No. 4 Connecticut defeated reigning champion Michigan 85-77 at TD Garden on Friday night, marking only the second time in 17 seasons that the previous season's national title game participants met in the opening week. The game, which featured 59 free throws and 48 fouls over nearly two and a half hours, was the earliest such rematch since Duke and UConn played in November 1999.
Michigan, now coached by Mike Boynton after Dusty May's departure for the Dallas Mavericks, showed promise despite the loss. Sophomore Trey McKenney scored a team-high 22 points, all in the second half. "This team isn't defending a national championship," Boynton said. "They're trying to establish their own legacy." The Wolverines fell to 1-1 for the first time since 2000-01 and face a challenging non-conference slate including Marquette, Villanova, and the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas.
UConn's backcourt of Silas Demary Jr. and Braylon Mullins dominated, combining for 44 points, 11 rebounds, and three steals. Demary posted 12 assists with zero turnovers through two games, while Mullins led all scorers with 23 points. "I think we're one of the best teams in the country," Hurley said after the win. "Kind of a game that you should win by 15 and you win by eight. We're great at that." Demary, who missed much of last year's final with a severe ankle sprain, said he had this game circled since April.
Freshman Colben Landrew added eight rebounds in 22 minutes, prompting Hurley to call him "a stud" with NBA-level talent. Veteran guard Solo Ball, previously expected to miss the season with a broken wrist, participated in warmups and could return within a month. The victory extended UConn's streak to 10 consecutive regular-season neutral-site wins over ranked opponents.
Hurley described the win as a "confidence builder" for a non-conference schedule that includes Ohio State, Arizona, and Duke later this month. "There was an enormous amount of pressure on us to win this game today, not because of what happened in April," he said. "It was just, with what we got coming up with our schedule, like, we really needed to win this game today."
