Dan Hurley makes eye-popping claim after two national title wins

03/05/2024 03:32

The UConn Huskies have been at the top of the college basketball world for the past two seasons. Under head coach Dan Hurley, UConn has won back to back national championships. They were kind of a surprise during the 2022-23 season, but this past season they were essentially the title favorites all year. With the team now looking to reach rarefied air with a three-peat, Hurley believes his 2024-25 roster is the best one he’s had so far as per David Borges of CT Insider.

“We think, top to bottom, this could be our most talented roster,” Hurley said. Hurley also mentioned that he believes the Huskies don’t need to be as good as they were during the 2023-24 season to accomplish a three-peat as no other current team in college basketball can reach the level UConn was at last season.

The Huskies finished last season with an overall record of 37-3 and 18-2 in Big East Conference play. The Huskies essentially steamrolled through the competition in the NCAA Tournament, often using big second half runs to put their opponents away. The national championship game between UConn and Purdue was billed as heavyweight bout, but the Huskies were too dominant in the second half.

UConn’s new additions could make them ‘Mike Tyson in his prime’

While the Huskies will enter the 2024-25 season as the defending national champions, there’s no denying that they suffered some heavy losses. Tristen Newton and Cam Spence are out of college eligibility. Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan are off to the NBA. Alex Karaban could join them but he is currently maintaining his college eligibility while submitting his name for the NBA Draft.

But it’s not like Dan Hurley and UConn haven’t been in this position before. Following their 2023 national championship, they lost Jordan Hawkins, Andre Jackson and Adama Sanogo to the NBA and still managed to be the top team in the country and national champions.

Reinforcements are on the way though for Hurley and the Huskies. ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla recently called UConn, ‘Mike Tyson in his prime,’ as per Adam Zagoria of NJ Advance Media.

UConn pulled off a massive win in via the transfer portal this past week landing the commitment of former Saint Mary’s guard Aidan Mahaney. Mahaney had been one of the top players available in the portal and is a legitimate NBA prospect.

This past season with the Gaels, Mahaney averaged 13.9 points per game, 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists with splits of 38.6 percent shooting from the field, 35.5 percent shooting from the three point line and 81.3 percent shooting from the free throw line. UConn also added former Michigan forward Tarris Reed Jr. in the transfer portal.

In addition to the transfer portal additions, Dan Hurley and his staff have a strong incoming recruiting class highlighted by five-star wing Liam McNeeley. McNeeley was one of the top high school players in the country and was originally committed to Indiana before withdrawing his commitment. UConn will also have Ahmad Nowell of Imhotep Institute and Isaiah Abraham of Paul IV Catholic as part of their 2024 recruiting class.

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