No. 4 Connecticut kicked off their season with a statement, taking down the reigning champs, No. 16 Michigan, 85-77 at TD Garden Friday night. This wasn’t just some regular season opener, folks. We’re talking about a national title game rematch in the *opening week* of college basketball, a rarity about as common as seeing a comet.
A Rematch As Rare As A Comet
Seriously, how wild was that? This was the earliest clash between the previous season’s men’s title game participants since Duke and UConn went at it way back in November 1999 at Madison Square Garden. Get this, it was only the second time in the last 17 seasons that men’s college basketball replayed the natty the very next season. And these aren’t just any teams: these two squads are responsible for three of the past four NCAA trophies.
The game itself was supposed to answer two huge questions right out of the gate. First, how would Michigan look without Dusty May, who took the Dallas Mavericks job mid-offseason? And second, could Dan Hurley *really* have another national title contender on his hands *again*? Spoiler alert: for question number two, we got a resounding YES.
Now, don’t get it twisted, this wasn’t some pretty, highlight-reel masterpiece. It was a whistle-plagued, foul-infested grind that racked up a staggering 59 free throws on 48 hacks, stretching the game to nearly two and a half hours. Remember the last time these two played at Lucas Oil Stadium? They combined to shoot a pathetic 34.1 percent, the second-worst accuracy in a national title game since 1950. This rematch was no cosmetic upgrade.
Michigan’s Legacy Hunt, Hurley’s New Threat
Even though Michigan was clearly the inferior squad in this one, you can still see a path for them to play their way into top-four status in the Big Ten. They’ve got Trey McKenney, who dropped all of his team-high 22 points in the second half, and looks like he could be one of the nation’s best sophomores. Wolverines coach Mike Boynton said it himself after the loss, “This team isn’t defending a national championship. They’re trying to establish their own legacy.” That’s the right mindset when you’re facing a hostile crowd, too. The split felt like 80/20 in favor of UConn, which makes sense given how close their fans are in New England. Michigan fifth-year wing Roddy Gayle wasn’t wrong when he said, “Today was a road game for us.”
Michigan’s loss meant they failed to start a season 2-0 for the first time since 2000-01, and UConn was their first ranked opponent this early since 1993. It’s clear Michigan has some work to do, but they’ll have plenty of chances to validate themselves this month. They’ll face Marquette next Wednesday, then hit the road to Villanova on November 21, and then it’s off to Vegas for the 16-team Players Era field the week of Thanksgiving.
Much more to come on the fellas in Maize and Blue soon enough. Let’s pivot to Hurley’s Huskies, wh
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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