No. 4 UConn men’s basketball, thanks largely to a dominant NCAA tournament run last season, set a new NCAA record on Monday night.
The Huskies rolled past New Hampshire 84-64 on Monday to get to 7-0 on the season. Their 24th straight nonconference wins by double digits set a new NCAA record and included nine wins over power conference teams and six wins over ranked opponents.
North Carolina held the previous mark with 23 straight double-digit nonconference wins in 2008 and 2009, including the Tar Heels’ national championship in 2009. According to ESPN, this record is the longest streak since 1950.
“I think it’s great to share a record with the men from last year’s team,” remarked head coach Dan Hurley, via the Hartford Courant. “The whole group, it’s great to share something with them that will be tough to break, I think, moving forward in today’s game with the portal and everything that’s going on. It just speaks to the respect we have for our opponents, the level of preparation that we put in for every single game and just the formula that these guys buy into.”
UConn’s record dates back to the start of last season, going 11-0 before Big East play started, including their Phil Knight Invitational win. They earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament and won each game by an average of 20 points, compounding an impressive championship victory.
UConn is now 7-0 this season, and their upcoming game against No. 5 Kansas in Lawrence, and against No. 17 North Carolina at the Jimmy V Classic, will likely test their boundaries.
“We’ve got to be much better for what’s coming on Friday,” Clingan said, via the Courant.
