Analyst snubs Dan Hurley's UConn for Rick Pitino's St. John's as early Big East title favorites

UConn coach Dan Hurley couldn't lead his Huskies team to a third consecutive national championship last season after a chaotic year for the former champions. The Huskies lost their Big East crown to coach Rick Pitino's St. John's Red Storm and the national title to the Florida Gators.

During Saturday's segment of Big East Energy, analyst Jaden Daly tabbed Pitino's much-hyped Red Storm to dominate the conference once again over the Huskies and the Creighton Bluejays.

"I do think this will be ultimately different at the end of the season, but I would have to put St. John's at the top spot — reigning champions of the conference, bringing back a lot of veteran leadership," Daly said (1:20).

"Only one returning starter in Zuby Ejiofor, but a lot of upperclassmen around him and Rick Pitino. Love him or hate him, you can't ignore him or his track record. It's very hard to pick against the Johnnies right now."

He added:

"I don't think they win the league at the end of the year, but it's almost impossible for me to analyze the Big East going into the summer and into the preseason without looking at them as the preseason favorite.

"They're going to be a top-10 team in the preseason polls, maybe even a top-five team. With what they did last year and what this team could be on paper this year, there’s no reason not to."

Rick Pitino led the Red Storm to their first Big East Tournament win since 1985 dethroning Dan Hurley's dominant Huskies, while the Creighton Bluejays also had a strong season finishing No. 2 in the regular season ladder.

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Dan Hurley rebuilds roster ahead of crucial season

Dan Hurley got a huge boost ahead of next season when star forward Alex Karaban opted to return to Storrs for another year instead of entering the 2025 NBA Draft. Karaban was a key piece of the Huskies teams that won two national championships and instantly elevated the 2025-26 team's pedigree with his decision.

Hurley didn't stand still after the Karaban news. The Huskies acquired former Georgia Bulldogs guard Silas Demary Jr. and Malachi Smith from the Dayton Flyers via the transfer portal.

They also welcomed a strong recruiting class including prospects Eric Reibe, Braylon Mullins, Jacob Furphy and Darius Adams to complement their experienced roster.

Despite an inconsistent season last time out, Dan Hurley proved once again in the narrow loss to eventual national champions Florida Gators at the Big Dance that he can turn an unfancied team into contenders.