Dan Hurley reminds UConn of championship mentality before Final Four vs Illinois

The Connecticut Huskies are out to prove last year’s early exit in the NCAA Tournament was a fluke. Safe to say, Dan Hurley and company have proved that as the program is back in the Final Four. The Huskies are far from done, though, and the head coach’s latest comment should serve as a reminder before tip-off against the Illinois Fighting Illini.

“We don’t hang banners for Final Fours at UConn. We hang National Championship banners,” Hurley said, via @MarchMadnessMBB on X. “We came here for rings, not watches. Everyone that makes the Final Four gets a beautiful watch, but only one group will get a ring. If you want to hang a banner, get locked in on Illinois.”

Hurley’s message should have the Huskies ready to run through a brick wall when the action tips off at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. UConn and Illinois are set to do battle on April 4 at 6:09 p.m. ET. The winner will then await its next opponent, as No. 1 Arizona and No. 1 Michigan will square off shortly after at the same venue.

UConn is coming off historic win over Duke

Of the remaining teams in the Final Four, UConn is the only one to have knocked off a No. 1 seed—and it did so in unforgettable fashion, as Braylon Mullins drilled a three-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in the regional final against Duke. Regardless of how the season ends for UConn, it has already produced the most iconic play of this NCAA Tournament—a moment that will transcend generations.

Dan Hurley cuts down the nets after UConn won NCAA East Region Tournament

Still, as Hurley would agree, the Huskies aren’t in the dance for highlight-reel plays; they’re here to win it all. Now, they are only two wins away from achieving just that.

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How many times has UConn won the NCAA Tournament?

UConn is eyeing its third NCAA Tournament championship in four years. Moreover, the school could capture its 7th national championship in NCAA history. UConn has been crowned in 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, and 2024.

Hurley’s legacy at UConn

Hurley continues to make his case as one of the best head coaches of all time in college basketball. In his eighth season as head coach in Storrs, Hurley is looking to match Jim Calhoun’s championship total at three. The difference is that Calhoun led UConn’s program for 26 seasons—Hurley could equal that haul in less than a third of the time.