While the last two seasons have been dominated by UConn’s men’s program, which won back-to-back national championships, this season was all about the women’s program, who captured their 12th national title on Sunday.
Their victory over South Carolina made them the most successful program in college basketball history, surpassing the UCLA men’s program, which had previously been tied with UConn at 11 championships.
As for Dan Hurley and the UConn men, they fell short in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. On Monday, during an appearance on the “Dan Patrick Show,” Hurley opened up about how Geno Auriemma played a crucial role in keeping him grounded back in November when his team was struggling.
Despite the pressure of aiming for a third consecutive championship, Hurley acknowledged that his team wasn’t championship material this past season. Auriemma’s advice helped him navigate those challenges, with Hurley admitting he was in a “bad place.”
While Dan Hurley and UConn had a solid season in hindsight, it wasn’t quite on par with the previous two years, where it was championship or bust. On multiple occasions, Hurley made it clear that if they didn’t compete for or win a national title, he would consider the season a failure—and it seems that mindset hasn’t changed.
The Huskies were eliminated by Florida, who went on to win the national title Monday night. UConn gave them a tough battle, losing 79-77 in a matchup that came down to the wire before the Gators pulled away.
Now that the season is over, the focus shifts to the offseason. UConn has already gotten off to a good start. Hurley told Dan Patrick that he can confidently say they have roughly eight players already on the roster for next season, with many more players still in the transfer portal to try and recruit.