Is this a must win for Hurley?

[Deleted at users request]

Cliff Robinson, Phil Gamble, Tate George, frosh Smitty and Sellers...there was talent but they never had it all together and underachieved.

The most significant thing that happened that season was Calhoun first tinkered with the full court press and trapping defense that would become a staple the next season.

This is a genuine question as I wasn’t even alive at that time, but was that the best talent in the league? My assumption is that Georgetown was big then, maybe St John’s too. Because Hurley legitimately has the most talented roster in the league yet we’re finishing 4th place.

 

[Mr. Hand]

This is a genuine question as I wasn’t even alive at that time, but was that the best talent in the league? My assumption is that Georgetown was big then, maybe St John’s too. Because Hurley legitimately has the most talented roster in the league yet we’re finishing 4th place.

No.

St. John's, Georgetown, Syracuse, Seton Hall, and Pitt all had top 20 recruiting classes in the previous few years. The Big East was loaded.

But the problem was we still couldn't win the games where we did have more talent.

 

[nomar]

No, he wasn't. He was pretty well on the way to being the dude he is now by the time he got to Storrs.

What kind of lazy character assassination was that? "By all means," the dude was in MAINE playing basketball for Max Goode, attending class, and doing pretty much nothing else.

 

[Scottobot]

It just amazes me that with a 25-8 record, top 25 team all year long, and nabbed a 4 seed and we have a team with a legit chance to make a title run and people are complaining.

 

[Scottobot]

We were not even ranked in top 25 at start on season. UNC was #1 and they didn’t even make the NCAA.

 

[connVA]

Yeah exactly - we arent old enough to remember. That’s the problem. It’s been 9 years since we’ve lived up to our potential. We like to claim we hang with the blue bloods but for all the younger UConn fans out there and the kids at school now and the ones looking at UConn, we don’t see it. We get pain every year. It would be nice to make a single run in a decade - I don’t think that’s too much to ask for considering the banners on the walls.

So should he be fired if he loses to Iona? Idk.that’s complicated by recruiting and financials but at some point you actually have to do the damn thing.

As others have correctly pointed out, he most certainly isn't getting fired if they flame out again Iona. Is he going to be surrounded by a very restless fanbase next season (after three first round NCAA losses as the favorite, three BE semifinal losses by 3 points or less, and a suboptimal record in close games from a large enough sample size to not be considered a statistical anomaly at this point)? Probably. Is he going to be firmly on the hot seat (with both fans and contractually) if he flames out again next year with a top 10 recruiting class? Quite likely.

 

[drayenob]

 

[Skies2018]

As others have correctly pointed out, he most certainly isn't getting fired if they flame out again Iona. Is he going to be surrounded by a very restless fanbase next season (after three first round NCAA losses as the favorite, three BE semifinal losses by 3 points or less, and a suboptimal record in close games from a large enough sample size to not be considered a statistical anomaly at this point)? Probably. Is he going to be firmly on the hot seat (with both fans and contractually) if he flames out again next year with a top 10 recruiting class? Quite likely.

Couldn’t agree more.

 

[Husky25]

Couldn’t agree more.

Only a handful evidently would.

Given the teams OOC performance and down the stretch, I have a certain expectation.

 

[HuskyHoosier]

If we idiotically fire Hurley - he’d get another job in the northeast - and kick our asses in recruiting. Do you really want to see him at St John’s, Nova, or SH? He’s becoming a better coach every year. I get the post season pressure but let’s not shoot ourselves in the foot.

 

[EBonz30]

In just about every way. Except for the results thing. Let’s just gloss over that.

Ahhh getting high seeds is a step in the right direction that counts as results considering when he took over this team the team didn’t make the tournament for multiple years in a row & now has gotten a higher seed each year in the last 3.

Now as I said in my original post he needs to get better at winning the big game like the one against Iona this Friday. I Don’t think I gloss over much to be honest.

 

[Orc]

I hope so. Jeff Capel from Pitt got his first tourney win last night and Pitt sucked every year before this season. It would be super embarrassing .

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Only a handful evidently would.

Given the teams OOC performance and down the stretch, I have a certain expectation.

Sunday evening can you let us know if you'll retain Hurley or if you're firing him.

 

[UConnSwag11]

If we idiotically fire Hurley - he’d get another job in the northeast - and kick our asses in recruiting. Do you really want to see him at St John’s, Nova, or SH? He’s becoming a better coach every year. I get the post season pressure but let’s not shoot ourselves in the foot.

The university can't afford to fire him and then bring in a stud coach. He just wouldn't get an extension

 

[Kathy]

When you win the NIT and get everyone back including 2 NBA 1st rounders*, you should be making the dance the following year. Are you really saying fans back then were saying "well you know, we did go from 4-12 to 6-10 in the Big East? I'll tell you what they were saying on that bus ride back from PC: "Was that NIT run a fluke?"

* I know Cliff went in the 2nd round but everyone seems to think that was a terrible mistake. Or are you going to try and retcon that as well?

On the bus you might have said that but not anyone I was talking to. And yes, Cliff should have never dropped the way he did, he was 1st round material.
BTW who was the 2nd 1st round pick on that team? The only 2 others drafted were George and Smith - both 2nd round and not that after that season. George wasn't in the conversation till after the 89-90 season and Smitty was only a freshman. So who's trying to revise history?

 

[Ratso]

yo danny, bobby killing it

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I hope so. Jeff Capel from Pitt got his first tourney win last night and Pitt sucked every year before this season. It would be super embarrassing .

Who’s your team? I’m asking seriously, it’s impossible to tell from your posting history.

 

[HCCForever]

I hope so. Jeff Capel from Pitt got his first tourney win last night and Pitt sucked every year before this season. It would be super embarrassing .

I don’t really consider a First Four win as a tourney win. Hopefully UConn never plays in Dayton. It’s a playin win

 

[Rocktheworld]

This "Hurley must win" talk reminds me of the burden JC carried for many years before winning the NC in 99.

Results do count but enjoy the journey too.

How many 5-12 upsets happened in JC’s early tenure? He also had 3 elite 8 and 3 sweet 16 before 99.

And we cannot compare Dan Hurley to JC. JC built UConn from nothing. Dan Hurley already standing on the shoulders of giants.

 

[Hunt for 7]

He hasnt "won" anything in his 5 years here...No BE/BET titles, no Tourney wins...This is all about results. Sorry, thats the way it is if you want the school to be a big "player". If he loses to Iona, then yes, he deserves the hot seat and implications it may have to his coaching rope, coaching strategy, recruiting, etc.

He won the PK Invitational pretty good field in that one!

 

[CTBasketball]

I’ll just say this as someone who was a freshman in 2014 the year after we won it all. In my 4 years in campus and 4-5 years since, I have not seen one tangible success besides the PKI. No BET no BE regular season, barely a second round NCAA game. I love this team I follow them religiously but younger fans don’t have the Calhoun nostalgia to hold on to. We need wins now. Big ones. So yeah if he loses to Iona I think his seat gets hot.

Hurley really blew that 2017 BET title game too. Too much metrics in the gameplan.

 

[Ripper32]

 

[Waquoit]

BTW who was the 2nd 1st round pick on that team? The only 2 others drafted were George and Smith - both 2nd round ...So who's trying to revise history?

You. Tate was a 1st rounder.

 

[Deleted at users request]

No.

St. John's, Georgetown, Syracuse, Seton Hall, and Pitt all had top 20 recruiting classes in the previous few years. The Big East was loaded.

But the problem was we still couldn't win the games where we did have more talent.

That’s like half the conference. Lol. I feel like it’s hard to talk about expectations when we had bottom half of the conference talent compared to us now being the most talented team in the conference.

 

[Billy Jack]

I see a Final Four in our immediate future. Not to worry.

 

[Kathy]

You. Tate was a 1st rounder.

I stand corrected - but that was not because of his play up to that point. Like Hilton Armstrong his NBA credentials developed on his senior year.

 

[mauconnfan]

Yes

 

[B1GEast]

I see a Final Four in our immediate future. Not to worry.

Doomed

 

[Scottobot]

I laughed when the guy in video said Kentucky fans have fired and rehired Calipari 15 times this season. I guess we are not the only ones.

 

[Waquoit]

I stand corrected - but that was not because of his play up to that point. Like Hilton Armstrong his NBA credentials developed on his senior year.

Tate was a big reason we won that NIT.