Growing up a Hurley, it’s safe to say that Dan can handle himself in a confrontation. Still, it’s his players who have to back up his bravado on the court.
That formula has worked to the tune of back-to-back national championships at UConn, but with the Huskies falling out of the AP Top 25 after a 68-62 loss to St. John’s last week, Creighton fans smelled blood in the water on Tuesday night. However, one of Hurley’s youngest stars was up to the challenge as freshman Liam McNeeley led the Huskies to a 70-66 victory in Omaha.
“A lot of student sections have started chanting a three-word chant before the game, during the game, during timeouts,” freshman McNeeley told reporters after his 38-point performance. “A shot at coach is a shot at the team, so it gets me fired up.”
Tuesday night’s contest against No. 24 Creighton, which came in riding a nine-game win-streak, was just McNeeley’s second since returning from an ankle injury that he suffered back on New Year’s Day. In his return against the Johnnies on Friday, the McDonald’s All-American went just 4/15 from the field and finished with 18 points in the home loss. There were clear signs of rust as he came off the bench and struggled to find his rhythm, but that’s shaken off now and McNeeley’s rise to Big East stardom might be the only thing that can keep UConn’s three-peat hopes alive.
“No freshman has had a more impressive performance in this type of environment against a team like that,” Hurley said postgame. A comment like that is high praise in a season that has seen Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg firmly in a two-man race for National Player of the Year with Auburn senior Johni Broome.
In 38 minutes, McNeeley knocked down five of his 10 three-point attempts and the 6-foot-7 forward grabbed 10 rebounds on a night both of the Huskies’ centers, Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed Jr., spent in foul trouble as they tried to slow down 7-foot-1 Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who ended the night with 13 points in 40 minutes.
In his absence, Solo Ball took center stage, carrying the Huskies to a big win over Marquette with a 25-point outing. Leading-scorer responsibilities were thrust on Ball, who was up for the challenge, but since McNeeley’s return, the sophomore guard has gone 9/27 from the field for 24 points.
The only way that UConn will have enough firepower to win the Big East title and compete for another championship in March is if both McNeeley and Ball are playing at their best. That’s where Hurley comes in. While he can’t defend himself from vulgar taunts on the floor, no coach is better at getting his team to play their best basketball in the biggest moments.
As long as McNeeley can keep shutting up hostile crowds, he’ll buy his head coach time to solve the team’s issues. After Friday night’s loss to St. John’s, Tuesday was a good reminder never to count out UConn, no matter how bleak things can start to look.