Dan Hurley's 'Get Stronger' Narrative Distracts From Iffy Roster Construction
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UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley believes his team in 2024-25 hasn’t always been prepared for the physical grind of Big East basketball.
UConn is 10-6 in conference play this season entering Wednesday, a far cry from last year’s 18-2 conference record.
Of course, last year’s Huskies roster was completely different, and according to Hurley, much more physically imposing.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday prior to UConn’s upcoming battle with Georgetown, Hurley lamented the physical inferiority of this year’s Huskies.
“We're not a super physical team, which is … an offseason priority,” Hurley said. “We've gotta get a lot stronger.”
“When you have physical specimens like a Steph Castle coming in or Andre Jackson or Adama Sanogo … we've been fortunate to have … physical specimens take the court for us.”
“We've got to do a better job in the offseason of getting guys like Jaylin Stewart (and) Jayden Ross … physically … further along.”
Interestingly, none of UConn’s four 2025 signees have elite strength for their age, despite three of the four being highly ranked.
With their roster construction over the past 12 to 18 months, Hurley and his staff have shifted to prioritizing skill (most specifically, shooting) over strength and athleticism, but it’s possible that they went too far in that direction, especially for a program that plays in the physically brutal Big East.
Bringing in a player like Aidan Mahaney — and giving Mahaney more opportunity than Ahmad Nowell to start the season — is an example of UConn’s skill-over-strength philosophy gone wrong.
Hurley's comments on UConn's current roster needing to hit the weight room aren't off base, but that premise also sidesteps the more important task of recruiting players who have a higher physical floor from the moment they step on campus.
UConn hosts Georgetown at Hartford’s XL Center on Wednesday night in what promises to be another Big East bruiser.
More NCAA: UConn's Dan Hurley Talks Uniquely Challenging Year: 'Been Heavy For All Of Us'
-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