For UConn, the Elite Eight game was a perfect story of resurgence, but for Dan Hurley’s wife, Andrea, isn’t buying into the story’s setup. The Huskies won the game 80-78 against the Blue Devils in the last second of the game. But rather than the win, it was the behavior of a certain fan base in this game at the Capital One Arena that she didn’t expect.
Speaking on The Field of 68 podcast, Andrea Hurley described the disappointing behavior of the St. John’s fans during the game she found immensely disheartening, and even spoke about the program’s head coach, Rick Pitino’s wife. “I grabbed Mrs. Pitino at the end of the game, actually, one of the championships, and I was like, ‘How do you do this?” She is the sweetest person,” she said.
“And I love talking to other wives, and I’m like I was rooting for St. John’s, like I don’t want to play them probably, but I don’t want to play Duke either.” Hurley’s wife added. “So, we were rooting for St. John’s, and then we went to the game and all those St. John’s fans were rooting against us, and it just broke my heart. That’s really sad.”
ICYMI: Andrea Hurley on St. John’s fans
“I’m gonna say it… When we went to the (Elite 8) game, all those St. John’s fans were rooting against UConn. And that just broke my heart… It’s really sad, and that’s crappy. That was just crappy.”
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— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) April 4, 2026
It’s quite feasible for Hurley’s wife, Andrea, to expect support from the St. John’s fans present at the Capital One Arena during the Duke game. After all, it was the Blue Devils who eliminated the Red Storm from the March Madness in the Sweet Sixteen after an 80-75 defeat. But it’s not as simple as it seems. The Huskies and the Red Storm might belong to the same Big East conference. But there’s little love between the two historically formidable programs.
For context, the UConn-St. John’s rivalry has mostly favored the Huskies. But a lot of it changed after a certain Rick Pitino took over the program. This season alone, Pitino’s Red Storm got the better of Hurley’s team twice, capturing both the Big East regular-season and conference tournament titles, escalating the rivalry to its peak.
And it might come down to this heated rivalry for the Red Storm fans to go against UConn in their game against Duke. And especially watching their conference rivals still alive in contention for another National Championship title days after their elimination might not be a familiar sight for the St. John’s fans.
But fortunately for Dan Hurley and Andrea, this hostile atmosphere didn’t have much of an effect on the team’s performance. The Huskies rallied past the ACC Champions, courtesy of Braylon Mullins’ three-pointer with 0.3 seconds left, reflecting that Hurley’s team is forged to win under any conditions. And the team must not expect anything different in their upcoming game as well.
Dan Hurley and UConn Can Expect a Substantial Number of Illinois Fans in the Final Four
While it was the St. John’s fans that made UConn’s life difficult in the Elite Eight, the Illinois fans are taking the onus this time around. Reports suggest that a large number of Fighting Illini fans are traveling to Indianapolis to watch the game live at Lucas Oil Stadium. Given that Illinois is much closer to Indianapolis than it is to Connecticut, Fighting Illini fans will generally be more numerous.
Furthermore, it’s an even bigger occasion for the Illinois basketball program and its fans because they have reached the Final Four for the first time in nearly 21 years. One of the fans traveling to Indianapolis revealed that the number of fans might be enough to fill an arena. “I don’t think you could fit all these fans in Assembly Hall back at home for a game,” he said.
Thus, the reports suggest the crowd won’t favor UConn to secure a spot in the Championship game. But Dan Hurley, too, isn’t taking anything for granted, especially after a dreamy win against Duke. In his latest press conference, the UConn head coach said he expects a “real war” against Illinois in this game.
“There’s going to be a shot-making component to this, like there always is,” Hurley said. “That’s kind of a bailout, I guess, part of an answer. A lot of this comes down to turnover margin. Who takes better care of the basketball?”
“For us, we’re looking at the rebounding like it’s World War III on the backboard because of how they assault you on the glass and how important rebounding is in terms of victory.”
Hurley has laid out the blueprint for a win: control the ball and own the glass. But as his wife’s comments revealed, the biggest battles in March are often fought not just on the court, but in the stands.
