UConn will defend NCAA title with cameras focused: 'Look behind the scenes'

[HooperScooper]

Interesting. UConn stepping up their media presence.

A videographer followed Hurley’s every move Friday, part of in-house productions and a beefed-up approach to social engagement on the part of the men’s basketball program, the athletic department, and Learfield.

More projects are under consideration, Hurley said. UConn has been approached by several groups from an entertainment industry that is starving for original content amid the ongoing writer’s strike.

Hurley said UConn’s entire season might be documented, a behind-the-scenes, all-access show that would air sometime in 2024. Amazon Prime is one possibility, Hurley said. He might be mic’d up during games. Cameras would be everywhere, in the locker rooms, in meetings, at practices.

Dan Hurley, UConn men's basketball will defend NCAA title with cameras focused: 'Look behind the scenes'

The Huskies are coming off a 2023 national championship. Dan Hurley and UConn might allow behind-the-scenes access in 2024.

www.nhregister.com

Alternate access:

Dan Hurley, UConn men's basketball will defend NCAA title with cameras focused: 'Look behind the scenes'​

 

[Hoophound]

This is the type of thing UK and Duke have been getting for years. It would be awesome for recruiting.

I’d love for the football team to get something similar. The presence of Mora and the story of him rebuilding the program could make for an interesting documentary. Given the state of our program, Jim Mora himself would be the draw of the program. It would be great for marketing the program to recruits and for realignment.

 

[k-walk]

It’s about time

 

[gsmooth]

This is the type of thing UK and Duke have been getting for years. It would be awesome for recruiting.

I’d love for the football team to get something similar. The presence of Mora and the story of him rebuilding the program could make for an interesting documentary. Given the state of our program, Jim Mora himself would be the draw of the program. It would be great for marketing the program to recruits and for realignment.

Damn Hoopbound, you beat me to it. I was thinking the exact same thing when reading this. UConn has to be creative with its marketing to gain more fans much more so for the football until its production can catch up to the hype.

 

[Son of Robert]

The flipside on too much much media access is the distraction/disruption it may bring to the team's focus and chemistry.

 

[zls44]

The flipside on too much much media access is the distraction/disruption it may bring to the team's focus and chemistry.

No it won’t. Grow up.

 

[CL82]

This is the type of thing UK and Duke have been getting for years. It would be awesome for recruiting.

I’d love for the football team to get something similar.

https://uconnhuskies.com/watch/

 

[Waquoit]

No it won’t. Grow up.

Because Hard Knocks has never hurt a team.

 

[dogpause]

I have mixed feeling about this kind of thing. There's no way that having cameras running doesn't impact people's behavior, but I think if there's one coach who can deal with it, it's Dan Hurley. Despite any negative impacts, from a positive standpoint, it's going to help recruiting.

 

[Drame]

It'll help recruiting if it becomes popular enough and is promoted. But if no one watches it may just be annoying.
Never watched hard knocks but I love Wrexham.

 

[ctchamps]

No it won’t. Grow up.

So you’re telling Hurley to grow up.

Quote from Hurley in article:

“It’s definitely scary, but we're proud of how we do things,” Hurley said. “We have some great personalities in the program, way beyond me. So we're thinking about it, but we're also weighing the distraction part of it.”

Six new players on the team five of which are freshmen plus a returning player who has been limited because of injury should cause any coach to be cautious. But more importantly are personalities. Joey, Adama and AJ were great at taking the circus attention off of players who were less comfortable with attention. Hurley will have to evaluate if anyone can step up and fill that responsibility.

 

[cullaville]

I have mixed feeling about this kind of thing. There's no way that having cameras running doesn't impact people's behavior, but I think if there's one coach who can deal with it, it's Dan Hurley. Despite any negative impacts, from a positive standpoint, it's going to help recruiting.

JUST SAY NO

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

God I hope this happens. I'd love a "fly on the wall" season with this group and this coaching staff.

 

[August_West]

So you’re telling Hurley to grow up.

Quote from Hurley in article:

“It’s definitely scary, but we're proud of how we do things,” Hurley said. “We have some great personalities in the program, way beyond me. So we're thinking about it, but we're also weighing the distraction part of it.”

Six new players on the team five of which are freshmen plus a returning player who has been limited because of injury should cause any coach to be cautious. But more importantly are personalities. Joey, Adama and AJ were great at taking the circus attention off of players who were less comfortable with attention. Hurley will have to evaluate if anyone can step up and fill that responsibility.

You're missing the other side of it.

The era we live in. You could make no better recruiting pitch for kids these days than a hard knocks style type of attention . That's what they live for.

 

[gwhuskyfan]

I'd be curious if the players would be able to get paid for appearing in it, therefore bolstering our NIL a bit

 

[Waquoit]

God I hope this happens. I'd love a "fly on the wall" season with this group and this coaching staff.

But it's not a "fly on the wall" when they know the cameras are there. Put me down in the yells at cloud column. Everyone will be playing to the cameras and game faces will be taken to new heights for a dubious payoff. It takes attention away from the business on the court, imo.

 

[ctchamps]

You're missing the other side of it.

The era we live in. You could make no better recruiting pitch for kids these days than a hard knocks style type of attention . That's what they live for.

Not at all. Not acknowledging something doesn’t mean it was missed.

I’m sure you would agree that winning back to back NC’s or another deep tournament run would be just as, if not more, valuable in recruiting as a media piece. The staff should consider if this group might be distracted reducing chances of that happening.

I felt Zl was OTT in his response to SonofRobert particularly given Hurley was weighing the situation exactly the same way.

The best situation would be that the players love the attention. That it motivates them to focus and prove to the world how good they are. And does not add additional pressure on them because a spotlight is pointed at them before the season begins.

The other side to your coin is the season is documented and the team crashes. A bad season after an NC is bad enough. HuskyHawk has made that clear in his thesis about KU vs. UConn. Documenting it would be a lot worse for the program.

 

[navery12]

I hope this happens for 2 reasons. One is getting an inside look into all the behind the scenes stuff with the program and it'll be a ton of exposure/huge boost for recruiting. The other is it will make a portion of this board extremely, extremely angry and that will be almost as good as the actual footage. Because if you can't handle the cameras and pressure, you shouldn't be at UConn

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

But it's not a "fly on the wall" when they know the cameras are there. Put me down in the yells at cloud column. Everyone will be playing to the cameras and game faces will be taken to new heights for a dubious payoff. It takes attention away from the business on the court, imo.

I don't know, maybe that was your experience when a camera crew was following you for 8 months but most people who have participated in things like "Hard Knocks" have said that the cameras fade into the background pretty quickly. I think it would be entertaining as hell and I'm all for it.

 

[mcs333]

Like most thinks that you take a chance on you have to weigh the risk and the rewards. DH makes the big bucks and with it comes tough decisions.

 

[huskyinfl]

No more moving backwards. Powerhouse status with reloading years from here on out.

 

[imno1]

I have mixed feeling about this kind of thing. There's no way that having cameras running doesn't impact people's behavior, but I think if there's one coach who can deal with it, it's Dan Hurley. Despite any negative impacts, from a positive standpoint, it's going to help recruiting.

I feel the exposure is worth the risk. I wonder who has the final editing decisions. But since it's an in house production I wouldn't expect any major negatives to make it pass the cutting room floor. As a fan this should be awesome

 

[zls44]

Because Hard Knocks has never hurt a team.

Being on TV was never why bad teams were bad. They were bad because they were bad.

 

[Poe]

An upscale Last Chance U … it would be awesome, but definitely a distraction and an invitation for criticism after the fact, but the exposure might out weigh any negatives depending on the spin that’s made by the media company creating it.

 

[sledog]

He's nuts. Looking for a film deal? At expense of UConn 'secrets"??