Dan Hurley Declares Big East as Best Conference After UConn Dominates Gonzaga

The Huskies head coach had a bold claim after clinching a Final Four berth.

UConn has pulled off statement win after statement win en route to the Final Four, but it was head coach Dan Hurley making a statement of his own after the Huskies sent Gonzaga crashing out of the 2023 NCAA tournament. 

In his post-game interview, Hurley briefly discussed UConn's win over the Bulldogs before boldly declaring that the Big East was the best conference in college basketball.

"Just kind of got back to the team that we were early in the season. The Big East conference is the best conference in the country, so we went through some struggles. Once we got out of that league and started playing non-conference teams again, we got back to that team that looked like the best team in the country," said Hurley. 

"The Big East conference is the best conference in the country."

Dan Hurley has something to add about what conference dominates college basketball 👀 pic.twitter.com/ItIoVeJd2q

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) March 26, 2023

If anyone is trying to disrespect the Big East, Hurley isn't having it. The UConn head coach suggested that the daunting conference schedule was the cause of the Huskies' mid-season struggles. 

Clearly, with Big East play behind them, UConn is thriving once again. And Hurley is demanding respect for both his team and the conference they play in. 

If Creighton takes care of business against San Diego State in Sunday's Elite Eight matchup, the Big East will have two teams in the Final Four, alongside FAU. That sure doesn't sound like a weak conference, and Hurley is making sure everyone knows it.