The UConn-Duke rematch on Thanksgiving Eve in Las Vegas has been officially tabbed by college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein as the best nonconference game of the 2026-27 season, setting up a collision course after last season’s unforgettable Elite Eight showdown. Get ready, because this isn’t just a game; it’s a sequel to one of the wildest finishes we’ve seen in recent memory.
Mullins’ Legend Lives On: The Elite Eight Thriller
You remember it, right? The 2025-26 season’s Elite Eight, where Braylon Mullins pulled off an absolute miracle for the UConn Huskies against the Duke Blue Devils. We’re talking a legendary heave that wiped out a massive 19-point first-half deficit! Rothstein didn’t mince words about it on his “Inside College Basketball” podcast, calling Mullins’ shot “the biggest shot, in my opinion, in UConn history” when you consider the opponent and what was at stake. That dramatic finish is exactly why everyone wants to see Dan Hurley and Jon Scheyer go at it again. This Thanksgiving Eve game is the one people have been clamoring for.
Blue Blood Bragging Rights and a Venue Rant
Rothstein is hyping this rematch up as a “massive, massive game,” and honestly, he’s not wrong. He sees Hurley and Scheyer as the “faces of the sport,” leading what he calls the “only two programs in college basketball right now that are truly still operating at a blue-blood level.” That kind of showdown, especially as “an incredible, incredible appetizer to Thanksgiving,” is exactly what we need. But here’s where Rothstein gets fired up: he’s got a bone to pick with the venue. While the game is set for T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be broadcast by Amazon, he openly wished it was on a campus court or at Madison Square Garden. He knows “a lot of different things come into play” with the dynamics, but he clearly wants that classic college basketball atmosphere.
UConn’s Brutal Schedule and the All-Time Series Edge
Beyond this epic matchup, UConn’s nonconference schedule is looking brutal. Hurley is building what might be the toughest slate in program history. We’re talking return legs in home-and-home series against Kansas, ranked No. 7 on Rothstein’s list, and Arizona, coming in at No. 6. Plus, a national championship rematch with Michigan at TD Garden is ranked No. 4. These teams have history, too: UConn and Duke have played 11 times dating back to 1964. Mullins’ epic shot gave Duke a slim 6-5 all-time edge. So, when this Thanksgiving Eve game tips off at 7 p.m. ET, it’s not just a rematch; it’s about evening the score and proving who really runs college hoops.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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