Champions, especially those that experience success time and time again, are often defined by their ability to bounce back. They’re not immune to diversity and in the face of challenges, they aren’t fazed. Winners take things one possession at a time, and when these accumulate, they more often than not end in resounding victories. You don’t need to look further than these UConn Huskies. 

It can be said that the Huskies’ 73-72 Elite Eight victory over the Duke Blue Devils is just one of the many miracles of March Madness, but it is also a testament to the hard work UConn has put in this season and in the last few years. Huskies head coach Dan Hurley has always preached intense, team-oriented defense, a principle that has allowed them to overcome star-studded squads such as the Blue Devils. On offense, the modern tenets of pace, space, and 3-point shooting have allowed UConn’s players to punch above their weight and go on runs that make seemingly large deficits small. The results naturally speak for themselves: the Huskies have won back-to-back NCAA Division I championships in 2023 and 2024 and earned six NCAA tournament appearances in eight seasons. 

This kind of success isn’t built overnight and Hurley needed to endure some early struggles before the wins came in. Prior to Hurley’s arrival, UConn was coming off a few down seasons with previous head coach Kevin Ollie and needed the buy-in from the players and the program as a whole before the potential of Hurley’s system was realized. The recruits came and went, but the common denominator among them was fit rather than star power. If there was a star, such as with Stephon Castle, then it was pretty much icing on the cake. 

The Huskies’ bid for their third NCAA title in four seasons is well within reach, as they will have the relatively easier path in this Final Four. They will face the lowest seed left in the tournament in the Illinois Fighting Illini before facing the winner of the matchup between two top seeds in the Michigan Wolverines and the Arizona Wildcats. UConn had beaten the Fighting Illini already earlier in the season, while they suffered a close loss to the Wildcats back in November. The Wolverines are a wild card as the Huskies have yet to face them this season, and after Duke, it’s Michigan that’s viewed as the next favorite to win it all. 

Then again, we’re at the point where seeds, standings, and previous results don’t matter anymore. The UConn Huskies took down the tournament favorites not through sheer force, but in steady play that came in waves. That type of style is tried and tested and the Huskies sent a message with their signature victory over the Duke Blue Devils: Come at the kings and best not miss.