BIG EAST CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 12, 2021

Dan Hurley

UConn Huskies

Madison Square Garden

Postgame Media Conference

Creighton - 59, UConn - 56

COACH HURLEY: Obviously a tough loss. Huge credit to Creighton. I think probably just experience in high leverage games like this in the postseason showed itself last couple minutes of an incredibly hard-fought game between two teams that obviously were desperate to win this championship here this week.

And two teams that obviously we have a chance to play well next week and potentially beyond. So credit, obviously credit to Creighton. Obviously our guys are crushed. That was a tough one. Obviously had a great chance there. But a little bit of, like, I think inexperience with the program and inexperience with the team in a postseason game like that I think showed up in some critical spots.

And obviously our calling card the whole year has been our defense and our rebounding and the difference in the game was the 17. It was the 17 offensive rebounds we gave up was obviously -- that was probably the difference in the game.

Q. Three games against Creighton, obviously they've all been very, very close. Could have gone the other way, many ways. Villanova, too. Are you kind of looking at that going into the next week that that's the missing piece of the puzzle to beat one of these teams, kind of get over that hump?

COACH HURLEY: Yeah, I mean, listen, the first Creighton game we kind of gave it away. This one they just won it late. We led for 25 minutes of the game. They led for a little bit less than nine minutes. I think that this was -- my whole thought process going into this week, going into that game was, again, having not, as a program, the last time we were in a conference tournament game, you know, we were getting 40 (indiscernible) by Houston, of course, versus a quality opponent. This was brutal.

We had obviously a great chance today to advance and play for a championship tomorrow versus a team that we've played really well against. So this one stings. But this is what the game is -- this is what the opening game is going to feel like next week. And I just think as a program we needed to experience kind of the tension and intensity of a high leverage game in March. We haven't been in one of those in years.

Q. Can you discuss what you learned from this tournament that you can take in to next week? And how much better is this team going to be for having been through, like you said, a postseason that you haven't been to in a while?

COACH HURLEY: We're playing obviously -- we're playing really well. Today, we lost a one-possession game to a team that's Big East championship caliber, a team that's a Sweet 16 level team. And they're a hair better than us.

So the group is devastated, you know. It was hard to get through the post-game in there. What a difference a couple of years makes in terms of the emotions in the locker room after a conference tournament loss, the emotion and what these guys felt for not being able to advance for each other and the staff and the fans.

I mean, that pride feels like it's back. And we have to clean a couple of things up. And we're excited about next week we feel like we can play with anybody and potentially beat anybody.

Q. Status of R.J. Cole? What happened to him and how it changed the game when he went to the bench, because all of a sudden you got outscored 11-3?

COACH HURLEY: R.J. is a leader, the leader, he's our point guard. Obviously it hurt not having him not guard Zegarowski. It hurt not having him down the stretch of that game to try to execute some things. We were a little unsettled without him.

He's played as good as any point guard in the conference over the last month or so. So he's stitched up. He'll go through the concussion protocol. We're not sure where that is. Obviously took a hell of a fall there.

Q. Adama obviously got off to a fast start and then hit foul trouble. How tough was that for you guys not having him in the game?

COACH HURLEY: It hurt not having him in there. I need to go back and see the fouls. He was plus-12 when he was in there. He was a real difference maker. Obviously the guy's a beast.

And they were blitzing those ball screens. And James and R.J., in particular, they were so heavy with showing bodies to those guys, that just not having him available really hurt.

Q. You guys went the final six minutes of the second half without a field goal. Obviously missing R.J. is a huge part of that. I was wondering what from your vantage stalled the offense down there?

COACH HURLEY: They played great defense. Obviously if you watched the game it was a defensive struggle, a very intense game. They're one of the best offensive teams in the country. They shot 37 percent overall and 33 percent from the field in the second half and had seven assists to 13 turnovers.

It was a very intense game. Baskets were at a premium. We hadn't been in a moment like that, semifinals, Big East Tournament. I think we wanted it so bad that we might have gotten in our own way.

And then again you lose your point guard, they lose Zegarowski for the last four, five minutes, I'm not sure how it looks for them.

Q. Obviously James draws a lot of attention and people are physical with him. What can you do going forward to kind of free him up?

COACH HURLEY: Obviously Big East games are really, really physical. He gets fouled a lot. It's the only way that people can guard him.

I think that he's got -- he draws that second defender. I just think he's got excellent passing skills. He's just got to -- he draws that second defender, just get off the ball a little bit easier. But James Bouknight, he's done so much for UConn basketball.

His decision to come here has changed the landscape -- and the returners, the other, Akok and Jalen, all these guys -- James doesn't have to explain his performance to anybody. What he's done for UConn basketball, where this thing was at a couple of years ago -- James will make some adjustments and he'll play great next week.

Q. We haven't seen Akok Akok in a little while. Is everything good with him?

COACH HURLEY: Yeah, his health is getting better and he'll be fully recovered.