March Madness presents a deep Sunday lineup including an epic UConn basketball versus UCLA clash. UConn advanced with beating a feisty Furman team Friday. But the Huskies are dealing with some key injuries that impact their second round game.
Scoring guard Silas Demary Jr. plus Jaylin Stewart are suddenly questionable before facing the Bruins. David Borges of CT Insider revealed what head coach Dan Hurley said about the health of both talents.
“Both men are pushing it to the max to try to make themselves available,” Hurley said. “We'll see what they look like on the court today. But both guys are pushing it to the max.”
Demary and Stewart clearly don't want to miss out on the madness. Especially for an aspiring national championship contender. This is a massive development, though, for multiple reasons.
Impact of injured UConn players before UCLA game
Demary missed the opener against the Paladins with an ankle injury. He hands the multiple national title winner Hurley an additional scorer from the backcourt and a slasher to the hoop. He's also the Huskies' top facilitator in dishing 6.2 assists a night.
Stewart hasn't seen action since Feb. 21 against Big East rival Villanova. He scored six points in 13 minutes that evening as UConn won 73-63. The junior hands the Huskies backcourt depth and a steal presence on defense.
Connecticut is facing a dangerous UCLA team, hence why both can be needed. The Bruins have won seven of their last nine games. That includes taking down a pair of top 10 teams in Nebraska and Michigan State.
Hurley and company are aiming to avoid a second straight round of 32 loss. Eventual national champion Florida eliminated the Huskies last season.
