UConn Men’s Basketball Team’s Lack of Discipline Leads to Humbling Performance in Maui Invitational
UConn men’s basketball head coach Dan Hurley had little to say after his team suffered a third consecutive loss in the Maui Invitational, with each defeat coming at the hands of unranked opponents, including Dayton in a battle for seventh place on Wednesday night. Despite the notable free throw disparity in the 85-67 loss, Hurley wasn’t inclined to blame the officiating. This time, he recognized that the outcome wasn’t determined by a single call but rather by the team’s continued issues, which had been present throughout the tournament.
The Huskies’ defense was far below the high standards Hurley has come to expect, especially as Dayton’s lead grew to 20 points in the final minutes. Hurley acknowledged that several factors contributed to the loss, including mistakes in discipline, mispositioning, and missed defensive assignments. “There’s discipline mistakes, which is bad coaching,” Hurley explained. “It’s scary that a five-point game with five minutes to go turned into that.”
Throughout the game, UConn struggled to stay in position, often overhelping or leaving Dayton shooters open. The fast-paced nature of playing three games in three days only exacerbated these issues. UConn had only led for a minute and 41 seconds in the game, and their inexperience was on full display. Dayton, on the other hand, was highly efficient at the free-throw line, going 13-for-15 in the first half and 14-for-15 in the second. UConn, in contrast, managed just 7-for-11 from the stripe over the course of the game.
After receiving a technical foul in the tournament’s opening game against Memphis, which led to a tough overtime loss, Hurley made a conscious effort to avoid further confrontation with referees. Reflecting on the rough stretch, Hurley said, “When you come to a tournament like this and it’s three games in three days, it starts to go bad, there’s no way of fixing it ’cause there’s no time to. You just have to deal with the situation.”
The Huskies’ free throw issues were part of a larger trend, as UConn was called for a total of 72 fouls in the tournament—far more than their opponents, who were called for only 48. This led to a staggering 98-48 free throw discrepancy in favor of UConn’s opponents, a gap that further highlighted the team’s undisciplined play.
UConn’s identity—centered on toughness, rebounding, and relentless effort—was notably absent throughout the tournament. The Huskies were out-rebounded by 16 in their loss to Dayton, a rarity for a team that had only been outrebounded by more than 10 rebounds in three games over the past two seasons. The last time UConn faced such a significant rebounding deficit was in the 2021 Big East Tournament, when they lost to Creighton by 17 on the glass.
So, what’s next for the Huskies? After a long flight back to Connecticut late Wednesday night, the team had to quickly regroup before their next game against Maryland Eastern Shore in Hartford on Saturday. This matchup, against a team ranked near the bottom of Division I, is an opportunity for UConn to rebuild their confidence and gain some momentum after a disappointing performance in Maui. Maryland Eastern Shore (2-8) is currently ranked No. 360 out of 362 teams by KenPom, which should give UConn a chance to get back on track.
Hurley emphasized the need to reset both mentally and strategically. “I just think we need to get back and we need to regroup both from a psyche standpoint and come up with a different plan defensively for the most part,” he said. The upcoming games will be crucial for the Huskies as they look to salvage their nonconference schedule, beginning with a home game against Baylor on Wednesday and a road trip to Texas the following week. The nonconference slate will conclude with a high-profile matchup against Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden on December 14.
While the Maui Invitational ended with a disappointing 0-3 record, Hurley remains hopeful for the team’s future. He acknowledged that the current UConn squad is not the team it could be, but he believes that, with time, the Huskies will improve. “This UConn team that has lost three in a row out here is not the UConn team that we’ve been,” Hurley said. “It’s the UConn team that we are right now that I think is going to get a lot better. We’re relying on a lot of young players. The burden of wearing the uniform after back-to-backs right now looks like it’s weighing heavy on the group. I think right now we’ve just got to try to focus on becoming a good team and becoming a tougher team.”
Hurley concluded by acknowledging that the team’s performance in Maui was a far cry from what they’ve shown in previous seasons. “Right now we’re a shell of what we’ve been,” he admitted, but with a renewed focus on discipline and improvement, UConn hopes to bounce back and become the team they know they can be.
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