UConn's Season a 'Huge Success' - Dan Hurley

[UncleSpliff]

There needs to be some success in the tournament next year or maybe we start looking elsewhere for a coach? 4 years is plenty to win 1 NCAA tournament game, especially with all the resources at UConn and the salary Hurley is making. Another first round exit is not acceptable. If Hurley feels that losing to basically every good team we played and getting destroyed in the first round is a “successful season,” than maybe that’s the problem?? I’d like to think the goals are set higher here. That being said.... would Steve Pikiell ever come here if we continue to see these “successful seasons.”

 

[freescooter]

I'm not going to sit here and act like Ollie shouldn't have been fired, but here's some news for you: there are very few D1 college coaches who would coach for free, and every single one of them uses interest in them to leverage more compensation. , anyone in any line of work does that. As far as criticisms of Ollie go, that's about the weakest one I can imagine.

Kevin Ollie has as many national championships as Bill Self, Tom Izzo, Jim Boeheim, and John Calipari. No matter how his tenure ended, he would be deified by 99% of the fan bases in college basketball for that alone. People need to really put this ____ to bed.

That’s just nonsense. Look at those guys and what they’ve done before and after winning it all. Virtually every year year in and year out Kansas, Michigan State, Syracuse Kentucky are ranked, in the tournament and at least in the discussion to make the Elite 8 or the Final Four. Boeheim has taken an 11 seed to the Final Four. Izzo has a title and been to the Final Four 5 more times and the tournament 23 years in a row. Bill Self has 2 additional Final Fours and been to the tournament every year he coached at Kansas. Even Calipari has a more impressive record. At Kentucky he has won a championship and been to 2 other Final Fours not even counting what he did with Memphis and UMass. In 10 years at Kentucky he missed the Tournament twice. If Ollie had had anything close to the success those guys had, he indeed have been a hero and in all likelihood he would still be the coach. Ollie got one more bid off a miracle shot. To pretend that somehow Kevin Ollie is equal as a basketball coach to the guys you named is completely disingenuous and you know that.

 

[BGesus4]

I'm laughing imagining Hurley reading this comment. "Oh, ____, am I supposed to improve over time? No one told me! Thank god this BlueDogs character is here to hold me accountable." What a fanbase. From the toilet to the top 25 and the tournament in the blink of an eye and still this.

This is real. Hurley literally has come in and done exactly what he said he would do, and it seemed far fetched at the time he said it. Obviously, the plan is not to stop here.

90% of college basketball is brand management since every year you are selling your program to recruits, the lifeblood of a program.

Our brand is not where it was but because of Hurley it’s taken a massive step in the right direction. I mean ppl had us as a sleeper Final 4 pick this year. That’s the brand. We’ve been known as losers for 5 years. We literally haven’t sniffed the tournament in years, Hurleys brought in at least two legit pro prospects every full class he’s had, we don’t make a final 4 run in our first time back in the tournament and people want to derail the Hurley train.
There are less than a handful of people in the country that would be better for this job. We lucked out in getting him.

 

[UCTitleTown]

Ray didn’t win a title. Neither did Bouk. Caron Butler didn’t either. If that’s what you want to use to gauge someone’s 2-3-4 years here? Have at it.

Oh and Ray’s sophomore year he had Donny, Ollie, Brian Fair, Sheffer, Travis Knight and Kirk King on his team.

I agree. Some of the best UConn teams didn't win a title. A season sometimes comes down to a critical late injury like A.J. Price or an unfortunate match up in the tourney (UCLA and Tyus Edney).

 

[Sky ball]

I guess when Calhoun made and won the NIT in his 2nd or 3rd year that was failure and his ceiling. He just had the Northeastern University coaching mentality. Why UConn kept him is a mystery.

 

[WeAreUCONN]

Ray was the best player in program history, IMO. Obviously Bouk doesn't suck, but for @Deepster to compare him to Ray is just ludicrous.
On his best day Bouk is maybe top 10 SG in UConn history...maybe.
Off the top of my head, Benny Gordon, Rip, Nadav, J lamb, Earl Kelley, T. Hanson, Chris Smith, maybe a couple more and then, you'd start talking about Bouk.

I agree!! I would even rank players like Giffey way ahead of Bouknight.

 

[WeAreUCONN]

Mississippi State was not the best team in the field, fraud.

I’m talking about UCLA. But okay buddy. If you say so.

 

[WeAreUCONN]

Did Bouk night take your girl or something? Good God

No but he had a meaningless Uconn career. Getting us to the ncaa tourney and losing to Maryland. Is not accomplishing anything based on our history.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

There needs to be some success in the tournament next year or maybe we start looking elsewhere for a coach? 4 years is plenty to win 1 NCAA tournament game, especially with all the resources at UConn and the salary Hurley is making. Another first round exit is not acceptable. If Hurley feels that losing to basically every good team we played and getting destroyed in the first round is a “successful season,” than maybe that’s the problem?? I’d like to think the goals are set higher here. That being said.... would Steve Pikiell ever come here if we continue to see these “successful seasons.”

Incredible.

 

[WeAreUCONN]

Incredible.

We ain’t finding a better recruiter than Hurley. Win lose or draw. He’s our coach for the next 20 years. I’m thankful we have him. We all should be.

 

[UncleSpliff]

Incredible.

not really.... it amazes me how many here are ok with mediocrity. I supposed you’re a participation metal kind of guy, and that’s ok I guess... but we’re going on year 4 next year and it’s a fair to expect some success based on the salary that is being paid to Hurley (top 20 in the nation).. weather that’s consistently beating top 25 teams / winning ncaa tournament games... neither of which have happened yet. You may have thought this year was a “success,” but they only had 1 good win all season and got destroyed in the first round by a team that then lost by 30 to their next opponent....

 

[Leebo]

4 years is plenty to win 1 NCAA tournament game

One of those years didn't even have NCAA tournament games for anyone to win.

 

[UncleSpliff]

One of those years didn't even have NCAA tournament games for anyone to win.

Nope but they were 19-12 last year when the season was canceled and on the wrong side of the bubble. Would have had to win some games in the AAC tournament or maybe the entire thing to get Into the NCAA with a Kenpom @ 52. We’re also 3-12 against top 25 teams the past 3 season. I understand that the program had to be rebuilt from scratch basically, but I think we’re at a point now where that can’t be used as an excuse anymore. I think it’s fair to expect a better season next year in year 4 of Hurley’s tenure. We need to start beating good teams consistently... not feeding on the dregs of the conference like we did this year. If that happens than the tournament success will come but we just don’t know how to win close games against quality teams. I hope that happens next season but I’m skeptical from what I’ve seen so far.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

I'm disappointed with the ending but I think DH has us on a much better track that we were on and I don't know if that can be disputed. In a way, next year is where I start to really evaluate what kind of coach he is. He's been trying to change a losing culture and it takes time but next year, unless any of the seniors decide to return, they will all be "his" players so blaming his predecessor won't carry much weight IMO.

 

[BGesus4]

not really.... it amazes me how many here are ok with mediocrity. I supposed you’re a participation metal kind of guy, and that’s ok I guess... but we’re going on year 4 next year and it’s a fair to expect some success based on the salary that is being paid to Hurley (top 20 in the nation).. weather that’s consistently beating top 25 teams / winning ncaa tournament games... neither of which have happened yet. You may have thought this year was a “success,” but they only had 1 good win all season and got destroyed in the first round by a team that then lost by 30 to their next opponent....

I would accept mediocrity from these posts, if we can get there

 

[superjohn]

I agree!! I would even rank players like Giffey way ahead of Bouknight.

Just when you think this board can't get any more ridiculous.

not really.... it amazes me how many here are ok with mediocrity. I supposed you’re a participation metal kind of guy, and that’s ok I guess... but we’re going on year 4 next year and it’s a fair to expect some success based on the salary that is being paid to Hurley (top 20 in the nation).. weather that’s consistently beating top 25 teams / winning ncaa tournament games... neither of which have happened yet. You may have thought this year was a “success,” but they only had 1 good win all season and got destroyed in the first round by a team that then lost by 30 to their next opponent....

I know BigErn and he's always been much more of a precious metals kind of guy.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

not really.... it amazes me how many here are ok with mediocrity. I supposed you’re a participation metal kind of guy, and that’s ok I guess... but we’re going on year 4 next year and it’s a fair to expect some success based on the salary that is being paid to Hurley (top 20 in the nation).. weather that’s consistently beating top 25 teams / winning ncaa tournament games... neither of which have happened yet. You may have thought this year was a “success,” but they only had 1 good win all season and got destroyed in the first round by a team that then lost by 30 to their next opponent....

Love the hardo routine.

 

[WeAreUCONN]

Just when you think this board can't get any more ridiculous.

I know BigErn and he's always been much more of a precious metals kind of guy.

Giffey is better than Bouknight. I’m not sure how anyone can disagree.

 

[David 76]

Couple of late points:

We could put Nelson (and maybe 1 or 2 others) on ignore and have an interesting conversation.

Are people who continued to support Ollie lecturing the rest of us on accepting mediocrity? Rich.

Bouk returned with a fabulous game. After that I think he was never the same player. Still injured? In his head?. I don't know but his shooting, driving and ball handling were uniquely unBouk like.