The UConn basketball program had a dreadful trip to the Maui Invitational this week, losing all three games to Memphis, Colorado and Dayton. The Memphis and Colorado games could have gone either way, but the showing against Dayton was very lackluster for UConn basketball.
The Huskies now sit at 4-3 on the season, with the three losses coming against the quality teams they have played. Things will have to turn around quickly for UConn and Dan Hurley to feel good about where this season is going. There are a lot of talented recruits on the team, but it remains to be seen if all of the pieces fit together.
Offensively, UConn has fared well, but the defense has been the downfall in these games. Players like Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle are sorely missed on the defensive end of the floor. Those types of players are not easily replaceable, so it is not a surprise to see the Huskies take a bit of a dive defensively, but Dan Hurley teams usually end up being decent on that end, so the performance so far this season is a bit shocking. That will be the main area to look at in the coming weeks when it comes to seeing how the team could improve.
Fans flame UConn basketball coach Dan Hurley for turning down the Lakers
Notably this summer, Dan Hurley turned down both the Kentucky and Los Angeles Lakers head coaching jobs. It was not a surprise to see him turn down Kentucky, given how good of a fit UConn is for him. It was a tough decision for him to turn down the Lakers job, and fans took note of UConn's struggles, saying that he should have left.
Dan Hurley passed up a bag and coaching the Los Angeles lakers for an NIT bid season pic.twitter.com/Y5LmnCBUnk
— George🇬🇷 (@g_martin21) November 28, 2024
Lakers fans watching Dan Hurley's downfall…pic.twitter.com/lmHpdlSUYw https://t.co/4wDSW8uLhM
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) November 28, 2024
Dan Hurley is probably the most hated coach in America right now. Probably wishes he would have gone to the Lakers instead. Probably goes to the 76ers next year instead. pic.twitter.com/f4mi3ErdZS
— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) November 28, 2024
Dan hurley turned down the lakers to lose to Dayton in the 7th place game by 18 and lose 3 straight games vs unranked teams pic.twitter.com/9ymagmcWJv
— lil scratch and sniff 🔻 (@jackdwhelan) November 28, 2024
“Dan Hurley took UConn to back to back championships, people were calling him the next Billy Donovan and he turned down Kentucky and the Lakers. Now he's out here looking like Kevin Ollie 2.0… life comes at you fast,” wrote @jmcclr.
“I think if you're Dan Hurley you should've taken that Lakers job cause yikes this is getting ugly,” wrote @JacobW0512.
“Looks like Dan Hurley Should've Took the Lakers Money When They Offered It Bc UCONN Not Looking To Good,” wrote @BDGPGABE33.
Hurley notably cited family and geography when turning down the Lakers to say at UConn. He also wanted to try for a three-peat. This team does not look like a national championship team, but maybe it gets better throughout the year.