UConn's Dan Hurley Talks Baylor Matchup: 'I Don't Think It's A Must-Win Game'
The UConn Huskies host No. 17 Baylor on Wednesday, but Huskies head coach Dan Hurley doesn’t believe the game is a must-win.
“I think it’s such a long season and we’re eight games in,” Hurley said when asked about Baylor during Saturday’s postgame presser following UConn’s 99-45 walloping of Maryland Eastern Shore.
“Our performance in Maui shocked the college basketball world and the sports world, and obviously a lot went on there.”
“I don’t think it’s a must-win game in game nine of the season, but it’s an opportunity to play in Gampel (Pavilion), where we play great and are very comfortable, and we know we’re gonna have a great crowd.”
“We also know we’re playing a top-level team, so it’s a big game for us and it’s a big game for them.”
During the postgame press conference on Saturday, Hurley also addressed the psychological challenges his program currently faces after having won back-to-back national championships.
“The psyche from the monster that the staff and players have created is jarring,” Hurley said.
A win over Baylor would be extremely healthy for that psyche. If UConn can escape from the next three games (Baylor, Texas, and Gonzaga) with two wins, the Huskies should feel good about themselves entering the BIG EAST schedule on December 18 versus Xavier.
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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