Update on UConn’s point guard situation before Round of 32

PHILADELPHIA – The UConn men’s basketball team is doing everything it can to get its injured players – starting point guard Silas Demary Jr. and rotational forward Jaylin Stewart – back from injury.

Demary, dealing with a high ankle sprain after he was stepped on by St. John’s center Zuby Ejiofor in the Big East Tournament title game, missed his first game of the season as the Huskies opened NCAA Tournament play with a win over No. 15 seed Furman on Friday night. Stewart missed his seventh in a row with knee inflammation and returned to live practice this week.

Coach Dan Hurley reported that both would be listed as questionable going into Sunday’s Round of 32 matchup against No. 7 seed UCLA.

So the Huskies may have to rely again on backup point guards Malachi Smith and Alec Millender, who got the job done Friday night, combining for six points on 2-for-5 shooting from the field. Smith, starting for the first time as a Husky and playing a season-high 32 minutes, had seven assists, a steal and a block, only turning the ball over once as he helped keep Furman’s 6-foot-5 point guard Alex Wilkins in check in the second half.

“They did a really good job,” Hurley said. “Unfortunately for them, they don’t get much of a break here with Donovan Dent. That’s why we brought both of these guys in, in case we got into a situation like this. And I thought they gave us a real lift (Friday) night.”

“I know what it takes, I’ve been playing, I know how to run a team and control the tempo. … I just try to make sure I give my guys shots,” said Smith, a fifth-year player who started 77 games at Dayton.

Cronin defends sideline intensity

Sunday’s matchup is one of those that could have an alternate broadcast with cameras locked on both coaching boxes. Hurley and UCLA coach Mick Cronin are two of college basketball’s most interesting and polarizing characters with similarities from their respective upbringings as sons of coaches, to the amount of hair on their head and the intense and dramatic way they interact with officials.

Cronin, whose viral moments come mostly from interactions with the media, wasn’t interested on Saturday in diving into the criticism both have received nationally.

“It’s ridiculous. Everybody needs to get a life, bro. Get a life, man. Come on, man,” he said. “Get a life, bro. You want to win big? But you think Coach Hurley is not supposed to be intense, but you want to win? Come on, man. We’re not coaching little league, buddy. Everybody doesn’t get an at-bat. Come on, man. Paying us a lot of money to win games.”

The relationship between Hurley and Cronin stems back to Hurley’s time as a high school coach at St. Benedict’s Prep in New Jersey.

“Dan coached at St. Benedict’s when I got the Cincinnati job. He was great to me, helped me get a really good player that played for him, Rashad Bishop, that was like a four year starter for me,” Cronin said, also referring to UConn Associate Head Coach Kimani Young as one of his “best friends in the world, basketball or no basketball.”

Somewhat-familiar matchup down low

Tarris Reed Jr.’s historic 31-point, 27-rebound effort Friday night certainly caught the attention of the Bruins. Xavier Booker, who will likely serve as UCLA’s primary big man with leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau questionable, already knows a bit about the Huskies’ center from when they met as rivals – Reed at Michigan, Booker at Michigan State in 2022-23.

“I got a chance to play against him my freshman year,” Booker said. “He’s a talented big at the post. He’s huge down there for sure. Ultimately, we have to rebound together, play strong together. Communicate, do whatever it takes to win.”