UConn guard Silas Demary Jr. helped to lead the No. 3 Huskies to a dominant 89-62 win over the Columbia Lions on Tuesday. In the Huskies’ third consecutive win of the season, Demary tallied five points, six rebounds, and nine assists.
Demary was one of the most heralded players in the transfer portal from the Georgia Bulldogs, and the talented guard withdrew his name from the 2025 NBA Draft to join coach Dan Hurley’s UConn.
Dan Hurley Details Tense Relationship With Silas Demary Jr.
Hurley is known for his eccentricity, and during his postgame news conference after the win against Columbia, he detailed his tense, evolving relationship with Demary, whom he compared to former UConn star Tristan Newton.
“Our relationship will grow throughout the year, throughout his career, like it did with Tristen [Newton],” Hurley said. “We’re in the stage of me being on his ass right now about everything, literally every possession, every decision, everything that comes out, everything he says, everything he does, his facial expressions, his body language, his decision making, his violence getting over the top of screens, his ball-screen defense, the way he leads, the way he directs.”
Demary was named to the SEC All-Freshman team last year. In 70 games played for Georgia, he averaged 11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 steals. Hurley further revealed his intentions regarding his contentious relationship with the Bulldogs transfer and compared him to UConn football quarterback Joe Fagnano.
“It’s a contentious relationship, because we’re trying to mold him into a quarterback, like a real elite level QB, like an All-American level quarterback, one of the best point guards in the country, an NBA player, a national champion,” Hurley said.
“So that process is, it’s hard to get there, but yeah, our relationship will grow throughout the year as he continues to develop, and the player that we need him to be. The Fagnano that we need him to be.”
On Oct. 27, Demary was named to the Preseason Watch List for the 2026 Bob Cousy Award, which recognizes the best point guard in the country. Newton, who was the last UConn guard to win the award, led the Huskies to back-to-back national championships.
Demary is averaging 10.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists so far this season for the undefeated Huskies, as Hurley attempts to return them to the elite status they enjoyed as repeat champions before being overtaken last season. He forms the spine of the Huskies team alongside Tarris Reed Jr., Solo Ball, and Alex Karaban.
