UConn Still Formidable Despite Foul Issues

Smith only scored five, but he engineered the game. With that match, Smith has 499 career assists. This eventually, even led to the bench outscoring Florida 20-6. Despite the team's virtues, Hurley also pointed out that the night was limited.

“I think just getting Tarris back… he probably played tonight at 75% capacity. Getting this guy healthier, getting Braylon in rhythm, obviously his first half was foul-plagued. But yeah, we've got wings, we've got two point guards, we’ve got two excellent centers. It was good to see Solo and AK make big threes,” Hurley added.

Even though Tarris Reed Jr. played limited minutes, he turned the game around. After recovering from the hamstring injury that kept him out early this season, Reed finally returned, only to get sidelined again due to an ankle injury. However, 75%, Reed still delivered 12 points, five boards, and the first two baskets of the night, immediately establishing UConn’s presence inside.

However, Reed, too, had a bit of foul issues and made 4 fouls. The Gators won the rebounding battle overall, but Reed stabilized UConn early and defended without reckless fouling despite his minutes cap. Hurley knows what 100% Reed looks like, and the idea of that version returning is part of why the coach confidently made the next claim.

“When it's all said and done, and we're fully healthy, I think it’s a pretty formidable group,” added Hurley.

UConn committed a total of 20 personal fouls in this game, had a limited center, and even experienced a scoring drought in the second half, yet the Huskies managed to win. The Huskies, in fact, shot 50% from the field and 44.4% from long range while holding the Gators to 42.4% overall and just 26.7% from three.

The Huskies also managed to close with enough composure to force a five-second violation in the final ten seconds. With this match, the Huskies push their all-time series record against Florida to 6-2 and sit at 5-0 in the regular season.

Last Match of the Non-Conference Schedule Awaits Dan Hurley

Now the Huskies look toward Texas. The Huskies lead the all-time series against the Longhorns, holding a 5–1 record since 2010. They faced each other last December, too, and it ended in a 76–65 road win for the Huskies.

The Huskies are currently 9-1 overall, with their only loss being against Arizona this season. They will look to make that number 10 real soon. It might not be all that hard for UConn, considering the fact that, the Huskies have faced 5 teams in he current Kenpom top-20 over the last 24 days and made a 4-1 record.

After Texas, UConn begins its conference run at home against Butler. Then comes a trip to DePaul, always tricky in Chicago. On December 31, the Huskies close the month on the road at Xavier. And the Husky nation will know a lot more about what Hurley’s “formidable” team looks like when the schedule tightens.

Don't forget to bookmark UConn Huskies on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

• UConn HC Applauds Seton Hall for Big East Rise
• UConn's Dan Hurley Predicts Huge Surge for Junior Guard
• UConn Overshadowed in First NET Rankings of 2025-26
• UConn’s Azzi Fudd Surges Past Purdue Star to NIL No.1
• UConn HC Compares Florida to Celtics Legends Before Matchup