The UConn Huskies took some time to warm up before dispatching the East Texas A&M Lions. But once they settled inside Gampel Pavilion, they fought through the early sloppiness and closed out an 83–59 win. Now they’re 8–1, with back-to-back ranked victories over Illinois and Kansas. But is that enough to guarantee a smooth path in the upcoming games? 

Not really, if you ask Dan Hurley. “Yeah, they switched to deny, which is a unique defense and not very comfortable to play against. It was a real challenge with the short turnaround – you’re getting it at 5 a.m. on Wednesday. This game felt like it was on top of us quickly,” Hurley said in the post-game conference. 

When Huskies stepped onto the court against the Aggies, they were expected to dominate. But, they sputtered. They missed two dunks in the first half, settled for awkward midrange shots, and couldn’t connect from deep at all. Also, their only first-half three came from Jayden Ross, as the team went just 1-for-6 from beyond the arc.

So, while the Huskies survived the early scare, the performance left HC with a key realization.

“I thought we were a little sluggish in the first half, and rightfully so,” Hurley added. “We’ve been on a heck of a scheduling run, and we could do a better job next year in terms of spacing these games out. We probably shouldn’t have played today.”

This isn’t expected from the team that opened the season strongly. They’ve handled opponents comfortably, even the tough ones. They feature some of the country’s best three-point shooters, Malachi Smith at 52.9%, Alex Karaban at 41.5%, and Jayden Ross at 42.1% as a reliable rotational option. Solo Ball and Silas Demary also contribute, even if their three-point numbers aren’t as sharp.

Still, the Aggies’ defensive scheme made things difficult. They fought hard to stay within reach. They shot a staggering 40 percent from three in the first half, trimming the lead to seven in the final minute. But, eventually, UConn found its rhythm.

Two free throws from Solo Ball and a last-second putback from Karaban helped push the lead to 38–27 at the half. A 7–0 run early in the second half stretched the advantage to 16, and from there the Huskies settled in. Over the final 20 minutes, they looked far more cohesive.

Still, Hurley emphasized, “It’s about being versatile as a team. You have to be able to win with your defense, your rebounding, by driving and getting inside, or with high-level three-point shooting. You’ve got to win games in a lot of different ways.”

And Hurley’s words sound like a warning when you think that bouncing back will not be that easy against the Florida Gators.

What to expect from the Florida Gators?

For the first time this season, Florida won the rebounding battle, and they did it against Duke, whose frontcourt ranks No. 12 nationally in rebound margin. Led by big men Boozer and Patrick Ngongba II, Duke still couldn’t keep Florida off the glass. The Gators grabbed a 44–33 rebounding advantage, including a massive 20 offensive rebounds off 42 missed shots.

Rueben Chinyelu alone collected 14 boards. His four points came from two offensive rebounds he immediately converted. As a result of Florida’s dominance on the glass, not a single Duke player reached double-digit rebounds. That’s exactly why UConn’s next game will be anything but easy.

Historically, UConn holds the edge 5–2 in the all-time series. But the Huskies were eliminated from last year’s NCAA Tournament by the Gators, the defending champs now, a loss that still stings. So what do you think? Are the Huskies headed toward a repeat of that nightmare – or will they rise to the challenge this time?