UConn's Dan Hurley Had 'Sleepless Nights' In December, Now Faces Huge Chance
On Saturday, Dan Hurley and his UConn Huskies will enter their biggest game of the year so far, and fittingly, the battle will take place at Madison Square Garden.
And as CT Insider’s David Borges pointed out on Friday, a Huskies win over the No. 8 Gonzaga Bulldogs under the bright lights of MSG would change the dynamic of their season.
“A UConn win would certainly move it up higher in the national rankings and re-affirm its hopes for a third straight national title in this parity-filled men's basketball universe,” Borges said. “But it won't be easy.”
“The Zags have also defeated Baylor, along with Arizona State (coached by Dan's older brother, Bobby), San Diego State and Indiana. They are led by point guard Ryan Nembhard, whom the Huskies have faced six times over the years between his time at Creighton and Gonzaga.”
“Nembhard played all 40 minutes against UConn last December, scoring 15 points but doling out just two assists to three turnovers. But he's a different player now, and perhaps the biggest impediment to a four-game UConn winning streak that Dan Hurley couldn't even dream of a couple of weeks ago.”
“Whenever the Huskies and Zags have met, the stakes have been high, whether in the Elite Eight in 1999 and 2023 (both UConn wins), the Maui Invitational or Battle 4 Atlantis, last year's Battle in Seattle or, on Saturday night, the Hall of Fame Series New York City. “
“For the sixth time, Saturday's bout will be a ranked showdown.”
Hurley is sure to experience his fair share of butterflies heading into the massive game. Per Borges, the nation’s premier coach suffered from sleep deprivation at the start of the month due to his team’s struggles at the Maui Invitational.
“Following a much-needed, 76-72 win over Baylor on Dec. 4, a week removed from three losses in three days out in Maui, Dan Hurley confessed he had had some sleepless nights,” Borges said.
Before the Baylor game, Hurley feared his team could lose three straight heading into the Big East schedule, which opens up next week for UConn against a tough Xavier team.
That won’t be the case for the 7-3 Huskies. On the contrary, they have the chance to enter the Big East slate with more momentum than any team in the country.
More NCAA: Former Huskies Star Tried To Return To UConn For One More Year But Was Denied
-6cddf44b9a81eadb9d1a4c19c1b3db49.jpeg "Colin Keane")
Colin Keane is a contributing journalist for "UConn Huskies On SI." Born in Illinois, Colin grew up in Massachusetts as the third of four brothers. For his high school education, Colin attended St. Mark's School (Southborough, MA), where he played basketball and soccer and served as student body president. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Villanova University. Colin currently resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "UConn Huskies On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org