October 18, 2024, 8:11 p.m. • Last updated: October 18, 2024, 8:11 p.m

UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma smiles after scoring his 1,200th on Feb. 7 against Seton Hall. victory in his career. Auriemma, who has 11 national championships to his name, is entering his 40th season with the Huskies. (Jessica Hill/AP file photo)

UConn men's basketball coach Dan Hurley holds a news conference July 9 in Storrs. Hurley's UConn team wins two consecutive national championships. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant via AP)

Storrs – When Dan Hurley arrived in Storrs in 2018, he compared the state of the struggling UConn men's program to that of the successful women's team.

It was a humbling feeling.

Hurley, the men's coach, was motivated by coach Geno Auriemma's women's team, which has 11 national championships to its name.

“I used Geno to help me,” Hurley said. “I think peer pressure is a great thing. It was truly a humbling experience when we got here. … Just the way their basketball organization was compared to ours was a big motivator.

“Because it's uncomfortable when you share a building with people and back then you weren't nearly at the same level as the others. It was a little embarrassing. I don’t know if a lot of it was necessarily our fault because we were somewhere else.”

In his first six seasons as head coach, Hurley took the men's program to new levels by winning back-to-back national championships for the first time and increasing the total number of titles to six.

“We've obviously succeeded in building something that you're proud of now,” Hurley said.

Hurley will try to lead his Huskies to a three-point goal, something they haven't accomplished since UCLA in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Auriemma is already in the three-peat club. In fact, the women's program won four consecutive national titles from 2013 to 2016, surpassing the streak of three consecutive titles from 2002 to 2004.

There is a lot of preseason excitement surrounding the two programs this fall.

Both teams are legitimate national championship contenders. They are both in the top three in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll, with the men at No. 3 and the women at No. 2.

The excitement of the UConn fan base for the upcoming college basketball season has never been greater. Tickets for home games sell out quickly.

“Obviously the men won two national championships,” said Auriemma, who led the women to the Final Four last season. “So you're doing something that hasn't been done in ages. And people are all caught up in it, as they should be.

“And we haven’t had a full team in three years (due to injuries), so there’s a lot of excitement about what we would look like if we had everyone available. And it's Paige's (Bueckers) senior year. All that great stuff. … So the expectations for this year are exaggerated. I’m glad it’s happening again.”

Hurley and Auriemma share similar winning formulas based on tireless work ethic, player development and a team-first mentality.

They feed off each other’s success.

“The constant familiarity you have creates a little bit of competition,” Auriemma said. “The more one of us wins, the more we all win. It affects everyone.”

On Friday evening, the men's and women's teams took part in the annual First Night in the Gampel Pavilion. Players showed off their dance moves at introductions, participated in a student 3-point shooting contest and performed a scrimmage that alternated the two programs.

Right now, none of the UConn coaches are happy with their respective teams.

“Nothing is as good as you want it to be,” Auriemma said.

Under the leadership of Hurley and Auriemma, there is no doubt that the two programs will eventually improve and reach an elite level.

Hurley will work to ensure the women's team has success and some luck.

“If there's one program in the country that ensures a healthy winter, it's these people,” Hurley said. “I think it’s an impressive list of players. It’s going to be a fun year there.”

And when Hurley feels the need, he'll stop by the Werth Center to seek Auriemma's advice.

They have a close relationship.

“I learned a lot and tried to emulate some of the things I see in Geno,” Hurley said. “I can call him, stop by his office and see him in the weight room. I see him at a shared event where I can easily share ideas from him and ask direct questions. Sometimes he just gives feedback on things he sees.

“I use the resource and then there is a personal friendship that is also important to me. He’s just a good person.”

News and notes

Freshman Liam McNeeley will miss some practice time with the men's team after suffering a lower calf strain during practice on Thursday. “We're hoping he'll be fine, maybe in two weeks,” Hurley said. “I'm not happy about it, but it's happening.”… Auriemma was impressed with graduate transfer guard Kaitlyn Chen's performance in practice. “People will be surprised at how much she does on the court,” Auriemma said. … The UConn men's team received its 2024 national championship rings Thursday evening in a private ceremony at Gampel Pavilion. “It was a special evening for everyone who was there,” Hurley said.

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