Dan Hurley makes it clear what UConn needs to do to beat Baylor

UConn men’s basketball team head coach Dan Hurley is keeping his mind clean as the 25th-ranked Huskies gear up to face No. 15 Baylor on 4th December 2024, Wednesday in Storrs, Connecticut. After a rocky game at the Maui Invitational, UConn dropped three consecutive games.

The losses ended a 17-game winning streak and also caused UConn to tumble 23 spots in the Associated Press Top 25 rankings. With that, they were moving from No. 2 to barely holding at No. 25. However, the victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday gave some relief for the team. While talking about the game in their post conference, Hurley said:

“If we want to win this game tomorrow, some people are gonna have to announce themselves in college basketball.”

The team is now set to face matchups against Texas, No. 7 Gonzaga, and Xavier. Wednesday night’s game is one of the most important high-stakes matchups. As the coach said:

"We also know we’re playing a top-level team, so it’s a big game for us and it’s a big game for them.”

In Saturday’s postgame press conference, he also said:

“The psyche from the monster we’ve created as a staff and team is jarring.”

Hurley candidly discussed the mental challenges his team faces after achieving back-to-back national championships.

Dan Hurley on playing without Alex Karaban

UConn will face Baylor without one of their top players, Alex Karaban, who remains sidelined after suffering a head injury during the Huskies’ final game at the Maui Invitational against Dayton.

Karaban is a preseason All-American and UConn’s leading scorer, averaging 15.9 points per game. The player also missed Saturday’s victory over Maryland Eastern Shore. However, according to reports, he might return for Sunday’s game against Texas. In that very interview coach said:

"Just still not feeling quite himself. He was feeling better, but not well enough to be healthy with the protocol. Not sure about the weekend, but definitely out for the (Baylor) game. … Big loss."

Sophomore forward Jaylin Stewart filled in for Karaban in the previous game, contributing 16 points and seven rebounds, facing Baylor’s key players, including VJ Edgecombe, Jalen Celestine, and Norchad Omier.

However, after UConn’s recent win, they are ranked No. 39 in the NET standings and 0-2 in Quadrant 1 games.

UConn and Baylor have faced each other only once before. As two of the last three national champions, both teams come into this upcoming game with high stakes.

UConn’s home court, Gampel Pavilion, has been a fortress for the Huskies, where they have amassed a 29-1 record over their last 30 games. This season, they remain unbeaten at home. UConn leads the Big East in key offensive categories, including field goal percentage, assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio.

Wednesday’s game is also notable as the first time a top-25 opponent has visited Gampel Pavilion in non-conference play since 2019. The last time a ranked matchup occurred in Storrs was in 2014. It was when UConn hosted No. 24 Texas.

Following this game, UConn travels to Austin to face Texas on Sunday before taking on No. 7 Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 14. Now, UConn prepares for Big East play.