STORRS, Conn. — How sweet it was to be back home. Connecticut Coach Dan Hurley wasted no time expressing his gratitude to his surroundings just moments after No. 25 UConn won 76-72 over No. 15. Baylor Wednesday evening.
“Thank you, Gampel. Thank you, Gampel. Thank you, students. Thank you, Gampel,” Hurley said as he began his postgame press conference.
The win was a much-needed win – UConn’s first of the season that didn’t come against a sub-300 KenPom opponent – after shocking the college basketball world with an 0-3 at last week’s Maui Invitational.
For Hurley, the last week has been marked by a lot of introspection and responsibility – for himself. His sideline behavior in Maui made him the target of numerous criticisms and attacks – some justified, others exaggerated; Hurley’s intensity is part of why he’s compelling and UConn is an elite program — but he knew UConn’s fault lay with him more than anyone else.
“I think part of the problem is me,” Hurley said Wednesday night. “I’ve coached these guys frustrated, and I’ve coached them frustrated for too long. This is a team that’s going to be a work in progress, and a team that’s going to get better and better. And we’re counting on a lot young players and new players.
He admitted that the program’s collective ego crashed hard with the first defeat in Maui against Memphis. The group never recovered. But on Wednesday, Hurley and his staff had this UConn team playing more like some of the previous two versions, that is: a group playing with joy, trusting each other and not being held back by circumstances, like the absence of juniors. Before Alex Karaban.
“For us, I had to coach this team with more grace and develop it more, with more enthusiasm and more energy,” Hurley said. “I can’t coach them crazy because we’re not currently playing as well as the last two teams. And I think, like I said yesterday, some people helped me check if it was my my ego, or simply my approach with the team.
The Huskies, now 6-3, could ill afford a fourth straight disappointment against a notable opponent. Wednesday was recorded as a necessary victory – achieved despite an incomplete cast on both sides. Karaban played a second straight game due to concussion protocol after suffering a blow to the head in Connecticut’s loss to Dayton a week ago.
“I don’t think I’ve had a team since I’ve been here, like a legitimate team that was fortunate enough to have a season, that probably ever needed a game more than we needed one game today,” Hurley said. . “It was good to be able to fight so hard and win without Alex.”
On the other side, Baylor (5-3) surprisingly had to scratch its freshman wing VJ Edgecombe — a likely future lottery pick.
“It was close for him in the penalty shootout,” Bears coach Scott Drew told CBS Sports. “We thought he would be good before filming. Obviously he can’t play with his hamstring and groin.”
Then, less than four minutes after the start of the second half, the BU leader Jeremy Roach left with a concussion, never to return. UConn losing a home game to Baylor without the Bears having perhaps their two most important players would have been a disaster. Luckily for the Huskies, the crisis wasn’t even averted, as Hurley’s group didn’t really have to avoid much. The Huskies kept the game in their favor over the final 10 minutes and outlasted a Baylor team that was never able to muster the run it needed to threaten to win.
“We’ve had some attrition in terms of injuries with both teams, but we’re really proud of our willingness, we’ve shown a willingness that we haven’t shown this year at the big positions,” said Hurley, a another quote signaling a change for the better here. “It’s a big confidence builder for us.”
With Karaban out, the Huskies got a team-high 17 points, plus eight rebounds and three blocks, from the freshman. Liam McNeeley. A nice development in what was the 33rd straight non-conference home win for Hurley’s program, a streak dating back to 2019. Thanks, Gampel.
Samson Johnson had 13 points and Solo balloon had 11 for UConn – but the loudest nine of the night came from three 3-pointers via Saint Mary transfer Aidan Mahaneywho made two big 3s in the first half to bring UConn within three points (21-18), then another big triple in the second half to make the score 61-54, preventing Baylor from coming back to within one possession. Hurley and Mahaney embraced after his second three of the first half, first with an enthusiastic headbutt, then with an adorable burst of excitement.
“I thought Aidan Mahaney saved us today,” Hurley said. “I thought his first half, those two 3s, like when we were shocked and in a bad way, you know, he gave us a lot of life and got the crowd moving.”
Hurley called Mahaney’s nine-point game a “phoenix rising from the ashes” performance.
“It was important for him to have a moment like that,” Hurley said.
UConn played a far from perfect game, but it did so many things much better than what it displayed in Maui. There have been questions about the point guard; Hassan Diarra had seven assists and was largely in control for most of the evening. Johnson and Tarris Reed, the two big guys, played more together, including at the under-4 level, with Mahaney, Diarra and Ball. It was the right decision to keep Baylor on the periphery.
The Huskies won despite shooting 45.7% overall and making 8 of 25 (32%) 3-pointers. It helped that the Huskies only allowed seven turnovers. The defense is still going through a lot of fixes, but there has never been any tension with this team, which is a good sign of growth. This game got off to a lackluster start on the Huskies’ side, with the home team not getting their first bucket until more than three minutes into the game. It trailed 19-8 with 12:16 left in the first half. Then Mahaney brought the spark and things changed.
Wednesday was the moment to rise from the ashes, not only for Mahaney but for this team. Whether that can be the pivot point, we’ll see. Lots of things are going to happen here soon; the Huskies could be the most scrutinized team in college basketball between now and Christmas. Wednesday’s win was doubly crucial because this team has one of the toughest, if not the toughest, December schedules in the sport. With the Baylor win checked off, next up is a road game Sunday against 7-1. Texasfollowed by a affair at Madison Square Garden vs. Gonzagawho Hurley called Wednesday night perhaps the best team in college basketball right now. Accommodation of a single loss Xavier and travel towards loss Butler will come later.
“Go ahead and let it fly and play with a little swagger and confidence,” Hurley said of what he told that group. “They’re all new people, it’s like the next wave of UConn players. And it’s like you go out there and hoop and let it fly and go make big shots and make big plays and go win a big game and announce that our season has started here at UConn.
With this team, this coach, this program, all it takes is one crucial win at a crucial time to change the course for the better. It won’t be long before we find out if Wednesday was the day the two-time defending champions regained their swagger for good.