NCAA analyst Jon Rothstein claims “Dan Hurley has raised the bar” with best non-conference schedule

Dan Hurley is leaving no stone unturned to reclaim the national championship this 2025-26 NCAA season. Basketball analyst Jon Rothstein claimed that the UConn coach has assembled the best non-conference schedule in Huskies' history during Monday's episode of his CBS Sports College Basketball podcast.

The UConn Huskies fell short in their bid to win three consecutive NCAA titles in this year's March Madness, losing in the second round to eventual champions Florida. To prevent that from happening again, Hurley has decided to test the Huskies this coming season with several marquee non-conference matchups.

In a video posted on his Instagram on Monday, Rothstein said:

"Dan Hurley has raised the bar at UConn and not just by the on-court product that the Huskies have displayed during his tenure. UConn is a program that has won six national championships during the last 26 years.

"With all that said, the Huskies, going back all the way to the heyday of Jim Calhoun in the 90s and the 2000s, have never played a non-conference schedule like the one they are going to play next season."

Rothstein argued that the teams UConn will face later this year are all NCAA title contenders.

"Dan Hurley has not just added six power conference games. He has added six power conference games that could be played during the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament."

The Huskies will face AJ Dybantsa and the BYU Cougars on Nov. 15 before locking horns with the Arizona Wildcats on Nov. 19 and the Illinois Fighting Illini on Nov. 28.

UConn will then face Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse on Dec. 2 before squaring off against the Florida Gators on Dec. 9 in a rematch of their Big Dance showdown this year. The Huskies conclude that brutal stretch with a matchup against Texas on Dec. 12.

How Dan Hurley's UConn fared in the 2025 March Madness

Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies started their title defense in this year's March Madness with a 67-59 victory over No. 9 seed Oklahoma. Solo Ball scored a team-high 14 points for the Huskies, who stretched their unbeaten run in the NCAA Tournament to 13 games. Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr. also contributed, scoring 13 and 12 points, respectively.

UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the second half of their NCAA Tournament clash against the Florida Gators at Lenovo Center. Photo: Imagn

UConn's three-peat hopes ended in the second round, however, losing 77-75 to No. 1 seed Florida. It was a heartbreaking defeat for the Huskies, who had a 61-58 lead late in the second half before the Gators pulled off the come-from-behind victory.