The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
FrankenHurley eager to bring UConn back from the dead
STORRS — Geno Auriemma does not pretend to be inside Dan Hurley’s huddle let alone his head. There is only one school, yet there are two distinct sides to the Werth Family Champions Center. There also is one Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and the UConn women’s coach is the one enshrined.
His observations are not to be taken lightly.
“We don’t get as much of a closeup view on what everybody is doing, things that keep us in our own little bunkers,” Auriemma said. “But when you watch the men play, listen to Dan talk, there’s a definite philosophy that exists.
“I’m sure it’s going to take some time, but after one year there’s a tremendous difference in what the players are saying, what they look like, how they compete, what the expectation level is. The intensity level Dan and his staff are coaching at, they’ve established their identity. It may translate into a lot more wins this season. It may not. I do know it looks and feels significantly better.”
A day before his second UConn season opener against Sacred Heart, Hurley looks wired.
The men’s coach feels like the Modern Prometheus.
“My energy level is off the charts today,” Hurley said. “I can feel the electricity through my body with the games starting tomorrow. I almost feel like Frankenstein. The lightning struck. The bolts in my neck, you know what I mean?
“I just want to be in the huddle where everybody looks like that. We’re not there yet, but maybe the lightning will hit the top of the dorm tonight. Let’s hope.”
This we know. Hurley is a program builder and a relationship builder, methodical, confident, parental. He arrived in Storrs and engendered enough trust that no one on the roster he inherited transferred. That is a minor miracle in today’s college game. As late as Thursday, his decision to suspend James Bouknight a scrimmage, an exhibition and three games, including UConn’s first marquee matchup against No. 6 Florida, struck me as a solid blend of considered justice and fatherly understanding.
This much we also know. Once the whistle blows, Dan Hurley coaches like his pants are on fire. We’d say hair, too, but thanks to the spontaneous combustion of the Hurley family DNA most that hair has long since singed and disappeared. This is what happens when you go 1317 and 821 in the first year of your previous college coaching stops. This is when all that work and passion turns 2138 into 13067 of Year 2 and beyond.
This is what we don’t know. How many wins the program builder will produce in Year 2 at Storrs. At Wagner 1317 turned into 256, but Wagner was a different story and a different level. At URI 821, turned into 1418 and it was Year 3 when the Rams burst to 2310.
What would define success? Alterique Gilbert, who needs to remain healthy if the team trajectory is to continue upward, said make the NCAA Tournament and go from there. Christian Vital, never one to shy away from hyperbole, said success would be a fifth national championship banner. Oh, the optimism of youth.
“I think it’s hard,” Hurley said. “You guys (in the media), fans, you guys want a number. In this type of situation, it’s a challenging thing. We’re Year 2 of rebuilding a program that had fallen quite a bit from the top of the mountain. But we also have some older players. If Alterique can take it up a notch, if Christian can take it up a notch, Josh (Carlton) and Tyler (Polley), we’ve got a chance to compete at the top of the league potentially, potentially compete for postseason.
“Year 2, Wagner was 25 wins. Rhode Island was 14 wins. You just don’t know how which one it will be. When the lights go on will we have enough guys take that big jump. I haven’t been here enough to truly know.”
Going through a schedule and trying to project a record is a favorite hobby of media and fans. That’s a
win. That’s a loss. Does Hurley do it, too?
“You do it initially when the schedule comes out, with the conference schedule, the way you comprise the nonconference schedule, how you want to structure the games,” Hurley said. “Not now.”
Now, the concentration is on Sacred Heart, he’s already dipped into St. Joe’s and has been watching Florida video for a month. Now, there’s no time to do anything other than compartmentalize on the next opponent.
“I haven’t played out all the scenarios,” Hurley said. “I just know if every guy gives us their best and have a determination, will and spirit, a killer instinct, a warrior mentality and we play like winners and get that losing stench out of our bones — there’s upside to this team. Also, too, no one has proven it. Doing it is doing it.”
Got to be ruthless killers on the court. Hurley said that twice on this day. We’re positive he was speaking metaphorically, and no fatalities are in any game plan, yet it is indicative of him making good on the wisdom that “Hurley teams” are tough physically and mentally.
“My biggest frustration is we’re very hardworking, really good guys,” Hurley said. “I want more of that swagger, more of that confidence of being a basketball player at UConn. I don’t know if it has beaten out of these guys the last couple of years. The losing sets in and you start wearing it like a shirt.
“In huddle, it practices, in games, I want to see that look.”
The Frankenstein Look. It’s impossible to know how seedings and byes will shake out in the AAC Tournament. So this is my baseline for regular season success: 2011 (108 in the AAC). Win a tough night or two on the American road in February. That would show the grit Hurley wants. The Huskies have had a nasty habit of a finishing lower than their selection in the preseason poll. They’re picked sixth this time. With No. 5 USF suddenly without Alexis Yetna
for the season, how about UConn make a serious run at fourth place?
Sitting on 2122 wins on Selection Sunday would get the Huskies on the bubble. Probably one of the last handful of teams outside the NCAAs, yet in the NIT and showing determined steps in the right direction.
Auriemma, in the meantime, is convinced UConn — especially the men’s program — heading to the Big East next season is the right direction.
“You look at the schools we’re going to playing against next year and they’ve managed to go pretty far on the strength of their men’s basketball program,” Auriemma said. “Villanova, Marquette, Butler, Creighton, Georgetown over the years. How important is a great men’s program in that league? It will make us even more of a household name than we already are. Whatever was faded a little bit over the years, it’ll be back in no time.
“There was a time when I thought it was harder to win the Big East than the national championship. We had the best of both worlds.
Just enough good football schools that were nationally competitive and over half the basketball league where no one would be surprised if they were in the Sweet 16. It must have been a strange dynamic for the Catholic schools. The basketball league was actually more popular than the football part, but there were football schools saying it’s time to move on. And then the basketball schools said it isn’t working for us …”
Poof. Gone. Ancient history.
“You know, it didn’t diminish the Big East schools one iota,” Auriemma said. “Providence is better than they were. Seton Hall is the best they’ve been since P.J. (Carlesimo). It comes down to this. You’ve got to hire the right guys to coach. Ed Cooley at Providence, Kevin Willard is the perfect guy at Seton Hall.”
Which brings him to Hurley’s second year.
It looks and feels significantly better.