UConn forward Alex Karaban (11) reacts after making a three point shot against Florida during the second half of an NCAA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
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As Alex Karaban and Solo Ball finished answering questions from the media following Connecticut’s victory over Florida Tuesday night, UConn coach Dan Hurley noticed the players were eager to get back to the locker room and on the bus to leave Madison Square Garden. It was approaching midnight, and Hurley had a request.
“Everyone’s got to shower,” Hurley said. “Because on the buses, you can’t smell.”
Hurley was serious, but he was also messing around with Karaban and Ball, two veterans and returning starters who have experienced the highs and lows of playing at UConn. Eight months ago, they were involved in a disappointing loss to Creighton in the semifinals of the Big East tournament at MSG. They were also on the court when the Huskies lost to Florida in the NCAA tournament’s second round.
On Tuesday, Karaban and Ball were important contributors in helping No. 5 UConn defeat No. 18 Florida 77-73, gaining some revenge on the Gators and showing once again that the Huskies should be considered among the favorites to win the national title, just like they did in 2023 and 2024. Ball had a team-high 19 points, including four free throws in the final 33.8 seconds, while Karaban scored 13 in 39 minutes. Florida was down by just three points with 9.4 seconds left and had the ball, but guard Boogie Fland was called for a five-second violation, giving possession to UConn. Ball then made one of two free throws to seal another impressive win.
UConn is now 9-1 with victories over four teams in this week’s Associated Press poll: Florida, No. 10 BYU, No. 13 Illinois and No. 19 Kansas. The Huskies’ only defeat occurred on Nov. 19 when they lost 71-67 at home to Arizona, which is still undefeated at 8-0 and No. 1 in the AP poll. UConn played that night without senior center Tarris Reed Jr., a starter, and freshman guard Braylon Mullins, a top reserve.
Reed and Mullins have missed five and six games, respectively, and are still working their way back to full strength. As such, Hurley has been impressed with the way the shorthanded Huskies have fared against what he described as a “monster of a schedule.” In fact, Hurley said that if UConn can defeat Texas at home Friday night it would be the Huskies’ most impressive non-conference performance since he arrived in 2018.
Hurley is in a much different mood than a year ago. Back then, he received national attention for his sideline antics and yelling at referees when UConn lost three games in three days at the Maui Invitational. The Huskies entered last season third in the AP preseason poll months after Hurley spurned an offer to coach the Los Angeles Lakers. They dreamed of becoming the first men’s team since UCLA in the 1970s to win three consecutive national titles. Instead, UConn struggled replacing four players from the 2024 team to the NBA and was never consistent last season, especially on the defensive end. The Huskies were 75th in analyst Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted defensive metric, a steep decline from seventh in 2023 and fourth in 2024.
Hurley wasn’t shy about sharing his frustrations with the team’s defense last year, including after the loss to Creighton in the Big East tournament when allowed the Bluejays to score 46 points and shoot 75% in the first half.
“Eventually you pull up the film and you see the people,” Hurley said that night. “We just have multiple players that people attack in one-on-one situations. And we really, really struggle in guarding people one-on-one.”
This season, the Huskies are not having the same issues, as they are seventh in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency rankings. They are holding opponents to 60.4 points per game (eighth-best in the nation) and 37.4% shooting (16th), a major improvement from 68 points per game and 42.1% shooting last season. Hurley said he expects the Huskies to finish as a top five or ten offensive and defensive team this season.
UConn is balanced and deep with a nine-player rotation that has complementary pieces. The Huskies returned two starters in Ball, a 6-foot-3 junior guard who leads the team with 15 points per game, and Karaban, a 6-foot-8 senior forward and four-year starter who is averaging 13.4 points per game. They also have three reserves back from last season’s team in Reed, who is averaging 14.8 points and 7.6 rebounds in 22.8 minutes per game, and junior forwards Jaylin Stewart (6.4 points) and Jayden Ross (5.3 points).
Meanwhile, the Huskies have two impact freshmen in Mullins (8.8 points in just 15.3 minutes per game) and center Eric Reibe (9.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 64.6% shooting in 19.7 minutes) and two top transfer guards in Silas Demary Jr. (10 points and 5.1 assists) and Malachi Smith (6.1 points and 4.1 assists).
“The strength of the team, it’s the nine guys,” Hurley said. “When you have nine quality players, you can survive an off night from multiple people and still get enough scoring production to win the game.”
After playing Texas Friday, UConn plays exclusively Big East Conference opponents the rest of the way, starting with Butler next Tuesday night. As of now, KenPom projects that the Huskies will be favored in each of their Big East games except for the Feb. 6 game at No. 22 St. John’s, which is predicted to win by a point. UConn and St. John’s are the only Big East teams in the AP top 25, while the league has just four teams (UConn, St. John’s, Villanova and Butler) in KenPom’s top 50.
St. John’s won the league’s regular season and tournament titles last season, but the Red Storm have already lost three games and are still trying to figure out their best lineups in a transfer-heavy roster. UConn, meanwhile, is in a much better spot than last season, as Hurley and his staff have a roster they’re confident can compete with the nation’s best programs.
“When all is said and done and we’re fully healthy, I think it’s a pretty formidable group,” Hurley said.
