Dan Hurley gives details on Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla's visit to UConn's locker room after Xavier win

Dan Hurley's UConn Huskies showcased their grit in a thrilling overtime win against Xavier Musketeers on Wednesday night, securing a 94-89 victory. This marked their first success in a home conference opener since 2011.

In addition to the action on the court, a postgame moment grabbed headlines. Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla visited the UConn locker room after the game, earning a shoutout from Hurley. Sam Calhoun, a reporter for DCSportsDept, shared the news on X.

"Shoutout to Joe for showing up. I think he enjoyed it. He likes Big East basketball," Hurley said, as quoted by reporter Joe Arruda.

On the court, Tarris Reed Jr., stepped into the starting lineup for the first time this season. Filling in for Samson Johnson, who was sidelined due to concussion protocol after the Gonzaga game, Reed delivered an outstanding performance. He contributed 20 points and 13 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season.

Solo Ball led UConn's scoring effort with 22 points, while Alex Karaban added 20. Contributions from all five starters, each finishing in double figures. Hassan Diarra’s 12 points and 11 assists, along with Liam McNeeley’s 14 second-half points. Having won five consecutive games since returning from the Maui Invitational, the Huskies are riding a wave of momentum.

Dan Hurley and Joe Mazzulla have some contrasting championship philosophies

Dan Hurley and Joe Mazzulla have each led their teams to glory this year, but their approaches to maintaining dominance differ significantly. Hurley’s UConn squad captured their sixth NCAA title and their second consecutive championship, last April. Meanwhile, Mazzulla steered the Boston Celtics to their 18th NBA championship in June.

Mazzulla is known for his disciplined lifestyle, including regular jiu-jitsu training. Rejecting the term title defense, Mazzulla prefers to focus on attacking every challenge. As he explained:

"We’re not defending anything. We’re attacking from the start."

Hurley, on the other hand, once spoke with NBC Sports Boston and shared his mindset:

"The way we do things is championship-level, championship-caliber every single day. Our mindsets, our behaviors, the way we go about our work—we’re ready to defend our back-to-back titles like our lives depend on it."

While acknowledging their differing perspectives, Hurley also expressed admiration for Mazzulla’s approach. "

I know Joe’s got a different mentality. He wants to be an aggressor with the Celtics this year,” Dan Hurley said.

“We look at it in a way where we’re gonna defend it with our lives. Somebody’s gonna have to rip it out of our lifeless hands this year."

Under Hurley’s leadership, UConn has already achieved back-to-back NCAA championships. The last program to accomplish this feat was Florida in 2006 and 2007.

Despite losing a key player like Samson Johnson, the Huskies managed to edge out the Xavier Musketeers. They will next face the Butler Bulldogs, who lost their last match 74-83 to Wisconsin.