NCAAB News: Dan Hurley calls out UConn players ahead of Baylor matchup

To say that this has been a disappointing season for the UConn Huskies would be a bit of an understatement. The defending college basketball champions have fallen to the No. 25 spot in the AP rankings, and things won’t get much easier for them down the road.

Dan Hurley’s team will square up against the No. 15 Baylor Bears. They haven’t looked particularly sharp lately, ending their 17-game winning streak with three losses to free-fall 23 spots in the AP Top 25 rankings.

Needless to say, their statement win over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday was quite necessary, but it didn’t do much to shift the sentiment back in their favor.

Dan Hurley urges his players to step up

“If we want to win this game tomorrow, some people are gonna have to announce themselves in college basketball,” Coach Hurley said when asked about his team’s upcoming matchup with Baylor. “We also know we’re playing a top-level team, so it’s a big game for us and it’s a big game for them.”

Dan Hurley head coach of the UConn Huskies

Following that crucial clash, the Huskies will also square up vs. the likes of Gonzaga and Xavier, and coach Hurley knows his team could be a victim of their own expectations:

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“The psyche from the monster we’ve created as a staff and team is jarring,” Hurley said.

Of course, there’s still plenty of time to turn things around, and one should know better than to count the Huskies out. Then again, for now, it’ll take a lot for people to believe in them again.