Dan Hurley and UConn opened Big East play in emphatic fashion, overwhelming Butler with a dominant win. Butler entered the matchup averaging over 90 points per game and fresh off a thrilling double-overtime victory against Providence. UConn shut that offense down, holding Butler to a season-low 60 points, though Hurley still voiced concerns afterward.

“Not obviously a perfect performance,” he told the media.

“The difference for us was the defense and the rebounding. We shot over 50% from the field. Obviously, the 15 turnovers are concerning. This is back-to-back games with that, and that’s an area that we’ve obviously got to clean up, especially when you’re shooting 51% from the field, just to the 15 turnovers, it’s very, very discouraging.”

The 15 turnovers against Butler and Texas have been well above their average. UConn has so far averaged 10.4 turnovers per game, which places them at a decent 86th percentile per CBB Analytics. The sloppy ball control could cost them dearly against better teams, as they are effectively giving the opponent more possessions to score from. 

Tarris Reed was at the scene of this crime against Butler with a game-high 5 turnovers without any assists. To make matters worse, Connecticut hasn’t been the fastest team with just 65.8 possessions per game, which is in the 21st percentile.

Fortunately, against Butler, they held them to just 30% from the field, overshadowing their shaky control. Additionally, they had Solo Ball, putting in a career-best performance as well, finishing with 26 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block, and 2 assists. 

“I mean, watch out. He’s (Solo Ball) going to get to the mean. The guy is elite, and I think this was just… watch out. I think he’s gonna have a lot of nights like this,” Hurley warned his 10 Big East competitors. 

Ball entered the game against Butler, shooting a measly 28.4% from beyond the arc and an underwhelming 40.9% from the field. He had made just 21 of 73 3’s after making 99 of 239 as a sophomore in 2024-25 at 41.4%. He finally got his shot back as Ball shot 8-14 from the field and 3-6 from the three-point line against Butler. 

“The first thing I really did was get a block,” said Ball. “I was really trying to focus on my defense. When I took my mind off scoring, I just focused on that. I didn’t have to worry about how many points I’m putting on the board. I was just out there playing, having fun.”

With Ball back to his best, UConn looks like an even better team. His support system came through against Butler as well. Tarris Reed Jr. added 16 points, grabbed five rebounds, and blocked three shots while Braylon Mullins chipped in 12 points, three boards, two assists, and two blocks. Jayden Ross had a monster performance off the bench with 13 points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes.

Dan Hurley Still Searching For The ‘Killer Instinct’

Dan Hurley and UConn are on the verge of contender territory. Their 11-1 start has been near flawless, with their only loss coming against the current AP No.1 Arizona. They have had 4 Quad 1 wins apart from that blip. Per KenPom, they are the fourth-best defense with an adjusted defensive rating of 91.7, but they have a 19th-best offense. That is due to some occasional slips during games, which are holding them back. 

“I just wish there was more killer instinct, put a team down, bury a team. We had chances to do it, and then it would, you know, go from 23 to 11 or up to 18, back to 14. I mean, we just, this team’s got to get a killer instinct.” Hurley said. 

Dan Hurley wants some flawless basketball for the span of an entire game from his team. For example, against Butler, they conceded a 7-point lead to start the game and had to work back. Even after dominating in the first half, the Huskies conceded 35 points in the second half while scoring 40 themselves. 

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Their largest lead on average was 21.9 points despite playing against 4 quad 4 teams. The Huskies have had some luck on their side, with the luck factor on KenPom being a +0.66.

There is a world where the Huskies lose that close game against BYU after leading by 20 points at one point. Led by AJ Dybantsa, they made the Huskies sweat, but Hurley’s side eventually won 86-84. Even against Florida, they led by 10 at one point but won by only 4 points. UConn is letting its opponents stay in the game more times than not.