When Connecticut basketball announced its return to the Big East ahead of the 2019-2020 season, it was a moment that signified the return of one of the original members and powerhouses of the conference.

It came at a time when relative newcomer Dan Hurley was working on bringing the winning culture and toughness of the Jim Calhoun era back, and was trying to find the right players to execute his vision and playbook.

Since then, in spite of his lone losing record at UConn in his first season, Hurley has not just restored those two things. He's returned the program to its national prominence. ... And has done it at an exceptional level.

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Hurley has the Huskies sitting in the Men's NCAA Tournament title game for the third time in the last four seasons on April 6 vs. No. 1 Michigan. It's a level of work by Hurley that had former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl saying he's doing "stuff that John Wooden did" on TNT after UConn's Final Four win over No. 3 Illinois on April 4.

Should the Huskies be able to stop the Wolverines, the No. 1 team in KenPom, inside Lucas Oil Stadium, it'd be a remarkable and historic feat for the program, since not many Division I men's college basketball programs have done what they'll look to do in a four year span.

Here's what to know on UConn's national championship titles:

How many national championships does UConn men's basketball have?

UConn has won six national championships in men's basketball, with three of them coming under Calhoun, who is responsible for the Huskies' initial rise to a powerhouse program inside the Big East and the country.

The Huskies' first men's national championship came in 1999, when Calhoun's squad defeated Duke 77-74 inside Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Richard Hamilton finished with 27 points against the Blue Devils, which featured NBA talent in Trajan Langdon and Elton Brand. To get to the finals, the Huskies defeated Ohio State in the national semifinals, the first Final Four in program history.

Calhoun would lead the program to two more national titles in 2004 and 2011, with the latter coming during the Kemba Walker postseason run that featured a famous step-back jumper in the Big East Tournament championship vs. No. 3 Pitt.

UConn's last two national championships under Hurley in 2023 and 2024 have made the Big East responsible for four of the last nine Men's March Madness titles heading into Monday's game.

Here's a breakdown of when the Huskies have won the Men's NCAA Tournament:

• 1999: beat Duke, 77-74
• 2004: beat Georgia Tech, 82-73
• 2011: beat Butler, 53-41
• 2014: beat Kentucky, 60-54
• 2023: beat San Diego State, 76-59
• 2024: beat Purdue, 75-60

UConn basketball record in Men's NCAA Tournament national championship game

UConn is an impressive 6-0 in the Men's NCAA Tournament national championship game. The Huskies are 2-0 in the title game under Dan Hurley.

Which team has most NCAA Tournament national championships?

UConn is tied for the third-most Men's NCAA Tournament titles with North Carolina at six. Only UCLA and Kentucky have more national titles than the Huskies.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UConn men's basketball national championships: Huskies looking to add

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