What’s going wrong for Dan Hurley and the Huskies? UConn has suffered several frustrating losses in conference play, offsetting their early four-game win streak. Injury woes and narrow victories have plagued the team this season, and things don’t seem to be improving. On Friday, they faced off against a dominant St. John’s team, which has taken control of the Big East, currently riding a remarkable 10-game winning streak. Even with McNeeley back in the lineup, the Huskies couldn’t find their rhythm, ultimately falling short by six points.

On ‘The Field of 68: After Dark,’ ACC veteran and former NPOY Tyler Hansbrough broke down UConn’s crucial loss. “Right now, St. John’s is clicking on all cylinders. They are a team that is peaking. When I look at UConn, they are a little bit disconnected, they’re not quite peaking.” Hansbrough said, attributing the loss to a lack of synergy and momentum.

Injury woes and missing rhythm are also a big factor for the UConn team. “McNeeley is coming back from injury, Karaban is struggling with his shot right now. The only player for UConn who I think is playing very well is the Tarris Reed kid. I think he is dominating the paint.” The former NPOY said. Tarris Reed Jr. put up a monstrous 15 rebound game, recording a solid 12 points as well on efficient shooting. McNeeley in his first game back seemed a little shaky, however, as his 18 points and 11 rebounds came from 4-15 shooting splits.

Hansbrough’s assessment was very realistic, taking into account the kind of run that St. John’s is on right now. The disjointed Huskies need to figure out a way to bring back momentum on their sides. Things looked good for the reigning champions after their solid victory against Marquette last Saturday, but the Red Storm quickly put an end to that. McNeeley needs to pick up the pace with his recovery and readjustment back to college ball, because without him the Huskies are struggling.

Dan Hurley’s front-court woes!

The Huskies front-court is going through it at the moment, and Hurley needs to figure out a way to fix it. McNeeley’s injury had costed them a lot of depth at the forward position, causing Alex Karaban to pick up the slack. However, Karaban’s recent shooting slump is nothing if not concerning.

Karaban, in the game against St. John’s, could not figure it out. The six-eight forward scored only 3 points on six shot attempts. He missed 5 three-pointers, and a free-throw, and couldn’t really contribute in any other field either. His lack of confidence is visible in the amount of shots he took. It hasn’t just been this game, however. In his last four games, Karaban has put up 3 single digit performances.

On top of that, McNeeley will take some time getting used to the pace of UConn as well. The highly scouted prospected scored a whopping 18 points off the bench, but his efficiency was terrible. His injury sidelined him for more than a month, and it’s not easy to dust the cobwebs off.

Dan Hurley will need to find a way to address his front-court issues. As a back-to-back champion coach, he’s proven his ability to manage significant challenges, and he’ll need to do it again if he hopes to secure a three-peat. Karaban and McNeeley must elevate their game and get back into rhythm as quickly as possible. What do you think? Can Hurley and his Huskies pull off a third consecutive title this season? Will their front-court struggles be resolved before the tournament? Only time will tell.