The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Hurley a fan of ‘secret’ scrimmages
AVON — Closeddoor scrimmages between Division I teams are the new rage in college basketball these days.
Dozens of highprofile programs hold such events, dubbed “secret scrimmages,” since the teams involved aren’t allowed to publicize them in any way, and no fans or media are allowed to watch.
However, their existence is hardly a secret, and the long list of closeddoor scrimmages being held throughout the country are routinely announced on social media and other outlets by local and national college basketball scribes.
Let the record show that UConn coach Dan Hurley prefers these scrimmages behind closed doors — where coaches can stop play and give extra emphasis to certain facets of their team — as opposed to exhibition games which are open to the public but typically played against Division II foes.
“The exhibition, for me, doesn’t bring anywhere near the value — besides getting out and playing in front of the crowd,” Hurley said on Monday at the Connecticut Basketball Coaches Breakfast a the Golf Club of Avon. “We would love to have more of a playing component to First Night, a 20minute scrimmage, maybe do a Blue/White or Blue/Grey (game) next year and go with two closed scrimmages. There’s so much more value. It challenges a lot of your principles, especially at the defensive end of the court, where we need to get so much better.”
Although not publicized by UConn, multiple reports and sources have confirmed that the Huskies will be playing at Harvard in a closeddoor scrimmage on Friday. The teams played in a secret scrimmage last season, as well, and Hurley played Harvard — coached by Tommy Amaker —
in such events numerous times while at the helm at Rhode Island, as well.
UConn’s one and only public exhibition game will be played on Oct. 30 against DII St. Michael’s College at the XL Center. Not that Hurley is totally against such exhibitions.
“We do get under the lights,” he noted. “There’s a little of that ‘openingnight jitters’ you can get out. But playing two highlevel college teams is really good, to see what’s gonna work and what you have to (work on).”
IN-STATE AFFAIR
UConn’s first official game of the 201920 season will be on Nov. 8 against Sacred Heart at Gampel Pavilion. It will be the seventh time the Huskies have played their instate brethren and first time since 2015. UConn has never lost to Sacred Heart.
Hurley is all for scheduling local schools — to a point.
“It’s got to make sense for us, in terms of the makeup of our schedule,” he said. “You’re trying to have your nonconference schedule, the ‘buy’ games, probably a mixture of teams that are picked to win their league, maybe some middleofthepack, and maybe one or two you mixed in there where you get the opportunity to get a different type of game. You’d like to help the other programs and have a game the state would be excited about, but it’s got to fit our schedule.”
And, of course, there’s always the need to avoid any potential embarrassment — like when UConn lost at home to Yale a few years ago.
“In certain years, if every team in the state is picked to win their league, and we’re not at the point where we’re good enough ...,” Hurley said, with a laugh. “I think as Year 2 turns into Year 3, hopefully we’re at such a level that that won’t matter. The first two years, it matters.”
SHU coach Anthony Latina is excited to face the Huskies.
“I grew up in Connecticut, a huge UConn fan,” Latina said. “What Jim Calhoun did was awesome to see... Danny’s a friend, he’s doing an unbelievable job. This is one of those things that sounds like a good idea, and then we actually have to play the game. Hopefully, with about 18 minutes to go in the second half, I’m not looking up at the scoreboard and saying, ‘Why, in God’s name, did I play UConn?’”
GAFFNEY GETTING BETTER
Jalen Gaffney, sidelined recently with an ankle injury, is getting better, according to Hurley, and will hopefully be able to participate in ‘live’ practices by this weekend.