Though the UConn basketball team lost to Marquette in the regular season finale, the program has bounced back in the Big East tournament, beating the likes of Xavier and Georgetown to reach the finals. With UConn basketball once again taking on St. John's and head coach Rick Pitino, Dan Hurley would speak afterwards about being ready for the rematch.

Just looking at this year, both the Huskies and the Red Storm faced each other twice, with each team getting a win over one another, but the most important contest is Saturday night for the Big East title. Hurley would speak after the win over Georgetown on Friday night about the respect for Pitino, with the number of times they've faced one another.

“I've had a chance to coach against Coach eight times and get a chance to study his teams,” Hurley said, via Big East Energy. “You see why he's one of the best. I mean, his teams are so hard to beat, you know? So you develop an appreciation and respect. I think there's more of a mutual respect, I think, having battled each other as many times as we have.”

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UConn basketball's Dan Hurley speaks more about Rick Pitino, St. John's

Speaking more about the feud between the two, Hurley would lay out the realization that either coach will experience by the end of Saturday night.

“I think, kind of a little bit of edginess, I think is kind of, you know, at least from my standpoint, I look at it like it's a privilege for these two programs with what they've done in college basketball this year,” Hurley continued. “And what he's been able to build here. It's just, it's a privilege to get on the court tomorrow night. And, you know, I mean, listen, somebody's walking out with the tunnel with nothing, and somebody's getting confetti dropped in their head tomorrow.”

At any rate, there's no denying that rivalry will be heightened with the stakes higher for the Big East championship as Hurley and UConn basketball look to beat Pitino and St. John's.