Jon Rothstein ranks UConn-Duke the best nonconference game of the 2026-27 season
UConn and Duke will meet in Las Vegas for an Elite Eight rematch after last season's thriller.
Jon Rothstein has declared UConn-Duke as the most anticipated nonconference game for the 2026-27 season, according to his Inside College Basketball podcast. The highly anticipated matchup came to life during the Elite Eight of the 2025-26 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, when Braylon Mullins hit a legendary heave to erase a 19-point first-half deficit.
Rothstein emphasized that this rematch game, featuring coaches Dan Hurley and Jon Scheyer, is a significant event for college basketball. The two programs currently represent the pinnacle of college basketball, making this game an appetizer and a dish to be featured during Thanksgiving. Rothstein has also ranked several other UConn matchups in the top 10 nonconference games, including home-and-home series against Kansas and Arizona, a national championship rematch against Michigan, and a return trip to Madison Square Garden.
The UConn-Duke game is set to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Rothstein wished that the game was played on a campus or at Madison Square Garden, but acknowledges the various factors that led to the neutral-site venue.
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