Huskies Report

UConn Veteran Guard Receives Praise From Dan Hurley

Dan Hurley reveals what one UConn guard is quietly playing through as the UConn Huskies keep winning.
Shivani Menon|
Jan 10, 2026; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley watches from the sideline as they take on the DePaul Blue Demons at PeoplesBank Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Jan 10, 2026; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley watches from the sideline as they take on the DePaul Blue Demons at PeoplesBank Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

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UConn Huskies

At 18–1 overall and an 8–0 In Big East play, the UConn Huskies have built momentum. In their last matchup in Washington, D.C., the Huskies walked out of Capital One Arena with a 64–62 road win over the Georgetown Hoyas. 

Interestingly, in this game, the Huskies shot a season-low 36.2% from the field and just 5-of-26 from three. Tarris Reed Jr. anchored the game with 15 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks, and three steals, while Silas Demary Jr. came in with 12 points, five assists and three steals. 

Braylon Mullins added 11, and Solo Ball made 10. While that was a low number for Ball, he had one of the most crucial shots in the game. With the shot clock winding down late, Ball floated in a high-arcing runner that pushed the lead to seven.

UConn Huskies guard Solo Ball
Jan 17, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; UConn Huskies guard Solo Ball (1) takes a shot over Georgetown Hoyas center Vincent Iwuchukwu (3) during the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Perhaps that shot was one of the reasons Dan Hurley spoke about Ball after the game. 

“Solo’s been dealing with a wrist issue, and it’s on his shooting hand. I think you’re going to see, let’s not say a lot, but some players in college basketball would not be playing with the wrist injury that he has right now. I’ll just leave it at that. He’s dealing with a wrist problem on his shooting hand, but the guy is a warrior. I thought he made some winning plays today, driving it and digging the ball out,” said Hurley. 

That context is crucial when talking about production. Earlier this season, Ball even sat out a game due to the injury. Before the wrist flared up, he had a career-high 26 points against Butler and entered Big East play averaging over 15 points per game. 

Lately, that production has taken a hit, with Ball going 3-for-10, 3-for-9, 5-for-5 and 3-for-10 in the last four games. Despite it all, Ball is still averaging 14.1 points per game while logging nearly 29 minutes a night. 

What’s Next for UConn and Solo Ball?

Next up is a marquee Big East game against Villanova Wildcats at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford. History favors UConn, which leads the all-time series 34–23 and has won seven of the last ten meetings.

The Huskies also took the most recent matchup, a 73–56 win in the conference tournament last March. The road gets tougher after Vilanova. The Huskies will have Providence, Creighton, Xavier, St. John’s, Butler, Marquette, and another Villanova before the Big East Tournament tips off at Madison Square Garden.

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Shivani Menon
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.

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