“You send a message by benching people”: Chasing 3rd NCAA title in a row, UConn HC Dan Hurley is ready to make the hard decisions
As UConn coach Dan Hurley and the Huskies prepare to tip off their season on Monday against Rhode Island for a charity exhibition game, the NCAA champion gave his thoughts on what he's expecting from his this season.
When asked what we can expect from freshman Liam McNeeley and new transfer Aidan Mahaney, Hurley spoke about the unpredictability of games and having to make adjustments on the fly.
"It's hard," Hurley said. "I think you end up having a plan about what you want to do as minutes go going into scrimmages and exhibitions and then they kind of just go up in smoke.
"So, it's like you know you have a lead or you're down or you're not happy with the way people are playing, and you send a message by benching people or whatever, you just don't know how the game's going to unfold."
(from 6:50)
Dan Hurley will be working with a new group this season
After reportedly turning down the opportunity to take the reigns at the Los Angeles Lakers, Dan Hurley is banking on another notable run in this year's NCAA tournament, albeit without some notable players.
The Huskies said goodbye to four of their five starters from the 2023-24 championship game, namely Tristan Newton and Cam Spencer, who went 49th and 53rd respectively in this year's NBA Draft, and more notably 7-foot-2 Donovan Clingan, who went seventh overall, and Stephon Castle, who went fourth.
All four players averaged double figures in scoring for the Huskies last season, so it's safe to say Hurley will have his hands full trying to replicate, if not better, his team's output this season.
Commenting on what he hopes to see from his players in Monday's exhibition game, Hurley highlighted the importance of different player combinations and playing hard.
"Wanna see different combinations of players, you like to see some growth with some players, how they respond in a game-like atmosphere," Hurley said. "Obviously you want to go out and play well, you want to win, you want to compete, you want to play hard."
Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies take on Rhode Island in an exhibition game on Monday at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Tipoff is at 6 pm ET.