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

[nelsonmuntz]

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.

This is arguable at best, and Cincinnati is one school in the history of college basketball.

 

[djct1999]

What year did Ollie finish in the basement?

Is this a play on words?

 

[djct1999]

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.

Progress was made on and off the court. Perhaps, most importantly, UConn became part of the national dialogue again. Two years ago we were irrelevant. We regained that status of being feared by other teams coaches and fanbases. We are landing top recruiting classes. We are regaining our place where top 100 kids would love to play for a coach they would love to play for. We are constantly on national tv and not ESPN+. Nothing is perfect and this season was far from that. But progress? Absolutely there was progress from any angle you look. I get how we love to microanalyze. But this year and what we accomplished is far more important than not calling a time out in the middle of January. For UConn to regain blue blood status, we need a guy like Hurley. Atleast for now.

 

[CTBasketball]

Remember the days of getting blown out at Tulsa and SMU?

 

[djct1999]

Remember the days of getting blown out at Tulsa and SMU?

How many of us back then would do anything for where we are now?

 

[freescooter]

The season was a huge success based on the last five years and how far we had fallen.

Uh, not exactly. We were at least a bubble team last year when it all caved in, so this was a continuation and had we missed the tournament would have been a pretty large setback.

one thing that has concerned me about Hurley from the beginning, and I think it is the same thing theOP was getting at, is that he has the Seton Hall-Providence mind set where getting to the NCAA Tournament is the goal. That’s fine for Seton Hall, Providence, lots of schools really. But the great coaches, the Roy Williams, K, Boeheim, Wright, Pitino, Calhoun those guys go into every season with a higher goal. Hell, even though he is a scummy person, I heard a Pitino interview talking about telling his Iona team to pack for a long stay.

 

[Travelman6]

For the time being, yes, successful as far as serving as a building block for the future. But it is just that, a good start and nice growth. As long as UConn continues to grow from this and not be in the 6-10 seed range for the foreseeable future. S16 (at least) next year or bust. Build off of this year.

 

[djct1999]

Uh, not exactly. We were at least a bubble team last year when it all caved in, so this was a continuation and had we missed the tournament would have been a pretty large setback.

one thing that has concerned me about Hurley from the beginning, and I think it is the same thing theOP was getting at, is that he has the Seton Hall-Providence mind set where getting to the NCAA Tournament is the goal. That’s fine for Seton Hall, Providence, lots of schools really. But the great coaches, the Roy Williams, K, Boeheim, Wright, Pitino, Calhoun those guys go into every season with a higher goal. Hell, even though he is a scummy person, I heard a Pitino interview talking about telling his Iona team to pack for a long stay.

That is actually a fair concern. To that, I would suggest to be honest on where this program was when Hurley came on board. It was in total shambles. This was a total rebuild. I totally understand if you choose not to throw Hurley accolades, but to suggest that we are not on the right trajectory is simply not true. From 2018 to now, we are exactly where we should be. The future is bright.

 

[freshler40]

The season was a huge success based on the last five years and how far we had fallen.

Yes, it's all relative from where your coming from and who is reviewing your accomplishments. He has to be up-beat but should include areas for improvement as any employment review would.

 

[djct1999]

Yes, it's all relative from where your coming from and who is reviewing your accomplishments. He has to be up-beat but should include areas for improvement as any employment review would.

I don't think anyone in the pro Hurley crowd believes this is the pinnacle. Its a start. A good start. Nothing more.

 

[Kitaman]

Just being out of the AAC means our season was a huge success. All else is bonuses.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

That is actually a fair concern. To that, I would suggest to be honest on where this program was when Hurley came on board. It was in total shambles. This was a total rebuild. I totally understand if you choose not to throw Hurley accolades, but to suggest that we are not on the right trajectory is simply not true. From 2018 to now, we are exactly where we should be. The future is bright.

The program was not in shambles when Hurley showed up, and something else very important happened right around the time. UConn was invited to join the Big East.

It is a lot easier to recruit when UConn is not the northern outpost in a southern mid-major conference.

 

[djct1999]

The program was not in shambles when Hurley showed up, and something else very important happened right around the time. UConn was invited to join the Big East.

It is a lot easier to recruit when UConn is not the northern outpost in a southern mid-major conference.

it wasn't?

We do agree on your Big East point. Even there, you only recruit better with the right coach in place. We have that now. Its very hard to recruit well when you dont put in the time on the recruiting trail and alienate everyone in the business.

 

[Vuce]

The program was not in shambles when Hurley showed up

Yes it was. We got beat by 20+ points eight times the year before he got here. For a program of UConn’s stature that is a sign of being in shambles.

 

[tjc1888]

The program was not in shambles when Hurley showed up, and something else very important happened right around the time. UConn was invited to join the Big East.

It is a lot easier to recruit when UConn is not the northern outpost in a southern mid-major conference.

14-18. 8th in the AAC. 179 in kenpom. Mass exodus of transfers and recruits .....but yup not in shambles.

 

[Vuce]

 

[polycom]

Ya'll got baited by king troll, now you forced to defend a very obvious point against someone who is sitting back at their computer laughing. Unfortunate.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

14-18. 8th in the AAC. 179 in kenpom. Mass exodus of transfers and recruits .....but yup not in shambles.

The transfers ended up at P5 schools for the most part. Ollie was also under investigation for a large part of his last season at UConn, which effectively made him dead-man-walking. That had a lot to do with how the 2018 season ended.

Hurley's first two years were against meaningfully easier schedules, inflating his record.


KenPom SOS
Year Adj EM SOS Rank

16-17 +5.67 70
17-18 +5.89 69
18-19 +3.79 79
19-20 +4.52 86
20-21 +12.85 50


As you would expect, the SOS jumped up this season in the Big East, but Hurley had two classes where UConn joining the Big East was known or rumored. It is almost certain that the Big East played a big factor in Hurley even coming to UConn.

Conference Realignment: How UConn ended up back in the Big East - The UConn Blog

Between a new coach and the associated new energy, and a major upgrade in conference affiliation, the recruiting has significantly improved.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The problem I have with the Hurley apologists is that they are claiming that the program was in significantly worse shape than it was really in as a justification for Hurley's mediocre performance to date.

Hurley is the Head Coach at a major college program. He has to be held accountable to the standards of coaching at a program like UConn or he should have stayed at URI.

 

[metsfan2323]

The program was not in shambles when Hurley showed up,

You are officially bat shiiite crazy. Thank you for showing your true colors. The resident know it all has now been exposed as a complete fraud. Away with you.

 

[my2cents]

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.

You have to add Chicago Loyola , right?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

You have to add Chicago Loyola , right?

They will be back to a generic mid-major as soon as their coach leaves, which will be after their next loss.

 

[CTBasketball]

The problem I have with the Hurley apologists is that they are claiming that the program was in significantly worse shape than it was really in as a justification for Hurley's mediocre performance to date.

Hurley is the Head Coach at a major college program. He has to be held accountable to the standards of coaching at a program like UConn or he should have stayed at URI.

I’m guessing you never saw Kevin Ollie at Grants at 1am on a Saturday (Sunday morning) night. When we had a 12pm tip on Sunday in the AAC. That barstool was warmer than his seat on the bench.

But if you like players like Rakim Lubin and Kwintin Williams over Sanogo and Jackson then yes I’d agree with you. You can’t possibly say the program wasn’t in bad shape when Hurley got here.

 

[Storrs South]

The transfers ended up at P5 schools for the most part. Ollie was also under investigation for a large part of his last season at UConn, which effectively made him dead-man-walking. That had a lot to do with how the 2018 season ended.

Hurley's first two years were against meaningfully easier schedules, inflating his record.


KenPom SOS
Year Adj EM SOS Rank

16-17 +5.67 70
17-18 +5.89 69
18-19 +3.79 79
19-20 +4.52 86
20-21 +12.85 50


As you would expect, the SOS jumped up this season in the Big East, but Hurley had two classes where UConn joining the Big East was known or rumored. It is almost certain that the Big East played a big factor in Hurley even coming to UConn.

Conference Realignment: How UConn ended up back in the Big East - The UConn Blog

Between a new coach and the associated new energy, and a major upgrade in conference affiliation, the recruiting has significantly improved.

The investigation wasn't announced until after the SMU game 1/26/2018. By that point of the season the following had already happened:

• Lost to Michigan State by 20
• Lost to Arkansas by 40
• Need overtime to beat Columbia
• Need overtime to beat Monmouth
• Laughed off the floor v. Cuse @ MSG
• Lost to Auburn by 25
• Lost to Tulsa in 2OT
• Lost to Memphis by 25
• Lost to Villanova by 20

They were a KenPom 179 team from start to finish and the investigation had nothing to do with it. It's as impressive he won a championship as it is letting a program of this caliber sink to a such a low point.

Even the teams this year of historical significance that miss the tournament still remain top 50-75 KenPom. Never sub-100. That is his responsibility and he owns the good, the bad, and the ugly of it all.

Hurley says it was a trainwreck when we got here because it was a trainwreck when he got here.

 

[Tenspro2002]

The program was not in shambles when Hurley showed up, and something else very important happened right around the time. UConn was invited to join the Big East.

It is a lot easier to recruit when UConn is not the northern outpost in a southern mid-major conference.

The Big East invitation happened after Hurley had already completed his first year and already had last year's class (Bouknight, Gaffney, and Akok) in the fold. He may have even had commitments from some of this year's freshmen already.

Hurley was not bailed out by the Big East.