Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) celebrates after making the game-winning three-point basket against the Duke Blue Devils
The men’s basketball team at Duke will be looking to get some revenge the next time they face off against UConn based on what unfolded the last time they played. The Huskies certainly remember how things ended, as they snuck in a reference to the conclusion of their showdown in the Elite Eight in a schedule reveal for the upcoming season.
UConn headed into last season’s NCAA Tournament hoping to secure its third title in four years, and while the Huskies had the chance to do exactly that against Michigan in the national championship game, they ultimately fell short after ending up on the wrong side of a 69-63 result.
Dan Hurley’s squad entered March Madness as a two-seed in a tournament where the chalk was the way to go in their region, as they ended up meeting a top-ranked Duke squad in the Elite Eight.
It looked like the Blue Devils were going to coast to a win after pulling out to a 19-point lead in the first half. UConn was able to stage an impressive comeback after heading into the locker room down 15 at halftime, but Duke still had a two-point lead when they inbounded the ball with 10 seconds to go.
UConn basically had to foul and hope whoever ended up at the charity stripe would miss at least one free throw. However, things took a wild turn when Cayden Boozer had a pass tipped before Alex Karaban scooped up the ball and fired it to Braylon Mullins, who put up a 35-footer from behind the arc that splashed through the net to give the Huskies a 73-72 lead .4 second left.
That ended up being the game-winner, and UConn didn’t let Duke forget about it while announcing its non-conference schedule for the 2026-27 campaign.
UConn quoted Ian Eagle’s call of the game-winner against Duke in the Elite Eight in its schedule reveal
On Tuesday, UConn revealed the slate of the 12 non-conference games it will be playing during the upcoming season.
It was a pretty straightforward announcement at first glance; each entry featured the date and location of the matchup, UConn’s all-time record against the opponent, and the outcome of the last time they met.
There was one very notable exception when it came to the game against Duke in Las Vegas on November 25th, where the “Last Meeting” section featured a transcript of Ian Eagle’s call of the fateful play that sent the Huskies to the Final Four.
Well played.