A season where Dan Hurley and his team had the three-peat in mind, ends up being the most inconsistent one. The UConn Huskies lost three straight games at Maui in November but remained undefeated in December. Their struggles began again in January when they lost three unranked contests. February was the same with three losses. Majority of the time it was the officials who were at the receiving end of the backlash from the HC. Even the recent loss to the Gators had a similar sentiment, which not only the fans but one of the stars of the team feels otherwise.
“uh yeah, we was really guarding really well, um everybody was in their position they supposed to be. I thought we followed the game plan extremely well, especially in the first half. Second half they just caught fire um we had a little lapses on defense um but yeah.” Hassan Diarra during the press conference took full responsibility on the roster and credited the Florida team for the comeback. During the same presser, Dan Hurley had other assessments.
“We did an admirable job on the backboard. The only reason why we were out-rebounded by such a huge front line was because uh you know we we took 14 more shots than them.” The 2024 Naismith Coach of the Year said it would be a “crushing” experience to watch the tape of the game. “Looking at those free throw rebound plays again, looking at the Karaban finish on the baseline uh with a no call on that.”
The coach was referring to when Alex Karaban drove the baseline and missed a layup amid heavy contact and, well, no whistle. The Huskies had a 61-59 lead with 3:05 left in the game. Right after the game, Dan Hurley blamed the officials and even gave caution to other teams. “I hope they don’t f— you like they f—— us. I hope they don’t do that to you, Baylor.” It was a caution for the Baylor Bears, who were set to face Duke next. But the fans did not like the reaction one bit.
Fans highlight the real problem for Dan Hurley’s loss
UConn Huskies’ recent loss not only brought down the hope for a three-peat. It also ended the 13-game tournament win streak that tied Duke’s record from 1991-1993 as the longest in modern men’s college basketball history. That’s why a netizen was not sure why the HC was playing the victim card after such historic achievements. “Playing the victim coming off back to back championships is insane.”
Dan Hurley walking off the court:
“I hope they don’t f*** you like they f***ed us, Baylor. I really hope they don’t” pic.twitter.com/H9Iz81utv8
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 23, 2025
This season many faithfully had turned their back on Dan Hurley, as his sideline antics reached new levels. In one of the games earlier this season, the 52-year-old said, “Don’t turn your back on me! I’m the best coach in the f–king sport!” This was very arrogant from a coach who is a serial winner. Which a fan pointed out.”He may be a high performer as a coach, but his ethics are . The guy sets a horrible example for kids.” Even the performance on the hardwood from the players did not live up to the expectation.
Naturally, a comment on X highlighted the flaw from the Huskies. “UConn shot 37%, Florida shot 46%, including 47% vs 27% from 3.” Even if one considers the official’s bias, shooting just 37.5% from FG and 27.6% from beyond the arc will never be enough in the March Madness. Especially when any team faces the top-seeded Florida. Another fan wanted Dan Hurley to take accountability. “Dan Hurley take accountability challenge, level impossible.”
Coming into the game the Gators were 9 1/2-point favorite plus were the only team apart from fellow 1-seed Duke to rank in the top 10 on both sides of the ball. One can truly understand how soul-crushing the loss can be and its financial implications. That’s why a fan hoped that the comments made were in frustration. “There is difference between basketball acumen and mature leadership. I hope this was just a gasp of frustration.” Probably a much-needed time for the HC to go to the drawing board and come back strong. But will the antics of this season continue, only time will tell.
The post Crushed Dan Hurley & UConn Star Are in Disagreement After Loss as NCAA Officials Face Massive Heat appeared first on EssentiallySports.
