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

[nelsonmuntz]

I mean, that completely ignores the fact that Hurley had last year's team on an upward and Tournament-ready trajectory before the season got canceled, while in the AAC, and with most of those players having been recruited before the BE announcement.

The BE will help Hurley, but he also had this thing going in the right direction regardless.

Similarly, KO would have ____ed things up even if we had stayed in the Big East, and it probably would have been more apparent sooner.

Back in 2013, I predicted EXACTLY what would happen to the football and basketball programs if we stayed in the AAC, while everyone still loved Ollie and Pasqualoni. I said the league was going to destroy the athletic program, and that is exactly what it did.

You have no idea what Ollie would have done if we had left with the Catholic schools back in 2013, as we should have. I think we would have been a perennial tournament team and Ollie would have been very successful. We would have recruited better and not had the exodus that happened in 2015-2016.

 

[UCfor3]

Well, I sure hope DH has a plan to find someone on the roster capable of guarding a 6'5" shooting guard or small forward. Turns out plenty of D1 teams have a player of that size and skillset.

Asking any of those players listed- Martin, Bouk or Jackson shouldn't be a stretch. You could also try Gaff, who while shorter, seems to be a more physical defensive presence than Bouk.

Also for context, remember the George Mason game? We had Boone, Armstrong, Adrien and none of them could stop some 6 ft 7 stocky dude down low. I think we can all agree that those 3 guys werent chopped liver. That was during our streak of leading the NCAA in blocked shots I believe. Things happen during the course of a game. Sometimes its just someones day.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

A drop in conference alignment would directly correlate with recruiting.

Your comment ignores the fact he always had the most highly regarded recruits on the roster (top 100) in the AAC in the first few years and would finish in the basement. He either couldn’t develop or couldn’t coach. Two of the most important things in being a college basketball coach.

It wasn’t until recruits realized he couldn’t do those things and add in the fact that he got lazy, then he started not being able to recruit, and what you blame on conference. I blame on the coach’s ability/effort.

What year did Ollie finish in the basement?

 

[superjohn]

Worth a separate thread, but Ollie got taken down by our conference as much as anything. No coach could survive that drop in conference affiliation without problems. People act as if the league didn't lose most of its best basketball teams.

No program in college history has ever survived a major step down in conference affiliation without it killing the program. Hurley had the opposite, with UConn making a major step up in conference affiliation just as Hurley was arriving.

He didn't last because he started mailing it in and either didn't know how or didn't care about running a college basketball program. Turning his back on his mentor and the guy who gave him the job was unwise to say the least.

 

[ju6381]

When you can reconcile the fact that this season was about more than how far we went in the NCAA tourney, then you can understand his comment. We are not reestablished yet as national power where we can only be measured by the end result. We are still climbing that mountain. This year was another step. Some of our fanbase wants it yesterday but it doesn't happen that way in reality. It needs to be built and there may be bumps in the road along the way. Some just aren't prepared for that. The program was in pretty bad shape. It's trending up. Some will understand this. Others will pitch a fit and be impatient, sometimes unreasonably so.

Could not agree more.

 

[Tenspro2002]

A drop in conference alignment would directly correlate with recruiting.

Your comment ignores the fact he always had the most highly regarded recruits on the roster (top 100) in the AAC in the first few years and would finish in the basement. He either couldn’t develop or couldn’t coach. Two of the most important things in being a college basketball coach.

It wasn’t until recruits realized he couldn’t do those things and add in the fact that he got lazy, then he started not being able to recruit, and what you blame on conference. I blame on the coach’s ability/effort.

Seriously.

The Vance Jackson class in 2016-17 was our 4th year in the AAC and was extremely highly rated. It turns out every single one of those guys was a bust, except Vital, because Ollie was a lazy recruiter and couldn't develop players.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

He didn't last because he started mailing it in and either didn't know how or didn't care about running a college basketball program. Turning his back on his mentor and the guy who gave him the job was unwise to say the least.

I agree 100% that Ollie mailed it in his last season. I wonder if he knew he was getting fired.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Back in 2013, I predicted EXACTLY what would happen to the football and basketball programs if we stayed in the AAC, while everyone still loved Ollie and Pasqualoni. I said the league was going to destroy the athletic program, and that is exactly what it did.

You have no idea what Ollie would have done if we had left with the Catholic schools back in 2013, as we should have. I think we would have been a perennial tournament team and Ollie would have been very successful. We would have recruited better and not had the exodus that happened in 2015-2016.

The exodus was in 2017, after our 4th year in the AAC, and after we had a top 10 (maybe even top 5, I don't remember) recruiting class. On paper, it was a terrific class. On the court, they were terrible.

They left because they recognized Ollie was a fraud, not because of the conference.

 

[Kemba'sYogurt]

What year did Ollie finish in the basement?

This is such a weird hill to die on. This was the year we brought that top 5 class in. 16-17 and 9-9 in the American conference lol.

Oh, and I'll mention that Brimah, Adams, Facey and Purvis were still on that team. Imagine having a losing record with that.

 

[Martin]

Well his contract is highly successful. He got a 2 yr extension.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Seriously.

The Vance Jackson class in 2016-17 was our 4th year in the AAC and was extremely highly rated. It turns out every single one of those guys was a bust, except Vital, because Ollie was a lazy recruiter and couldn't develop players.

Wrong.

Juwan Durham was productive at Notre Dame.
Gilbert got hurt, but he didn't suck.
Vital was very good.
Diarra - degenerative knee condition
Vance Jackson - a backup, but on Arkansas.

That would have been a great class if they could have stayed healthy, and players didn't want to play in a major conference.

The next class had Polley, Whaley and Carlton. That is a really good class for a mid-major, which is what UConn was by that point.

 

[Tenspro2002]

View attachment 66152
This is such a weird hill to die on. This was the year we brought that top 5 class in. 16-17 and 9-9 in the American conference lol.

Oh, and I'll mention that Brimah, Adams, Facey and Purvis were still on that team. Imagine having a losing record with that.

He should have been fired right then and there. I was one of the earliest to call for it.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

List all the schools that stepped down in conference affiliation and were successful immediately afterward. I will hang up and listen.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Wrong.

Juwan Durham was productive at Notre Dame.
Gilbert got hurt, but he didn't suck.
Vital was very good.
Diarra - degenerative knee condition
Vance Jackson - a backup, but on Arkansas.

That would have been a great class if they could have stayed healthy, and players didn't want to play for a major conference.

The next class had Polley, Whaley and Carlton. That is a really good class for a mid-major, which is what UConn was by that point.

Or, hear me out, the players left because they wanted to play for a coach who gave a damn, which Ollie didn't.

And he couldn't get recruits because he didn't care to, and anyone with any kind of talent (or at least who KO thought was talented, which he had a terrible eye for, see MAL) knew he was a fraud.

If Durham, Jackson, and Enoch wanted to play in a major conference, why did they commit to UConn 2-3 years into their AAC tenure?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Or, hear me out, the players left because they wanted to play for a coach who gave a damn, which Ollie didn't.

And he couldn't get recruits because he didn't care to, and anyone with any kind of talent (or at least who KO thought was talented, which he had a terrible eye for, see MAL) knew he was a fraud.

If Durham, Jackson, and Enoch wanted to play in a major conference, why did they commit to UConn 2-3 years into their AAC tenure?

List all the teams outside the P6 that are consistently nationally competitive.

I got:

Gonzaga
BYU
Houston
San Diego State

That is all I got. But you knew Ollie was a terrible coach because he was taking longer than we wanted to add UConn to that list. Conference affiliation really matters in college basketball.

 

[UCfor3]

List all the teams outside the P6 that are consistently nationally competitive.

I got:

Gonzaga
BYU
Houston
San Diego State

That is all I got. But you knew Ollie was a terrible coach because he was taking longer than we wanted to add UConn to that list. Conference affiliation really matters in college basketball.

If you include BYU then I would include VCU and Cincy. Butler and Xavier were also before they joined the Big East.

 

[AntG168]

List all the teams outside the P6 that are consistently nationally competitive.

I got:

Gonzaga
BYU
Houston
San Diego State

That is all I got. But you knew Ollie was a terrible coach because he was taking longer than we wanted to add UConn to that list. Conference affiliation really matters in college basketball.

Your missing it all here. Compared to the other AAC teams at that pint KO had far superior talent. He consistently under achieved. So your solution would be to put KO in a tougher conference? He wasn’t a good program builder

 

[Tenspro2002]

List all the teams outside the P6 that are consistently nationally competitive.

I got:

Gonzaga
BYU
Houston
San Diego State

That is all I got. But you knew Ollie was a terrible coach because he was taking longer than we wanted to add UConn to that list. Conference affiliation really matters in college basketball.

UConn was poised to be the Gonzaga of the AAC until KO started phoning it in (or knew he was in over his head and was getting exposed, as I expected from the outset).

KO didn't have to build anything.

 

[jibsey]

Don't know what the argument here is. Hurley is the coach, he makes 3+ million a year and that's that but even though the program has been on the way back under him, if he makes the tourney next year and gets bounced in the first round will he keep saying huge success? Don't think so. Challenging season, Covid, injuries, made the tourney. Success. But quite sure he is unsatisfied with this "huge success".

 

[AntG168]

Guys it’s really hard to win a championship. This season was a success. We made the tourney for the first time in half a decade, we stepped into a tougher league and finished top 3. We produced an NBA lottery pick. Better teams than us lost to worst teams than Maryland. We had an off night, it happens. I know it sounds good, but just because it’s March it doesn’t mean things are going to automatically go our way. Even after the last 5 years our fan base is still spoiled. Enjoy the ride. We’re relevant again, and if the trajectory continues on its current path next year will be very fun. There are going to be a ****load of transfers to choose from, we will improve. Jackson will be a sophomore with a true offseason to get better, we will improve. Sanogo will be better and more consistent, we will improve. We have a top 15 recruiting class, we will improve. Gaffney, Martin, Cole all now know what to expect, they can now say they’ve been there, we will improve. Sit back relax, and let’s bring in some reinforcements. Let Go Huskies!

 

[metsfan2323]

Dan Hurley: UConn’s season "a huge success"

The Huskies took a tumble in the NCAA Tournament, but overall Hurley was proud of the team in his third season as coach.

www.theuconnblog.com

I love Hurley. I love what he's done with the program, the players he's recruited, the energy he brings night in and night out. But anyone else get irked by statements like this? Any season that ends with a first round exit from the NCAA tournament is not a success. There will be posters here that say just making the tournament was enough to warrant calling the season a success, but since when have we ever done that?

I get its early in the rebuild, that he needs a bit more time, but sometimes I feel like Hurley still operates with that small time URI, Wagner mentality. I also understand he's looking for silver linings and at the larger picture, but to call this season a success just feels wrong, but maybe I'm crazy.

Anyways, love the guy and hope that next year goes a little better than this year did.

Hey Salty Dog, your name isn't Jeff Jacobs is it? Nice job taking the quote out of context.

No doubt someone asked Hurley if he considered the season a success and here was his FULL response:

“We’ve got a lot more to do as a program in terms of recruiting and developing and continuing to increase the talent here and just continuing to grow as a program,” Hurley said on the season overall. “But, yeah, this was a huge success.”

BURN THE THREAD

 

[nelsonmuntz]

UConn was poised to be the Gonzaga of the AAC until KO started phoning it in (or knew he was in over his head and was getting exposed, as I expected from the outset).

KO didn't have to build anything.

There is one Gonzaga. Not one in each league, just one. UConn was never going to be the "Gonzaga of the AAC".

You are blaming Ollie for a terrible decision the University made about conference alignment. This decision probably had 70% support among a fanbase which was holding out fantasies of a Big 10 invite, that was actually made less likely by being in the AAC.

The only point I am making here is that we need to stop trashing Ollie because he did win a National Championship, and more importantly, we have to stop using him as an excuse for Hurley's "meh" performance so far.

 

[metsfan2323]

List all the schools that stepped down in conference affiliation and were successful immediately afterward. I will hang up and listen.

Cincinnati stayed in the conference with us and their fortunes actually increased. They had a good coach who dominated the AAC. They lost some difficult tournament games and the fan base ran their good coach out of town. No he wasn't fired but he was definitely tuned into the criticism and grew tired of it. Not a smart move by the fan base. Maybe our fan base should take note.

I wish Mick Cronin continued success.

 

[Huskyforlife]

We were third in the big east and a 7 seed in Hurleys third year. The rebuild has been remarkable, so far.

 

[Umami Zen]

Progress was made but there's still more work to do on talent upgrades and roster construction. Let's get busy on transfer market and possible reclass candidates.

Going forward.. The "huge successes' we had this year should be the minimal criteria for a Program aspiring to regain it's Blue Blood status.

Onto Year 4 of the rebuild.