Villanova’s Wright happy UConn returning to Big East

UConn’s return to the Big East doesn’t become official until July 1, and the Huskies won’t be playing games in the league for nearly a year.

Not soon enough, according to most UConn fans. Too soon, according to some current Big East coaches, it seems.

Don’t count Villanova’s Jay Wright among the latter. Wright, who has guided the Wildcats to a pair of national championships over the past five seasons, is welcoming the Huskies with open arms.

“The one thing we really feel makes the Big East really unique is its authenticity,” Wright said by phone on Thursday. “Everybody’s a basketball school and makes decisions for basketball reasons. The fan bases are passionate about basketball.

There are no schools where it’s ‘Oh, we’re a football school that’s got a good basketball team.’ UConn is an original Big East member, and they’ve always been in the footprint of what the league’s all about.”

Villanova hosts UConn on Saturday at noon at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. It’s the last of a three-game series between the former and future Big East rivals. Villanova, ranked No. 1 at the time, clobbered the Huskies by 20 on Jan. 20, 2018, en route to its second national title in three years. Last season, the Wildcats cruised to an 81-58 win at Madison Square Garden.

The teams, of course, will meet twice a year next season and moving forward as Big East rivals once again. UConn’s return to the league will certainly help on the recruiting trail, a fact bemoaned by Providence coach Ed Cooley and, to a lesser degree, Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard at Big East Media Day in October.

“They’ve been in every game,” Wright said of the Huskies. “Their last game against Wichita State was a great example of their incredible competitivness, toughness, scrappiness — much like all of Dan Hurley’s good teams.”

The 14th-ranked Wildcats are 13-3 and have won three straight, most recently an overtime decision at home against a tough DePaul squad.

“We’re getting better, kind of like UConn,” Wright said. “We’re fitting guys in, still growing. We haven’t had the consistency I’d like yet.”