“Devastating in the paint”: Dan Hurley heaps praise for St. John’s star after UConn’s loss vs Rick Pitino’s team

Dan Hurley's unranked UConn Huskies succumbed to a long-time conference rival on Sunday as they lost to the No. 10-ranked St. John's Red Storm 89-75, at the Madison Square Garden. The Huskies now hold a subpar 10-6 Big East record, 18-9 overall, with their goal of a third national championship repeat now getting harder to reach.

During the post-game press conference, Hurley was asked about the outstanding shooting percentages that Rick Pitino's Red Storm posted. They were 46.9% from the floor, including 42.1% from the 3-point line. St. John's was led by senior Kadary Richmond, who made 6-of-13 from the floor.

"I mean, look at the numbers. ... Kadary Richmond is like devastating in the paint," Dan Hurley said (1:30). "(RJ) Luis (Jr.) is devastating at the paint. (Zuby) Ejiofor is a beast down there. I mean, Deivon Smith is so fast off the dribble, he is an American ninja."

"These guys, you got to pick your poison. It's a dangerous proposition ... for us this year with our defense we can't take everything away. We've got to pick something that we want to try to take away. They stepped up and made 'em. They haven't shot like that a lot but, credit to them, they stepped up and made 'em."

With the disheartening defeat at bay, Dan Hurley and the rest of the Huskies now hope to finish the regular season on a high note, as the first of their last three home games starts with the unranked Georgetown Hoyas on Wednesday.

Dan Hurley says that Kadary Richmond is tremendously mature

Later on in the presser, Dan Hurley was asked about fifth-year big man Kadary Richmond and his chances for a 2024-2025 Big East Player of the Year bid. The 54-year-old then went on to discuss the kind of high-level maturity the Brooklyn, New York native possesses, which he said will help him as well when it comes to getting into the NBA.

"Richmond's like a fully mature player now. He's in his fifth year, plus he prepped at Brewster," Hurley said (3:00). "I mean, he's a grown man out there and they're getting the most out of him in a year that is make or break for him to make a move to get to the NBA. His maturity level is a lot, it's changed a lot. He's a much different type of man on the court."

For the game against UConn, Richmond, who transferred after three years with the Seton Hall Pirates, had 18 points with six coming from the free-throw line, three rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks in 31 minutes of action for the St. John's Red Storm.