UConn Basketball HC Dan Hurley talks Texas postgame
UConn Basketball Head Coach Dan Hurley met with the media following the Huskies 71-63 win over Texas inside of the PeoplesBank Area on Friday night.
UConn Basketball HC Dan Hurley Transcript
Yeah, if you could just try, you guys are going to get me in trouble, you know, I got to be able to see who’s got the mic. So if you could, yeah. But I would just say, you know, so proud of the guys, I mean, and so proud of the team, just what we’ve been able to do with the non-conference here with, you know, the quality of the opposition and just the adversity relative to, you know, just having such key players out.
And, you know, just for me, I think, you know, why we are where we are, you know, going into conference play now is, you know, it’s probably singularly because of guys like, you know, the way a guy like Jalen Stewart plays for us tonight, I think, you know, he wins the game for us. You know, he, you know, we go at Braylon to start the game, and, you know, the guy’s just such an incredible UConn guy. He’s one of the most selfless, best human beings I’ve ever coached and obviously incredibly talented player.
And I just thought that his, you know, his performance here, three for five, you know, the 10 huge points I thought is like activity defensively, you know, just, you know, we win that game and we’re where we’re at as a program because of men like Jalen. So thrilled with the win, 10 and 1. I’ll take it. Yeah, 10 and 1 and 5 and 1, the gauntlet of those six, you know, power four opponents.
How impressive is that? How important is that considering the fact that, you know, the quad run opportunities may not be as frequent in the Big East this year? Yeah, I think we knew that. I mean, we, you know, I’ll be, I’ll be glued to my TV tomorrow because there’s some opportunities for the league, I think, coming up in December. I know St. John’s has got Kentucky and I know, you know, there may be some other opportunities against, you know, that, you know, some games that could move the needle.
But yeah, I mean, we knew that we had to come through. We talked about it as a team, you know, that, you know, we needed to come in with the best net that we could come in with. We had a chance to get, you know, six, five quad one games and one quad two game and we went 4 and 1 and 1 and 0 in quad two.
So yeah, I mean, it was a lot of pressure on us in the non-conference to come through and, you know, we were able to do it. I know your voice. It’s when I get into the crowd of people and that’s Cormac Gordon, the great Cormac Gordon.
That was his nephew, you know, the great Cormac Gordon from Staten Island, the great Cormac Gordon. Two things on Alex, just your thoughts on his shot that followed a solo strung called it the biggest play of the game. And Alex, in general, he spoke a lot in the preseason about the ups and downs of last season having put him in a better place mentally.
It feels like mentally and physically he was entering this season in a better place to handle a season, so to speak. So your thoughts on his shot and just overall his impact this season? Yeah, I think last year gave him perspective. I think, you know, it’s, you know, I don’t think he’s approaching this season with any type of level of entitlement.
You go back to back champs your first two years in college and it’s a joyride and then you have a, you know, we all have a tough third year together. And I think like losing that entitlement and just being grateful to have another opportunity, you know, to have his last run at UConn and he knows he’s got a strong team around him, a stronger team this year, has given him a lot of confidence. And I think the fact that, you know, the year went the way it went for him and for us last year and, you know, there was absolutely, it had no impact on his draft stock.
I mean, he was still going to be drafted, you know, late first, earliest second after, you know, probably a year that, you know, he wasn’t anywhere near at his best. So, you know, the NBA has made a decision that, you know, he’s a guy that’s going to be picked, you know, in the 20s or in the early 30s. He knows that.
He’s established that. And now he’s just, I think, you know, relaxed and attacking the year and just really enjoying his last season at UConn. I know, you know, me and him are just trying to enjoy every practice and every game and every moment together because it’s coming to an end.
And his shot, the rim was probably still shaking from the crowd noise that followed the solo shot. Yeah. That was quick.
Yeah, that was great. And it was like we had that stretch where we had it to 10 and we had those offensive rebound throwouts to the three-point line. And I think solo missed two pretty clean threes that I think in almost back-to-back possessions where we could have got it to 16 and maybe gotten away from them a little bit.
So, you know, solo owed us that bomb that he hit. And then, you know, just how clutch AK’s been closing games. You just knew that was going down.
And that was probably as loud as I’ve heard, you know, this building. And we obviously got a real nice streak in here going. I think the crowd, you know, really showed up for us tonight.
The way a top five team in the country, when they play at home, it should be bedlam and mayhem. Hey, Coach. Did Malachi hit a 10-inch growth spurt or did Terris Reid really have hot assists tonight? Yeah, I mean, Terris looked like Donovan up there for us.
I mean, that’s where we were. You know, part of when people start switching things is you do. You have to have a center at the top of the key that’s got size and it’s got vision and dexterity with his hands that can make those, you know, those kind of thread the needle passes.
And, you know, so I think that both Terris and Eric, obviously Eric got limited by foul trouble. I thought Eric was playing really, really good today. So, yeah, it’s just having a center that could play out there when people are switching so we could start slipping things, fading things, slipping flares, stepping to the ball.
You know, that’s going to make us more dangerous offensively. Dan, Tom was just talking about exploring how to win. Yeah.
You guys just had a stretch of games where you’ve made it all the way and played as many as you had. So just what impression about the way you guys have gone out and just taken all these games last three or four minutes? Yeah, just I think, you know, again, we’re still brave. Bray being able to get a 25-minute game under his belt.
I thought he was fatigued a little bit, you know, in the second half some late. But it was great to see him get a start, get a 25-minute, you know, get his cardio up, you know, and, you know, he’ll be able to build from that. And I think, you know, kind of the same thing with Terris.
Just, you know, I think he got a little fatigued and he got a little, you know, a little sloppy with, you know, some of the guards picked up a couple of those turnovers. But, you know, Terris had a couple chances to, like, catch finish at the rim. Terris probably should have had 18 today, you know.
I just think for us, while we’re trying to get a hole and trying to figure out our rotation and trying to get Terris and Braylon into the flow of things and trying to get our rotation set, you know, what great teams do is find ways to win while they’re still going through it. Hey, Coach. Braylon made his first home run tonight.
How did it go? Yeah, I mean, he got us going. I mean, he just, you know, he can just do things when things break down. He can make hard shots, you know, those kind of off-script threes.
And I don’t think he quite understands exactly, you know, kind of the movement stuff with, you know, he missed so much time. I think he’s just going to become so much more dangerous. And he’s doing pretty much all of it off-script.
He doesn’t really even know how to get his stuff within the confines of the things we’re running yet because he missed so much time. So as we get this guy more into the flow of understanding, you know, the cuts and the reads and everything, you know, he’s going to have some really explosive nights. And I thought he got us going tonight.
Earlier in the game, you guys were shooting lights out. Did you feel like you guys should have been up earlier? Or, sorry, up more? And, you know, what did you actually do in the contest to go out to the team and close the game after shooting so hard? Well, I mean, we did some things to nullify. I mean, you shoot 68%.
You shoot 54% for the game. They shoot 37%, you know. Obviously, I looked at one point.
It was 10 fouls, you know, 10 to 2 in the second half, you know, from a foul standpoint. So that, you know, we’ve got to figure that part of it out. I see Dan over there.
So I’m going to probably stop that right there. But, you know, we’ve got some undisciplined fouling going on. And again, you know, so I think just putting them being at the line as much as they were, kept them in it, I thought.
And you look at their team. I mean, Jordan Pope is a heck of an offensive player. I mean, Daylon Swain is going to be an NBA draft pick.
You know, their center is a tremendous player. You know, we met Heidi in the Final Four. You know, Mark is a 60-year player who’s a big-time scorer.
Sim Wilcher was a, I think, a starter on a really, really, you know, top-flight St. John’s team. I mean, this is a team with talent. So, you know, for us, the rebounding, 15 turnovers was a mess.
We would have scored 80-plus if we didn’t turn the ball over 15 times. Dan, you talked earlier this season about Daylon just needing to get more consistent. Did something click for him? I mean, because he does look like a different player right now.
Like he’s more comfortable in whatever you’re asking him to do. Yeah, I mean, Daylon is, I mean, you’ll never coach a better human being. I mean, you know, Robert.
So, yeah, I mean, Daylon is just a total team guy. You know, I screwed up the last game with him, you know, not getting him back in the Florida game where he played well in that game. But, you know, this is a deep team.
And, you know, but Daylon is, you know, I think this guy’s got a chance to be an NBA player. I think, you know, your career is a marathon. It’s not a sprint.
His best basketball is still ahead of him. He’s still a baby. I mean, he’s still young for his, you know, for being at this point in college, you know.
And I just can’t tell you how big of a heart he has for UConn and how much he cares about his team and his teammates and, you know, how much that just does for the organization. I mean, and the guy’s an awesome player. I think being more assertive on offense.
I think, you know, obviously, you know, he’s a guy that can make threes. But I like when he tries to drive it. I like when he goes in the mid-post.
I think we’ve got to do a better job of running things for him when he’s in there. I think we probably run too much stuff for Solo, Alex, Braylon, post-ups. And I do think he’s a really good offensive player.
And, you know, he’s a guy who’s going to play starter minutes whether he starts games or not. Him and Malachi are, you know, like they’re like sixth and seventh starters, really. You know, I mean, our bench is incredible.
I mean, these guys would start for a lot of high majors. Eric, Malachi, Jalen, Jaden Ross. I mean, Jaden Ross got the short end of it today.
But Jaden, you know, his minutes should be, you know, no less than 14. But, again, this is a deep team. And, you know, different guys are going to step up on a nightly basis.
Coach, Tyler’s off to a big season. Ever since that triple-double, Brian’s numbers have been down to where – not reaching the standard to where they are expected to be. Just what are your thoughts on his play lately and how he can get back on the right track? Yeah, I mean, quarterbacks, you know, he’s a quarterback.
Going into the game, you know, Silas was shooting, I think, 50% from the field. What was that? Yeah, I mean, when a guard is shooting 51.5% from the field and he’s got a triple-double and he saved our ass for his BYU. And I think he singularly, although he was in foul trouble today, he’s taken our defense from the dog stuff that it was last year.
And he has singularly changed our identity that way. So, you know, I just think that it’s like he’s got all these weapons around him and it’s not an easy transition. When do I attack and get mine? When do I be offensive-minded? You’ve got shooters and rollers and all these things going on around you.
I just think it’s going to take time the way it did take time with T. New. But, again, quarterbacks get judged by what your record is. And his record is 10-1.
And if he wasn’t here, we’d be in trouble. You guys didn’t break down the stretch on our year, but the offense today wanted to stymie the second half. I just thought we got into stuff deeper in the clock.
I thought it took us too long to get into some things. Credit Texas. I think they got a better feel for some of the things that we were doing.
But, you know, we had 15 turnovers. And, again, we shot 54 percent from the field. We were 7 for 13 from the free throw line.
And we had 15 turnovers. And, you know, I think we’re not on the offensive glass the way we need to get on the offensive glass. And we’ve got to get more things in transition.
You know, it’s hard if you’re always just going to play against a set defense. It’s hard to just execute people for 40 minutes. You’ve got to get more easy things in transition.
Coach, do you like it? I don’t want to end like that. You did well. You did what you wanted to do in this first portion of the season.
Is there another gauntlet? Teams are looking to make UConn the prize in terms of getting some good wins. What do you do to keep your team ready to win those important games in the leagues? Yeah, I think that the team is coming off a year like we had last year and having a group that knows its potential. You know, I don’t think it’s going to be a challenge getting these guys ready.
You know, I did think second half tonight, that quick turnaround. You have that war versus Florida that you get in at 5 a.m. with the bus ride back. Right, Bobby? And then you have a game like this versus Texas tonight.
I just thought second half we looked maybe a little bit leg-weary. But we’ve got Saturday, we’ve got Sunday, we’ve got Monday. And then we’ll be ready for our Big East opener on Tuesday back in here where we’ve been playing real well.
Thanks, guys. Thank you.
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