UConn Men’s CBB Arrives for Final Four After Mechanical Issues with Plane

Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRTFeatured Columnist IVApril 4, 2024

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The UConn’s men’s basketball team has finally arrived in Arizona after its original aircraft—which was set to depart Wednesday—was unable to fly due to mechanical issues.

UConn Men’s Basketball @UConnMBBOn the ground in AZ 🌵#MadeForMarch | #MixForSix pic.twitter.com/X4WfcWncPI

Head coach Dan Hurley told Matt Norlander of CBS Sports that the plane expected to take UConn across the country was going to Connecticut from Kansas City but never made it due to mechanical issues.

Norlander noted that the Huskies would “have to trim its travel party, per a UConn source, but will still be a flight time decision as far as refueling” depending on the overall weight.

Alabama and Purdue already arrived on Tuesday, while NC State reached Phoenix on Wednesday afternoon. The Huskies will face Alabama on Saturday at 8:49 p.m. ET.

The NCAA is responsible for the travel arrangements for both the men’s and women’s NCAA tournament.

It hasn’t been a banner week for the organization. Over the weekend at the women’s tournament, the three-point lines at the Moda Center in Portland were not uniform, with one about nine inches closer to the basket than the other.

Nicole Auerbach @NicoleAuerbachGender equity = issues also popping up in the men’s tournament! https://t.co/LQNGUDCkgx

The issue wasn’t noticed until ahead of the matchup between Texas and North Carolina State at the Elite Eight.

“The NCAA was notified (Sunday) that the 3-point lines on the court at Moda Center in Portland are not the same distance,” the NCAA’s vice president of women’s basketball, Lynn Holzman, said in a statement. “The NCAA staff and women’s basketball committee members on site consulted with the two head coaches who were made aware of the discrepancy. All parties elected to play a complete game on the court as is, rather than correcting the court and delaying the game.”