Dan Hurley can’t help but look past MSU for a rematch at St. John’s in the Elite Eight

The warning comes from every coach, from every player every March – hell, in any sport, where the stakes get higher as the games get more serious – don’t look too far ahead. Worry about the next practice, the next game, not what might happen later. And then there’s Dan Hurley. The two-time national champion UConn coach appears to be stepping up his classic brash ways by sharing his goal for Friday’s Sweet 16 game in the NCAA Tournament against Michigan State with the prospects of an Elite Eight matchup against St. John’s. Just like any East Coast fan or player who has filled out a bracket this season, Hurley can’t help but follow the lines in the East and see what a Huskies win against Tom Izzo’s team could bring them – a rematch in Washington with two-time defending season and Big East tournament champions St. John’s. Coach Rick Pitino has the tougher task between Hurley and his Big East rivals — at least on paper — in getting the Red Storm past top-seeded Duke. [MEN’S BRACKET: NCAA Tournament Bracket, Leaders & Stats] Hurley, however, has one plea: Fans need to come together for one night and support their rivals so there is a chance for a fourth game this season between the schools, this time with a spot in the Final Four on the line. “It’s going to be a live building. It’s probably a little early, but obviously I think we need to support each other,” Hurley said. “It’s pretty brutal on Twitter, I think, and on social media between our fans, but I think we need to try to come together on Friday night against our opponent so we can have a bloodbath on Sunday.” Hurley noted that “it kind of stinks” that two conference teams are potentially set to play in the regional final rather than a Final Four. St. John’s has won two of three meetings this season against UConn, the second being a 20-point victory in the Big East Tournament title game. The Feb. 25 blowout loss at UConn was St. John’s only setback since going 9-5 through Jan. 3, with the Red Storm beating Northern Iowa and Kansas in the tournament. UConn began the regular season with a 22-1 record but closed the regular season on a 7-4 run, a record for a program that has won back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024. The Huskies bounced back with wins over Furman and UCLA in first- and second-round games last weekend in Philadelphia to reach their 17th Sweet 16. (The Huskies beat Michigan State in a one-game exhibition in late October.) Perhaps it was playing on the East Coast that sparked questions. and comments about a matchup between St. John’s and UConn before it could even happen. Duke is a comfortable 6.5-point favorite to beat fifth-seeded St. John’s, while the Huskies are just 1.5-point favorites to beat Michigan State, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. If both Big East teams win, watch out, the home of the Wizards and Capitals could look a bit like Madison Square Garden during the conference tournaments. “I think it’s a testament to the quality of who we and St. John’s are this year,” Hurley said. “I think it’s a great team. I think we’re a great team. I think it was really necessary.” Winning two games in the NCAA Tournament was much needed for UConn a year after being bounced by Florida in the second round. The Gators would go on to win the national championship – but there’s no repeat this season after being bounced by Iowa. [NCAA ODDS: Latest Men’s March Madness Odds, Favorites] The Huskies are back where they belong in the college basketball pecking order. They can thank Tarris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban for leading the Huskies back to the Sweet 16. Reed had 31 points and 27 rebounds, the kind of sensational stat line not seen in the NCAA Tournament in nearly 60 years, in the opener against Furman. Karaban scored a career-high 27 points in the second round against UCLA. Karaban is a fourth-year senior in a career spent at UConn — a rarity in today’s instant transfer game of greater riches — and a third national title would rank him among the players from John Wooden’s golden era at UCLA in the rarefied air of three-ring players. “I think he can take us anywhere we need to go,” UConn guard Braylon Mullins said. “We all have confidence in him and he is our leader. We all look up to him. He sets the standard with this program.” The Huskies hope they will be closer to full strength in the Sweet 16. Silas Demary Jr., a first-team All-Big East selection, returned to the lineup against UCLA and played 22 minutes after injuring his ankle in the Big East tournament. Jaylin Stewart once again missed both tournament matches due to a knee injury that has kept him sidelined since late February. The deeper the Huskies are, the more likely they are to go deep into the tournament — and maybe get that date with Pitino and St. John’s. Associated Press reporting.