STORRS, Conn. — It’s 1 p.m. on a dismal January afternoon and, except for a couple of managers, Gampel Pavilion is empty. The Connecticut gamers have completed reviewing movie however have but to shuffle in from the follow facility throughout the road. Dan Hurley stands a couple of steps behind halfcourt. He’s carrying grey sweats, a hoodie, a UConn beanie and a pair of reflector sun shades. He would love it famous that he wore the sun shades “means earlier than Coach Prime.’’
Hurley begins launching halfcourt pictures, cursing beneath his breath when the primary few makes an attempt clank off the backboard or, worse, airball wanting the basket solely. The Huskies stream in, clomping down the steps to the courtroom, and Hurley, nonetheless in his getup, retains taking pictures.
Lastly, the ball swishes by means of the web and Hurley shouts, to nobody specifically and everybody readily available, “Who’s the king of two in a row?” Ever obedient, star heart Donovan Clingan yells again, “You’re, Coach.”
Hurley by no means swishes back-to-back pictures. That doesn’t imply he can’t be king.
It has been 17 years since a university basketball staff has received consecutive nationwide championships, the pursuit of back-to-back coronations turning into more and more elusive as the game dynamics have shifted. Not solely has no staff matched Florida’s two-year run, no defending champion has a lot as carried the No. 1 rating into February because the Gators.
Till now. Till UConn. A yr after dusting NCAA Match opponents by a mean of 20 factors per recreation en path to the 2023 title, the Huskies are probably, and frighteningly, much more succesful.
That UConn staff limped by means of the top of December and into January, shedding 5 of six earlier than discovering its footing; this UConn staff spent 5 video games with out Clingan, arguably its most crucial participant, and dropped not a recreation. The Huskies are 23-2, have received 13 in a row and rank fourth within the NET rankings. They’ve held their final 10 opponents to a mean 60 factors per recreation. All 5 starters common double figures, and so they can go a dependable eight deep.
All this when such dynasty constructing is supposed to be unimaginable, when the NBA Draft and the switch portal rob groups of roster continuity, and identify, picture and likeness alternatives allegedly destroy locker room concord. The Huskies have been hardly resistant to the game’s passing fancies. Three of UConn’s gamers turned professional after final season, and one other transferred out. The Huskies introduced Cam Spencer from Rutgers to the staff and promptly made him their start line guard, and one participant (Clingan), who has a advertising and marketing take care of Dunkin, has profited off his NIL excess of his teammates.
But listed here are the Huskies, in place to be the kings of two in a row.
Parked off to the aspect of the courtroom, an easel holds a poster board with an image of the Huge East regular-season trophy. The Huskies cart the easel in every single place they go, altering the image relying on what trophy they’re pursuing. Earlier it depicted the Empire Traditional trophy, adopted by the Seattle Tip-Off Traditional trophy. Sooner or later, the convention match trophy will make an look, adopted by the NCAA regional and so forth.
The poster, nevertheless, seems to be prefer it went by means of a nasty day with airport baggage handlers. It’s dented within the center. There’s even a small chunk lacking on the backside.
Hurley will let you know that he’s extra Zen, if not much less superstitious. He walks into his workplace, sidestepping a blue-and-white fleece shirt nonetheless in its packaging. It has sat on the ground in the midst of the hallway for weeks as a result of the Huskies haven’t misplaced since somebody dumped it there. Hurley admits the foolishness of this whereas carrying an Echo Go+, which seems to be like a lava lamp cross-pollinated with a mini blender. Hurley presses a button on the gizmo that retails for $250 and blue lights swirl, creating alleged hydrogen-heavy water that’s mentioned to cut back oxidative stress, enhance intestine well being, sleep and vitality, all whereas serving to to reverse the indicators of growing older. Later Hurley sends a textual content, extolling the virtues of the sensory deprivation tank he visits for 90 minutes, and the way it’s helped along with his “psychological reset.’’
He says this principally tongue in cheek – “I’m f—— Benjamin Button,’’ he jokes as he chugs the water – however not solely. He does consider he has discovered an inside peace and concord that has helped minimize down his on-court histrionics. Hurley has been hit with technicals this season, however has but to be ejected from a recreation. Progress.
Besides there’s the poster board. The dents, nicks and lacking chunks got here courtesy of Hurley whizzing a ball on the image when his UConn gamers didn’t follow to the requirements he deems essential to win.
Requested if Hurley is extra intense this yr, pursuing a second championship, or final yr aiming for his first, neither Clingan nor Alex Karaban enable the query to be accomplished earlier than answering. “Oh, that is means worse,’’ Karaban says. “He’s means more durable on us this yr. The depth in follow, it’s simply by means of the roof each day.’’
It’s exhausting to gauge the distinction, since a Hurley-run follow isn’t a picnic. There have by no means been scheduled water breaks and even alternatives to take a seat down. The Huskies, in truth, will not be permitted to bend over on the waist after they’re drained. Hurley provides up some physiological reasoning, about expanded chests enhancing respiration, however then he will get to the guts of it. “Weak point,’’ he says. “That’s only a signal of weak spot.’’ When Clingan, returning after practically a month off, begins to bend over, Gavin Roberts, the staff’s director of sports activities efficiency, rushes to his aspect. “No, no, no,’’ he says. “Don’t try this.’’
Minor infractions benefit banishment to stair runs, the punishment so indoctrinated within the Huskies that when Hurley lays into Youssouf Singare for unhealthy protection, Singare simply turns and runs the steps with out even being advised. And regardless of buzzwords plastered within the follow facility declaring one among UConn’s tenets as “aware communication,” there’s little thoughts to how issues are communicated. Had been the Huskies to place a swear jar within the constructing, they’d doubtless not want a collective to fund their NIL.
Elsewhere there is likely to be wiggle room gifted to veteran gamers who helped you win a title a yr in the past. Right here, there’s much less tolerance for even the smallest of transgressions. Hurley pounces on Clingan for failing to cowl a shooter in transition. “I do know you’re mad at me,’’ he yells. “Don’t be mad at me for being sincere.’’ After a nasty entry move from Karaban, Hurley covers his eyes for a whole minute, too pained to observe as follow continues. Stephon Citadel, the consensus ninth-best freshman, is chastised for a nasty move, lazy protection, poor decision-making and shot choice. After a nasty defensive possession, affiliate head coach Kimani Younger laments, “We by no means make performs on protection. By no means. When are we going to?” The Huskies, it must be famous, are 18th in KenPom defensive rankings.
Lastly, because the blue staff (starters) will get smoked by the grey staff – with chip off the block/walk-on Andrew Hurley goading the starters “Whipping that ass, blue,’’– the Hurley in cost shouts, “Champions don’t try this sh–.’’ In his workplace later, Hurley sits on a settee and performs armchair psychiatrist. He thinks perhaps he’s so demanding as a coach as a result of he’s attempting to make up for what he failed to attain as a participant. He additionally digs into the psychoanalysis of what profitable a title does to a person. “Whenever you haven’t carried out it, you possibly can’t inform me you already know you are able to do it,” Hurley says. “You possibly can assume you have got a fantastic staff, however you possibly can’t be 1,000 p.c assured you can coach a staff by means of six groups within the hardest match within the nation and win. Now for us, we all know deep down as a program, we will. I am going residence, I have a look at footage in my basement and you consider how nice it was. However you then additionally assume, ‘Man, I simply need to do it once more.’”
What’s notable is how the Huskies reply to him. Sit in sufficient school basketball practices and it turns into simple to learn physique language. Slumped shoulders, eyes solid to the ground and backs turned are the common indicators that the coach would possibly nonetheless be yelling, however the accused not hears what he’s saying.
The Huskies take Hurley’s warmth with out a lot as a grimace. They both beat him to the punch and personal the error earlier than he factors it out, or stare him useless within the eye as he delivers his withering analysis. They run up and down the steps and leap again into work. Again and again.
The Huskies don’t merely put up with Hurley’s depth; they crave it.
Karaban is down three TVs. Video video games, it must be famous, don’t at all times behave the best way you plan, which is very troubling if in case you have an analytical thoughts that prefers order and correct response. Karaban has such a thoughts. He’s the son of a Ukrainian immigrant mom who has a doctorate from Northeastern, and a Belarussian immigrant father who works as a software program engineer. Karaban likes math and is chasing what UConn calls an ‘individualized main,’’ whereby he has mixed three majors – laptop science, sports activities administration and statistics – into one hellacious, numbers-focused pursuit.
So nerdy is Karaban – his mom made him revisit UConn as a result of she thought the primary tour didn’t have sufficient information about lecturers – that Hurley frightened “his socks would flip yellow’’ when positioned in entrance of crowds of offended basketball followers. Within the first recreation of his profession, Karaban scored 13, yanked down 4 boards, and dished out three assists. His socks have been simply advantageous. “It’s like he’s a superhero, or one thing,’’ Hurley marvels. “Like he has an alter ego.’’ Mentioned alter ego surfaced this summer season, when the misbehaving video video games did not do what Karaban supposed. He tried to throw the distant on the wall however his goal isn’t pretty much as good as his taking pictures stroke. The factor went by means of the TV, clocking the display so badly that it grew to become unwatchable. “Yeah, it occurred 3 times,’’ Karaban says sheepishly.
After shedding to UConn earlier this month, St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino went on a basic misdirection rant in regards to the foibles of the NCAA enforcement course of, its struggles to correctly govern NIL and the unimaginable roster churn that the portal presents. “You possibly can’t construct applications and tradition,’’ the Corridor of Fame coach concluded, echoing a chorus heard so much this season as groups wrestle to search out continuity.
The Huskies would love a phrase. “All of us attempt to emulate Coach’s type,’’ says Tristen Newton. “No fats ruts, that’s what he tells us. You possibly can’t eat and get snug. We’re all on that very same web page.’’
Did they solely get to mentioned web page due to Hurley’s stiff-arm? The Huskies will let you know no, that they got here to Storrs from diversified instructions however every searching for what he delivered. Newton is a one-time unheralded recruit who had however one school provide – East Carolina – and opted to depart after his coach was fired. He appreciated UConn for its singularity of focus – he laments that the closest Chick Fil-A is half-hour away – and acknowledged that Hurley would push him out of his consolation zone. “I’m extra laid-back,’’ he says. “I wanted to be pushed.’’
Karaban’s dad and mom used to shoo him outdoor within the Massachusetts’ winters to play basketball. Spencer is a Hurley mini-me, who cusses himself out over errors to the purpose that the coach tells him to relax, and Clingan, a delightfully form, ego-less star, misplaced his mother at 14 and was raised by a single dad who works as a utility employee. He understands the thought of exhausting work and sacrifice. “It’s important to be a child who needs teaching, old-school teaching, like individuals who will squeeze each absolute ounce out of a participant,” he says. “Not all people needs that. They are saying they do, however they actually don’t.”
Hurley is neither the primary nor the one coach to key in on what works for him and recruit to that match. Jay Wright memorably pivoted his whole recruiting philosophy after a 2009 Ultimate 4 run was a dismal 13-19 season three years later. Matt Painter regrouped so solely that he now asks recruits to take persona assessments to make sure that they go well with him. However it’s, to Pitino’s level, getting more durable to construct a base. The Huskies have been pretty lucky. Solely 4 gamers within the final two years have left, permitting the workers to make use of the portal to fill wants and never restock wholesale. Of the three transfers on the present roster – Newton, Spencer and Hassan Diarra (Texas A&M), solely Spencer will go to campus for one yr.
But it surely’s not like UConn’s street has been with out challenge. Citadel missed six video games with a knee damage, slowing the freshman phenom’s begin. Then Clingan, who battled foot issues within the preseason, exited a recreation in opposition to Seton Corridor with an damage to the identical foot. “What was I considering?” Hurley says. “Oh, sh–.” Truthful response. Clingan might not garner the identical consideration as Zach Edey, however he’s as essential to the Huskies as Edey is to Purdue. The 7-footer attracts pure consideration inside, creating open pictures for the wings, and is a defensive vacuum.
Clingan went again to his room feeling a lot the identical as his coach. His foot throbbed for three or 4 days, each step feeling like he was strolling on a mattress of needles. He was terrified his season was over. When medical doctors mentioned as an alternative that he would solely want a handful of weeks to recuperate, the sophomore practically erupted with reduction. Clingan is, by nature, a giver, and the eye he acquired because the returning key cog to a nationwide championship staff in his residence state (he’s from Bristol) didn’t at all times match snugly. “He’s probably the most unselfish particular person I’ve ever met,” says Karaban, his roommate. “He’s at all times trying that will help you, with rides, getting you meals, shopping for you stuff. He hates receiving stuff.” That, little doubt, added to his rush to return from the preseason damage. He admits now that he rushed his restoration, beginning again to work when he nonetheless had some lingering ache, which made him much less productive early within the season than he hoped to be.
This time, he vowed to be a extra affected person affected person. He adopted the methodical plan, whereas additionally utilizing the break to streamline his physique. He minimize out late-night snacks and exchanged sports activities drinks for water, leaning out his body. “I attempted to cheer on the bench, and never leap,’’ he says with amusing. “It was a protracted 4 weeks.’’
Across the nation, top-ranked groups with fewer issues misplaced unhealthy video games, street video games, residence video games and shut video games. The Huskies upped Samson Johnson’s minutes and even rotated Karaban to the 5 to cowl for Clingan’s absence.
They didn’t lose a recreation.
Donovan Clingan says he rushed his return from a preseason foot damage. (G Fiume / Getty Photos)
Someplace between chastising Clingan for his transition protection and insisting that the whole group will fail due to one errant move, Hurley goes to midcourt and begins heaving pictures once more. This isn’t solely out of character. Misplaced within the translation of how exhausting Hurley rides his staff is how a lot enjoyable he has with them. He hops into drills, smack talks, and cuts the stress with one-line zingers that depart the gamers protecting their mouths with their jerseys in order to not get in bother for laughing.
To wit: He has determined sophomore Apostolos Roumoglou resembles a James Bond villain. When the terribly chatty Roumoglou protests a foul name, Hurley barks at him. “Hey, GoldenEye, recover from right here.’”
Says Clingan, “I swear typically he says humorous issues so that you chortle after which he can yell at you for laughing.’’ He’s requested if this can be a type of entrapment. “Yeah, precisely,’’ he says. “Entrapment.’’
So when, mid-rant, Hurley stops to hurl halfcourt pictures, nobody appears stunned. They only wait. Hurley swishes a shot and yells, ‘Who’s the king of two in a row?’” Not less than 4 individuals yell again, “You’re.”
The follow-up clanks off the entrance of the rim.
So shut, however not but fairly king.
(Illustration: Daniel Goldfarb / The Athletic; pictures: Dylan Buell, Zach Bolinger, Wealthy Graessle / Getty Photos)
