"We suck at winning close games": Dan Hurley tries self-deprecating humor to put forward Huskies’ pain point after SDSU win
The UConn Huskies under head coach Dan Hurley have continued their incredible roll. After winning last year's NCAA Championship, the team sniffed out any hopes of revenge for San Diego State with a crushing 82-52 victory.
The Huskies have been on a dominant run in this year's tournament as well. Through three rounds, their average margin of victory stands around 29 points, with each game ending in a convincing blowout.
Coach Dan Hurley had an interesting theory for why the Huskies were playing such dominant basketball. Poking fun at his team, he justified his team's dominance with a hilarious quip.
"We suck at winning close games, so, you know, we've got to go with the alternative."
From there, Coach turned serious, spewing praise for his boys and their "killer instinct" that allowed them to rattle off three impressive victories.
"No, I think to the group, we have a killer instinct. We play every possession with great desperation. We've got NBA-level players that are incredibly well-prepared."
He had special praise for his coaching staff who had done a brilliant job of making sure the guys were ready for the moment.
"By Luke Murray and Kimany Young, who are two of the best coaches in the country, assistant, head coach, just two of the best that do it...Obviously, we're very comfortable in tournament play. We're very hard to prepare for."
UConn and Dan Hurley are going back to the Elite Eight
A year after dominating the field en route to an NCAA Championship, the UConn Huskies at 34-3 are right in the thick of things once again. Their journey continued in the Sweet Sixteen after they dispatched last year's Finals opponent, San Diego State 82-52.
A relatively close first half turned into a blowout in the second period as senior guard Cam Spencer led the way with 18 points, with Stephon Castle chipping in with a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double. Tristen Newton continued his recent hot streak with 17 points to his name as well.
Up next for the Huskies is an Elite Eight matchup with the winner of Iowa State and Illinois. Last season, UConn's six victories had an average margin of 20 points. This season, a similar streak is developing as their overlapping streak of double-digit victories in March Madness reaches 9.
The UConn Huskies are aiming for their 6th national Championship, and the first team since the 2006 and 2007 Florida teams to go back-to-back. So far, no UConn team since 2009 has reached the Elite Eight without winning the Championship.