All season long, college basketball fans have been waiting for UConn to find its rhythm. The back-to-back national champions have struggled to regain their dominance after key roster losses over the past two years, and Sunday’s game only added to their woes. A tough 89-75 blowout loss to No. 10 St. John’s shed light on their ongoing challenges. It was UConn’s second loss to St. John’s this month and Dan Hurley could not help but acknowledge the Red Storm’s strength.
In a tweet by analyst Sam Calhoun, Hurley dissected St. John’s explosive performance: “Dan Hurley on St. John’s shooting: ‘If they shoot the ball like that from the perimeter, they’re going to be a problem for anyone.’” For St. John’s to make some real noise in March, they need to bring the heat from beyond the arc. And Sunday’s win was a reminder that when they’re firing on all cylinders, they can expose a crack in even UConn’s typically ironclad defense.
Dan Hurley on St. John’s shooting: “If they shoot the ball like that from the perimeter, they’re going to be a problem for anyone.”
— Sam Calhoun (@_samcalhoun) February 23, 2025
Dan Hurley’s frustration went beyond the loss. St. John’s, a team ranked “somewhere in the 300s” nationally in three-point efficiency, flipped the script by exploiting UConn’s strategic gamble to pack the paint. “You’ve got to pick your poison,” Hurley said, crediting the Red Storm’s uncharacteristic hot streak. The coach admitted that UConn’s defense made a gamble that didn’t pay off. Now he’s worried about what might happen when UConn faces tougher opponents, which also sounds like a warning for other championship dreamers.
Hurley likened the Red Storm’s suffocating defense to Houston’s notorious system—relentless switches, NBA-sized wings, and a rebounding ferocity that left UConn scrambling. “They’re elite… championship-level,” he stressed, singling out rim enforcer Joel Soriano and speedy guard De’Shawn Harris-Smith. For Hurley, the loss revealed a harsh truth: In March, even a single defensive lapse can derail title dreams.
For much of the season, UConn has dominated, but recent games show a troubling trend. In their win over Creighton, they controlled the boards (39-36) and forced more turnovers (10-6), yet still struggled to score. They shot just 39.4% from the field and 23.1% from three (6-for-26), barely edging out Creighton, who hit 7-of-24 threes (29.2%). The game exposed their tendency to go cold from deep, a flaw that could hurt them in tougher matchups.
Against Seton Hall, those issues caught up to them. The Huskies shot 37.3% from the field and had 16 turnovers, letting Seton Hall stay in control despite UConn’s rebounding edge (41-35). The Pirates’ physical defense and inside scoring (32 points in the paint) caused problems, exposing UConn’s struggles against aggressive, guard-heavy teams.
Then came St. John’s, a game where UConn’s offensive struggles turned into a full-blown issue. The Huskies shot just 39.2% from the field and 27.6% from three (8-for-29) while also struggling at the free-throw line. More concerning? They turned the ball over 22 times, leading to 18 points off turnovers for the Red Storm. St. John’s, a team not known for perimeter shooting, didn’t even have a great night from deep (4-for-21, 19.0%)—yet still controlled the game with relentless defensive pressure and smart execution.
UConn has been viewed as a team that can impose its will on anyone, but if physical, guard-heavy teams continue exploiting their perimeter defense and forcing them into inefficient shooting nights, the Huskies could be in trouble. They’ve struggled against teams like Seton Hall and St. John’s, and elite tournament squads—think Houston, Purdue, or Alabama—won’t hesitate to use similar tactics.
Hurley’s post-game comments serve as a warning to every NCAA tournament-bound team. His comparison of St. John’s defense to Houston’s wasn’t just praise; it was an acknowledgment of a strong opponent and his own clear weakness. UConn’s struggles are now out in the open, and any of the 67 other teams in the NCAA Tournament can use this as a scouting report.
Dan Hurley backs Alex Karaban, Warns NCAA about Big East
Alex Karaban sat slumped on Sunday, his voice low and steady. UConn had just been throttled 89-75 by a surging St. John’s team, and the junior forward—a two-time national champ—shouldered the blame. “It cost us the game,” he said.
The Huskies looked rattled from the jump. St. John’s, now the story of the Big East under Rick Pitino, suffocated UConn with a relentless press, turning shaky inbound passes and careless turnovers into easy buckets. Karaban, who finally found his three-point stroke in the second half (17 points), still winced at his six turnovers and defensive lapses. “I made too many mistakes,” he admitted.
But Dan Hurley isn’t hitting panic buttons. Instead, he issued a blunt warning to NCAA Tournament foes about the Big East’s rising force: “Pressure exposes everyone’s weaknesses.” Translation? If St. John’s dismantled his battle-tested squad, imagine what it’ll do in March.
For Karaban, this season is about growth. After turning down the NBA, he’s navigating life as the leader on a retooled roster. His three-point shot vanished for weeks (7-for-62 before Sunday), and late-game errors piled up. Still, Hurley insists this struggle is by design: “This is what he came back for—to handle that pressure.”
Teammates aren’t worried. “Heavy is the head that wears the crown,” said transfer Tarris Reed Jr. “A.K.’s got championship DNA. He’ll figure it out.” UConn’s path won’t get easier. With four regular-season games left, they’re fighting to lock down an NCAA bid. But Hurley knows March hinges on surviving chaos—and Karaban’s resilience. “He’s going through it,” Hurley said. “But this is how you learn.”
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