Seton Hall to open Big East schedule against reigning NCAA champion UConn

Shaheen Holloway and Seton Hall will open the Big East regular season at home against the reigning national champions before a tough road game three days later.

The Pirates will host New Jersey native Dan Hurley and UConn on Dec. 20 at Prudential Center before heading to face Sean Miller and Xavier on Dec. 23, a league source confirmed. Seton Hall will also host Marquette during the Christmas break.

Also of note: Seton Hall will face Rick Pitino and St. John’s Jan. 16 (at Prudential Center) and Feb. 18 (at UBS Arena).

“Obviously, it’s UConn, it’s great, but I don’t like the fact that we’re playing them during [break],” Holloway told NJ Advance Media Wednesday at the NY Coaches Clinic at Archbishop Stepinac High School. “Our fan base is not going to be there, our kids.”

Seton Hall opens the regular season Nov. 6 against Saint Peter’s, Holloway’s former team, and features a non-conference schedule with games against Baylor, Missouri and Rutgers. Their last non-conference game is Dec. 17 against Missouri in Kansas City, three days before the UConn game.

Under Hurley, the Huskies won the program’s fifth national championship in April over San Diego State. Hurley was rewarded with a new contract worth nearly $33 million that takes him through the 2028-29 season.

UConn lost several players to the NBA, including Jordan Hawkins, Andre Jackson and former Patrick School big man Adama Sanogo.

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Still, the Huskies reloaded by adding Rutgers transfer Cam Spencer to a core that included returners Donovan Clingan, Tristen Newton and Alex Karaban, along with an elite five-man recruiting class. They are ranked No. 5 in the ESPN preseason poll.

Xavier, which returns Teaneck, N.J. native Zach Freemantle and an experienced core, will again will be among the Big East’s most competitive teams. The league has five teams ranked in the ESPN preseason poll in No. 5 UConn, No. 8 Marquette, No. No. 13 Creighton, No. 16 Villanova and No. 25 St. John’s.

Seton Hall returns a core of players including guards Kadary Richmond and Al-Amir Dawes along with win Dre Davis, and added a number of transfers including former St. John’s guard Dylan-Addae Wusu.

Holloway told NJ Advance Media he’s “intrigued” by his new team.

Among other highlights from the soon-to-be-released Big East schedule, per Rothstein:

--Pitino and St. John’s will open Big East play on Dec. 20 against Xavier at Carnesecca Arena. Three days later, the Red Storm will visit UConn Dec. 23 in a nationally-televised game on FOX.

-New Georgetown coach Ed Cooley’s will make his first appearance at his old school, Providence, on Jan. 27 at Amica Mutual Pavilion.