I may have missed discussion elsewhere, but it seems to me that during each year with Coach Hurley there have been mistakes made, opportunities not pursued, or deficiencies identified, AND there has been responsive action that has addressed such matters. This mostly pertains to recruiting & roster formation.
A simpler way to put it is that the same mistake has not been repeated.
Syracuse kept beating out UConn utgrough Jalen Carey (Who?) Then, Akok Akok was signed and came in mid-year. After that, Syracuse's head start with Andre Jackson evaporated.
Ptecious Achiuwa was a UConn lean until he transferred to IMG in Florida, from where he went to Memphis. Alex Karaban went to IMG, but was secured for mid-year entry at UConn.
UConn did not actively participate in the transfer portal for 2021-22, or got out-recruited for Fatts Russell, Noah Locke, Landers Nolley, Rocket Watts, and others, depending on who was disappointed in the efforts & yield. This year, Newton, Alleyne, Diarra, then Calcarterra came in to replace Floyd, Akok, Gaffney, and Diggins. So far, it looks very much like a net gain.
Out of sequence, note that Kofi Cockburn was seen as favoring UConn, and Illinois was a late entrant that closed the deal. This was followed up by Adama Sanogo seen as favoring Seton Hall and then getting locked up as an early UConn entry.
People said we needed shooters, and the current team takes better shots and makes more of them.
People said we needed to run, and so far we've picked up that pace.
People said we need to get the best local guys, and the two most contributing freshman in years are from CT and MA.
People said we needed to expand the recruiting footprint, and this year's newcomers are also from TX, GA, CA, Greece, and Israel. The guy who transferred in from Texas A&M prepped in CT and hails from Queens.
While we wait for Samson Johnson (Togo by way of New Jersey) to join the lineup, there are 5 signed recruits for next year, from GA, WA, NH by way of MD, Long Island by way of MD, and the Bronx by way of Mali. Few people are complaining about players from CT, RI, MA, and elsewhere who looked at UConn and chose elsewhere. Backup targets were identified and successfully pursued.
Wednesday's victory in Gainesville was Danny Hurley's first as UConn coach over a P5 opponent in a true road game, after the painful loss last year in Morgantown. This came after a December tournament championship.
Last year saw a Villanova victory. Beating Creighton remains an open ambition, as is a Big East Championship.
We finally started to see late game closeouts last year, after the year of "excruciating" losses and some crippling late-season injuries in the past couple of years.
We are looking for victories in this year's NCAA Tourney.
Everything listed was once a source of upset, pessimism, and complaint. Thus far they are sequentially showing themselves to be the growing edge of a head coach still rising. There is no resting on laurels, and the challenges will grow ever greater, but please do take a moment to appreciate that identified gaps have gotten attention and shown admirable progress.
Go Huskies!
