UConn State Of The Hoops Program (The Athletic)

[Drew]

State of the Hoops Program: Dan Hurley knows only one gear as he works to restore UConn’s proud tradition
State of the Hoops Program: Dan Hurley knows only one gear...

The fix, fans hope, arrives this year. Hurley, who is still recovering from serious back surgery, recruited a top-20 class, UConn’s first since 2016, bringing with it immediate hope that the downturn is soon to be over. Hurley understands the optimism. During workouts, he has seen and felt a difference himself. His team is young and a bit underdeveloped, but it looks like a “real program,’’ he says. There is reason to believe in a bright future. There is, however, no reason to assume one. The guys brimming with hope are young, and while they can spread enthusiasm, it’s up to the old guard to direct it. That group, beaten down by what’s happened during their tenure, needs a boost. Which is where the tyrannical Hurley comes in. “We’ve got to get the swagger back, the confidence back,’’ he says. “The last few years have knocked that out of this program a little bit. They need my spirit and my energy to build their confidence.’’

 

[Guapo]

Nice write up.

Dana has always been one of my favorite basketball writers

 

[MadMax1999]

"There is reason to believe in a bright future. There is, however, no reason to assume one."

This.

 

[Tenspro2002]

"There is reason to believe in a bright future. There is, however, no reason to assume one."

This.

Hurley getting his own guys -- untainted by all the losing habits -- is key. We'll know shortly whether things are truly different.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Dana has always been one of my favorite basketball writers

Same with me, but after reading every single one of these "State of the Schools" from The Athletic, I gotta say this was one of the weaker write ups. No mention of Adams/Springs/Whaley where most of these articles have detailed reports on all scholarship players and even some key walk-ons and their impact in practice.

In a vacuum, a very good write up, but others I've read were way more detailed and overall the series is one of the key reasons I have a subscription to the website.

Crazy how Vital could be the first player since the 80s who would miss the postseason throughout his entire UConn tenure. This team will be fired up and putting in a heck of an effort to get back to March Madness.

 

[Guapo]

Same with me, but after reading every single one of these "State of the Schools" from The Athletic, I gotta say this was one of the weaker write ups. No mention of Adams/Springs/Whaley where most of these articles have detailed reports on all scholarship players and even some key walk-ons and their impact in practice.

In a vacuum, a very good write up, but others I've read were way more detailed and overall the series is one of the key reasons I have a subscription to the website.

Crazy how Vital could be the first player since the 80s who would miss the postseason throughout his entire UConn tenure. This team will be fired up and putting in a heck of an effort to get back to March Madness.

If this season doesn’t end with a tournament bid, I hope Vital will get the recognition he deserves for being one of the “building block” guys that helped Hurley turn this thing around when that story is eventually written

 

[freescooter]

"There is reason to believe in a bright future. There is, however, no reason to assume one."

This.

I actually think we are at a crossroads right now. You don’t “look like a Program”. You are or you are not. Signs that you make the grade. You make the tournament even when you are at best a bubble team. You get ranked in the pre season just because of who you are. You get top 10 recruiting classes. When you lose to Tulsa it is a shock. You get better seeding than you deserve sometimes. You make it past the first weekend on a regular basis. We were that until fairly recently. But we are in danger of becoming Indiana without the pedigree and without the Big 10 money to fall back on. We all wanted Hurley. And he did rebuild 2 small p programs. Whether he gets us to national relevance again, Program status if you will, remains to be seen. To me that is the most interesting thing to watch about this Big East experiment. Does it help us get back to being a program or are we a good regional power.