Why UConn’s Offense Is So Hard to Guard – And How Illinois Can Counter

UConn’s offense under Dan Hurley has become one of the toughest systems to defend in college basketball because it demands total focus for an entire possession. The Huskies aren’t a team that leans on isolation scoring or matchup-hunting to bail them out; they overwhelm opponents with movement, timing and layered actions that come in waves. Every stagger screen leads to a flare, every flare flows into a dribble handoff, and every reversal forces the defense to reset. Guarding them means guarding everything, not just one player.

Danny Hurley makes sure the UCONN Huskies 🐺 wear you down with screens 🏀

Look at the action in this offense in the opening play against Creighton:

✔️ cross screen
✔️ zoom
✔️ flare
✔️ pin down

Screens & Spacing will add up to points! 💯 pic.twitter.com/o2OfRDT3EV
— Scott Peterman (@coachpeterman) July 10, 2024

The toughest part about guarding UConn is how synchronized its players are. The off-ball movement never stops, dragging defenders through screens and demanding perfect communication. Huskies forwards then elevate the whole system, reading the floor from the elbows and punishing any hesitation. It’s not the initial action that usually breaks a defense – it’s the next two that come immediately after.

20:00 of Dan Hurley’s best ATOs from 2018–2025. One of the most creative minds in college basketball when it comes to after-timeout execution — this is a must-watch for coaches. pic.twitter.com/QY3YeBU3pn
— Isaiah Taveras (@IsaiahTaveras) October 1, 2025

Illinois, on paper, is one of the few early-season opponents built to at least disrupt that rhythm. The Illini have length at every position and enough switchability across the lineup to avoid getting stuck chasing shooters along the baseline. Kylan Boswell, Andrej Stojakovic and Keaton Wagler give them multiple guards who can rotate, contest and switch without creating obvious mismatches – crucial traits when facing a system designed to expose slow feet and poor communication.

And Illinois has more defensive pieces emerging. Senior Ben Humrichous has been one of the team’s steadiest defenders, using his size and instincts to close out under control, contest without fouling and clean up breakdowns behind the play. He may not be the cornerstone of Illinois’s defensive identity, but he has been one of its sturdiest bricks in the wall.

Ben on the block ❌

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/SUrR8tckxX
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 25, 2025

Then there’s Zvonimir Ivisic, whose relative mobility at 7-foot-2 gives Illinois an unusual luxury. The Illini can switch him on to certain perimeter players without immediately sacrificing the possession. His length disrupts passing lanes and his ability to slide on the perimeter helps neutralize some of UConn’s dribble-handoff and pick-and-pop triggers.

Still, Illinois must be sharper than it has been in its last couple outings. Defensive slippage – late closeouts, misread switches and backdoor breakdowns – has shown up more than Underwood is willing to accept. Against UConn, those mistakes will turn into quick buckets.

If the Illini lock in and let their size, mobility and switch-ability dictate the game, UConn won’t be able to run its offense on autopilot. The Huskies rarely look uncomfortable, but with its roster, Illinois can be one of the rare teams that actually tilts the system back at them.