UConn still working its way to championship level, but potential is clearly visible

Alex Karaban (11) and Solo Ball (1) were part of UConn’s championship team in 2024. As good as this year’s Huskies are, head coach Dan Hurley (second from left) believes championship standard is still a work in progress. (Photo by Jessica Hill/Associated Press)

OMAHA, Neb. — February begins for UConn with a No. 2 ranking in the country, a 17-game win streak, and the best start to conference play for the program in over a quarter-century.

Usually, such a season would be cause for celebration at most programs no matter how it were to conclude. But not every program has a standard like that of the Huskies, nor does every program have a perfectionist as its coach the way UConn does with Dan Hurley.

Hurley eased up on his prior comparisons of this Husky team to his two national champions leading into UConn’s 85-58 win at Creighton Saturday. The coach doubled down on the relaxed stance following the game, emphasizing that the bar was so high to where his current project is still a world away — at least — from clearing it.

Still, there were signs Saturday. UConn shot 54 percent from the floor, made 16 three-point field goals, and outrebounded the Bluejays by a 37-24 margin, collecting 13 offensive caroms. The ball control that has been stressed since the calendar flipped to 2026 also took a leap forward, with the Huskies committing only eight turnovers.

“We were plus-13 on the glass,” Hurley recounted. “I think we had five early turnovers and three the rest of the game. We were sharp with execution, we did a good job in transition offensively to get some more opportunities.”

The opportunities are also recognized in the aftermath of the win, said Silas Demary, Jr., who even after posting 15 points, six rebounds and five assists, felt there was something UConn could do better.

“We gotta be shot makers,” Demary said, “but I’d say we’re trying to get the ball inside more and just be ready to hit our outside shots when they present themselves. You see it every day, you see it every game, Coach talks about it before we go out to the court. I think our biggest thing is just building on playing a full 40 (minutes).”

One of the thorns in UConn’s side over the years, who handed the 2024 Huskies one of their three losses, believes this team is actually stronger.

“I think this team shoots it better across the board,” Creighton head coach Greg McDermott assessed. “UConn’s terrific, especially when they shoot the basketball like that, and with (Braylon) Mullins back, he just provides so much spacing to their team. He’s got incredible range, gets it off really quick.”

“Obviously, they’ve had some great shooters. Solo (Ball)’s not going to continue to shoot 27 or 28 percent from the three-point line, he’s too good and that number is skewed in the wrong direction. He’s gonna be fine.”

McDermott, no stranger to developing four-year talents over his 16 years in Omaha, from Doug McDermott to Ryan Kalkbrenner and so many more in between, also credited the Husky veterans for their experience and selflessness, highlighting those factors as equal components to UConn’s 21-1 start.

“They share it and they’re unselfish,” he praised. “And with Tarris (Reed, Jr.) back, Alex (Karaban) back, Solo back, (Jaylin) Stewart back, (Jayden) Ross back, they have that core that really understands what Danny wants them to do. He really hit a home run with Silas at the point, and then you have Mullins, who’s going to play in the NBA a long time, too. So it’s a really talented roster.”

Hurley has never disputed the talent he possesses this season, but with a stretch of three road games following Tuesday’s home game against Xavier, remains content to temper expectations ever so slightly.

“The ’23 and ’24 teams, we played elite offense, we played elite defense, we rebounded the ball dominantly,” he said. “There are a lot of games like this, and that’s why I’m not comparing this team to those teams. We’ve got a long way to go before we’re championship-caliber.”