“We just had to get him pissed off”: UConn’s Dan Hurley has a strange way of motivating star center Donovan Clingan

On Thursday, the UConn Huskies basketball team secured an impressive 87-60 victory over the Xavier Musketeers at Madison Square Garden.

During the Big East Conference tournament quarterfinals, Donovan Clingan (center) and Tristen Newton (guard) led the charge for the Huskies, each contributing 13 points and seven rebounds. Alex Karaban and Cam Spencer also chipped in with 12 points each.

UConn Huskies coach Dan Hurley had an unusual way of motivating Clingan, whom he referred to as a "gentle giant" and a "jolly green giant". According to John Fanta of FOX Sports, Hurley said:

"We just had to get him pissed off."

“We’re playing for a championship,” Spencer said. “This is one of the biggest goals that we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year. If you don’t want to win now, then you probably shouldn’t be playing.”

The No. 2 ranked Connecticut showcased their championship pedigree by dismantling Xavier in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals.

The Huskies have been on a tear, with five consecutive wins and 19 victories in their last 20 games. They continued their march towards reclaiming the Big East Tournament title, which they haven’t achieved since 2011.

The defending national champions now set their sights on the first semifinal clash against St. John’s Red Storm at the iconic Madison Square Garden on Friday evening.

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UConn Huskies' strong performance

Samson Johnson of the Connecticut Huskies dunks the ball.

UConn's Samson Johnson scored 12 points off the bench, while Stephon Castle, the Big East Freshman of the Year, contributed 10 points and eight rebounds.

Despite Quincy Olivari's 17 points and Desmond Claude's 13, Xavier, who had previously beaten Butler in the first round, could not withstand the top-seeded Huskies' strong performance. With a final record of 16-17, Xavier's season has come to a close.

“We did the best we could,” Musketeers coach Sean Miller said. “But we weren’t able to sustain it. We simply ran out of gas.”

As the Huskies progress, the college basketball community eagerly awaits to see if they continue their dominant run and win the Big East Tournament championship once again.