What UConn HC Dan Hurley, players said about Arkansas

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The 4-seed UConn Huskies are set to take on the 8-seed Arkansas Razorbacks in the Sweet Sixteen on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Here's what UConn head coach Dan Hurley and players said Wednesday about the Razorbacks ahead of Thursday's matchup, which is set to have a 6:15 p.m. CT tip on CBS:

"Thrilled obviously to be here," Hurley said. "Excited to play in T-Mobile, fabulous arena. Obviously really exciting, four programs here and should be an unbelievable challenge versus an Arkansas team that was playing like the top-10 team that they were projected to be in the preseason."

Arkansas five-star freshman Nick Smith Jr. had a rough first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, and he was scoreless and a team-worst minus-9 in Saturday's win over Kansas.

Though Smith has struggled, Hurley and his squad are preparing for Smith knowing he has the ability to take over a game at any point.

"He's really an electrifying player to watch, just in terms of his abilities with the ball, just how twitchy he is with the ball," Hurley said. "Obviously his size, his length. I saw him a bunch in high school so we know what he's capable in terms of the 3-point shooting and perimeter shooting. We're obviously preparing for him like we've got to guard one of the best scoring guards in the country."

UConn senior guard Tristen Newton played a key role in the Huskies' second round win over Saint Mary's, and he will need to use his size to his advantage against Arkansas' long guards in Anthony Black, Smith, Davonte Davis and others.

"The one thing that really helps us because the tough thing going into the Arkansas game is their perimeter size," Hurley said. "They have huge guards. And a major plus with Tristen is he's 6'4", close to 6'5". And obviously that was big was his matchup with Logan Johnson. He'll need all of that versus this Arkansas team.

"I don't think we'll be able to get away with -- as deep as the Saint Mary's guards got with the ball against us in dribble penetration -- Arkansas will finish those plays at the rim. We'll have to do a better job of keeping their dribble drivers -- and they're constantly attacking. We've got to keep those guys outside of the paint."

Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman is known for being a transfer portal genius and Hurley was asked about the difference in the way each coach has built their roster.

"Yeah, they've had tremendous acquisitions, the three 5-star NBA lottery or first-round pick level talents in Smith and Black and in (Jordan) Walsh," Hurley said. "And then they seem to be getting some of the best portal players that are available. So I'm obviously very familiar with the Mitchell twins with my Rhode Island history, and following their careers pretty closely.

"So we probably go about things in a different way in terms of the way we probably build our team. But I think our teams both kind of play in a similar way in that we both play incredibly hard. Both coaches coach with a lot of passion and so some similarities, some differences."

The Huskies are the top offensive rebounding team left in the tournament, and though UConn is better statistically on the boards, Arkansas out-rebounded both Illinois and Kansas in the first two rounds despite being worse than both teams on paper in the rebounding category.

"Obviously a part of this game is going to be played in a really physical way on the backboard," Hurley said. "For us, I don't know that we have maybe quite the same level of athleticism. So we've got to be more fundamental in terms of putting a body on a body, being in inside position, and then being really physical at that point.

"But we pride ourselves on winning the rebounding battle as they do and it's going to be a war when the ball goes up tomorrow on the glass, no doubt."

A big storyline going into Thursday's game is how two teams that thrive in the paint will stack up.

"Arkansas is a tough rebounding team, as you said," forward Alex Karaban said. "We know it's going to be a battle on the boards tomorrow. And I think we get it from Coach Hurley instilling it every day in practice. He wants us to be the toughest team every time, stick to our identity, which is toughness and rebounding.

"So I think that just happens every day in practice, and we've just been getting better at it throughout the season. And that's the same way with Arkansas, too."

First team All-Big East forward Adama Sanogo rebounds as well as any player in the tournament right now — 21 boards across the first two rounds — and he knows he will have to step up against the Razorbacks.

"I can say Arkansas, they're good offensive," Sanogo said. "So it's going to be a fight on our offensive end because we know they're going to go for it. And we work on offensive every day in practice. Coach Hurley, that's one thing we do, we work on that every day in practice. I feel like, go on the glass and gain the offensive, that's something we work on every practice."

Smith will draw a lot of attention from any team due to his elite offensive threat.

"He's a good player," guard Tristen Newton said. "They have a lot of good players and a couple lottery picks. We pride ourselves on defense. Whoever it is, we feel like we can go out there, shut them down and make sure they have an off night. That's what we're going to try to do tomorrow night."

Fellow Huskies guard Jordan Hawkins, a sharpshooter who averages 16 points per game, kept his thoughts on Smith short and sweet.

"He's a really good player, but he has to guard us too," Hawkins said.

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