"He's Aquaman now...I prefer when he's Thor": Dan Hurley smartly avoids a 'HIPAA violation' amid Liam McNeeley status update

UConn coach Dan Hurley refused to get into specifics regarding Liam McNeeley's injury due to medical privacy laws. However, he gave some amusing commentary about how the talented freshman forward will have to shift his focus while sidelined.

McNeeley, who has made an immediate impact for the Huskies this season, suffered a high ankle sprain in No. 11-ranked UConn's win against DePaul on Wednesday. Hurley announced after the game that McNeeley would be out for several weeks.

Ahead of the Huskies' home game against Providence on Sunday, Hurley was asked about how McNeeley is handling the injury and his recovery process.

"It's a HIPAA violation. I'm not going to — he's not good," Hurley said in the pregame media availability (6:24). "He's Aquaman now. He's going to go back in the pool, and he's going to go and do his work in the pool.

"He goes back to being Aquaman now. I prefer it when he's Thor — when he's Thor and he's on the court. But now he just goes back to being Aquaman."

Dan Hurley remains confident despite McNeeley's absence

While the Huskies will miss Liam McNeeley's contributions on the court, Dan Hurley emphasized that the team is confident they can continue to succeed in his absence.

"When he gets back healthy, he's going to be in a position to obviously have to knock the rust off for a game or two potentially," Hurley said. "But he'll be returning to a stronger team than the team that he left, as long as we're able to continue to win in his absence.

"It's a chance for every other player just to play better. It's a chance for us to defend and rebound better, and win that way."

The Huskies have an 11-3 overall record and tied for second place in the Big East with a 3-0 mark. McNeeley has been a key part of UConn's success, averaging 13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.

According to Hurley, the 6-foot-7 forward will likely be sidelined until late January. The Huskies still have seven more games this month, including matchups against Villanova, Georgetown, Creighton, Butler and Xavier. The team will need others to step up in McNeeley's absence.

UConn is on a seven-game winning streak following their 0-3 record in the Maui Invitational Tournament in November. The team will look to keep the momentum going when they host the Friars on Sunday.