"They've got to get nastier": Dan Hurley on fixing UConn's "nice guys" problem and improving their defense

UConn (13-4, 5-1) coach Dan Hurley wants his players to peel off their "nice guys" personas and be tough guys moving forward by crashing the boards and showing their "nastiness" on the defensive end.

The two-time NCAA champion made the statement during the media availability session for Saturday's game against No. 14-ranked Creighton.

Hurley was asked about what he saw on his team's defense during practice which made him think positive strides were going into the Big East clash against the Bluejays (11-6, 4-2 in Big East).

The Huskies coach singled out the sophomore class for making defensive lapses but defended them by saying they're still developing.

"There's not a lot of teams that are trying to win and trying to develop younger players," Hurley said 2(2:04). "A lot of teams we're playing against are just gotten really old. Hopefully that starts the turn."

Speaking of in-game maturity, the UConn bench tactician emphasized his team needs to show more toughness on the defensive side of the ball.

"I think the players got to get tougher (and) got to be nastier, Hurley said (2:58). "We got a lot of nice guys. They've got to get nastier at the defensive end of the court and on the backboard."

He expects his team to face tougher games ahead, especially against Creighton where they will have to deal with 7-foot-2 big man Ryan Kalkbrenner and six-foot playmaker Steven Ashworth.

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UConn coach Dan Hurley counts on Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed to keep Ryan Kalkbrenner in check

UConn coach Dan Hurley knows he'll have a big problem on the way in Creighton big man Ryan Kalkbrenner. He said he's ready for the challenge to stop the 7-foot-2 slotman and his plan is to use Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed to keep him in check during the game.

Kalkbrenner is averaging 17.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 2.9 blocks this season and has been the pillar for Creighton in this year's campaign. Hurley feels that he could have been a one-and-done but he stayed with the Bluejays and played four more seasons.

The coach knows the team would need to switch quickly to stay with their guards and not allow anyone to be open for an easy shot.

UConn meets Creighton on Saturday afternoon at the Gampel Pavilion in Storrs.