Dan Hurley and his UConn Huskies haven’t been immune to a few bumps on the road this season. Their Maui Invitational run being the prime example. Though they have managed to maintain a 7-game winning streak ever since, they aren’t to relax just yet. One program is believed to challenge the defending champions unlike any other, as per analyst Mike Latulip.

“I don’t think there is a team in the country, in college basketball, that can break your spirit as fast as Marquette can break your spirit,” said Latulip in a recent episode of The Field of 68 After Dark podcast, speaking of the Golden Eagles’ relentlessness. “This is a collection of dudes that they’re always focused, they’re always tough, they’re always physical, and they don’t allow you to exhale.”

Though the podcast came after Marquette’s impressive 78-50 win against Providence, the Shaka Smart-led roster has continued to remain unbeaten in the Big East, adding a fourth-consecutive win after defeating Creighton to 79-71. Senior star guard Kam Jones has been the force behind, averaging 20 points, as Jeff Goodman suggested: “If they didn’t have a dude like Kam Jones, all those other guys would be exposed a little bit.” However, the Golden Eagles proved to be a complete roster as Jones struggled early in the game against the Blue Jays.

The guard started the game 0-for-7 from the field and Creighton had managed a 10-0 run for a 35-27 lead in the first half. But the Golden Eagles did not let their spirits dwindle. Jones finished with 22 points, while Stevie Mitchell held up with 18 points and 3 steals– his 4th consecutive double figure. The team also managed to hold 7-footer and three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner to just 4-for-11 from the field and the team as a whole to just 23% from beyond the arc with 7 steals and 5 blocks.

David Joplin added 11 points while Ben Gold and Royce Parham (coming off the bench) added 8 each. This continues to place Marquette atop the Big East rankings this season as Georgetown and the UConn Huskies follow in second and third, respectively.

”This is a team that looks like it’s positioned for a run at a number one seed in the NCAA tournament, and it is positioned for a run to win the Big East,” Paul Fritschner added on the podcast.

The recent game was a defensive showcase of the Golden Eagles as the head coach agrees. He believes it is keeping “spirit at an all-time high,” that helped them win. This could prove a challenge for Dan Hurley and Co., who are struggling in the same area Marquette is excelling in.

Dan Hurley has quite the challenge scheduled for Feb 1st

The Huskies have fared well this season with the Maui Invitational as an exception. With a 11-3 record, they also ranked 2nd offensively as per KenPom. But on the defense, they fell as far as 102. It is an area of concern Hurley agrees with. 

“We’re a national championship contender and a Big East championship contender offensively, and defensively we’re not contenders. We’re defending like pretenders,” he had said following their game against Butler. It is something analyst Rob Dauster nodded on, noting the lack of defensive rotations in the game against Texas. 

With 83.7 points per game, the Huskies top the Big East offensively. But with Liam McNeeley, who was averaging 13.6 points and 5.8 rebounds, shooting nearly 38% from the field, out for ‘weeks’ due to ankle injury, the Hurley-led squad will have its work cut out. Feb 1st will sure carry the game to await.