Notes & Quotes: All signs point to greatness

PHILADELPHIA — Last night was a boxing match.

The UConn Huskies proved why they’re the ones holding the belt, per Dan Hurley’s comments after their dominant win over Creighton on Wednesday, their first as the No. 1-ranked team in the polls.

“Our mentality should be like it’s carrying around a UFC heavyweight belt… Somebody should have to pry [the No. 1 ranking] out of our lifeless body and our dead hands,” he said.

The Huskies followed that performance with a gritty victory that tested them, even though they led for 32 minutes and by as many as 11 points. They closed it out thanks to experience, confidence, and a deeply skilled roster.

Villanova refused to bow out Saturday night, powering through an 11-0 UConn start and a 13-0 Husky run in the second half to keep it competitive for 40 minutes.

“Credit Villanova…you gotta play great to come out of here with a win, and you gotta play tough,” Hurley explained. “These types of games are what’s gonna make all of us really dangerous in March.”