The UConn Huskies’ run for the third National Championship has been a rollercoaster ride. They broke their streak of eight wins when they lost to the Villanova Wildcats last week. After their narrow loss, they seem to have picked themselves up with the 68-60 win against Georgetown. However, they lost to the Creighton Bluejays in their last game to add more misery. The culprit? Once again, defense. But head coach Dan Hurley has said his piece about the Huskies’ recent performance during the pre-game interview.

Dan Hurley made it clear that he was not satisfied with the Huskies’ defense. “The players got to get tougher.. The players got to be nastier,” said Hurley. The defense’s struggle to stop opponents from scoring effectively can be the reason behind the recent narrow wins.

Hurley even said, “We got a lot of nice guys,” implying the need for a more aggressive defense strategy. Even in the game against Georgetown, the Hoyas were able to get 46.7% three-pointers against 34.6% of the Huskies. Better perimeter defense could have changed the final scoreboard for the Huskies.

However, Hurley acknowledges that he is leading a young team that’s still developing its skills. “Some of it is youthful mistakes with like the sophomore class,” he said. Most of Hurley’s team is comprised of sophomores who are developing their skills and can be better assets to him later. “Not a lot of teams at our level that are trying to win and trying to develop younger players,” he added.

Hurley’s remarks on defense come after he recently acknowledged Alex Karaban’s shortcomings against the Villanova Wildcats. “It’s like life—sometimes you’ve got to eat sh*t. His first two years in college have been a fairy tale,” he said. It was one of Karaban’s worst games this season when he missed most shots and gave an underwhelming 10-point performance.

In Hurley’s defense, UConn is doing great so far offensively and a slight uptick in their defense can promise a chance at Big East triumph. At the same time, the Huskies are now looking at a challenging schedule ahead.

They barely managed to survive the Xavier Musketeers last month and now they are up for a second game next weekend. The same goes for the Butler Bulldogs, not to mention the Big East powerhouse Golden Eagles waiting for them in early February.

While Hurley is well aware of the challenges that come with having a young squad, he still wants to develop young athletes. Recently, he attended a high school game to look into some youthful talent.

Hurley extends young talent a D1 offer after a high school game

Dan Hurley and UConn associate head coach Kimani Young came to attend a high school game as Hillhouse High School hosted Notre Dame High School on Monday. Although the Notre Dame squad lost 54-53, their six-foot-six junior Abdou Toure managed to impress Hurley.

And Hurley wasn’t there to just watch the game. The 2x national champion head coach also made a formal offer to Toure for a scholarship, presumably after the game. Toure couldn’t keep the excitement and announced the good news on X.

“Blessed to receive a D1 offer from the University of Connecticut,” Toure posted. 190-pound Toure is currently 44th rank in the ESPN 60 group for the Class of 2026. Despite the loss in the Monday night game, he scored crucial 16 points that kept his team competitive.

Toure is probably going to have a hard time choosing a college program. There is a whole list of offers that he has to evaluate before coming to a decision. Pittsburgh, Arizona State, and Rutgers are among the many states that have initiated their interest in the young hooper.

At the same time, the Huskies are now looking at a challenging schedule ahead. For now, the question is will they revive their winning streak against the Butler Bulldogs next week?