Ask any Big East fan and they'll tell you that UConn basketball — on the men's and women's sides — has a passionate following.

Outside of Connecticut, maybe no one knows this better than St. John's coach Rick Pitino, who has coached against the Huskies since his days at Providence in the 1980s. Now, his Red Storm are the likely preseason favorite to win the Big East in 2025-26, and if it's not them, it will be UConn, who is just a year removed from back-to-back national championships.

The two UConn-St. John's games in the regular season are sure to be appointment television and he knows when the Huskies come to Madison Square Garden, they'll bring thousands of fans with them.

“Connecticut is like the Kentucky of the east,” Pitino, who coached at Kentucky from 1989 to 1997, told CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein. “They have the greatest fan following. Wherever you go, you’re going to see a UConn fan. Wherever you go in that neck of the woods, in the mid east so to speak, you see Kentucky. Those two fan bases travel the best and probably have the most passion in college basketball today.'

UConn basketball reloaded for the 2025-26 season

Braylon Mullins, Greenfield-Central (UConn recruit)
Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

UConn's quest for a three-peat fell well short last year as the Huskies earned an 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament and lost to eventual champion Florida in the second round. But behind incoming transfers like Silas Demary Jr. and Malachi Smith, as well as impact freshmen Braylon Mullins and Eric Reibe, the Huskies could enter the season as a top-five team.

They will also return All-American candidate Solo Ball, senior leader Alex Karaban and big man Tarris Reed Jr., who has all-conference potential himself.

“UConn’s certainly going to have a great team this year from listening to people like yourself who went to watch them practice,” PItino told Rothstein. “They’re very strong, they’re very hungry, obviously, coming off last year. They’re deep, they’re talented, they’re very well coached and they have a great following.”

The Big East hasn't released its schedule yet, so we don't know when the Huskies and Red Storm will face off first. We do know, however, that UConn's non-conference slate is filled with marquee opportunities, including a rematch against Florida in the Jimmy V, a showdown with AJ Dybantsa and BYU in Boston, and a trip to Allen Fieldhouse to face Kansas.

More NCAA Basketball News
image thumbnail
Four-star guard chooses Florida A&M over Florida State, USC, OregonRandall Barnes ·
Tennessee guard Ruby Whitehorn (2) attempts a shot over Texas forward Taylor Jones (44) and Texas guard Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda (32) during a NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game between the Lady Vols and Texas at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, March 29, 2025.
Tennessee 28-game starter charged burglary, assault after arrestDavid Yapkowitz ·
Reed Sheppard poses for photos with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected in the first round by the Houston Rockets in the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
10 colleges that have produced the most NBA players, rankedSpencer See ·
Mar 20, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self reacts during the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Amica Mutual Pavilion
Bill Self has clean bill of health after heart procedureZachary Draves ·
Team Durant’s Babatunde Oladotun (4) looks to pass the ball during a game at Nike EYBL at the Memphis Sports & Events Center on Saturday, May 17, 2025.
No. 1 2027 basketball recruit pulls off Cooper Flagg, AJ Dybantsa maneuverMalik Brown ·
LSU Lady Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey walks the sideline during the first half of a Elite 8 NCAA Tournament basketball game against the UCLA Bruins at Spokane Arena.
LSU set to play four HBCUs this basketball seasonRandall Barnes ·