Dan Hurley Believes UConn is Due for Offensive Surge

The UConn Huskies opened their NCAA Tournament run with an 82-71 win over No. 15 Furman, pushing their record to 30-5. While the Huskies controlled the paint and the glass, they shot 5-of-25 from three. Meanwhile, Furman shot 21-47 from the field and 9-24 from the 3-point range.

The Huskies recorded 22 assists on 32 field goals and committed just nine turnovers, resulting in a +2 margin. With that win, the Huskies pushed their record to 73-33 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and 22-5 in first-round games since seeding began.

Despite it all, the Huskies won because Tarris Reed Jr. changed the game for UConn. Reed ended the night with 31 points and 27 rebounds. Soon after the game, Dan Hurley even went on to reveal that Reed Jr. was the reason he was not stressing about the missed threes.

“I would just say with us, Tarris, we were getting great threes. I mean, it was stunning, just the opportunities that we were getting. I think it was a little bit frustrating, but we were just… I mean, you almost just didn’t want to wear Tarris out. Obviously, we knew he had an advantage there,” said Hurley.

With that game, Reed Jr. became the first player in nearly six decades to post a 30-point, 25-rebound game in the NCAA Tournament. Furham tried to slow Reed Jr. down early by Charles Johnston on him. Alex Wilkins and Tom House combined for 42 points and eight three-pointers, too. Despite it all, Reed shot 12-of-15 from the field.

TARRIS REED JR. MONSTER GAME FOR UCONN 🔥

31 PTS
27 REB
12-15 FG

HUSKIES ADVANCE. pic.twitter.com/8OYgiKX1A1
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 21, 2026

“They started the game with Johnston on him, which I think really got him going because he had a bigger physical advantage over Johnston than he did over Bowser. Then anytime something broke down, where we couldn’t get somebody downhill driving or couldn’t get a clean three for one of our perimeter players, you just throw the ball inside. They were smart to start trapping the post, and then we got great threes. And obviously, I think we’re due for a big shooting night,” added Hurley.

Reed, in fact, set the tone early with a 19-point, 16-rebound first half, controlling the paint on both ends and overwhelming Furman’s frontcourt. He went went 7-of-9, making 77.8% of his attempts from the free-throw line and even added three assists.

The Huskies also had Karaban stepping in with 22 points, scoring 15 after the break, including a three-pointer that ended the game. The Huskies had a +21 rebounding margin, a 46-24 edge in the paint, and 18 offensive rebounds that turned into second-chance points.

Now, if the Huskies need a “big shooting night” that Hurley mentioned, UConn needs to be at its very best for the next game.

Next Up, Huskies Prepare for A Blue-Blood Collision

Next up, the Huskies will face the No. 7 seed, UCLA, in South Philadelphia. UCLA enters the matchup coming off a hard-fought 75-71 win over UCF. UCLA is coming in with a 24-11 record and is making its fifth appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the last six seasons.

However, the Bruins, much like the Huskies, are coming off a conference title loss. The Bruins faced Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament and lost 66-73. The two teams also have key players who were sidelined. Huskies played without Silas Demary Jr. and Jaylin Stewart in the last game.

And UCLA had its leading scorer, Tyler Bilodeau, sidelined against UCF. However, the Bruins did not collapse. Instead, Eric Dailey Jr., who entered the NCAA Tournament as UCLA's leading rebounder, stepped up. The Bruins also rank No.1 in the Big Ten in 3-point shooting and No. 6 in free-throw percentage. They have also gone 4-6 against top-25 ranked opponents this season.

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