Given that they are vying for a three-peat, the UConn Huskies are no strangers to adversity. But this season? It’s been a rollercoaster. One minute, they’re the reigning back-to-back national champs; the next, they’re fighting to stay afloat in the Big East standings. And if you ask Dan Hurley, things nearly went off the rails this Tuesday night.

With UConn trailing by 14 in the second half against Villanova, Hurley felt the season was “hanging in the balance.” It might seem like an exaggeration—until you take a closer look at the team’s performance. Despite tough competition, the Huskies’ roster responded with a gritty 66-59 comeback win, thanks to freshman Liam McNeeley, who had a game-high 20 points.

But while the Huskies secured the win, the head coach’s postgame remarks stole the spotlight—shaming not just one but two national programs in the process. Well, Hurley isn’t one to mince words. After the game, he took a moment to reflect—not just on the victory but also on the team’s humiliating loss to Seton Hall over the weekend.

His brutally honest comparison? “We did way worse s**t on Saturday than Villanova did [tonight].” And honestly, it’s a double-edged dagger. Not only did he acknowledge UConn’s embarrassing collapse, but he also indirectly threw shade at Villanova.

Well, that’s classic Hurley—raw, unfiltered, and, most importantly, demanding better. And not surprisingly, the head coach is right. The Huskies had let go off their late lead twice in their game against the Pirates, one leading to overtime and another to an embarrassing loss. Villanova found themselves in a similar situation when the Huskies squandered their lead with 4 minutes left on the clock; never having trailed throughout the game at that.

UConn went on a 10-0 run to close the gap to 53-49 with 7 minutes left, and eventually, with Liam McNeely’s three-pointer and 8 points off the free throws, Villanova found itself left behind. They’d shoot 35.2% from the field and 36.4% from three, but limited themselves to 9 turnovers compared to Huskies’ 16 against Seton Hall. Even defensively, Villanova had more steals (6) than UConn had against Seton Hall (5).

But with that behind, Hurley & Co., have a real shot at redemption right now with only 2 more ranked opponents on schedule. Hurley has concerns looming but focus on the present is the need of the hour.

Amid the NIL transfer portal threat, Dan Hurley looks for a way through to reach March Madness

For the Huskies, the season has been full of ups and downs, and Hurley knows it better than anyone. When UConn entered the night as a projected No. 9 seed in Jerry Palm’s latest bracketology, it marked a steep fall from last year’s No. 1 seed status. A program that has thrived in March, this isn’t where they want to be.

Even today, it was McNeeley who dropped 16 of his 20 points in the final 16 minutes. He was everywhere—scoring, rebounding, and defending. He refused to let UConn lose. Meanwhile, Tarris Reed Jr. added 13 points, bringing the physicality the Huskies desperately needed.

“This could be galvanizing for us,” Hurley said. “Just the way we showed so much heart. Down 14 with 12 to go. Guys like [Liam] McNeeley, Tarris Reed, Hassan Diarra, Solo Ball, Jaylin Stewart… they wouldn’t let us lose.”

And if Hurley wants to avoid bubble talk and secure a respectable seed in March Madness, the Huskies will need more of that fight. But considering UConn’s 17-8 overall record, it’s more likely that players will end up in the transfer portal.

“This is a tricky time of year. With the season maybe not going the way [some players] have wanted it to go for them, if you have too many of those types of players on your roster, it’s like never before, because of the portal,” Hurley said.

Translation? The Huskies aren’t just battling opponents—they’re battling their own locker room dynamics. Simply put, if players are thinking about their next move instead of the next game, Hurley’s championship hopes will vanish before March even begins. But the roster has shown some resilience and nothing sweeter than a 3-peat call. For the head coach, hopefully the mindset sticks among them.