Some NCAA basketball title defenses can quickly spiral into letdowns. Remember, for instance, North Carolina’s 20–17 slog in 2010 after winning it all in ‘09?
This season, UConn has deftly sidestepped any notion of a championship hangover. The Huskies are 28–3—the team’s highest winning percentage since their 1999 national title campaign—and appear a lock for a top seed in this month’s NCAA men’s tournament.
Beyond that, UConn is winning with style—thanks in part to combustible coach Dan Hurley.
On Saturday, Hurley exchanged pleasantries with Providence fans during the Huskies’ 74–60 win in Rhode Island. He detailed the nature of his conversations after the game.
“You shouldn’t be yelling at me when you’re down 20. You should just wait for the game to be over and walk out. If he wasn’t barking at me, I wouldn’t have said anything to him,” Hurley said.
Hurley on postgame kerfuffle with fan: "You shouldn't be yelling at me when you're down 20. You should just wait for the game to be over and walk out. If he wasn't barking at me, I wouldn't have said anything to him ... A fan was saying, 'You suck, you guys haven't won anything.'…
— David Borges (@DaveBorges) March 10, 2024
UConn trailed the Friars 15–2 before turning the tables on their New England rivals.
“A fan was saying, ‘You suck, you guys haven’t won anything.’ And I told him, ‘I’ve got a national championship ring,’” Hurley continued.
The Huskies, of course, defeated San Diego State 76–59 to win the national championship on April 3, 2023.
