Buffalo, N. Y. — March Madness had more to do with spring break than the NCAA tournament earlier in Isaiah Whaley's UConn basketball career.

"My first two years, we were making spring break plans right about now," Whaley said on Sunday. "We had no hope of making the tournament and we were just watching on TV."

Whaley and his fellow Huskies overwhelmingly prefer participating in college basketball's version of a spring break party, something that they will do on Thursday when fifth-seeded UConn faces No. 12 New Mexico State at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. Game time for the first round game is 6:50 p.m.

After missing out on March Madness his first two seasons and then having the pandemic cancel the annual marquee event his junior year, Whaley is finishing his career with two straight NCAA tournament appearances.

It's the first time the Huskies, who finished third in the Big East for the second straight year and have won 23 games overall, earned back-to-back NCAA berths since 2011 and 2012.

"I think in terms of what we've been able to do, the staff, these players, in terms of getting this thing back to playing at the top of the league, back to back appearances, this year in a lot of ways has been about taking the next step and being better," coach Dan Hurley said. "Now we're at another point in the year where we've got to take the next step and play well this week."

The program is in healthier shape and back in the national spotlight thanks to the contributions of veteran players like Whaley, fellow fifth-year player Tyler Polley, graduate guard R.J. Cole and senior Tyrese Martin.

These are definitely happier days for the veterans. "It's a way different feeling," Whaley said. "I take

a lot of pride in that because we've come from some dark spots and we've gradually got better and better."

When Whaley and Polley arrived in Storrs in 2017, the program was in turmoil. In their first season, UConn went 14-18 overall and coach Kevin Ollie was fired the day after the Huskies were eliminated in the American Athletic Conference tournament.

Hired as the new head coach, Hurley vowed to return the program to elite status.

Major victories on the recruiting trail, including the additions of transfers Cole and Martin, helped the Huskies eventually become a top tier Big East Conference team. In another important development, Whaley and Polley decided to stick around for a fifth season.

Cole, a steady point guard and respected team leader, earned AllBig East first team honors. Martin consistently sets the tone for his teammates with his toughness and hard-nosed play. Whaley and Polley are vital members of the supporting cast.

"Across the board, these guys have done (so much for) the program to this point in terms of being relevant and on the map and being a team that people talk about in March," Hurley said. "... Now you've got the biggest stage, go build on that."

This is definitely the final postseason joy ride for Whaley and Polley.

It also could be the last NCAA tournament trip for Cole and Martin, who both have a year of eligibility left but haven't announced their future plans yet.

The Huskies will only go as far as their veterans will carry them this month.

Experience is especially valuable this time of year. And this group has a ton of it from playing big games in the Big East as well as in the non-conference season.

They grew from lessons learned from competing in the NCAA tournament for the first time in their careers last season.

"I feel like in these types of settings, experience matters," Cole said. "Just having a bunch of veteran guys that have gone through it is going to help us and go a long way in this tournament."

Last March, the Huskies played like a team without any previous NCAA experience against Maryland, falling behind early and never catching up in a 63-54 first round loss.

"That's what hit us last year when we made the tournament, that we had no experience," Whaley said. "We didn't adjust to the playing style. It was hard for us. This year, having that year of experience is going to really help.

"Just having a whole bunch of guys that are unselfish and willing to do whatever, and a whole bunch of guys that are desperate to take the next step for UConn is going to be huge for us."

Whaley, Polley, Martin and Cole also can individually benefit from playing well in the NCAA tournament. They've already left their mark on the program.

But they're not thinking about themselves right now.

"The name of UConn is bigger than Tyrese Martin, so at the end of the day just going out there and letting the nation know that UConn basketball is back, that's first and foremost," Martin said. "Whatever happens with me individually comes with it. As long as we get a win and advance, that's all that matters."