A balanced look
How Hurley and UConn manage the transfer portal while focusing on title run
BOSTON — As Dan Hurley and the UConn men's basketball team focus on a national title run, the transfer portal conveyor belt is already moving.
The college basketball portal opened for business on March 18, much to the chagrin of coaches like Hurley with teams in the throes of March Madness. Hurley said this week that he wished the portal would not open until the conclusion of the season, comparing the current setup to professional leagues that punish success teams with a lower draft pick.
But with potential portal targets available while the Huskies compete in the NCAA Tournament, UConn's staff much has one eye on next year's roster.
That job, Hurley said, falls on assistant coach Tom Moore. Hurley said Moore is a “pseudo-GM” who “projects what the roster's going to look like,”
“We're kind of having casual conversations about that, but we really are just trying to focus on next practice, studying the heck out of this Illinois team, staying in the moment, staying present with that,” Hurley said. “It hasn't hurt us in the past. That's the way we've always handled things.
“We're not good at tampering or cheating. We've never tried that and we've still been very successful. So we want to play out the season and, obviously, we'll deal with our roster situations. But we just, as a program, we want to have a high-level culture and the respect of our peers to not be one of those programs that's trying to steal players off other teams in season.”
As UConn moved through the tournament en route to a national title last year, members of the coaching staff were talking to transfer target on Zoom calls. Moore is managing that this year.
“Maybe make an initial call of interest,” Hurley said. “But, yeah, I'm not actively (involved) ... I think I've called a high school player that's available and had a phone conversation. But just think it's our practice for me and Kimani (Young) and Luke (Murray) to lock in
on the team and to take this season as far as we can go . ... If we lose players because we're moving slower, again, it hasn't hurt us the past two years,”
UConn targeted Towson shooting guard Nic Timberlake in the portal last year. When Timberlake chose Kansas, the Huskies turned to Cam Spencer from Rutgers.
Spencer (14.5 points) has turned out to be a vital part of the team this season, emerging as a leader and a productive player.
“A lot of the players will have made decisions because we're not recruiting,” Hurley said. “We may be listed by some players on some lists of having shown interest, but I know that I don't have interest right now because ... all you can focus on, I think with the way that we function as a program, is on our team and coaching the season, and then we'll make personnel moves once we're done coaching this group.”
Hurley's other view of the portal?
“I don't think you should play in five schools in four years or four schools in four years,” he said. “I don't think that's healthy for the individual for the long-term 50, 60-year life after their playing career is over because there's no connection with our university, a coaching staff, a network of alumni that can help create opportunities once basketball is over.
“I just think whether it's a one-time, I don't know. I don't like the window being open right now. I just don't think it's healthy for somebody to be able to change schools like underwear.”