The start of 2026 has been exceedingly chaotic in the college basketball world. There have been upsets galore, surprising international additions and ill-timed injuries. The pecking order that seemed to have settled in during December has been upended — with one notable exception.

An award-winning journalist, Dave has covered the UConn men's basketball team since 2007, including coverage of five Final Fours and four national championships (2011, 2014, 2023 and 2024). He has been an Associated Press Top 25 poll voter since 2009 and was named NSMA Connecticut Sportswriter of the Year in 2019.

The fourth-ranked UConn men’s basketball team saw its defense return to form in a routine, 72-60, win over DePaul in Hartford’s PeoplesBank Arena on Saturday.

The Providence Journal is live at Amica Mutual Pavilion as Providence men's basketball hosts UConn in Big East play.

UConn women’s basketball fell back into its bad habit of sloppy, sluggish starts against Creighton in its first Big East road trip of 2026. The Huskies were slow on defense and discombobulated on offense. A lack of connection allowed turnovers to stack up while the Bluejays tied the game early.

It starts at the right ear, then the hands and the ball thrust quickly, a blur. The ball takes off, rising high to its apex and descending, onlookers expect, through the basket. The results for Braylon Mullins are well above average.

The second string quickly allowed DePaul to trim the deficit to 16 points, and after Blue Demons coach Chris Holtmann called a timeout, Hurley yanked all five players in favor of his usual starting unit. While Hurley was unbothered with the analytic consequences, he expressed sharp frustration with his reserves' performance down the stretch.