Hurley Threads (merged)

[Huskymagic]

Not a good end to the year, and very clearly Dan Hurley shrinks on the big stage. Biggest weakness he has is coaching philosophy is all about effort, there is little to no strategy involved against other teams. Talent level is also not that good in order to go where we want to go as a program in the NCAA tournament.

We had less footspeed in our players overall, and less shooting than NMSU. This does not equal great talent being assembled.

Hurley needs to be active to get 2 guys who can shoot from outside and look for a point guard who can play. Next year's starting lineup for now looks to be

Andre, Hawk, Karaban, Samson/Akok, and Sanogo. Much depends on how good Karaban is. If he can shoot as good as advertised and play right away, that raises the prospects on next year's team. I'm normally against transfers aka basketball mercenaries, but we have no choice but to be active in the portal right now because next year's team will be worst if Karaban and Hawk aren't threats to score consistently from the perimeter.

PS: If Hurley does not make the tournament next year or is 1 and done in the NCAA tournament, he should be fired. I don't want to hear about massive rebuild in year 5. Look what Mussleman and Oats are doing at previous nothing programs of Arkansas and Alabama.

 

[Sea Goat]

Read the section of Gavin Keefe's pre-game article about UConn in yesterday's New London Day below.
Two things jump out - 1. Ollie's termination was determined to be w/o cause resulting in a $11mm payday for him and 2. Ollie won a National Championship from the 7th spot in 2014.
Before Hurley opens his mouth again, he should put some positive numbers on the board.

"This group will always be remembered for lifting this program from a really, really embarrassing, bad point....," Hurley said. "It's not easy coming from a worst league with a bad team to one of the best leagues in the country and playing at the top of the conference two years in a row, getting to the (Big East tournament) semis and being a hair away from playing for a championship Saturday, going to back-to-back NCAA tournaments from where we were in the AAC."

Really? Go win your first game at the dance for UConn before you say another peep!

 

[Hey Adrien!]

I’m mad we lost that game but Hurley’s not wrong with that quote.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

He’s not wrong but reminding everyone of it yet again after constantly mentioning the losing culture he inherited in his Instagram recaps a couple of years back gets old. He needs to move on from the poo-pooing on Ollie thing. We know things were terrible. We know.

 

[McLovin]

I mean, Hurley can say whatever he wants. And I agree that where he picked up the program might have been an all time low point for UConn.

I’m glad we now have Hurley leading our team, KO was a good coach who let his personal life derail his career.

I believe Hurley is still the right guy to bring us back to the top.

But in KOs 5 year tenure, he went 7-1 in the NCAAs, 3 conference final appearances, 1 conference championship and 1 National championship.

Hurley needs to start producing some results before he talks about his teams creating legacy… no more excuses or “look how far we’ve come” b.s.

 

[auror]

He's saying nice things about the 4 seniors. He's not couching an eventual loss.

 

[Rumrunner]

Hurley was named a coach 4 years ago. We weren't Depaul with glory days from 40 years ago. UConn was two years removed from playing in the NCAA tournament, 4 years from winning a national championship. UConn is the most popular sport in the state. Once it got out of the AAC, a middling coach could do well here. It plays on national tv. Has a rabid fan base (apologies to the Buffalo naysayers). Outstanding facilities. Access to prep programs and by default geographically an ideal location. As a rural campus it offers security for sending kids to do one thing-play basketball with the hopes of making a living, either domestically or overseas. You are also instantly part of a couple hundred strong family with a network of great coaches, executives and former players to help you in your future.

UConn is bigger than Hurley. So it gets a bit tiresome to hear this rebuild trope. The lot was long picked, the foundation long laid. The magnificent house already constructed. All that was needed was someone to repair the garage from the car slamming through its doors. Hard work? I guess. Impossible work? No. So it's time for Hurley to long move past that rebuild trope and look at why coming from a legendary coaching family he kind of sucks as a game coach.

 

[BapeKidd88]

What does the AAC have to do with this? New Mexico State is in the WAC. The measuring stick is the WAC. The AAC's teams are still alive and will probably go further than many (or all) of the NBE teams.

 

[Inyatkin]

Our last year under Ollie we were 179 KenPom. Georgetown this year is 182. If in four years Georgetown is coming off back to back NCAA appearances it'd be considered a stunning turnaround. Doesn't make last night any easier, obviously.

 

[Get a Job]

I agree with all of the points people have made here to defend the statement and/or to call it a non-issue. That said, I really hate hearing it from Hurley.

 

[wheelerdog]

We've gone from totally embarrassing to watchable to competitive to relevant. Now we have to start consistently beating good teams.

 

[nomar]

Hurley's what?

 

[UCLJ0211]

I mean, Hurley can say whatever he wants. And I agree that where he picked up the program might have been an all time low point for UConn.

I’m glad we now have Hurley leading our team, KO was a good coach who let his personal life derail his career.

I believe Hurley is still the right guy to bring us back to the top.

But in KOs 5 year tenure, he went 7-1 in the NCAAs, 3 conference final appearances, 1 conference championship and 1 National championship.

Hurley needs to start producing some results before he talks about his teams creating legacy… no more excuses or “look how far we’ve come” b.s.

Don’t forget Ollie did this largely with Calhoun’s recruits.

 

[UCSouth]

Read the section of Gavin Keefe's pre-game article about UConn in yesterday's New London Day below.
Two things jump out - 1. Ollie's termination was determined to be w/o cause resulting in a $11mm payday for him and 2. Ollie won a National Championship from the 7th spot in 2014.
Before Hurley opens his mouth again, he should put some positive numbers on the board.

"This group will always be remembered for lifting this program from a really, really embarrassing, bad point....," Hurley said. "It's not easy coming from a worst league with a bad team to one of the best leagues in the country and playing at the top of the conference two years in a row, getting to the (Big East tournament) semis and being a hair away from playing for a championship Saturday, going to back-to-back NCAA tournaments from where we were in the AAC."

Really? Go win your first game at the dance for UConn before you say another peep!

Shut up

 

[McLovin]

Don’t forget Ollie did this largely with Calhoun’s recruits.

No doubt, he obviously did most of that because of where he started with Bazz & Calhoun coached guys.

But he still managed to win the AAC and a game in 2016 with all of his own guys.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

What does the AAC have to do with this? New Mexico State is in the WAC. The measuring stick is the WAC.

Hard disagree. Teams are a vacuum outside of their conference in addition to being part of their conference. If you used that same logic for Murray State, Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, or any good mid-major team, it would sound silly.

 

[Sea Goat]

Shut up

Stick it uya.

 

[Doctor Hoop]

Hurley was named a coach 4 years ago. We weren't Depaul with glory days from 40 years ago. UConn was two years removed from playing in the NCAA tournament, 4 years from winning a national championship. UConn is the most popular sport in the state. Once it got out of the AAC, a middling coach could do well here. It plays on national tv. Has a rabid fan base (apologies to the Buffalo naysayers). Outstanding facilities. Access to prep programs and by default geographically an ideal location. As a rural campus it offers security for sending kids to do one thing-play basketball with the hopes of making a living, either domestically or overseas. You are also instantly part of a couple hundred strong family with a network of great coaches, executives and former players to help you in your future.

UConn is bigger than Hurley. So it gets a bit tiresome to hear this rebuild trope. The lot was long picked, the foundation long laid. The magnificent house already constructed. All that was needed was someone to repair the garage from the car slamming through its doors. Hard work? I guess. Impossible work? No. So it's time for Hurley to long move past that rebuild trope and look at why coming from a legendary coaching family he kind of sucks as a game coach.

He should definitely have stopped making excuses - whether true or not - about mid 2nd year of his tenure. Complaining about where you started sounds like weakness and excuse making. Project strength.

 

[Madmannsucks]

Nice back pedal from the issue-2 straight years losing in the 1st round. Stop blaming...start fixing. So far he is more Perno than Calhoun.

 

[connVA]

I agree with all of the points people have made here to defend the statement and/or to call it a non-issue. That said, I really hate hearing it from Hurley.

Agreed. I think we all (well, at least most of us) realize that by no means is Hurley sitting on his laurels / content with only getting the program as far as he has but quotes like that create bad optics, especially 1) after losses; and 2) when they're said repeatedly.

 

[businesslawyer]

Here's the bottom line -- all things considered, Hurley has done a solid job. We are in a much, much better place than when he inherited the program, and yesterday notwithstanding his team has been improved every year he has been here.

That having been said, after yesterday is it reasonable to wonder if he will end up being good enough for what UConn wants to accomplish? A month ago I would have said that question is not reasonable. That while he isn't where we want to be yet, the progress was clear enough that folks shouldn't be doubting it. But with this season in the books, are there reasonable fears about whether some of his coaching skills will be sufficient for us to be a consistent second weekend team? I think that's fair. (Asking if he'll win championships is not, by the way, but second weekend most of the time is.)

He will enter the next season with reasonable eyes watching him much more carefully, no doubt. And if Cole and Martin both leave, as many here expect, he's got some work in the portal to do, unless a lot of the highly rated recruits who haven't yet helped us are ready for major roles.

 

[HuskyinWRNY]

Read the section of Gavin Keefe's pre-game article about UConn in yesterday's New London Day below.
Two things jump out - 1. Ollie's termination was determined to be w/o cause resulting in a $11mm payday for him and 2. Ollie won a National Championship from the 7th spot in 2014.
Before Hurley opens his mouth again, he should put some positive numbers on the board.

"This group will always be remembered for lifting this program from a really, really embarrassing, bad point....," Hurley said. "It's not easy coming from a worst league with a bad team to one of the best leagues in the country and playing at the top of the conference two years in a row, getting to the (Big East tournament) semis and being a hair away from playing for a championship Saturday, going to back-to-back NCAA tournaments from where we were in the AAC."

Really? Go win your first game at the dance for UConn before you say another peep!

Ollie won with mainly Calhoun's guys

 

[AdamaNation]

I mean, Hurley can say whatever he wants. And I agree that where he picked up the program might have been an all time low point for UConn.

I’m glad we now have Hurley leading our team, KO was a good coach who let his personal life derail his career.

I believe Hurley is still the right guy to bring us back to the top.

But in KOs 5 year tenure, he went 7-1 in the NCAAs, 3 conference final appearances, 1 conference championship and 1 National championship.

Hurley needs to start producing some results before he talks about his teams creating legacy… no more excuses or “look how far we’ve come” b.s.

I always wonder where we would be with a consistent, steady Kevin Ollie. No knock on Dan just wonder. You can never tell what life will throw at you.

 

[RJScootin]

Whaley and Polley staying getting a lot of mins didn’t help this program going forward.

 

[geordi]

He who does not remember history is condemned to repeat it. For those of you who were not born at the time or too young to remember, these same comments were made about a former coach after his 3-4th years. His name was Jim Calhoun.