Dan Hurley’s UConn might have won crucial games against Duke and Illinois, but that doesn’t mean everything is perfect with the team. The Huskies are due to face Michigan in the championship game, a tough clash given the Wolverines’ staggering momentum this season. Now, a former NCAA coach and current analyst has pinpointed a major error that Hurley and UConn will have to look after if they don’t want to get dismantled by Dusty May and the Wolverines.

“I thought yesterday UConn had some wasted possessions on offense,” former UMass head coach Matt McCall said on the April 5 episode of The Field of 68 podcast. “Illinois just didn’t take advantage of missed layups and messed up inside to beat this Michigan team tomorrow.

“Michigan’s been great all season long, and that was the best game they have played all year, with the Big 10 Player of the Year playing just 14 minutes. 14 minutes to beat an Arizona team that a lot of people had cutting the nets down on Monday night, having them down 30 the way they did.

“UConn can’t have those wasted possessions. The possession in the second half where Solo Ball comes down and tries to step and misses a layup, you can’t have those plays. Missing free throws in crucial times, you can’t have those plays, and you’ve got to finish everything on the inside and around the rim to be able to meet this Michigan team.”

Matt McCall’s assessment stands out perfectly. In the Final Four game against Illinois, the Huskies missed a total of 40 shots from the field while scoring at just 36% from the perimeter. The team also missed a couple of free throws, but overall, these offensive struggles didn’t cost them much in the season, as the Fighting Illini failed to capitalize on these missed shots after being formidable on the boards.

However, such errors in shooting, scoring, and fragility on possessions might be disastrous for UConn in the championship game, given the strong offense that Dusty May’s team already boasts. With players like Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara, the Wolverines stand as one of the most physical teams in the country as well, suggesting that the Huskies will also have to work immensely hard on the boards.

The point here isn’t that UConn will have to compete at its best, but whether the Huskies can match Michigan’s offensive hunger in the game and maintain the same level of efficiency in scoring shots and after getting those offensive rebounds.

For context, the Michigan Wolverines are one of the fastest-growing teams this season. Under Dusty May, the team has scored 86.8 points per game this season. On the other hand, the UConn Huskies sit at 77.5 points per game.

As McCall mentioned, Dan Hurley’s Huskies can’t afford a bad scoring night at all in Indianapolis if they want to clinch this game and win the title. And in pulling off such a flawless performance on Monday, the head coach is relying on one player.

Dan Hurley leans towards one specific player in battling the Michigan challenge

For most of the 2025-26 season, there have been very few games where the UConn Huskies have battled it out on the court without Tarris Reed Jr. The UConn guard has stood out in almost every aspect for his team. Be it flawless scoring, board dominance, or disrupting the opposition’s offense, you name it, and Reed has already solidified his name there.

And in the most important game of UConn’s season, Hurley is leaning toward this same player. Speaking at a pre-game press conference, Hurley went so far as to say that Reed’s form will ultimately determine how the Huskies fare in this crucial game.

“I’ve said that our season’s going to be determined by what Tarris Reed does and which Tarris Reed we get,” the 53-year-old said.

The Huskies guard is currently leading the team in three metrics: points (14.8), rebounds (8.8), and blocks (2.0). Now, that shows that Reed isn’t a one-dimensional contributor but an elite two-way player on the court. And against Michigan, this skill set can come in immensely handy for the Huskies.

Before the game tip-off, Hurley also gave a concise overview of how he aspires to stop a dominant team like the Michigan Wolverines.

“They’ve got a huge size advantage on us defensively and on the backboard,” the UConn head coach said. “That’s going to be a huge challenge for us. And then we’ve got to make the work defensively. We’ve got to switch screens, or top block screens, or play in drop-and-hedge ball screens. No matter what your opponent does, we’re going to make them move defensively.”

Besides Tarris Reed Jr., Braylon Mullins, Silas Demary Jr., and others will lead the charge. With the game set to tip off in a few hours, who are you rooting for in this game at Lucas Oil Stadium? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments.