to be the teams worst-performing season since the Jim Calhoun era began in 1986. Two days after the loss to SMU, Kevin Ollie was fired for just cause related to the NCAA investigation.
In Ollie's final season, UConn men's basketball game attendance reached its lowest level in nearly 30 years, illustrating the severe decline in its prominence and performance since the program's 2014 National Championship.
On July 2, 2019, the NCAA announced UConn's wins for the 2017–18 season would be vacated because of the school's recruiting violations, giving the school a 0–18 official record for the year.
Dan Hurley Era (2018–present)

UConn hired Rhode Island head coach
Dan Hurley as Ollie's replacement for the 2018–19 season. He was introduced on March 23, 2018. Prior to his six seasons at Rhode Island, Hurley spent nine years coaching at
St. Benedict's Preparatory School in New Jersey and two years at
Wagner College. His father is
Bob Hurley Sr., a longtime New Jersey high school basketball coach and
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
inductee, and his brother is
Bobby Hurley, two-time national champion as a player and current head coach at Arizona State.
2018–19 Season: Hurley's First Year
Hurley's first season at UConn was an up-and-down affair. The first marquee win under Hurley came in his third game when the Huskies defeated No. 15 Syracuse 83–76 in the
2K Sports Classic semifinals at Madison Square Garden. This win was the programs first top 15 victory since the 2014 NCAA tournament. However, UConn lost to
Iowa
Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
the following day in the tournament championship game and continued to struggle heavily throughout the season against quality opponents. The team ultimately garnered a 6–12 record in the American Athletic Conference, its worst record in conference play in over three decades.
The Huskies were given a No. 9 seed in the AAC tournament, and their season ended with an 84–45 loss to No. 1 seed Houston in the quarterfinals. While UConn's 16–17 record was an improvement from the previous year, it marked the third-straight losing season for the program.
On June 27, 2019, UConn and the Big East announced that the school would return to the conference for the 2020–21 season.
2019–20 Season: Final Year in the AAC
With UConn's return to the Big East imminent, the Huskies had one season left to play in the American Athletic Conference. The team gained a 4-star recruiting class that included future First-team
All-Big East guard
James Bouknight, as well as transfer point guard
R. J. Cole. UConn started the year 9–3, including an upset win over No. 15 Florida at Gampel Pavilion on November 17, 2019. In one of the most memorable games of the year, the Huskies lost 75–74 in double overtime to No. 18 Xavier in the Charleston Classic tournament semifinals on November 22, 2019. The team ultimately went on to finish in 3rd place in the tournament after defeating Miami 80–55 the next day. Despite the loss, it became clear that UConn was becoming a more competitive team after suffering three losing seasons in a row. On January 18, 2020, after a 61–55 loss at No. 14 Villanova—a non-conference game that would become a conference game the next year—Hurley remarked that other teams "better get us now. That's all, you better get us now. Because it's coming," foreshadowing the program's return to national relevance in the years ahead. In the penultimate game of the regular season, UConn defeated No. 21 Houston 77–71 at Gampel Pavilion on senior night and finished the year tied for fifth place in the American with a 10–8 record in conference play.
UConn was set to face Tulane in the first round of the AAC tournament on March 12, 2020. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the AAC tournament being canceled mere hours before it was set to tip off. The team finished the season with a 19–12 overall record, its first winning season since 2016.
2020–21 Season: Return to the Big East
UConn's return to the Big East was overshadowed by the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Huskies played all of their home games in Gampel Pavilion with no fans in attendance. Five games were cancelled, and four others were rescheduled as players, coaches and staff tested positive for the virus. The team gained several players this season that would play key roles in the years ahead, including future NCAA tournament MOP
Adama Sanogo. Other recruits of note were future
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
draftees
Andre Jackson Jr. and junior
Tyrese Martin, who transferred from
Rhode Island
Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
. UConn finished third in the conference and lost in the Big East tournament semifinals to No. 2 seed
Creighton.
The Huskies returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time in five years and were awarded a No. 7 seed. The season ended with a first-round loss to No. 10 seed
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
, 64–53. UConn finished the season with a 15–8 overall record, playing its least number of games since the pre-Calhoun era. After the season,
James Bouknight was selected as the No. 11 overall pick in the
2021 NBA draft. During Bouknight's sophomore season at UConn, he was considered to be the team's top scorer, averaging 18.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game throughout the season.
2021–22 Season: Postseason Shortfalls

Despite losing its leading scorer in Bouknight, UConn returned four out of five starters and came into the year ranked No. 24 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. The team also gained another 4-star recruiting class that included several key players in the following championship season, such as
Jordan Hawkins,
Samson Johnson, and redshirt
Alex Karaban. The Huskies started off 5–0, including a 115–109 double-overtime win against No. 19
Auburn in the
Battle 4 Atlantis quarterfinals. The team lost to Michigan State in the semifinals the following day. On February 22, 2022, UConn defeated No. 8
Villanova 71–69 at the XL Center—securing the program's first 20-win season in six years and its first top 10 win in eight years.
UConn again finished third in the Big East, entering the postseason with a 22–8 record (13–6 in conference play), its highest regular-season win total since 2013–14. However, the Huskies lost in the Big East tournament semifinals for the second year in a row, this time narrowly to No. 2 seed Villanova, 63–60.
UConn was awarded a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament, but the season ended with another first-round exit—an upset loss to 12-seed
New Mexico State
New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a Public university system, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1888, it is the state's oldest public institution ...
, with a final score of 70–63. The team finished the season with a 23–10 overall record. Major contributions to the team's success came from shooting guard
Tyrese Martin and point guard
R. J. Cole, who averaged 15.8 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game throughout the season. Martin was a major rebounder for the team, averaging 7.5 rebounds and 13.6 points per game throughout the season. After the season, Martin was selected as the No. 51 overall pick in the
2022 NBA draft.
2022–23 Season: 'Blue Blood', 5th NCAA Title
The Huskies entered the 2022–23 season unranked after losing eight scholarship players to transfer, graduation, and the draft. Despite this, UConn jumped out to a 14–0 start, winning the
Phil Knight Invitational championship and climbing to No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll by mid-December. The team cooled off in January, losing six of their next eight games, but returned to form and went 8–1 to close out the regular season. The Huskies finished fourth in the Big East and, for the third straight year, lost in the Big East tournament semifinals with a 70–68 loss to No. 1 seed
Marquette.
UConn was awarded a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament and then won six straight games by an average of 20.0 points to claim the program's fifth national championship, with a 76–59 victory over
San Diego State
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California, United States. Founded in 1897, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system. SDSU is ...
in the title game.
Adama Sanogo was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, averaging over 20 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in the tournament. Shooting guard
Jordan Hawkins was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament's West Regional after averaging 22 points and four rebounds in the Huskies' Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games. He also scored 16 points against San Diego State in the
2023 national championship game. Other major contributions to the team's success came from shooting guard
Andre Jackson Jr., as well as transfers
Tristen Newton,
Joey Calcaterra
Joseph Edward Calcaterra (born October 15, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the UConn Huskies and San Diego Toreros.
Early life and high school care ...
, and
Hassan Diarra. Two freshmen, forward
Alex Karaban and backup center
Donovan Clingan, also made their mark on one of the most dominant teams in the history of March Madness.
The Huskies were the first team since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 to win every game by at least 13 points. Their smallest margin of victory was against
Miami (FL) in the Final Four, 72–59. UConn finished the season with a 31–8 overall record. After the season, Hawkins and Jackson Jr. were selected in the
2023 NBA draft as the No. 14 and No. 36 overall picks, respectively. Sanogo signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chicago Bulls. Following the NCAA tournament, numerous analysts and commentators declared that UConn had earned "
blue blood" status in college basketball—placing the Huskies among the highest performing programs in the history of the sport.
2023–24 Season: 'Back-to-Back', 6th NCAA Title
Despite losing two of its top scorers in Hawkins and Sanogo to the NBA, UConn entered the 2023–24 season ranked No. 6 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. The team gained a 5-star recruit in point guard
Stephon Castle as well as future First-Team
All-Big East transfer
Cam Spencer.
Donovan Clingan became the starting center for the team and averaged 13 points per game throughout the season. The Huskies reached No. 4 in the AP after starting 7–0 and winning the
Empire Classic championship at Madison Square Garden. On November 28, 2023, UConn won its 24th straight non-conference game by double digits, setting a new NCAA record.
The team lost its first non-conference game in 624 days at No. 5
Kansas
Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
on December 1, 2023, falling 65–69. The Huskies rebounded from the loss four days later with an 87–76 win over No. 9
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
in the
Jimmy V Classic. Coach Dan Hurley led UConn to a program-best 18 wins in Big East conference play, earning the Huskies their first Big East regular season title since 2006 and their 11th overall, a conference record. As the No. 1 seed in the
Big East tournament, UConn defeated No. 9 seed
Xavier in the quarterfinals and then defeated No. 5 seed
St. Johns in the semifinals to advance to their first Big East championship game since 2011. The following day, the Huskies defeated No. 3 seed
Marquette 73–57 in the championship game to win their first Big East championship since 2011 and eighth overall (tied for most in conference history).
UConn received the No. 1 overall seed for the first time ever in the
2024 NCAA tournament and ultimately won its second consecutive NCAA title, with a 75–60 win over
Purdue
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donat ...
in the national championship game. The Huskies' scoring margin of +140 for their six games (23.3 points per game) is an NCAA Division I record. The team also set a record by winning every NCAA tournament game by at least 14 points, beating their own record from the previous season by 1 point. Their smallest margin of victory was against
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
in the Final Four, 86–72.
Tristen Newton was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, and Dan Hurley was named
Naismith College Coach of the Year
The Naismith College Coach of the Year Award (officially known for sponsorship reasons as the Werner Ladder Naismith College Coach of the Year) is an award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to one men's and one women's NCAA Division I collegiate c ...
as well as
Sporting News Men's College Basketball Coach of the Year. UConn finished the season with a 37–3 overall record, setting a program record with the most wins in a single season.
With a sixth NCAA championship, UConn moved into a tie for third most all time. ESPN's
Jay Bilas said UConn's six national championships in 25 tournaments is the best run college basketball has seen since the
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden (October 14, 1910 – June 4, 2010) was an American basketball coach and player. Nicknamed "the Wizard of Westwood", he won ten National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, nati ...
-era at UCLA in the 1960s and 1970s. After the season, Clingan, Castle, Karaban, Newton and Spencer declared for the
2024 NBA draft
The 2024 NBA draft was the 78th edition of the National Basketball Association's annual NBA draft, draft. Unlike recent years, the 2024 draft took place over two nights. This was the first NBA draft to be held on multiple nights since the draft ...
and were all invited to the
NBA draft combine. Karaban, projected as an early second-round pick, opted to return to UConn for a third season. Castle and Clingan were selected in the first round of the draft as the No. 4 and No. 7 picks, respectively. Newton and Spencer were selected in the second round with picks No. 49 and No. 53.
Facilities
*
Hawley Armory (1915–1947)
* Storrs Cage (1948–1954)
*
Hugh S. Greer Field House (1954–1990)
*
PeoplesBank Arena (formerly known as the Hartford Civic Center and XL Center) (1975–present)
*
Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (1990–present)
* Werth Family Champions Center (2014–present)
Season-by-season records
Postseason results
''Source''
Regular season conference championships
UConn has won 34 conference regular season championships over the past century. The program currently holds the record for the most Big East regular season titles (11) and Yankee Conference regular season titles (18).
New England Conference (5)
* 1925, 1926, 1928, 1941, 1944
Yankee Conference (18)
* 1948, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1970
Big East Conference (11)
* 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2024
Conference tournament championships
For much of the 20th century, UConn was a member of conferences that did not hold a postseason tournament (New England and Yankee). The advent of the
ECAC men's basketball tournaments in the 1974–75 season provided UConn with its first opportunity to win a postseason conference championship. Over the past half century, UConn has won 11 conference tournament titles. The program is currently tied with Georgetown for the most Big East tournament championships (8) all time.
ECAC New England Tournament (2)
* 1976, 1979
Big East Conference Tournament (8)
* 1990, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2011, 2024
American Athletic Conference Tournament (1)
* 2016
NCAA tournament seeding history
''The
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
began seeding the tournament with the
1979 edition.''
Indicates
NCAA championship
* Indicates
overall number one seed
† Indicates vacated by the NCAA
NCAA Final Fours
*
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
– Champion
*
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
– Champion
*
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
– Semifinalist
*
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
– Champion
*
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
– Champion
*
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
– Champion
*
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
– Champion
National Championships
1999 NCAA Title
The Huskies were the top seed in the West region, and a win over
Gonzaga in the regional final sent UConn to
Tropicana Field
Tropicana Field (nicknamed "The Trop") is a domed multipurpose stadium located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. "The Trop" was the home of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 Tampa Bay Devil Rays season, 1998 to ...
for the program's first Final Four appearance. They defeated Ohio State 64–58 in the National Semifinals to advance to play against Duke in the National Championship. Despite having been ranked No. 1 for half of the year, the Huskies entered the national championship game as 9-point underdogs.
UConn won their first national title with a 77–74 victory. Richard Hamilton was named the tournament's
Most Outstanding Player.
2004 NCAA Title
In 2004, the Huskies returned to the
Final Four
In sports, the final four is the last four teams remaining in a playoffs, playoff tournament. Usually the final four compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final (penultimate) round. Of these teams, the two who win in ...
. Once again they faced Duke, this time in the National Semifinal, and used a late run to beat the Blue Devils 79–78. Two nights later, led by
Emeka Okafor and
Ben Gordon, Connecticut won their second national title with an 82–73 victory over
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...
. Okafor was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
One day later the UConn women's basketball team also won a national title, making UConn the first and only school in NCAA Division I history to have its men's and women's basketball programs win a national championship in the same season.
2011 NCAA Title
The 2011 Huskies won 11 straight games in postseason play, the final six of which resulted in the program's
third national championship. On April 4, 2011, they defeated the
Butler Bulldogs, 53–41. UConn junior
Kemba Walker was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
Many consider UConn's win in the Championship Game to be a great defensive performance, as the Huskies held Butler to only 18.8% shooting from the field (a record for field goal percentage defense in a championship game) and tied a title game record with ten blocked shots.
An analysis by Sports Illustrated columnist Luke Winn credited the Huskies' defense by demonstrating, for instance, that they blocked or altered a staggering 26.6% of Butler's shots – compared to just 3.8% by Pittsburgh and 12.1% by VCU in earlier rounds. The 53 points scored by Connecticut were, in turn, the lowest point total by a winning team in a championship game since 1949.
2014 NCAA Title

In 2014, led by American Athletic Conference Player of the Year
Shabazz Napier, UConn became the first #7 seed to win the NCAA Championship, getting past No. 1 seed Florida, No. 2 seed Villanova, No. 3 seed Iowa State, and No. 4 seed Michigan State, before defeating the Kentucky Wildcats 60–54 in the championship game in Arlington, Texas. UConn is undefeated in the state of Texas in the Final Four (6–0).
As in 2004, the UConn women's basketball team also won a national title, making UConn the first and only school in NCAA Division I history to have its men's and women's basketball programs win a national championship in the same season twice.
2023 NCAA Title
In 2023, the UConn Huskies won all of their tournament games by more than 10 points. Their path to the championship began against No. 13 seed Iona in the first round, in which they would trail at the half but eventually pull away in the end. The Huskies would then beat No. 5 Saint Mary's, No. 8 Arkansas, and No. 3 Gonzaga. The
national semifinal would be a 13-point defeat of No. 5 Miami, their smallest margin of victory in the tournament.
The national championship would be a 17-point defeat of No. 5 San Diego State University as UConn won their
fifth national title, moving the program into a tie for fourth-most NCAA championships all time.
2024 NCAA Title
In 2024, the UConn Huskies became the first team to repeat as NCAA tournament champions since the
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the College sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville, Florida, Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni an ...
in
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
. They won their sixth title, putting them at a tie with North Carolina for the third-most championships of all time. Once again, they won every tournament game by double digits; their smallest margin of victory in the entire tournament was 14 points against
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
in the Final Four. The Huskies also set the record for the largest combined margin of victory in all their games with 140 points; and largest-average margin of victory of 23.3 points per game. Because of that, the 2024 Huskies are considered one of the most dominant teams in the history of March Madness, following up 2023's strong performance.
Complete NCAA tournament results
The Huskies have appeared in the
NCAA tournament 37 times. Their combined record is 70–32. They have been to seven Final Fours and are six-time National Champions (1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024).
NIT results
The Huskies have appeared in the
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is an annual men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since 2023, all rounds of the tournament are played at various sites across the country whi ...
(NIT) 13 times. Their combined record is 15–12. They were NIT champions in 1988.
;" , Round
! style=";" , Opponent
! style=";" , Results
, - align="center"
,
1955 , , First Round , , Saint Louis , , L 103–110
, - align="center"
,
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
, , First Round
Quarterfinals , , St. John's
Boston College , , W 82–70
L 75–76
, - align="center"
,
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
, , First Round , , South Carolina , , L 61–71
, - align="center"
,
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
, , First Round , , Saint Peter's , , L 56–71
, - align="center"
,
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
, , First Round
Second Round , , South Florida
Minnesota , , W 66–55
L 66–84
, - align="center"
,
1982
Events
January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
, , First Round , , Dayton , , L 75–76
, - align="center"
,
1988 , , First Round
Second Round
Quarterfials
Semifinals
Final , , West Virginia
Louisiana Tech
VCU
Boston College
Ohio State , , W 62–57
W 65–59
W 69–60
W 73–67
W 72–67
, - align="center"
,
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
, , First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals , , Charlotte
California
UAB , , W 67–62
W 73–72
L 79–85
, - align="center"
,
1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
, , First Round , , Jackson State , , L 88–90
, - align="center"
,
1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
, , First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game , , Iona
Bradley
Nebraska
Florida State
Arkansas , , W 71–66
W 63–47
W 76–67
L 65–71
W 74–64
, - align="center"
,
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
, , First Round
Second Round , , South Carolina
Detroit , , W 72–65
L 61–67
, - align="center"
,
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
, , First Round
Second Round , , Northeastern
Virginia Tech , , W 59–57
L 63–65
, - align="center"
,
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
, , First Round , , Arizona State , , L 61–68
Coaches
The following is a list of Connecticut Huskies men's basketball head coaches. The team is currently coached by
Dan Hurley, alongside associate head coach
Kimani Young and assistant coaches
Luke Murray and
Mike Nardi.
''Note: Records updated through end of 2024–25 season.''
Retired numbers

Two men's basketball players have had their numbers retired at UConn. For more than a century, UConn's basketball programs did not have any retired numbers. On December 7, 2018, UConn announced that the No. 34 worn by
Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a play ...
—along with the No. 50 worn by
UConn women's basketball star
Rebecca Lobo
Rebecca Rose Lobo-Rushin (born October 6, 1973) is an American television basketball analyst and former professional women's basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 1997 to 2003. Lobo, at 6'4", played the cent ...
—would be the first-ever to be permanently retired for each respective team. Allen and Lobo were the first players in school history inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
. Allen's number retirement ceremony was held at Gampel Pavilion on March 3, 2019.
On January 30, 2024, UConn announced that the No. 32 worn by
Richard Hamilton would be the second number retired by the program. Hamilton's number retirement ceremony was held at Gampel Pavilion on February 24, 2024.
Huskies of Honor
The Huskies of Honor program recognizes the top players, coaches and administrators in the history of UConn men's and women's basketball. On December 26, 2006, the university announced the inaugural class, which included 13 players and 3 coaches from the men's basketball program. The men's basketball inaugural class was formally inducted in a ceremony on February 5, 2007.
Former athletic director John Toner was inducted on February 28, 2009. On April 5, 2011,
Kemba Walker was the first men's basketball player to be added to the program since the inaugural inductees, an honor he was bestowed after leading the team to a national championship.
The Huskies of Honor are each recognized by a four by five foot panel which displays his name, jersey number and years of service, and a plaque which summarizes each's career accomplishments;
[ Both the panels and the plaques are on permanent display at Gampel Pavilion on the main campus of the University of Connecticut in Storrs.
]
Players
* Harrison Fitch, 1932–1934
* Walt Dropo, 1942–1947
*Vincent Yokabaskas, 1948–1952
* Worthy Patterson, 1951–1954
* Art Quimby, 1951–1955
* Toby Kimball, 1961–1965
* Wes Bialosuknia, 1964–1967
*Bill Corley, 1965–1968
*Tony Hanson
Tony Hanson (October 20, 1955 – November 25, 2018) was an American basketball player. He was drafted by the New Orleans Jazz (NBA team), New Orleans Jazz in the third round of the 1977 NBA draft.
Collegiate playing career
After a standout high s ...
, 1973–1977
* Corny Thompson, 1978–1982
* Clifford Robinson, 1985–1989
* Chris Smith, 1988–1992
* Scott Burrell, 1989–1993
* Donyell Marshall, 1991–1994
*Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a play ...
, 1993–1996
* Richard Hamilton, 1996–1999
* Khalid El-Amin, 1997–2000
* Caron Butler, 2000–2002
* Emeka Okafor, 2001–2004
* Ben Gordon, 2001–2004
*Rudy Gay
Rudy Carlton Gay Jr. (born August 17, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. A forward, he played college basketball for the UConn Huskies before being selected eighth overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, ...
, 2004–2006
* Kemba Walker, 2008–2011
* Shabazz Napier, 2010–2014
* Tristen Newton, 2022–2024
Coaches and administrators
*Hugh Greer
Hugh Scott Greer (August 5, 1904 – January 14, 1963) was an American men's college basketball coach. Known as the "Father of Connecticut Basketball," he was the head coach of the UConn Huskies men's basketball team from 1947 to 1963. He develo ...
, head coach, 1946–1963
* Dee Rowe, head coach, 1969–1977
* John Toner, athletic director, 1969–1987
* Jim Calhoun, head coach, 1986–2012
Teams
* 1999 National Championship Team
* 2004 National Championship Team
Huskies in the NBA
Since the creation of the National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
in 1946, more than 40 former UConn stars have played in the league. Thirteen of them have received NBA honors and awards, and five have won an NBA championship. While the league has shown an interest in UConn's top players since the first NBA draft in 1947, the Huskies emerged as a consistent talent pipeline to the professional level in the 1990s.
UConn has produced some of the greatest players in NBA history, nearly all in the past three decades. The list of former UConn players in the NBA includes:
* Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a play ...
, a 10-time NBA All-Star
The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Traditionally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...
who won two NBA championship
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
s and retired as the NBA's all-time leader in 3-point field goals made. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
in 2018. In 2021, Allen was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team
The NBA 75th Anniversary Team, also referred to as the NBA 75, was chosen in 2021 to honor the 75th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the fourth and most recent anniversary team in the league. S ...
, which honored the 75 greatest players in NBA history. ESPN ranked him as the 47th greatest NBA player all time in 2021.
* Richard Hamilton, a three-time NBA All-Star and leading scorer on the Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
for eight consecutive seasons—including during the team's run to the NBA championship in 2004. The Pistons retired his number in 2017.
* Kemba Walker, a four-time NBA All-Star and the all-time leading scorer for the Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...
. Walker is widely regarded as the greatest player in the history of the Hornets franchise.
* Andre Drummond, a two-time NBA All-Star and four-time winner of the NBA rebounding title. He has the highest rebounding percentage of any player in NBA history.
* Clifford Robinson, an NBA All-Star and 1994 NBA Sixth Man of the Year who was one of the first 3-point shooting big men in NBA history. A two-time NBA All-Defensive Team
The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in tw ...
selection, Robinson is one of only seven players in NBA/ABA history to record 1,300 blocks and 1,300 steals. He played in 1,380 career games, 14th most in NBA history. His teams appeared in the playoffs in all but one of his 18 seasons in the league.
* Caron Butler, a two-time NBA All-Star who averaged double figures in scoring 11 out of 14 seasons in the league and retired with the seventh-most steals in Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...
franchise history. He won an NBA championship in 2011 with the Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
.
* Ben Gordon, the 2005 NBA Sixth Man of the Year and the only player in NBA history to win the award as a rookie. He retired with the Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...
franchise record for most 3-point field goals made in a single season (166) and the NBA record for most consecutive 3-point field goals without a miss (9), which he accomplished twice in his career.
* Emeka Okafor, the 2005 NBA Rookie of the Year
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottlieb T ...
who became the first star of the NBA's expansion franchise in Charlotte, then known as the Bobcats. He is the all-time leading rebounder in Charlotte Hornets franchise history.
* Rudy Gay
Rudy Carlton Gay Jr. (born August 17, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. A forward, he played college basketball for the UConn Huskies before being selected eighth overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, ...
, a 17-year NBA veteran who is considered one of the greatest players in league history to never receive an NBA All-Star selection. He ranks as one of the top players in the history of the Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...
franchise, and was the league's most clutch shooter in late-game situations during the first 10 years of his career.
In 2011, SLAM Magazine included Allen, Hamilton, Robinson, Butler, Gordon and Okafor on its list of the 500 Greatest NBA Players of All Time.
NBA draft
There have been 56 former UConn players selected in the NBA draft
The NBA draft is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) annual event, dating back to 1947 BAA draft, 1947, in which the teams in the league can Draft (sports), draft players who declare for the draft and that are Eligibility for the NBA dr ...
, including 24 first-round picks and 17 lottery picks. Walt Dropo was the first UConn player to be drafted—selected with the fourth overall pick in the inaugural draft in 1947—but ultimately chose to play professional baseball instead. In the 2006 NBA draft
The 2006 NBA draft was held on June 28, 2006, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. c ...
, the Huskies tied the record for most first-round picks from one school (4) and tied the second-highest number of picks from one school in a single NBA draft (5).
NBA careers
There are 41 former UConn players who have played in the NBA. The program's first NBA player was Worthy Patterson, who played for the St. Louis Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at S ...
for three months during the 1957–58 NBA season. Nine Huskies were considered active during the 2023–24 season.
ABA careers
Two former UConn players— Wes Bialosuknia and Jimmy Foster—were drafted in the NBA but elected to play in the American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major professional basketball league that operated for nine seasons from 1967 to 1976. The upstart ABA operated in direct competition with the more established National Basketball Association thr ...
instead. Bialosuknia was selected by the Oakland Oaks in the first round of the inaugural ABA draft in 1967. While he only played one season in the ABA, he finished with the league's second-highest 3-point field goal percentage and the league record for most consecutive 3-point field goals (9). Foster was selected by the Carolina Cougars
The Carolina Cougars were a basketball franchise in the American Basketball Association that existed from 1969 through 1974. The Cougars were originally a charter member of the ABA as the Houston Mavericks in 1967. The Mavericks moved to North Ca ...
in the seventh round of the ABA draft in 1974. He spent two seasons in the ABA and played in the ABA All-Star game as a member of the Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
in 1976. After the 1975–76 season concluded, the ABA merged with the NBA. Foster then faced a contract dispute with Nuggets and left the team. He briefly played in Europe before retiring from professional basketball.
Huskies in USA Basketball
Since 1980, USA Basketball
USA Basketball (USAB) is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA, and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States ...
has selected 23 players and three coaches with UConn ties to represent the United States in international competition. UConn players and coaches have combined to win 18 gold medals at various levels of competition, including at the 2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The 1896 Summer Olympics, inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, ...
and the 2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
and 2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
FIBA Basketball World Cup
The FIBA Basketball World Cup is an international basketball competition between the senior List of men's national basketball teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIBA, International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the sport's globa ...
s.
Three Huskies have represented the United States in men's basketball during the Olympics Games:
* Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a play ...
, a starter on the gold medal-winning team in 2000
* Emeka Okafor, a reserve on the bronze medal-winning team in 2004
* Dee Rowe, an assistant coach on the team in 1980 when the United States boycotted the Summer Olympics
In addition, four Huskies have represented the United States in the FIBA Basketball World Cup:
* Rudy Gay
Rudy Carlton Gay Jr. (born August 17, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. A forward, he played college basketball for the UConn Huskies before being selected eighth overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, ...
, a reserve who averaged double-digit minutes on the gold medal-winning teams in 2010 and 2014
* Andre Drummond, a reserve on the gold medal-winning team in 2014
* Chris Smith, a starter on the bronze-medal winning team in 1990
* Kemba Walker, a starter and leading scorer on the seventh-place team in 2019
Gay is one of only three players in USA Basketball history to win two FIBA Basketball World Cups. UConn players have also won gold medals at the FIBA AmeriCup
The FIBA AmeriCup (previously known as the FIBA Americas Championship) is the Americas Basketball Championship that takes place every four years between national teams of the Western Hemisphere continents.
Since FIBA organized the entire Wester ...
(1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
, 2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
), the Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games were an international sports competition created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s. In 1979, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan caused the United States and other ...
(1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
) and the World University Games (1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
, 1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
).
Players
''Source''
Coaches
''Source''
Notable victories
*December 10, 1921 – UConn upsets Army
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
at West Point, 33–31. Phil Dean hits a game-winning shot with under 30 seconds left to secure the win over an Army squad ranked No. 3 in the nation that season by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll
The Premo-Porretta Power Poll is a retroactive end-of-year ranking for American college basketball teams competing in the 1895–96 through the 1947–48 seasons.
The Premo-Porretta Polls are intended to serve collectively as a source of informa ...
.
*February 27, 1954 – Worthy Patterson's buzzer-beater at No. 7 Holy Cross gives UConn an upset of the then-powerhouse Crusaders, 78–77.
*March 13, 1956 – UConn defeats Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
84–75 to win an NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as March Madness, or The Big Dance, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion of the NCAA Division I, Di ...
game for the first time.
*March 14, 1964 – UConn upsets Princeton and star forward Bill Bradley
William Warren Bradley (born July 28, 1943) is an American politician and former professional basketball player. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was a United States Senate, United States senator from New ...
52–50 in the Sweet Sixteen. The victory is sealed when Dom Perno steals the ball from Bradley with 19 seconds to play. Perno would later become UConn's coach.
*February 28, 1970 ("The Slowdown Game") – With four players unavailable and a share of the Yankee Conference Regular-Season Championship on the line, UConn beats Rhode Island
Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
35–32 at the Field House
Field house or fieldhouse is an American English term for an indoor sports arena or stadium, mostly used for college basketball, volleyball, or ice hockey, or a support building for various adjacent sports fields, e.g. locker room, team room, coac ...
. Played before the shot clock-era, UConn dribbles endlessly for 38 minutes to make up for their limited roster.
*March 30, 1988 – UConn defeats Ohio State
The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities by enrollme ...
72–67 at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
to win the 1988 National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is an annual men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since 2023, all rounds of the tournament are played at various sites across the country whi ...
.
*January 27, 1990 – UConn beats No. 15 St. John's 72–58 in the first game played at Gampel Pavilion.
*March 11, 1990 – UConn beats Syracuse 78–75 at Madison Square Garden to win its first Big East men's tournament championship.
*March 22, 1990 ("The Shot") – Tate George makes a shot at the buzzer to beat Clemson 71–70 in the 1990 Sweet Sixteen at Brendan Byrne Arena
Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor sports and concert venue located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. Since closing, ...
in East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an inner suburb, inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan. As of the 2020 Unit ...
.
*March 9, 1996 – With 4 minutes remaining, UConn trails Georgetown 74–63. The Huskies close the game with a 12–0 run and win the Big East Championship 75–74 on an off-balance floater from All-American Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a play ...
at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
.
*March 20, 1998 (Hamilton "Rips" Washington's heart out) – Down 74–73 in the Sweet Sixteen to the eleven seed Washington Huskies
The Washington Huskies are the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Washington, located in Seattle. The school competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) N ...
, two seed UConn gets three shot attempts off in the final 15 seconds with Rip Hamilton's buzzer beating jumper winning it 75–74.
*March 20, 1999 – UConn defeats Gonzaga 67–62 to win the West Regional Final and advance to the Final Four for the first time.
*March 29, 1999 – UConn wins its first NCAA Championship, defeating Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
77–74 at Tropicana Field
Tropicana Field (nicknamed "The Trop") is a domed multipurpose stadium located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. "The Trop" was the home of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 Tampa Bay Devil Rays season, 1998 to ...
in St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the List of municipalities in Florida, fifth-most populous city in Florida and the most populous city in the sta ...
.
*March 27, 2004 – UConn defeats Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
87–71 to win the West Regional Final and advance to the Final Four for the second time.
*April 5, 2004 – UConn wins its second NCAA Championship, defeating Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...
82–73 at the Alamodome
The Alamodome is a 64,000-seat domed indoor multi-purpose stadium in San Antonio, Texas. It is located on the southeastern fringe of downtown San Antonio. The facility opened on May 15, 1993, having been constructed at a cost of $186 milli ...
in San Antonio
San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...
.
*March 28, 2009 – UConn defeats Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
82–75 to win the Arizona Regional Final and advance to the Final Four for the third time.
*March 12, 2011 ("Five Games in Five Days") – In the final of the Big East tournament, UConn defeats Louisville
Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...
by a score of 69–66 to claim their seventh Big East Championship. The victory capped an unprecedented run wherein the Huskies won five tournament games in five consecutive days. Four of those wins came against top-25 opponents. Junior All-American guard Kemba Walker scored a tournament-record 130 points in the five-game run, and was named tournament MVP.
*March 26, 2011 – UConn defeats Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
65–63 to win the West Regional Final and advance to the Final Four for the fourth time.
*April 4, 2011 – UConn wins its third NCAA Championship, defeating Butler
A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...
53–41 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
.
*November 9, 2012 – In Kevin Ollie's first game as Connecticut head coach, UConn beats the No. 14 Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 Varsity team, varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan Army, Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the sc ...
66–62 at Ramstein Air Base
Ramstein Air Base is a United States Air Force installation located in Rhineland-Palatinate, southwestern Germany. It serves as the headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) and NATO Alli ...
in Germany.
*March 30, 2014 – UConn defeats Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the ...
60–54 at Madison Square Garden to win the East Regional Final and advance to the Final Four for the fifth time.
*April 7, 2014 – UConn wins its fourth NCAA Championship, defeating Kentucky
Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
60–54 at AT&T Stadium
AT&T Stadium is a retractable roof stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. It serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL), and was completed on May 27, 2009. It is also the home of the Cotton Bowl Classic ...
in Arlington, Texas.
*March 11, 2016 – With 0.8 seconds remaining and UConn down by 3, freshman point guard Jalen Adams hits a 70-foot 3 pointer to tie an American Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament quarterfinal game against Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
and force a fourth overtime. UConn wins the game 104–97, and then wins the final against Memphis two days later to advance to the 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
The 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college basketball national champion for the 20 ...
.
*March 25, 2023 – UConn defeats Gonzaga 82–54 to win the West Regional Final and advance to the Final Four for the sixth time.
*April 3, 2023 – UConn wins its fifth NCAA Championship, defeating San Diego State
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California, United States. Founded in 1897, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system. SDSU is ...
76–59 at NRG Stadium
NRG Stadium (previously known as Reliant Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to h ...
in Houston, Texas.
*November 27, 2023 – UConn defeats New Hampshire
New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
84–64 to set an NCAA record with its 24th straight non-conference victory by double digits.
*March 30, 2024 – In a game that notably included a 30–0 run, UConn defeats Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
77–52 to win the East Regional Final and advance to their seventh Final Four.
*April 8, 2024 – UConn wins back-to-back titles with its sixth NCAA Championship, defeating Purdue
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donat ...
75–60 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
Glendale () is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Located about nine miles northwest of the state capital Phoenix, Glendale is known for State Farm Stadium, which is the home of the Arizona Cardinals football team. The city al ...
.
Awards
''Source''
Conference awards
AAC Defensive Player of the Year
* Amida Brimah – 2015
AAC Most Improved Player
* Josh Carlton – 2019
AAC Player of the Year
* Shabazz Napier – 2014
AAC Rookie of the Year
* Daniel Hamilton – 2015
AAC Tournament MVP
* Daniel Hamilton – 2016
All-AAC First Team
* Shabazz Napier – 2014
* Ryan Boatright – 2015
* Jalen Adams – 2017
All-AAC Second Team
* Daniel Hamilton – 2016
* Jalen Adams – 2018
All-AAC Third Team
* Jalen Adams – 2019
* James Bouknight – 2020
All-Big East Conference First Team
* Corny Thompson – 1982
* Chris Smith – 1992
* Donyell Marshall – 1993, 1994
*Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a play ...
– 1995, 1996
* Richard Hamilton – 1998, 1999
* Khalid El-Amin – 2000
* Caron Butler – 2002
* Emeka Okafor – 2003, 2004
* Ben Gordon – 2004
*Rudy Gay
Rudy Carlton Gay Jr. (born August 17, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. A forward, he played college basketball for the UConn Huskies before being selected eighth overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, ...
– 2006
* Jeff Adrien – 2008
* A.J. Price – 2008
* Hasheem Thabeet – 2009
* Kemba Walker – 2011
* Jeremy Lamb – 2012
* Shabazz Napier – 2013
* James Bouknight – 2021
* R. J. Cole – 2022
* Adama Sanogo – 2022, 2023
* Jordan Hawkins – 2023
* Tristen Newton – 2024
* Cam Spencer – 2024
All-Big East Conference Second Team
* Corny Thompson – 1980
* Chuck Aleksinas – 1981
* Mike McKay – 1982
*Earl Kelley – 1985, 1986
* Clifford Robinson – 1989
* Chris Smith – 1990, 1991
* Scott Burrell – 1992
* Doron Sheffer – 1995, 1996
* Khalid El-Amin – 1999
* Ben Gordon – 2003
* Josh Boone – 2005
* Charlie Villanueva – 2005
* Hilton Armstrong – 2006
* Marcus Williams – 2006
* Jeff Adrien – 2007
* Hasheem Thabeet – 2008
* A.J. Price – 2009
* Solo Ball – 2025
* Alex Karaban – 2025
All-Big East
Conference Third Team
* Mike McKay – 1980, 1981
* Karl Hobbs – 1984
* Clifford Robinson – 1988
* Tate George – 1990
* Nadav Henefeld – 1990
* Scott Burrell – 1991, 1993
* Rod Sellers – 1992
* Donny Marshall – 1994, 1995
* Doron Sheffer – 1994
* Kevin Ollie – 1995
* Khalid El-Amin – 1999
* Caron Butler – 2001
* Emeka Okafor – 2002
* Marcus Williams – 2005
* Jeff Adrien – 2009
* Jerome Dyson – 2010
* Kemba Walker – 2010
* Liam McNeeley – 2025
All-ECAC
* Toby Kimball – 1964
All-New England First Team
* Walt Dropo – 1946, 1947
* Vincent Yokabaskas – 1950, 1951, 1952
* Art Quimby – 1954, 1955
* Toby Kimball – 1963, 1964, 1965
* Wes Bialosukina – 1965, 1966, 1967
* Bill Corley – 1966, 1967, 1968
*Tony Hanson
Tony Hanson (October 20, 1955 – November 25, 2018) was an American basketball player. He was drafted by the New Orleans Jazz (NBA team), New Orleans Jazz in the third round of the 1977 NBA draft.
Collegiate playing career
After a standout high s ...
– 1975, 1976, 1977
All-Yankee Conference First Team
* Stan Sorota – 1949
* Henry Bartnicki – 1950
* Vincent Yokabaskas – 1950, 1951, 1952
* Burr Carlson – 1952
* Art Quimby – 1953, 1954, 1955
* Worthy Patterson – 1953, 1954
* Toby Kimball – 1963, 1964, 1965
* Wes Bialosuknia – 1965, 1966, 1967
* Bill Corley – 1966, 1967, 1968
*Tony Hanson
Tony Hanson (October 20, 1955 – November 25, 2018) was an American basketball player. He was drafted by the New Orleans Jazz (NBA team), New Orleans Jazz in the third round of the 1977 NBA draft.
Collegiate playing career
After a standout high s ...
– 1975, 1976
Big East All-Freshman Team
* Bruce Kuczenski – 1980
* Vernon Giscombe – 1981
* Earl Kelley – 1983
* Phil Gamble – 1986
* Tate George – 1987
* Scott Burrell – 1990
* Nadav Henefeld – 1990
* Donyell Marshall – 1992
*Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a play ...
– 1994
* Doron Sheffer – 1994
* Richard Hamilton – 1997
* Khalid El-Amin – 1998
* Caron Butler – 2001
* Emeka Okafor – 2002
* Ben Gordon – 2002
* Josh Boone – 2004
* Charlie Villanueva – 2004
*Rudy Gay
Rudy Carlton Gay Jr. (born August 17, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. A forward, he played college basketball for the UConn Huskies before being selected eighth overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, ...
– 2005
* Jeff Adrien – 2006
* Jerome Dyson – 2007
* Hasheem Thabeet – 2007
* Kemba Walker – 2009
* Alex Oriakhi – 2010
* Shabazz Napier – 2011
* Jeremy Lamb – 2011
* Andre Drummond – 2012
* Omar Calhoun – 2013
* Adama Sanogo – 2021
* Jordan Hawkins – 2022
* Donovan Clingan – 2023
* Alex Karaban – 2023
* Stephon Castle – 2024
* Liam McNeeley – 2025
Big East Coach of the Year
* Jim Calhoun – 1990, 1994, 1996, 1998
* Dan Hurley – 2024
Big East Defensive Player of the Year
* Donyell Marshall – 1994
* Emeka Okafor – 2003, 2004
* Josh Boone – 2005
* Hilton Armstrong – 2006
* Hasheem Thabeet – 2008, 2009
* Isaiah Whaley – 2021
Big East Most Improved Player
* Marcus Williams – 2005
Big East Player of the Year
* Donyell Marshall – 1994
*Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a play ...
– 1996
* Richard Hamilton – 1998, 1999
* Caron Butler – 2002
* Emeka Okafor – 2004
* Hasheem Thabeet – 2009
Big East Rookie of the Year
* Earl Kelley – 1983
* Nadav Henefeld – 1990
* Doron Sheffer – 1994
* Khalid El-Amin – 1998
*Rudy Gay
Rudy Carlton Gay Jr. (born August 17, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. A forward, he played college basketball for the UConn Huskies before being selected eighth overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, ...
– 2005
* Stephon Castle – 2024
* Liam McNeeley – 2025
Big East Sixth Man of the Year
* Tyler Polley – 2021
* Hassan Diarra – 2024
* Tarris Reed Jr. – 2025
Big East Tournament MVP
* Chris Smith – 1990
* Khalid El-Amin – 1998
* Kevin Freeman – 1999
* Caron Butler – 2002
* Ben Gordon – 2004
* Kemba Walker – 2011
* Tristen Newton – 2024
ECAC Player of the Year
*Tony Hanson
Tony Hanson (October 20, 1955 – November 25, 2018) was an American basketball player. He was drafted by the New Orleans Jazz (NBA team), New Orleans Jazz in the third round of the 1977 NBA draft.
Collegiate playing career
After a standout high s ...
– 1977
New England Player of the Year
*Tony Hanson
Tony Hanson (October 20, 1955 – November 25, 2018) was an American basketball player. He was drafted by the New Orleans Jazz (NBA team), New Orleans Jazz in the third round of the 1977 NBA draft.
Collegiate playing career
After a standout high s ...
– 1977
Yankee Conference Rookie of the Year
*Tony Hanson
Tony Hanson (October 20, 1955 – November 25, 2018) was an American basketball player. He was drafted by the New Orleans Jazz (NBA team), New Orleans Jazz in the third round of the 1977 NBA draft.
Collegiate playing career
After a standout high s ...
– 1974
National awards
Academic All-America Team Member of the Year
* Emeka Okafor – 2004
AP All-American Honorable Mentions
* Art Quimby – 1955
* Toby Kimball – 1965
* Wes Bialosuknia – 1967
*Tony Hanson
Tony Hanson (October 20, 1955 – November 25, 2018) was an American basketball player. He was drafted by the New Orleans Jazz (NBA team), New Orleans Jazz in the third round of the 1977 NBA draft.
Collegiate playing career
After a standout high s ...
– 1975, 1977
* Corny Thompson – 1980, 1982, 1983
*Earl Kelley – 1983, 1986
* Nadav Henefeld – 1990
* Chris Smith – 1990, 1991, 1992
* Donny Marshall – 1995
* Khalid El-Amin – 1998, 1999, 2000
* Caron Butler – 2002
* Emeka Okafor – 2003
* Ben Gordon – 2004
* Josh Boone – 2005
* Marcus Williams – 2006
* A. J. Price – 2008, 2009
* Jeff Adrien – 2009
* Jeremy Lamb – 2012
* James Bouknight – 2021
* Adama Sanogo – 2023
* Donovan Clingan – 2024
* Cam Spencer – 2024
AP National Coach of the Year
* Jim Calhoun – 1990
Ben Jobe Award
* Kevin Ollie – 2013
Bob Cousy Award
The Bob Cousy Award, sponsored by the College of the Holy Cross, is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the top men's collegiate point guard. It is named after six-time National Basketball Assoc ...
* Kemba Walker – 2011
* Shabazz Napier – 2014
* Tristen Newton – 2024
Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award
* Emeka Okafor – 2004
Consensus First Team All-Americans
* Donyell Marshall – 1994
*Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a play ...
– 1996
* Richard Hamilton – 1999
* Emeka Okafor – 2004
* Kemba Walker – 2011
* Shabazz Napier – 2014
* Tristen Newton – 2024
Consensus Second Team All-Americans
* Richard Hamilton – 1998
*Rudy Gay
Rudy Carlton Gay Jr. (born August 17, 1986) is an American former professional basketball player. A forward, he played college basketball for the UConn Huskies before being selected eighth overall in the 2006 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, ...
– 2006
* Hasheem Thabeet – 2009
John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award
* Jim Calhoun – 2005
Lute Olson Award
* Kemba Walker – 2011
Naismith College Coach of the Year
The Naismith College Coach of the Year Award (officially known for sponsorship reasons as the Werner Ladder Naismith College Coach of the Year) is an award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to one men's and one women's NCAA Division I collegiate c ...
* Dan Hurley – 2024
NABC National Defensive Player of the Year
* Emeka Okafor – 2003, 2004
* Hasheem Thabeet – 2008, 2009
NABC National Player of the Year
* Emeka Okafor – 2004
NCAA Tournament MOP
* Richard Hamilton – 1999
* Emeka Okafor – 2004
* Kemba Walker – 2011
* Shabazz Napier – 2014
* Adama Sanogo – 2023
* Tristen Newton – 2024
NCAA Tournament Regional MOP
* Richard Hamilton – 1999
* Ben Gordon – 2004
* A.J. Price – 2009
* Kemba Walker – 2011
* Shabazz Napier – 2014
* Jordan Hawkins – 2023
* Donovan Clingan – 2024
Pete Newell Big Man Award
The Pete Newell Big Man Award has been awarded by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) since 2000. It is presented to the best low-post player each season. The award is named after Pete Newell, the coach who ran the Pete Newell ...
* Emeka Okafor – 2004
Sporting News Coach of the Year
* Jim Calhoun – 1990
* Dan Hurley – 2024
UPI College Basketball Player of the Year
The UPI College Basketball Player of the Year was an annual basketball award given to the best men's basketball player in NCAA Division I competition. The award was first given following the 1954–55 season and was discontinued following the 19 ...
*Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Allen played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a play ...
– 1996
Records
''Sources''[NCAA 2023-24 Division I Men's Basketball Records](_blank)
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Conference records
Big East Conference
* Regular season championships: 11
* Regular season conference wins: 18
* Tournament championships: 8
Yankee Conference
* Regular season championships: 18
NCAA records
* Best point differential in single year, men's tournament history: +140 – UConn, 2024
* Consecutive double digit wins vs. non-conference opponents: 24 – UConn, 2022–2024
* Games in a season (since 1948): 41 – UConn, 2011 (32–9)
* Highest average margin of victory in tournament, championship winner: 23.3 – UConn, 2024
* Lead before opponent scores to start a game (Division I): 32–0 – UConn vs. New Hampshire, Dec. 12, 1990
* Number of different players to score a three-point field goal in a single game, one team: 10 – UConn vs. Xavier, Jan. 28, 2024
* Rebounds per game (season): 70.0 – UConn, 1955 (1,751 rebounds in 25 games)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connecticut Huskies Men's Basketball