‘It’s fun to be part of history’: Why UConn’s latest run is unique for Dan Hurley

WASHINGTON, D. C. -- Dan Hurley has led UConn to two of the last three national championships and guaranteed himself a future spot in the Naismith Hall of Fame at just 53.

Yet for all his winning in recent years, Hurley has not done one thing: he has not beaten five-time national champion Duke in the NCAA Tournament. In fact, the two programs that have combined to win 11 national championships haven’t met since December 2014, when Duke won 66-56 at The Meadowlands. Hurley’s Rhode Island squad lost to Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2018.

Now they will meet here on Sunday with a spot in the Final Four on the line (CBS, 5:05 p. m. ).

Duke is 5-4 all-time vs. UConn. “It’s fun to be part of history,” Hurley said following his team’s 67-63 victory over Michigan State in the Elite Eight.