UConn basketball's Dan Hurley reveals hope for Huskies after massive comeback to beat Villanova
02/18/2025 11:45 PM
UConn basketball head coach Dan Hurley revealed how the comeback victory against Villanova gives him hope the Huskies can turn their season around. The two-time defending champs were in dire straits heading into this clash with its Big East rival. UConn was coming off a brutal loss to conference bottom dweller Seton Hall in what was by far the worst defeat of the season.
For most of Tuesday, it looked like this squad would not be able to overcome this setback, as Villanova was up 53-39 with 11:58 remaining on the Huskies’ home floor. Fortunately, star freshman Liam McNeeley helped lead a furious comeback. UConn closed the game on a 27-6 run to win 66-59. Hurley, encouraged by his team’s resilience at the end, explained how crucial this victory was for his program in the postgame press conference.
“I think the season was hanging in the balance for us today… This is definitely going to galvanize us.”
UConn basketball still has time to salvage its season
The Huskies’ quest for a three-peat certainly has not gone according to plan. Coming off the heels of a dominant national title run, UConn entered the season as the No. 3 team in the country. While Dan Hurley was losing many players from last year’s 37-3 squad, key members such as Alex Karaban and Hassan Diarra, along with several new additions were arriving.
After a nightmare run at the Maui Invitational, the Huskies won eight straight games, again looking like a legit title contender. However, during that streak, Liam McNeeley suffered a high ankle sprain that kept him out for over a month. UConn basketball struggled without its superstar freshman, going 5-3 over that span.
As McNeeley has gotten back into the fold, the Huskies have started to show signs of improvement. But the loss to Seton Hall really hurts this team’s resume heading into the NCAA Tournament. UConn is projected as a No. 8 seed in ESPN’s current bracket. That makes the next five games crucial for its chances of realistically competing for a national title.
Two of UConn’s five last regular season games are against ranked opponents, including a visit to No. 10 St. John’s on Sunday. Ultimately, the win against Villanova was an averted disaster for a team trying not to inch closer to the bubble. However, if the Huskies plan on showing that they’ve turned a corner, winning against a top-ten team on their home floor would be a terrific way to establish that narrative and overall belief.
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