Dan Hurley has been hearing ‘the noise’. He has keen ear for detecting it – whether it’s national media bemoaning his sideline antics or opposing arenas cursing his name.
But recently, ‘the noise’ has come from his own fanbase. A group of irascible New Englanders expecting excellence each season have begun to doubt.
Hurley’s never been one to shy away from criticism of his own team, but there’s one fact about the 2025-26 Huskies he felt compelled to remind everyone of after their last win.
‘I don’t think we should have our fanbase or anyone nitpicking an 18-1 team,’ the New Jersey native said after a victory over Georgetown.
That’s right. The Huskies are 18-1, completed the toughest non-conference schedule in the nation with just one defeat and are perfect in Big East Conference play.
In a tight game that required overtime, Connecticut pulled out a 75-67 win against the Villanova Wildcats to stay undefeated in-conference as March rolls ever-closer.
UConn coach Dan Hurley has proved that last season’s miscues are a thing of the past
Led by a re-surgent Solo Ball, the Huskies fended off Villanova in overtime at home
Perhaps it’s not the fear that the Huskies are bad this year (they’re not) which is riling up the loyalists. Maybe it’s the fear of unmet potential once again.
Last year’s UConn team was marked by inconsistent offense and a leaky defense – leading to the Huskies falling from the lofty heights they reached when winning back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024.
Defense needed the most fixing and that’s what Hurley and his staff targeted in the transfer portal – picking up two-way guard Silas Demary Jr from Georgia.
Other additions came from a well-regarded freshman class highlighted by Braylon Mullins from Indiana and German 7-footer Eric Reibe.
But the rest of the Huskies’ workhorses from 2025 came back – senior Alex Karaban perhaps the most important, but two-guard Solo Ball and center Tarris Reed provide similarly crucial experience.
Within just the first few games of the season, the improvement on the defensive side was the most clear as it led the Huskies to its biggest victories of the year in a gauntlet of a non-con schedule.
A victory over No. 7 BYU in Boston was followed up by a nail biting defeat to No. 4 Arizona while the Huskies were without Reed and Mullins.
Redemption came with three-straight wins over ranked opponents. First, at Madison Square Garden against No. 13 Illinois followed by an improbable victory at Allen Fieldhouse against Kansas before returning to the Mecca and defeating the reigning national champion No. 18 Florida Gators.
UConn played the toughest non-conference schedule in the entire country this season
Wins came over ranked teams like BYU, Kansas and Illinois before hitting their Big East slate
With all engines go, residents of the Nutmeg State looked to a potential sweep of the Big East slate as the conference has suffered a steep drop in quality for 2026.
Except, the Huskies have looked fallible since the conference schedule began. Even if they have kept their head and their perfect conference record, it’s been a bit panicky.
Across their past four games, UConn needed a massive comeback plus overtime to beat rivals Providence, finally broke their duck in New Jersey by defeating a ranked Seton Hall and then barely survived a challenge from a seriously struggling Georgetown.
Those may have been wins, but the burden of six games in 18 days weighed heavier on some (Ball) than others (Demary).
Hurley urged his own fans to stay calm and appreciate the present. 18-1 is the best start the Huskies have had since 2009 – a year they made the Final Four.
After Georgetown, the Huskies enjoyed a few days rest before re-focusing against a surprisingly strong Villanova team which has begun a new era under recent head coach hire Kevin Willard.
A slow start to the first half left the Huskies playing catch-up for most of the opening 20 minutes.
But the week off seemed to work wonders for Ball. After going a combined 3-for-23 from beyond the arc in the five previous games while nursing a wrist injury, the guard shot 2-of-4 to lead UConn into the half down four points.
A fiery Dan Hurley argues with official Nathan Hall in a game against Villanove on Saturday
Ball led the Huskies in points after previously suffering through a wrist injury
The start of the second half was calamitous for the Huskies. Mullins took an elbow to the head and hit the deck before being helped off the court and down the tunnel.
The fiery Hurley began to get angrier at officials. A foul on Demary caused the an uproar at PeoplesBank Arena. The defiant coach boiled over as he screamed at referee James Breeding, earning him a technical foul. ‘History almost repeated itself,’ Hurley said – referring to an infamous 2022 Villanova win he was ejected from.
A different foul call – this time, in favor of his team – sent Hurley to the floor, face on the court. Assistant coach Mike Nardi came over to help him up before the boss angrily shook him off before breaking out into a smile. The very next play, a Ball triple put the Huskies ahead 40-39.
Neither team could separate from each other as both schools traded fouls and baskets alike and the game reached overtime. By the contest’s end, there would be eleven ties and nine lead changes.
A Villanova triple right out of the gate set the tone for the Wildcats in the extra period. UConn responded with a Reed dunk and one free throw to tie it at 64 a piece. Connecticut eventually took its first overtime lead from a Ball deep-shot.
The Huskies took their largest lead of the game with a Demary lay-in to go up 71-67. A rushed Villanova shot missed and the Huskies extended their lead with free throws.
After the final stop, ending with Demary diving for a loose ball, the arena erupted. Karaban screamed in joy. Hurley turned around to pump up the crowd. The Huskies remained unblemished in Big East play.
Silas Demary Jr (R) dives for a loose ball with Bryce Lindsay (2) in overtime
UConn’s Alex Karaban screams with joy after sealing a win over Villanova on Saturday
But still, there will be ‘the noise’ – even from the most unlikely of places. Hurley shared a moment with three-time national title-winning coach Jim Calhoun after the game.
‘Coach rattled off about four or five things we suck at,’ Hurley noted. ‘I just wanted to kind of ask him how he was feeling.’
Hurley rushed off to the locker room to take notes of Calhoun’s advice. Even by his own admission, there’s still plenty that this team needs to fix.
‘I’m going to watch the film, you’re gonna see the ways you shoot yourself in the foot,’ Hurley said.
‘But listen, you’re 19-1 and you won 15 in a row and we played a heck of a non-conference schedule. We’re not gonna take the joy out of being in a great spot.’
