UConn coach Dan Hurley did not want to punk his brother Bobby. And he considers Billy Donovan a friend.
But after the Huskies rolled through Purdue 75-60 to win their second straight NCAA championship Monday, Hurley found it difficult to argue with the contention that his current group is historic.
One of the greatest teams of all time? he was asked.
“I think it’s up there in terms of the greatest two-year runs that a program maybe has ever had …,” he started. “I can’t say anything about Duke because I’m going to piss my brother off. I guess I can say stuff about Florida. But I love Billy Donovan. I’m in a bad spot.”
Donovan’s Florida team was the last to win back-to-back NCAA titles, doing so in 2006-07. That came 15 seasons after Duke won two straight in 1991-92 with Dan’s younger brother Bobby at the point.
Those teams had only slight roster tweaks from title one to title two.
UConn replaced its two leading scorers from the 2023 title team while continuing the dominance Monday that marked both championships. The Huskies have won all 12 tournament games in 2023-24 by 10 points or more.
Their margin of victory in this season’s tournament was plus-140. UConn is the sixth team in NCAA history to win all six tournament games by double digits, the only one to do it twice.
“I just think it’s the best two-year run in a very, very long time because of everything we lost from last year’s team,” Hurley said. “To lose that much and, again, it’s got to be as impressive a two-year run as a program has had since whoever did it before Duke.”
That would be the UCLA teams of John Wooden that won 10 of 12 titles from 1964-75.
“To me it is more impressive than what Florida and Duke did because they brought back their entire teams. We lost some major players,” Hurley said.
UConn also won while contending with a new world order. The arrival of the NCAA transfer portal has given players leeway to shop for what they consider a better fit, and the rules governing name, image and license (NIL) established in 2021 have often made it lucrative to do so.
Hurley entered this season having to replace leading scorers Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins and point guard Andre Jackson, and both Hawkins and Jackson were early-entry NBA draftees. Hawkins was a lottery pick.
UConn won a school-record 37 games this season with returnees sophomore center Donovan Clingan and senior guard Tristen Newton playing larges roles. Newcomers freshman Stephon Castle and transfer portal addition Cam Spencer fit well.
Hurley likely will have to mix and match in his quest for a three-peat again next season, inasmuch as Clingan and Castle are considered NBA lottery picks if they declare for the NBA draft.
“We’re going to be focusing on trying to put together a three-year run, not just a two-year run,” Hurley said.
“Obviously it’s a special run. We’re going to try to replicate that. We’re going to maintain a championship culture. I don’t think we’re going anywhere.”
Hurley’s athletes were so good and his game plan was so sound that, while Purdue hung close for the first half, the Huskies’ victory seemed just a matter of time.
Clinton single-covered two-time AP Player of the Year Zach Edey, who had 37 points, but with Newton, Castle et al crowding the three-point line to take away distance threats Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith, the Boilermakers were rendered ineffective. A team that shot 40 percent from distance was only 1 of 7 Monday.
It was no surprise that four Huskies — Clingan, Newton, Castle and Cam Spencer — made the all-tournament team along with Edey.
“We watched the film,” Newton said. “They got their 3-pointers when people went down there to help on Edey. “The (coaches) made sure it was a focus that we didn’t leave the three-point line and let Edey do his damage.
“He doesn’t shoot threes. If he makes 15 twos like he did today, where are the rest of the points going to come from.”
Purdue coach Matt Painter: “We’ve played against some really good defensive guys, but not the collection of defensive players like UConn has. Defense always travels.”
Hurley has been mentioned as a candidate for the vacant Kentucky job now that John Calipari has gone to Arkansas, but he seemed to dismiss that out of hand.
For one, ether is his current contract, extended after the 2023 title run. He signed a six-year, $32.1 million deal that incudes lucrative bonus clauses. He is to receive $1.55 million in bonus money this season
“I don’t think that’s a concern,” Hurley said, laughing, about entertaining conversations about other jobs.