Dan Hurley feels better after Villanova loss than he did post Providence win: "The reality will hit probably when I get on the bus or airplane"

Coach Dan Hurley offered his thoughts following UConn's 68-66 loss to the Villanova Wildcats on Wednesday at Finneran Pavilion, snapping an eight-game winning streak. The Huskies had enough opportunities to build an advantage or tie the game in the final minutes but failed to capitalize, resulting in a worse season record than last year.

Even though he was disappointed with the loss, the coach wants to be more at peace after the defeat to Villanova when compared to UConn's win against Providence on Sunday. Nevertheless, Dan Hurley said that his sentiments might change once the team hits the road for Washington, DC.

"I feel actually a lot better sitting here after today than the providence game even though the reality will hit probably when I get on the bus or the airplane that this was just a loss," Hurley said in the post-game conference.

Hurley commended the competitiveness in the Big East and gave Villanova its flowers. He praised Wildcats coach Kyle Neptune's ability to hold the fort, noting that teams will have a tough time beating Nova at home this season.

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Dan Hurley's advice to Alex Karaban after missing game-winning free throws

Alex Karaban, back-to-back NCAA champion with Dan Hurley's roster and the 2024-25 season's team captain, had a chance to tie or seal the game in the last three seconds but couldn't.

Wen Hurley was asked about his advice to Karaban, the coach had an unusual task for the redshirt junior.

"Just get off the bus when we get back to campus and do what I did after Maui: Just pull your box of rings out and maybe just play with your back-to-back national championship rings and get ready for Georgetown," he said (per Hartford Courant's Joe Arruda).

Nevertheless, Dan Hurley highlighted that it's simply a part of the sport, urging Karaban to keep moving forward.

"It's like life, sometimes you've got to eat s***. Sometimes you're gonna have bad moments. His first two years in college have been a fairy tale."

The UConn Huskies have a 12-4 record on the season (4-1 Big East). They next face the Georgetown Hoyas on Saturday before returning home to host the Creighton Bluejays next weekend.