UConn's 'Gutty Performance' Versus Marquette Praised By Analyst: 'Impressive'
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Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies earned perhaps their most impressive win of the season on the road Saturday night versus Marquette.
UConn was powered offensively by an absurd shooting night from sophomore stud Solo Ball, a performance that got the attention of Field of 68’s excellent analyst Mike LaTulip.
“How many times do we have to see this and not call that dude one of, if not the best shooter in America?” LaTulip said of Ball during a new Field of 68: After Dark podcast.
“He does it night in and night out, and tonight it was three different occasions where Marquette cut it to single digits and he hit a three.”
It wasn’t just Ball’s shooting that delivered victory for the Huskies, however.
In actuality, UConn’s overall offense faltered big-time, as the Huskies committed 25 turnovers versus Marquette's ball pressure.
But the Huskies’ defense was tougher and more energetic than it has been all season long, making up for the bevy of giveaways.
Field of 68 founder Rob Dauster talked a little bit about UConn’s defensive effort during the aforementioned pod.
“They switched pretty much every exchange and every screen,” Dauster said. “Their rotations were there. The communication was there. They were locked in at a level that I hadn't seen them (this season).”
“They were tougher than they've been in the past (this season), and they still had a whole bunch of loose balls that they probably shouldn't have given up. It was … a really, really impressive, gutty performance, a toughness performance that we really haven't seen out of UConn at this point for a long time.”
UConn has been far from an elite defensive squad in 2024-25, but maybe this Marquette game represented a turning point.
If the Huskies can replicate this defensive effort moving forward and keep receiving offensive firepower from Ball, UConn is going to be a force to be reckoned with in a few weeks.
Next up for the Huskies is a clash with the St. John’s Red Storm on Friday at home. Freshman Liam McNeeley is expected to return to the lineup.
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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