UConn's Dan Hurley Reveal Key Expectations for Season Opener
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The energy around Storrs this season is almost impossible to ignore. The No. 4 team looks ready as it prepares to open the 2025-26 season against New Haven at Gampel Pavilion. After an offseason built on chemistry and continuity, Dan Hurley’s Huskies enter their 123rd campaign with 10 returners.
But before March even becomes a thought, November brings its own challenges. UConn has already taken down Boston College and No. 22 Michigan State in a preseason stretch. Meanwhile, the New Haven Chargers are coming with extra motivation.
This is the Chargers’ first-ever Division I game after joining the Northeast Conference (NEC) over the summer. It’s a step up in competition, and a big moment for a program looking to make history in its debut against one of college basketball’s blue bloods.
And yet, for Hurley’s Huskies, the real storyline isn’t the opponent, it’s their identity. Now, with the lights about to turn on for real, the question is, what does a Hurley, a coach who demands nothing less than excellence, expect from his team?
Expectation # 1: Controlled Chaos, Not Costly Fouls
For the legendary coach, the scoreboard is only one part of the equation. “Just to go out there and play the way we practice,” said Hurley, speaking to the media. “With force, with physicality without fouling.” That last part stings a bit, considering the chaos that unfolded against Michigan State.
In that exhibition, UConn’s defense swarmed early and often, suffocating the Spartans into contested shots and empty possessions. However, that aggression came with a cost. The Huskies had 34 personal fouls and a parade to the free-throw line that slowed the game.
Even for a veteran-laden roster led by Solo Ball and Alex Karaban, the lack of rhythm was impossible to ignore. Hurley knows that kind of pace won’t cut it in the Big East, let alone in March. Now, his goal shifts to keeping that signature Husky ferocity intact while finding balance.
Hurley wants cleaner possessions, smarter switches, and faster decision-making. “The running game, the transition defense, but really, an assertiveness. We’ve been working really hard since June, so for us, this isn’t an ‘opening night’ mentality. We’ve played a couple of games already, and we’ve been at it for a while,” added Hurley.
Expectation # 2: Silas Demary Jr. to Leading the Charge
If there’s one player Hurley’s keeping a particularly close eye on, it’s his new floor general, Silas Demary Jr. The Georgia transfer had his moments in the exhibition slate. He scored nine points, three assists, and three rebounds in just 21 minutes in his debut as a Huskie against Michigan State. His pace and defense all popped, but Hurley believes the best is still to come.
“He’s got to really be a tone-setter for us defensively,” Hurley said. “It’s a great system for him to play in. He’s got to look to get his own offense, but also orchestrate the things we’re running, because he’s got a lot of weapons out there with him.” Demary’s stats back that confidence up.
Before transferring to Storrs, Demary was a two-year starter at Georgia. He averaged 13.5 points and nearly three assists per game, while shooting 37. 4 % from deep last season. He’s battle-tested from the SEC grind and built for the kind of up-tempo, aggressive style UConn loves.
Silas finding the early range! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/VkSsl97foe
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) October 28, 2025
In the Michigan State game, his early pair of threes started UConn’s first big run. However, at UConn, numbers are not the only thing expected of Demary. Hurley wants him to control tempo, elevate his teammates, and set the defensive standard every trip down the floor.
“That first game, you’re gassed and winded,” Hurley admitted. “Now he’s got one under his belt, he’ll be better for it.” Between the last match and opener, Demary has also been put on the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award watch list.
-fd44250df32912986cc6690f0b8bfa32.png "Shivani Menon")
Shivani Menon is a sports journalist with a background in Mass Communication and a passion for storytelling. She has written for EssentiallySports, College Sports Network, and PFSN, covering Olympic sports like track and field, gymnastics, and alpine skiing, as well as college football, basketball, March Madness, and the NBL Draft. When she's not reporting, she's either on the road chasing sunsets or getting lost in the rhythms of electronic soundscapes.