Dan Hurley can't solely rely on Silas Demary's return as UConn pushes for quick return

Here’s the rewritten version with your headline and a clean, human flow:

UConn might get Silas Demary Jr. back against UCLA.

But Dan Hurley already knows he can’t count on him the way he normally would.

That’s the reality heading into the Round of 32. Even if Demary is available, Hurley made it clear the Huskies shouldn’t expect heavy minutes as the guard continues working back from an ankle injury.

He’s trying to go. He wants to be out there.

But he’s still not fully himself.

Still working back from the ankle injury

Demary is just over a week removed from the play where Zuby Ejiofor came down on his ankle, and it’s still lingering.

It kept him out of UConn’s first-round win over Furman, and now he’s once again listed as questionable.

Hurley said Demary and Jaylin Stewart are both “pushing it to the max,” which says everything about where they are physically.

They’re close.

Just not all the way there.

What UConn would be getting back

When Demary is right, he’s one of UConn’s most important pieces.

The 6-foot-4 guard averages 10.9 points and 6.2 assists per game, and he’s one of the players that keeps everything steady when the game starts to speed up.

He played 31 minutes in the Big East title game against St. John’s before going down, which shows how much UConn leans on him.

And at his best, he can impact the game in every way.

He showed that back on Feb. 14 against Georgetown, finishing with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists in one of his most complete performances of the season.

That’s the version UConn would love to have.

They just might not get it right now.

No time to wait in March

This is where it gets tricky.

UConn is facing UCLA with a Sweet 16 spot on the line, and the winner moves on to face Michigan State in Washington, D.C.

There’s no time to ease someone back into form.

Hurley has to balance getting Demary on the floor with not asking too much from him too soon.

Because even if he plays, UConn knows it can’t rely solely on his return to carry them through.

They’re going to need more than that to keep their season alive.