MILWAUKEE — Cam Spencer had some words for the Marquette bench, enough to earn him a technical foul, after making his fifth 3-pointer in UConn’s win at Marquette last season.

He heard expletives from the Golden Eagles’ faithful and was reprimanded by coach Dan Hurley, who has a particular respect for Shaka Smart and the Marquette program, after the game. But that was Cam Spencer.

He loved that the opposing crowd was against him, and Hurley loved him for it.

UConn doesn’t have a player like Spencer — not a healthy one — on its current roster, which Hurley has described as being made up of “nice guys” who he hasn’t been able to “turn into fierce, savage competitors.”

That edge was part of what separated the Huskies as a national championship team in each of the last two seasons. Andre Jackson Jr. played the role in his own way at times two years ago, and Tristen Newton always seemed to quietly get under his opponents’ skin. Even Adama Sanogo and Donovan Clingan, who have been described as gentle giants, could have that effect.All of those players, champions, have since gone pro.

“It’s part of roster construction and maybe something that we’re gonna have to develop or overcome,” Hurley said Friday, before the No. 25 Huskies returned to Fiserv Forum to meet the ninth-ranked Golden Eagles on Saturday night. “Maybe a little bit of a blind spot with the team construction was, who’s the A-hole? Who is the guy that don’t care, that don’t give a you-know-what? And when he goes on the road, doesn’t mind being the bad guy and wants all that smoke?”

With his multiple viral sideline moments this season, Hurley has taken the heat from opposing fan bases, hearing those same expletive-laden chants plenty in the team’s last road game at Xavier and even in November at the Maui Invitational.

But his fire hasn’t translated to his players. Not yet, at least.

“We’ve had that, and with the personalities that we’ve been able to put together, we’ve constructed it. I think that, right now, we didn’t construct that and now we’re trying to develop that mentality with individuals and trying to draw that from them. And that’s not an easy thing to do,” Hurley said.

“It’s hard to change someone’s personality if they’re a little bit timid, or if they don’t want all that hate or all that pressure, or want the ball. That’s something we’re trying to develop, and obviously we’re running out of time with this team.”

Tarris Reed Jr., the transfer center from Michigan, is one of the players Hurley has specifically called out to carry himself more like a grizzly bear than a teddy when he’s on the court. Alex Karaban began the season with some added edge, but it hasn’t been so prevalent lately with the team hobbled, just trying to win games until it can get back to full strength. Solo Ball, who’s become one of the team’s best offensive players and one of the best shooters in the country, has started to develop some of his competitive fire, showing it in the Huskies’ comeback win over DePaul on Wednesday.

But prized freshman Liam McNeeley, who shares several of Spencer’s traits, remains that universal piece who the Huskies hope can complete their puzzle once he returns from a long injury hiatus.

“I thought (Solo) made huge shots and showed that fire, we just need that — obviously that’s something Liam brings too,” Hurley said. “I think Liam empowered the whole group, but he’s been gone now coming up on five weeks if he doesn’t play this weekend. But removing one person’s personality like Liam, I don’t want to put too much on the kid because he still is a freshman player, but his absence has been catastrophic from a basketball standpoint and it’s hurt the morale. So it’ll be nice to get him back.”