The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Conference’s men’s coaches prepared for life without the Huskies
PHILADELPHIA — Just a few days earlier at Madison Square Garden, Big East coaches had plenty to say — mostly positive, some a bit skeptical — about UConn’s impending return to the conference.
On Monday morning, coaches in the American Athletic Conference got to voice their opinions on UConn’s departure from the league. Those opinions varied, but the general consensus: losing UConn will hurt, but the AAC will be just fine moving forward.
“Obviously, it’s a tough loss for our conference,” Tulsa coach Frank Haith said at AAC Media Day at the Philadelphia Airport Marriott. “UConn is such a great brand nationally, and they brought so much to the table in our conference. But, you’ve got to move on.”
This season will be UConn’s seventh and final in the AAC. The program will return to the Big East, of which it was a founding member, in all sports except football and hockey starting in 202021.
“I don’t know what the league’s going to do to replace them, or even if they replace them,” said Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall. “But, it’s got to hurt from the standpoint of (UConn being a) fourtime
national champion in the last 20something years. And the fact that Danny (Hurley) is gonna do a great job. I know that. He’s a good coach, it’s a wonderful program, great fanbase.”
Still, Marshall isn’t overly concerned about the AAC after UConn leaves.
“I think the league will be fine going forward,” he added. “But, we wish UConn the best. They made a decision that is going to help their basketball. I don’t know the politics of the whole thing, (UConn) basketball’s been very successful for a long time there. What’s it gonna do for football? I have no idea. (AAC) basketball will be fine, football hasn’t missed a beat. Every university has to do what’s best for their university.”
UConn won its fourth national championship in 2014, the first year of the AAC after the dissolution of the original Big East. Since then, however, the Huskies have only been to one NCAA tournament (winning one game). They’ve finished with a losing record in each of the past three seasons, failing to make any postseason tournament at all — its longest streak of frustration in over 30 years.
So, UConn hasn’t exactly been the bellwether program the league had hoped it would be for most of its existence. Meanwhile, other AAC programs have had significantly more success.
“I think our league stands on its own,” said Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, whose team was picked to finish tied with Memphis atop the preseason coaches poll. “The most impactful teams in our league have been Cincinnati, SMU and Houston. So, I think as our league has grown, other teams have formed their own identity. But make no mistake, losing Connecticut is a loss. Just like getting them in our league was a huge feather in our cap.”
Indeed, despite its relative lack of success, UConn is still the AAC’s most nationallyrecognized brand name. And that’s never been lost on the league’s opposing coaches.
“I know in recruiting, one of the first things that I’d bring up is that you’d get a chance to compete against UConn,” said Haith.
“When we joined the league (three years ago),” Marshall added, “that was one of the things I would say (in recruiting).”
Interestingly, a few Big East coaches said last week that they were worried about having to battle against UConn on the recruiting trail now.
“I think it’s gonna be a bear to deal with,” said Providence’s Ed Cooley, who added that the Big East “gave Connecticut new life” by voting it back into the conference.
But the Big East is where UConn belongs, according to the AAC’s coaches.
“I think everybody understands their affinity with and connection to the Big East,” said USF coach Brian Gregory. “I have an unbelievable amount of respect for Danny and that program. So, you just wish them well and try to beat them in their last year in the league.”
Added Memphis coach Penny Hardaway, “I think it’s better for Danny because he recruits that area, the East Coast, really well. You’re in Big East country already, so I think it really helps them to get back there for recruiting purposes.”
Hardaway has brought in the No. 1rated recruiting class in the nation this season, led by potential No. 1 NBA draft pick James Wiseman. UConn will play the Tigers in two league games this season — and possibly see them again as a nonconference foe somewhere down the line.
“Danny and I will talk,” Hardaway promised, “and I’m sure there’ll be something that we will both want to do in the future.”
“Going forward with 20 Big East games, that’s gonna be a bear,” said Hurley. “We’re only gonna have a couple of nonconference chances to play some elitelevel games. So, that’s something that we would consider, because of the level that Penny has them at.”
Indeed, there doesn’t seem to be any bad blood between UConn and its current conference mates.
“You can’t let it affect you, personally,” said AAC commissioner Mike Aresco.
Still, Hurley isn’t expecting to be treated like royalty during his team’s final goround through the conference.
“There’s not gonna be a lot of hugs and tears on our departure,” he said. “So, let’s use that as fuel. They’re probably gonna stuff us in some worse locker rooms in arenas. We’ll get some people yelling some stuff at us. Use that as fuel, but don’t harp on what the last three years have been like here. That’s not our burden to carry, not their burden to carry.”
And a year from now, the AAC won’t have to worry about UConn anymore.
“There’s no question our league is in a good place,” said Marshall, “but losing UConn is a loss.”