UConn's Dan Hurley Reveals Uncomfortable Factor Facing Xavier
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The UConn Huskies enter their next stretch of Big East play resembling a team that is built for March. The Huskies have a seven-game winning streak, a top-five defense, and four Quad 1A wins, which is the most in the country.
In their last game against DePaul, the Huskies went on to win 72–54. Now, after an extended break, the Huskies face a very different test, one Dan Hurley says is designed to make the team uncomfortable.
The Xavier Musketeers host the UConn Huskies at the Cintas Center. Talking about the upcoming matchup, Hurley went on to say, “They do a great job of getting out in transition… they’re really hard to guard because they’ve got five guys playing on the perimeter.”
The Huskies thrive by shrinking the floor defensively, ranking sixth nationally in scoring defense and eighth in field-goal percentage defense. Meanwhile, Xavier spreads the floor early and often.
“Makes you uncomfortable because it puts your centers in uncomfortable positions playing defense out at the three-point line… they’re not playing with a traditional center. But we’ve had five days here to prepare… It’s always a challenging place to play… Richard’s (Pitino) an excellent coach… winning road games in conference is always hard,” added Hurley.
Preparation helps, but history suggests that nothing comes easily in Cincinnati. UConn is 7–5 all-time against Xavier and just 6–4 since becoming league mates. Xavier enters with a 9–4 record and a 7–2 mark at home.
Filip Borovicanin hits the bucket to move into double figures, and he's got a double-double! pic.twitter.com/PCXx7kL1Gb
— Xavier Basketball (@XavierMBB) December 21, 2025
They have names like Tre Carroll, averaging 16.5 points per game, and balanced support from Roddie Anderson III, Filip Borovicanin, and Jovan Milcevic. However, UConn’s form is just as strong. Against DePaul, Alex Karaban’s 21 points led a second-half surge where the Huskies shot 55.6 percent and held DePaul to 31.0 percent.
Tarris Reed Jr. added a double-double, while Silas Demary Jr. nearly had a triple-double and continues to lead the Big East in assists. Now, with Solo Ball returning after a wrist injury, the Huskies might just be unstoppable.
What’s next for UConn and Dan Hurley?
Xavier is just the start of a demanding Big East stretch. The Huskies follow with Marquette, Providence, DePaul, Seton Hall, Georgetown, Villanova, another meeting with Providence, and a trip to Creighton.
The match against Marquette will be interesting. The Huskies have won five straight against the Golden Eagles, including an 8–2 mark in the last 10 meetings. In fact, last season, UConn won both matchups against them, with the last one ending in a 72–66 score.
-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.