STORRS, Conn. (AP) — The visit to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational was not exactly a trip to paradise for two-time defending national champion UConn.
Coach Dan Hurley was very much in the spotlight and outspoken as his team lost to unranked Memphis, Colorado and Dayton.
After beating Maryland-Eastern Shore 99-45 to snap the three-game skid, the 25th-ranked Huskies (5-3) face another challenging stretch against No. 15 Baylor, Texas and No. 7 Gonzaga. Baylor visits Storrs on Wednesday night.
“The psyche of the monster that this staff and these players have created in this program, it was a jarring week, a humbling week and knocked us on our butt pretty good,” Hurley said. “Obviously, the level of competition from here on out is going to be (at an) incredibly high level which is really exciting.”
UConn is looking to become the first program since the John Wooden-coached UCLA dynasty in the early 1970s to win three consecutive national titles. Hurley has not hit the panic button.
“We have created a monster here that we are not playing up to (expectations) right now,” Hurley said. “A lot of things could be better. I think the coaching could be better, the point guard play could be better, the center play could be better. I think the shooting could be better. There are a lot of things that could be better. We will get that squared away.”
Many of the team’s key players were on the court only sparingly during the two title runs or weren’t at UConn yet. This group is planning to play their way through the struggles.
“We are just trusting in the coaches and we are going to figure it out as a team,” freshman forward Liam McNeeley said. “I don’t think the confidence needs to be restored but I think we could have more swagger. We all believe in each other and have confidence in each other, so that is a big part. Just because we lost doesn’t mean it goes away.”
UConn knows the best way to silence the doubters is to win.
“Just tune out the noise and continue to play every single day with the confidence to know that we have the ability to be in there with the best teams and compete at the highest level,” sophomore forward Jayden Ross said. “We have the best coaching staff in the country, I can promise you that, so just knowing that gives us a lot of confidence also.”
For Hurley, one of the most surprising aspects of the losses in Hawaii was the reaction to his sideline behavior. He picked up a costly technical foul in the loss to Memphis. He is not planning a personality overhaul.
“I would say that the reaction to my intensity that went viral (was surprising), Hurley said. ”I think just the reaction of me coaching so hard as I have always coached, how that was so stunning to people who maybe aren’t used to seeing such a fierce competitor challenging calls that were influencing the game and trying to put a battery back in his team.”
UConn has won its past 24 home games. However, a Baylor team that has already faced Gonzaga, Arkansas, St. John’s and Tennessee will be a tough matchup. Baylor is 5-2, with Jayden Nunn the only one of the five players averaging more than 10 points per game who played for the Bears last season.
“It is a long season,” Hurley said. “I don’t look at it as a must-win game in Game 9 in such a long season.”
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