Long time coming
Hurley faces off with Boeheim, who has known him since childhood
Dan Hurley hadn’t yet hit puberty when Jim Boeheim first walked into his Jersey City home. Then, Hurley was a teenager, watching the Syracuse coach visit his high school, St. Anthony’s in Jersey City. Then, he was a Seton Hall guard, trying to split the Orange’s 2-3 zone. Then, he was coach of St. Benedict’s, speaking to Boeheim about recruits, like his father, Bob, long did.
On Thursday night, Hurley and Boeheim will be standing on the same sideline, helping write the latest verse of the SyracuseUConn rivalry at Madison Square Garden.
“It’s definitely a surreal experience. He did home visits in my living room when I was like 10 years old, and now I’m coaching against him in the Garden,” Hurley said. “I’m gonna savor it. I’m gonna enjoy it. Obviously I’m gonna be locked in on the game, but I’m gonna take it all in because it’s part of my journey and I appreciate that.”
In the 94th meeting be- tween the former Big East powers, the No. 15 Orange (2-0) and Huskies (2-0) face off in Manhattan for the third straight season, followed by the 2K Classic nightcap pitting No. 13 Oregon (2-0) against Iowa (2-0).
After two remarkable rebuilding jobs (Wagner, Rhode Island), and eight seasons as a college coach, Hurley’s first season at UConn brings him back to the Garden for the first time since leading St. Benedict’s to a 55-52 win over the Kemba Walker-led Rice High School in 2008.
“For somebody that loves the history, and has grown up in it, I love the opportunity to go to a place where you feel like you have a legitimate chance to recruit high enough talent to realistically compete for a national championship, at some point,” said Hurley, who left Rhode Island after back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths. “Taking the shorter view of it, when I was contemplating my options, the things you are saying to yourself, like Syracuse at Madison Square Garden, as the head coach of the Huskies, it’s like, come on, man. It’s right where you hoped you be someday as a coach and now I get to experience that.”
Hurley began preparing for Syracuse by speaking to his older brother, Bobby, whose Arizona State team was bounced from the NCAA Tournament in March by Boeheim. But the Orange still hold the edge in their lone visit to the city this season, bringing back all five starters — point guard Frank Howard is expected to be out with a lower leg injury — from a Sweet 16 team.
While Syracuse will present problems inside, with Oshae Brissett and 7-foot-2 Paschal Chukwu, Boeheim considers the Huskies’ Jalen Adams-led backcourt among the country’s strongest.
“You’re looking at a team that’s a lot different than people think they are just because of those guards. I don’t think people have caught on to that yet.,” Boeheim said. “Jalen is as good as just about anybody. ... Danny has evolved into a really tremendous basketball coach, and it’s not surprising. I think they’re heading in the right direction.”
After UConn’s back-toback losing seasons, Hurley has been tasked with restoring a program with four national titles. Entering Thursday, even the new coach is curious to see whether the Huskies are ready to take the next step.
“We know our challenges based on where they were last March, and where we were,” Hurley said. “Our fans are excited to see how we’re gonna fare, and their guess is as good as mine.”