Dan Hurley gets real on Liam McNeeley after UConn beats Villanova: "He's got more pressure on him than any other freshman in the country"

UConn coach Dan Hurley had something special to say about his prized freshman Liam McNeeley after the Huskies beat Villanova on Tuesday. After the 66-59 victory in Hartford, Hurley didn't hold back in his praise for the young forward.

UConn writer Sam Calhoun posted Hurley's quote on X, formerly Twitter.

"(Liam) wasn't playing well up to the point when we were down 12 or 14. But then when he turned it up, we won by seven," Hurley said. "I mean, he's got more pressure on him than any freshman in the country: to play well or else his team is not going to win."

Since returning to the court on Feb. 7, after a month-long absence due to a high ankle injury, McNeeley has scored 87 points, averaging 21.75 points in four games, including a career-high 38 points against Creighton.

The Tuesday matchup against the Wildcats was another impressive outing for the 6-foot-7 Texas native, who finished with a game-high 20 points to go along with seven rebounds and two assists.

Dan Hurley's comment accurately reflects the massive expectations placed on McNeeley's shoulders as the struggling Huskies' top scoring option. However, he didn't start well against Villanova, scoring four points in the first half as the Huskies fell behind by eight.

UConn, which lost its last two of three games, once again faced the prospect of another disappointing defeat before McNeeley took over in the second half, leading the team to an important Big East win.

---

Dan Hurley calls Villanova win a crucial step for team’s confidence boost

The three-peat dream Dan Hurley had for UConn is slowly slipping away as they haven't been able to live up to their defending national champions status. The Huskies have lost five Big East games and are stranded in third place in the conference.

Despite their struggles, UConn escaped a crucial road matchup against Villanova. They were down by 14 points in the second half but fought hard to pull off a 66-59 comeback win.

"I think our mindset right now, especially getting this one today on such a short turnaround," Hurley said (9:36), "the season was hanging in the balance for us today. If we lost this game ... this is definitely going to galvanize us."

Dan Hurley and the Huskies face the No. 10 Red Storm on Sunday in New York. St. John's beat UConn at Gampel Pavilion earlier this month.