Some really thoughtful self reflection and comments by Hurley.

[HuskyHawk]

His accomplishments at 3 stops already give him that 10 years. He is a peer with those men.

BTW Calhoun never had "10 consecutive years of dominance", it was usually 2-3 years of dominance followed by a rebuilding year. Also, the 2011/2012 UConn team featured 3 NBA players and a HOF coach and got bounced in the first round.

10 years of consecutive dominance is an absurd bar to set for anyone, but the Boneyard is often absurd.

Eh, sort of. Is Billy Donovan up there with Calhoun in your mind? Or coach K? Or Dean Smith? I don't think he is. He's the last guy to do what Dan did, but as a college basketball coach, he's not among the legends. Doing it year after year with entirely new rosters of players, often changing style of play to suit them, that's what it takes.

The one knock on JC is that he didn't bank scholarships very well (or plan far enough ahead perhaps), so yes, he had teams that weren't that good from time to time. In the portal era that wouldn't have happened. He'd have filled those gaps.

 

[August_West]

The journey is the fun part. I don't get lasting enjoyment from "hey we won a national championship". Maybe the first one, or even the 2nd. I enjoy the games against good teams. I like seeing the players get better. It's the experience of the season that's fun.

So I want a deep run in the Big East tournament because that's more good games. Then I always want to make the NCAA tournament and go as far as possible because that's more good games. I don't have a banner on my wall at home for our league or NCAA championships, I didn't win them.

This sounds like something a fan of a team with only 4 banners would say.................................

oh snap

 

[FreeKlaiber]

Below average when it comes to any GOAT conversation. Do you agree?

You really Straw man this whole argument. Who is talking about Goat or blue bloods? Danny after back to back, Lakers, espn coverage etc. is in rarefied air in a way that JC and Uconn have never been. Not lifetime accomplishments, but current status of program and its role in college basketball.

 

[aceboon]

The interesting thing about Hurley’s career/success is that it happened so fast.

Before UConn he never produced an NBA player or made a Sweet 16. Up until two years ago he still hadn’t made that sweet 16. Now he’s a B2B champion. But does that all of a sudden catapult him there off two years when Calhoun had a lot of success, just never the coveted Final Four before?

Do we consider Billy Donovan one of the greats because of his B2B at a young age?

Donovan won over 70% of his games at UF and has a national title game appearance and another final 4 appearance in addition to his 2 titles.

 

[Husky68]

Reality is, it’s incredibly difficult to win a NC. Winning two back to back in the fashion UConn and DH have done made it look very easy.
If I’m being honest, I was drinking the Kool-Aid and thinking this staff will do it again. I’m still bullish but maybe a little more realistic that this team has some work to do. But
I’m not sure why DH is being scrutinized by some for what he’s said or done. The guy owes us nothing. He’s recruiting, selling the program and getting his players to buy in to the goal: winning a 3rd Natty.
this team got a little exposed in Maui. It was humbling for the team, humbling for Hurley, and for the fan base. But it was freaking November.
There is too much talent on this team and I am certain we have the best staff in CBB, so I think Maui was a learning not the new norm.
There are a lot of new parts to this squad. On top of that, you are banking on other players taking a step forward in their development.
I don’t know where this season lands. The odds would say not to expect a 3rd Natty. But as a fan I’m certainly hoping that’s the outcome. Right or wrong, that’s the bar for this year and probably the next few years.

To me, losing all 3 games gives opportunity to address things that need to be addressed better than if had won the 1st one in a squeaker and then maybe one of the others. Team is not better or worse due to a couple of close losses but the national perspective and Hurley's mindset are different.

Expect more experimentation on schemes (both offense and defense, and personnel changes. Practices that incorporate more "player specific skills" (Balls defensive techniques, Reed/Samson Johnson positioning on opponent guard penetration, 3 point line defense, sharper cuts, etc.) and lineups that give Ross/Stewart more minutes and Ball less, Mahaney back to starting.

 

[HCCForever]

The interesting thing about Hurley’s career/success is that it happened so fast.

Before UConn he never produced an NBA player or made a Sweet 16. Up until two years ago he still hadn’t made that sweet 16. Now he’s a B2B champion. But does that all of a sudden catapult him there off two years when Calhoun had a lot of success, just never the coveted Final Four before?

Do we consider Billy Donovan one of the greats because of his B2B at a young age?

Actually, Dan did produce a NBA player prior to UConn. But that was from St. Benedict's Prep as J.R. Smith went directly to the NBA bypassing college.

 

[dennismenace]

It looks like his fuse just got lit. His timing is just perfect. It will go well with his name.

 

[Inyatkin]

That's an incredibly stupid, beyond laughable standard.

I have to ask: who defines blue blood better, Calhoun or Hurley.

The question was whether Hurley was in rarified air, and the answer is yes.

There is this weird thing with old time UConn fans who really, really do not want to hand it to Dan Hurley. It's ok, no one is taking away what Calhoun did. We all still love him. But this sort of handwaving away the back to backs, which so few people have accomplished, is really something.

 

[dennismenace]

This is not a fair comparison at all. JC built Uconn from the ground up into a national brand with continuous challenges and successes over many years. Danny did something very spectacular with back to back. Danny referred to some of the coaches (and players?) that preceded him as "the immortals." He has a great head start at becoming one of "the immortals". He is pretty emotional in a good way and very open minded to the wisdom of others which I think is humility. Take a look at the staff he has assembled. I think he just got
everything straightened out and may have even ignited Samson in the process.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Donovan won over 70% of his games at UF and has a national title game appearance and another final 4 appearance in addition to his 2 titles.

Was not aware of all that. It still doesn’t seem like he gets talked about in that Calhoun, Coach K, Roy, Izzo air. Maybe because he went to the NBA?

 

[Mr. French]

You really Straw man this whole argument. Who is talking about Goat or blue bloods? Danny after back to back, Lakers, espn coverage etc. is in rarefied air in a way that JC and Uconn have never been. Not lifetime accomplishments, but current status of program and its role in college basketball.

This is the point - I don't know how this devolved into a JC vs. Hurley resume argument, or better yet how Hurley's first 2 stops of success at low and mid majors became a downside to his career trajectory.

 

[HuskyHawk]

This sounds like something a fan of a team with only 4 banners would say.................................

oh snap

I’ve been consistent on that all along. I do think making the tournament 34 years in a row is very impressive. Most of all I’d like to see Dan get this team to make it 5 years in a row. Sunday is key.

 

[RuffRuff]

In lighter news

 

[AdamaNation]

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tenor.com

Andrea
Calhoun
Bob
Geno
Radenka
Ned Lamont
Bret Just
Billy Donavan
Steve Fulop
Coach K
...

Seth G

 

[temery]

You said Hurley had a "below average career" before coming to UConn. That is such bad-faith nonsense it undercuts any other point you try to make. He's still a hero at his two previous stops. He got the blue-blood UConn job because of his previous excellence. Performance you call below average.

Hurley got the UConn job based on the Hurley name and his last two years at Rhode Island. I'll throw in his positive attitude and work ethic - He's a cross between Billy Mays and the energizer bunny on Adderall.

Prior to that, his record was a little better than 50% at two low to mid major conferences.

And I'll repeat - he was a great hire.

 

[uconnyankee]

Jim Calhoun never won back-to-back national titles, at least as far as I recall. Maybe you remember differently

This is true. Its also true that Hurley’s book is still being written with many, many chapters to go.

when people talk about the greatest coaches in CBB, is Donovan top 5? Top 10? Calhoun is debatable in Top 5, certainly Top 10.

I think Calhoun is a great resource for DH, and I think DH respects Calhouns legacy in terms of what he built and the program he established. If Calhoun (or Geno) are talking to Dan, he’s listening and hopefully taking notes.

 

[uconnyankee]

That is exactly what he was doing in the games against Memphis and Colorado. You guys on TV did not even see most of it. During the game he was speed walking and yapping at the officials as they ran by him almost on every trip down the court. He was constantly yapping at them during TV timeouts and team called timeouts.

I am not saying the officiating was great, it was lousy (i.e. Memphis constantly getting away with reaching and putting their forearms across UConn players), but with his behavior in Maui it only exacerbated the problem.

You guys in the stands didn’t get half of it. During his half-time speech (or tirade), I thought he was going to lose his mind in the locker room….

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

You said Hurley had a "below average career" before coming to UConn. That is such bad-faith nonsense it undercuts any other point you try to make. He's still a hero at his two previous stops. He got the blue-blood UConn job because of his previous excellence. Performance you call below average.

He didn’t even make the tourney or win his conference at Wagner. At Rhode Island they won the conference once and went to the tourney twice making it to the R32.

Excellence is a big stretch man. We don’t have to be delusional.

In general we should stop disrespecting our great history saying things like Calhoun doesn’t know how it feels and I’ve even seen things like Cam was our best offensive player ever (at a program who’s had players like Ray Allen, Ben Gordon, Rip, etc. and that’s just at SG)

The excitement for where we our is understandable, but we’ve been here before. It’s great to be back and we still have to show we can have sustained excellence in a way Calhoun did for 20 years.

We’re well on track, but still have to do it.

 

[uconnyankee]

You really Straw man this whole argument. Who is talking about Goat or blue bloods? Danny after back to back, Lakers, espn coverage etc. is in rarefied air in a way that JC and Uconn have never been. Not lifetime accomplishments, but current status of program and its role in college basketball.

Lakers? lol…
I recall both Ollie and Calhoun in those discussions at one point in their careers.

If anything, it seems The Lakers regularly target UConn HC and have struck out every time.

 

[Stinger92860]

but also....hurley has realized nothing but more success year over year with uconn:
16-17 KP98
19-12 KP52
COVID
23-10 KP22
31-8 KP1 Natty
37-3 KP1 Natty

and now, we're taking a step back. It's bound to happen...the line doesn't go up and right forever, and I think It took Maui for DH to realize that he has to adapt too as his teams change. Learning moment for him that he can't just work harder and then end up frustrated to will his teams to the level they were the past two years....sometimes you gotta meat the players where they are...and the Baylor game showed him doing that.

We lost 2 games in Maui which would have been a win with one more winning possesion or one less technical. We can get our s..t together and have a top 15 season. Lot’s of time left.

 

[temery]

He didn’t even make the tourney or win his conference at Wagner. At Rhode Island they won the conference once and went to the tourney twice making it to the R32.

Excellence is a big stretch man. We don’t have to be delusional.

In general we should stop disrespecting our great history saying things like Calhoun doesn’t know how it feels and I’ve even seen things like Cam was our best offensive player ever (at a program who’s had players like Ray Allen, Ben Gordon, Rip, etc. and that’s just at SG)

The excitement for where we our is understandable, but we’ve been here before. It’s great to be back and we still have to show we can have sustained excellence in a way Calhoun did for 20 years.

We’re well on track, but still have to do it.

Lost in all this is the fact that UConn men never won a championship until The Boneyard existed. I'm just sayin'.

 

[Huskybass]

Jim Calhoun never won back-to-back national titles, at least as far as I recall. Maybe you remember differently

And never won them in such convincing fashion. I love JC, always will, but DH has a unique resume. His winning % at UConn went up in each of his first six years, culminating with dominant back to back National Championships. JC NEVER had a run like that.

 

[Waquoit]

Hurley got the UConn job based on the Hurley name and his last two years at Rhode Island.

Why are you continuing to dig?

 

[temery]

Why are you continuing to dig?

It's kinda easy when digging someone else's resting place.

 

[temery]

And never won them in such convincing fashion. I love JC, always will, but DH has a unique resume. His winning % at UConn went up in each of his first six years, culminating with dominant back to back National Championships. JC NEVER had a run like that.

In Calhoun's last 25 years, he did not have a losing season, and his winning % was better than Hurley's at this point. His overall win/loss record was 70%; 64% at Northeastern; 72% at UConn, and 73% at St. Joseph's.

Worth noting: Hurley only had one winning season at Wagner.