"Comically bad": UConn HC Dan Hurley sounds off on 35-pt win vs East Texas A&M

The UConn Huskies improved to 4-0 with an 81-46 win over East Texas A&M on Tuesday at Gampel Pavilion. However, coach Dan Hurley was dissatisfied with UConn's performance, noting his team's lack of focus and execution, which he partially attributed to the Huskies’ schedule.

The coach hinted that the series of buy games in UConn's schedule could have contributed to the players' poor effort. During the postgame press conference, Hurley expressed frustration, calling his team's performance “comically bad” after tallying 19 turnovers.

"Just comically bad," Hurley said postgame. "Our second-half rebounding was so far below standard ... it has been a long time since we have been that bad."

"To (have) a negative assist-to-turnover ratio? ... I think at times we played hard, but once we got it to 37 with 12 minutes to go, it turned into just a debacle out there. ... I’m happy the game’s over. It’s a relief."

The coach talked about the team’s poor ball security throughout the game, a problem that he pointed out hadn’t been an issue in a while. He emphasized the significance of their negative assist-to-turnover ratio, noting that UConn is known for being one of the top passing teams.

UConn's sloppy play raises concerns for Dan Hurley

UConn struggled with shooting, finishing 7-for-24 from beyond the arc, and turnovers. Senior guard Hassan Diarra led in turnovers with five, while Samson Johnson, Solo Ball and Jaylin Stewart each committed three.

Ball led UConn in scoring with 12 points but only managed two in the second half. Alex Karaban and Liam McNeeley each scored 11 points, shooting a combined 8-for-14, while Aidan Mahaney added 10 points on 4-for-10 shooting.

Tarris Reed Jr. came close to a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds, all of which he secured in the first half.

After the game, Karaban expressed disappointment in the team’s effort.

"(Hurley) just emphasized how this wasn’t UConn basketball and how we didn’t play to the standard," he said. "As he should, because we didn’t at all. We didn’t execute the game plan the entire game. ”

While UConn held East Texas A&M to just 25.4% shooting, including 17.6% from 3-point range, their sloppiness overshadowed the statistical success, Dan Hurley said.

“You shoot 54% and the other team shoots 25%; you should probably win by 55-60 points. We turned the ball over 19 times,” Hurley said.

Dan Hurley and the Huskies will now turn their focus to their upcoming tournament in Hawaii.

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