"He's got to take the pressure off Liam McNeeley, Solo Ball": Dan Hurley details the importance of getting 22-year-old UConn veteran back from injury

Dan Hurley and No. 25 UConn grabbed a huge win over No. 15 Baylor on Wednesday night, defeating the Bears 76-72 at Gampel Pavilion. However, the Huskies were without redshirt junior Alex Karaban for the second straight game due to a head injury.

UConn (6-3) suffered three consecutive losses in late November in the Maui Invitational, to Memphis, Colorado and Dayton. Karaban, a 6-foot-8 forward developed a head injury during the Dayton game on Nov. 28 and has been sidelined since.

Even without Karaban, Dan Hurley’s team managed to battle past Maryland Eastern Shore and Baylor, thanks to freshman forward Liam McNeeley, who stepped up in a big way by posting 16 points against the Hawks and 17 points against the Bears.

While Hurley was thrilled with McNeeley’s performance, the coach emphasized the need to get Karaban back in the lineup as soon as possible.

"Having Alex back, we need him for us to be successful. Alex got to lead the team, he's got to take pressure off Liam, he's got to take pressure off Solo, he's got to take pressure off of some of these other guys," coach Hurley said ahead of the Texas game (via The UConn Daily).

"His production, his communication, his level of play — I mean, that should all have a positive effect ... we're going to have a fair number of younger guys in there, so Alex is greatly needed."

Alex Karaban is a key cog in this UConn team, leading the squad in scoring with 15.9 points per game. The Massachusetts native started all 32 games last season, leading the Huskies to back-to-back national championship glory.

Dan Hurley reflects on challenges with team's progress this season

Dan Hurley's UConn Huskies were No. 3 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, but have since fallen to No. 25 after suffering three straight losses.

While the team showed resilience in grinding out wins over Maryland Eastern Shore and Baylor, the coach acknowledged the challenges of integrating young players into the lineup.

"I think part of the problem has been me," Dan Hurley said after the Bears game. "I've coached these guys frustrated, and I've coached them frustrated for too long. This is a team that's going to be a work in progress, and a team that's going to get better and better. And we're relying on a lot of young players and new players."

The Huskies suffered only three defeats all of last season, en route to a Big East regular season and tournament championship, followed by a national championship win.