Media Day: What did opponents say about the UConn Basketball?
You look different in everybody’s eyes. You’re outgoing to one person and introverted to another; annoying to some and agreeable to others; hardworking to one and lazy to the next.
The same thing applies in college basketball.
Dan Hurley and the UConn men’s basketball team worked all summer to forge their sense of self-identity, piecing together its returning core with a slew of new additions headed by Big East Preseason Freshman of the Year Braylon Mullins.
Connecticut’s self-proclaimed new brand of basketball will place a heavy emphasis the defensive end of the court, according to fifth year senior Alex Karaban. It’s something the Huskies – who ranked 75th in adjusted defensive efficiency (101.4) and 247th in three point defense (.350) last season – need to shore up to return to the top of the Big East and the national polls.
But the Big East thinks otherwise. They weren’t in the Werth Champions Center this summer watching the team practice, and the Boston College exhibition last week was the first on-court action they saw of the new-fangled Huskies.
Opposing coaches and players had different views on what will make Connecticut hard to match up against in 2025-26.
“Well, [Alex] Karaban’s a winner, he’s just the ultimate winner,” Marquette head coach Shaka Smart said of UConn’s returning core. “Of all the people here today, you could ask any coach, and they would say that he affects winning.”
Two national championships and 92 career wins is a testament to that. Smart was probably referencing Karaban’s 6-2 career record versus the Golden Eagles, however, that includes a game-sealing three pointer last March in a 72-66 Husky victory in Gampel Pavilion.
“And then Solo Ball, he shoots the heck out of it,” Smart added. “He’s gotten really, really good at shooting on the move and making decisions. He’s tough to defend coming off screening actions.”
Ball exploded for a career-high 25 points and 11 rebounds at Marquette last February, shooting 7/9 from three to record an eFG% of .955.
“And [Tarris Reed], he’s always had a great combination of brute strength and physicality,” Smart said. “But he also has touch around the basket and the ability to make a read and make a play. Those three are older, winning guys.”
Reed drew a lot of praise from opponents on Tuesday. As did the other two Huskies present in Madison Square Garden, who Smart called the “older winning guys.”
“I mean, he’s a hassle,” DePaul starting forward NJ Benson said when asked about his two matchups with Reed. “But, I mean, I embrace it. I don’t go into any game with him thinking I’m going to have it easy.”
Benson, who recorded 38 blocks in 11 starts last season, mentioned how he played with one of Reed’s old teammates at Missouri State and familiarized himself with Reed’s game.
The Blue Demons’ starting point guard, Layden Blocker, spoke on Ball.
“I’ve been playing with Solo since high school, competing now, at this level, its exciting,” Blocker said. “It’s going to be a dog fight.”
Creighton’s Greg McDermott was more generalized in his response.
“Every part of their offense is always hard to defend because coach Hurley puts them in so many spots to be successful,” the longest-tenured head coach in the conference said. “Their movement is elite and, generally speaking, their offensive rebounding is elite. So not only do you have to defend the first shot, you have to find a way to get that rebound.”
McDermott and Hurley have given each other headaches during their overlapping tenures in the Big East. McDermott holds a 9-3 advantage over Hurley all-time, including three of the past four matchups.
Even coaches who have never faced Hurley as Connecticut had praise from him.
“The program that Dan Hurley has built is obviously a standard in our league,” newly minted Xavier head coach Richard Pitino said. “I know Karaban is a great player, Solo Ball [too]. I just know, from a Xavier perspective, if we have any chance, we better bring it, because they’re always going to do that.”
But some didn’t care enough to comment.
“I can give two shits about St. John’s and UConn,” Georgetown head coach Ed Cooley said. “I’m at the Georgetown table. I think they’re really good teams, they have Hall of Fame coaches, great players, [but] I can give two shits about what they do.”
A mixed bag of responses characterized my ten interviews — Hurley’s offensive scheming; the ever-increasing standard he and his staff have for the league; UConn’s hardy rebounding efforts, to name a few.
There was one thread evidently tying each of them together, however. The entire league has a mutal respect for Huskies’ returning core of Ball, Karaban and Reed, which should keep Hurley and company in contention on both a conference and national stage.
💬 Wondering what other UConn fans are saying?
Head to The Husky House forum and jump into the discussion →
