“I would listen to coaches from back-to-back champs”: Dan Hurley jokingly taunts UConn center after “straightening” his identity
Dan Hurley's UConn Huskies have their sights set on defending their championship and winning a third-straight title, and the squad's campaign is off to a great start. The Huskies opened with back-to-back double-digit wins over Sacred Heart and New Hampshire.
Speaking to the media ahead of UConn's Wednesday night game against Le Moyne, Hurley was asked about the development of big man Tarris Reed, a junior transfer from Michigan, and whether Reed occasionally struggles to fully grasp his on-court identity.
Tarris Reed had a strong UConn debut against Sacred Heart on Nov. 7, going for 15 points, 11 rebounds and two steals in 23 minutes off the bench. He followed that up with another solid performance against New Hampshire, putting up 11 points and eight rebounds.
"There's places on the court that we've got to find him," Hurley said (1:51 mark). "There's habits that get embedded, and he's a great guy, and he's smart, and he's very talented and he wants to play to the identity that's going to make him most effective and help us win."
Dan Hurley was asked whether it might be hard for Reed to adapt on the fly mid-season while incorporating new changes. The coach said he was confident Reed would be receptive to his guidance and adjust quickly, considering the program's success.
"Yeah, especially when you're a highly rated high school player and then you played two years in college, I mean I would listen to the coaches from the back to back champs that have put guys in the NBA and I would listen to people that seemingly know what they're doing," he said.
Dan Hurley thinks UConn still has a lot of room for improvement
As a two-time national champion, UConn coach Dan Hurley understands the importance of a strong defense.
Despite limiting their opponents to just 54.5 points on average in their first two games, Hurley wants his UConn squad to further improve defensively.
"We’ve got a long way to go, defensively, offensively, for where we want to be, just like most teams in the country are experiencing," Hurley said.
"As we’re trying to develop our identity and establish roles and rotations, and exactly how we’re gonna play it, we gotta be able to win games by being tough and well-prepared and doing winning things until we actually get good at basketball."
Dan Hurley and the Huskies face some tough teams ahead. They will play Memphis on Nov. 25 in the Maui Invitational and Baylor on Dec. 4 as part of the Big East–Big 12 Battle, all before their conference schedule begins.