Behind Hurley’s offseason as two-time NCAA Champion Coach: ‘Consumed with what’s next’

[HooperScooper]

Good offseason article from Mike Anthony. Very long.

“We’re very well trained in how the summer is going to go, how hard we’re going to work, what we’re going to focus on,” Hurley said. “We do the same things in how we practice, how we train, how we team build, how we set our goals, the collective mindset. Sometimes just bringing in new people or having returning players that didn’t have the role or the opportunity they wanted, exactly, in a weird way gives you a better chance of being successful. Because there’s no complacency there. Not everyone was either a part of it or was thrilled with their part of it. They were thrilled to win it but they wanted a bigger role, wanted to have a bigger impact. So, yeah, you lose a lot of really hard-to-replace players. Your team is going for more historic things, and there is a hunger. When you do lose people, it’s crushing to lose that production, but we’re going to have great hunger.”

Behind Dan Hurley's offseason as UConn's two-time NCAA champion coach: 'Consumed with what’s next'

Dan Hurley's profile has risen after leading the UConn men's basketball team to its second NCAA title in a row last month.

www.nhregister.com

Alternate access:
Behind Dan Hurley’s offseason as UConn’s two-time NCAA Champion Coach: ‘Consumed with what’s next’

 

[nashusky109]

“I hear the same geniuses that either thought we would have no chance or not be ranked in the top 10, they’re doing the same thing now that they did last offseason,” Hurley said. “And the people trying to compare next year’s UConn team to last year’s UConn team, we don’t have to be as good as last year’s team. So don’t compare this team to who we were at the end of last year. And, we won in such dominant fashion that we could be eight points worse and still win it. Keep doubting UConn. That UConn versus the world thing, I love it.”

Wouldn't want it any other way

 

[Mr. French]

Just read this - great article.

Love that he embraces being the swearing coach with his hat backwards, makes me feel at home.

 

[Palatine]

In a talking about next year's team.

"We could be eight points worse (than the 2024 team) and still win it."

 

[CL82]

Good offseason article from Mike Anthony. Very long.

“We’re very well trained in how the summer is going to go, how hard we’re going to work, what we’re going to focus on,” Hurley said. “We do the same things in how we practice, how we train, how we team build, how we set our goals, the collective mindset. Sometimes just bringing in new people or having returning players that didn’t have the role or the opportunity they wanted, exactly, in a weird way gives you a better chance of being successful. Because there’s no complacency there. Not everyone was either a part of it or was thrilled with their part of it. They were thrilled to win it but they wanted a bigger role, wanted to have a bigger impact. So, yeah, you lose a lot of really hard-to-replace players. Your team is going for more historic things, and there is a hunger. When you do lose people, it’s crushing to lose that production, but we’re going to have great hunger.”

Behind Dan Hurley's offseason as UConn's two-time NCAA champion coach: 'Consumed with what’s next'

Dan Hurley's profile has risen after leading the UConn men's basketball team to its second NCAA title in a row last month.

www.nhregister.com

Alternate access:
Behind Dan Hurley’s offseason as UConn’s two-time NCAA Champion Coach: ‘Consumed with what’s next’

"Keep doubting UConn. That UConn versus the world thing, I love it.”

 

[StllH8L8ner]

Keep doubting UConn. That UConn versus the world thing, I love it.”

 

[HuskyHawk]

“I hear the same geniuses that either thought we would have no chance or not be ranked in the top 10, they’re doing the same thing now that they did last offseason,” Hurley said. “And the people trying to compare next year’s UConn team to last year’s UConn team, we don’t have to be as good as last year’s team. So don’t compare this team to who we were at the end of last year. And, we won in such dominant fashion that we could be eight points worse and still win it. Keep doubting UConn. That UConn versus the world thing, I love it.”

Wouldn't want it any other way

We are becoming the evil empire in the eyes of the rest of College Hoops and I love it. Bring it on.

 

[gsmooth]

We are becoming the evil empire in the eyes of the rest of College Hoops and I love it. Bring it on.

This is certainly true and I can verify this by reading the blogs of other teams. UConn is not well liked and the fans of those teams were rooting against UConn.

 

[GoConn]

We are so blessed to have a HC with the drive to be great that Danny Hurley has.

 

[YukonDolt5]

This is certainly true and I can verify this by reading the blogs of other teams. UConn is not well liked and the fans of those teams were rooting against UConn.

In the early days after I met my wife's father - a blue collar type from southern Illinois, now living in Wisconsin - I was taken aback by his comment about UConn men's basketball : "they win too much"

I had to try to explain how that's not UConn - were the scrappy underdogs, the guys you root for, the blue collar bring your lunch pail to work team.

I've since given up on that framing.

 

[TheChamps990411]

“I hear the same geniuses that either thought we would have no chance or not be ranked in the top 10, they’re doing the same thing now that they did last offseason,” Hurley said. “And the people trying to compare next year’s UConn team to last year’s UConn team, we don’t have to be as good as last year’s team. So don’t compare this team to who we were at the end of last year. And, we won in such dominant fashion that we could be eight points worse and still win it. Keep doubting UConn. That UConn versus the world thing, I love it.”

Wouldn't want it any other way

Im so glad he brought this up because people already saying they wont be as good next season do sound dumb. This past years team was one of if not the best team of that last 30 years! Even after seeing it it still makes no sense that they were even better than the `23 team who outside of the January slump that team was 29-2 and blew everyone out including the overall #1 seed Alabama who so many conveniently forget.
I dont think next years team will be as good as this past season and the comparison isnt even fair but i 100% believe next season we win 30+ games and will have a legit shot at a 3peat. The team is absolutely loaded with talent and if all the pieces fall into place and the guys returning take that leap forward this team could be very similar to that UK in 96 that was two deep at every position hitting 3s and running teams out of the gym. This will be another fun run for the 6 TIME! BACK 2 BACK DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPS!!!

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Im so glad he brought this up because people already saying they wont be as good next season do sound dumb.

I dont think next years team will be as good as this past season

 

[pj]

TheChamps990411 isn't wrong. And you have to admire his humility.

 

[jibsey]

I’m glad we have the roster we have and not just an overload of 5 stars, and I can’t wait to see what Hurley and his staff does with them. Gotta wait 4-5 months huh?

 

[caw]

I’m glad we have the roster we have and not just an overload of 5 stars, and I can’t wait to see what Hurley and his staff does with them. Gotta wait 4-5 months huh?

You know that quote about having one knucklehead on a team is OK, but two or more is a problem. I kind of feel that way about five stars (with a bit more latitude) because there usually is such a circus around a lot of the five star players.

 

[dennismenace]

Noteworthy comment:

" Players on the 2024-25 roster begin arriving on campus later this week."

Since this is a "year round sport" will be hopefully hearing about what will be going on in Storrs soon.

 

[Son of Robert]

Danny Hurley sounds grounded, a big reason he is so well liked up here in UConn country. What I like best about this here is that his favorite part is the putting in of the work, the journey. He is in his element, it's who he is, a guy raised in a basketball heavy environment since a small child, lived it, breathed it, and now here 40 years later he has risen to the top of his profession, and he pushes himself to stay there.

 

[NJHoops]

Noteworthy comment:

" Players on the 2024-25 roster begin arriving on campus later this week."

Since this is a "year round sport" will be hopefully hearing about what will be going on in Storrs soon.

Classes for the first summer session start on Tuesday. Isaiah and Liam will have graduated by then. The team doesn’t get as many practices as last summer, but the summer work is important. It’s always fun to see the young guys, who were so lost at the start last year, come in settled and ready. Big year for the sophomores.

 

[gsmooth]

In the early days after I met my wife's father - a blue collar type from southern Illinois, now living in Wisconsin - I was taken aback by his comment about UConn men's basketball : "they win too much"

I had to try to explain how that's not UConn - were the scrappy underdogs, the guys you root for, the blue collar bring your lunch pail to work team.

I've since given up on that framing.

Yeah, that's not UConn. Yeah they will outwork the opposition and play the tough physical rock fight games, but they also run the most eloquent offense in the country that is the envy of other fanbases. UConn is not the tough scrappy Wolverine-they are Thanos.

 

[willie99]

Tell Dan he ain't done nothing yet

It's all about his next contract

 

[giddyup]

I’m really interested to see how the loss of DC impacts us. I think he may have been fundamentally more impactful to the dominance than meets the eye in both runs. He just changes the floor in so many ways. Should be fun to watch how Hurley shapes the team.

 

[Hunt for 7]

Yeah, that's not UConn. Yeah they will outwork the opposition and play the tough physical rock fight games, but they also run the most eloquent offense in the country that is the envy of other fanbases. UConn is not the tough scrappy Wolverine-they are Thanos.

INEVITABLE. I actually first used that to another UConn fan in the round two game against Northwestern. When we started to dominate that game between high five across the aisle I said to him. This year we are inevitable. Or to quote the great Adama. Most teams….”They thought they could win the game but the could not” …..pretty much the same story for 12 straight NCAA tourney games.

 

[gsmooth]

I’m really interested to see how the loss of DC impacts us. I think he may have been fundamentally more impactful to the dominance than meets the eye in both runs. He just changes the floor in so many ways. Should be fun to watch how Hurley shapes the team.

Very much so. I was at the Elite 8 game in Boston when UConn crushed Illinois. Clingan looked even more dominant in person than he did on TV in that game. It's strange though because I remember the first game against Providence at Gampel, which I watched in person, and he was saddled with foul trouble and getting cooked by Josh Oduro at the end of the game (he did have a crucial block on him though at the end). I went to a lot of UConn games this year and Clingan's impact could be hit or miss, but when he was actually on the floor and out of foul trouble his impact was so big even when he didn't score.

We have been spoiled by him and Sanogo the last 2 years. Tarris Reed and Samson will not be nearly as good, but they will still be good for UConn and impactful. Sanogo and Clingan is just such high bar that it's not fair to think Reed and Samson will reach that.

 

[gsmooth]

INEVITABLE. I actually first used that to another UConn fan in the round two game against Northwestern. When we started to dominate that game between high five across the aisle I said to him. This year we are inevitable. Or to quote the great Adama. Most teams….”They thought they could win the game but the could not” …..pretty much the same story for 12 straight NCAA tourney games.

This is what neutral fans and fans that hated UConn thought-it was inevitable. I remember in 2004 after the NCAAT ended when I told someone at the gym that UConn was great and I thought they were great and that I expected them to win it all, but that you can never be too sure. Someone else that wasn't part of the conversation butted into the conversation and said "really? The first thing I did when the bracket was announced is I wrote in UConn all the way through to win it all before filling out the rest of the bracket". I think most people did that this year and even last year as UConn was underseeded at #4.

 

[gsmooth]

This is what neutral fans and fans that hated UConn thought-it was inevitable. I remember in 2004 after the NCAAT ended when I told someone at the gym that UConn was great and I thought they were great and that I expected them to win it all, but that you can never be too sure. Someone else that wasn't part of the conversation butted into the conversation and said "really? The first thing I did when the bracket was announced is I wrote in UConn all the way through to win it all before filling out the rest of the bracket". I think most people did that this year and even last year as UConn was underseeded at #4.

look at the first comment in this video by @bigsundays9058: