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Mar. 27—The UConn men’s basketball team sounds like it’s developing a 19th century presidential slogan for an offseason mantra.
For the Huskies, things over the next few months in Storrs will be all about “45-7.”
It’s kind of like “54-40 or Fight” but without James Polk or any other candidate with a platform to debate.
UConn coach Dan Hurley uttered the phrase some 10 times while discussing this team’s season on a Zoom call with reporters Friday. And it’s a safe bet his players have already heard the mantra 100 times.
The numbers come from how the Huskies’ season ended. It’s a count of the final minutes of their campaign.
Hurley took the Huskies back to the NCAA Tournament this season, ending the program’s five-year drought. But their stay lasted a mere one game, a 63-54 loss to Maryland in the opening round.
“You feel great about the steps we took this year but that last 45 minutes and seven seconds of game play — that last 5:07 against Creighton and 40 minutes against Maryland — that eats away at you as a coach or a player if that’s the last thing you do on the court,” Hurley said, adding the final minutes of a Big East Tournament semifinal loss to the Bluejays to complete the total.
The Husky players are going to hear “45-7” in the weight room in the Werth Center, on the practice courts there and in Gampel Pavilion, many times in Hurley’s office, perhaps in an email or text message from the coach, and maybe even shouted from a car that looks a lot like Hurley’s while they are walking to class.
Actually, the assistant coaches and support staff on the men’s basketball side are going to hear it plenty, too.
“The last 45 minutes and seven seconds of game play should push and drive every member of this organization in the offseason,” Hurley said.
“That should push us to deliver better next season and next March,” Hurley added.
UConn finished the year 15-8, as Hurley points out losing its last two in rather painful fashion. Against the Terps, UConn made just 32.3 percent of its field goal attempts — that’s the worst shooting performance by a UConn team in the NCAA Tournament since 1964.
It’s not like Hurley is disappointed in the season as a whole. Nor is he doubting the Huskies’ ability to take another step forward in the 2021-22 season.
He pointed to an incoming class ranked as the eight-best in the country by 247sports that includes guard Rahsool Diggins from Philadelphia, guard Jordan Hawkins from Gaithersburg, Maryland, and forward Samson Johnson from Lome, Togo.
“We have three big-time guys coming in,” Hurley said. “We return a lot of talent, a lot of players that have the ability to take a big step next year. I think we’ll be able to make big strides during this player development season (offseason).”
Time to say goodbye
Hurley doesn’t like to talk about it bluntly, but UConn will be losing its best player to the NBA Draft soon. Guard James Bouknight is likely to be a high pick and he will end his UConn career after two seasons.
“If you’re a lottery pick and you’re able to accomplish that in two years, that’s a pretty hard thing to turn down,” Hurley said.
Hurley said he hasn’t talked to Bouknight about an exact timetable for an announcement of his future plans, but it is coming.
“We’ve done a lot of reflecting on the end of the season. Just in general, having conversations. I’ve probably seen him more since the season’s over than I did throughout the year,” Hurley said.
Like many of the Huskies, Bouknight wasn’t pleased with how the season ended.
“It didn’t sit well with him, the way the year ended. It eats away at you,” Hurley said.
Bouknight scored 15 points in what was likely his UConn finale, the loss to Maryland, but was 1-for-6 from beyond the 3-point arc and 2-for-6 from the free throw line.
Fond farewells
Center Josh Carlton and guard Brendan Adams have already announced plans to play as graduate transfers at different schools next season. Hurley took a moment before taking any questions from the media Friday to thank the pair.
“I want to publicly thank Josh and Brendan for all their efforts on the court, in the classroom these last three years helping us rebuild the winning culture,” Hurley said. “Those guys have been a pleasure to coach and I wish those guys the best of luck.”
The other two UConn seniors, forward Tyler Polley and Isaiah Whaley, have not made any final decisions on their futures. Either or both could return to UConn with the next year of eligibility the NCAA has granted all players; either could opt to transfer to another school; or either could choose to turn professional.
“This isn’t an easy thing for players. Players in their position would normally try to catch on with the G-League or potentially head overseas,” Hurley said. “But with COVID that has changed a lot of the opportunities.”
The NCAA has said that any seniors who wish to return for that extra season of eligibility won’t count against a team’s total, which is not supposed to exceed 13.
“All four of those guys were welcome back,” Hurley said.
Ready to cook again
Akok Akok, who returned this season after suffering a torn achilles tendon late in the 2019-20 season, did not play in any of UConn’s last five games. The 6-foot-9 forward from Manchester, New Hampshire, played in seven games this season after making his debut Jan. 9 against Butler.
He scored a total of nine points to go along with three rebounds and one blocked shot. Akok, not to mention the Huskies, had hoped to be more effective on the court in his return.
“I think Akok, all the work that he put in to get back on the court was really, really impressive. There are markers in terms of recovery. At 11 or 12 months you can play, but you won’t be back to yourself or even making improvements on your former self until like the 18-month mark,” Hurley said.
“There were days or weeks in practice or game nights where he felt really, really good and he felt fresh,” Hurley added. “And there were other moments where he didn’t feel as good.”
Hurley said the offseason will be important for Akok, not to mention some other returning players, to take major strides in development.
A rooting interest
Although he couldn’t stomach watching much of the second round of the tournament after his team was eliminated, Hurley said he is going to watch the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games this weekend. His rooting interests will be for his Big East brethren, Villanova and Creighton, along with the Crimson Tide.
“I’m rooting for Jay (Wright) and Greg (McDermott) and rooting for the Big East there. And Nate (Oats). Nate’s the only other dog I’ve got in the race right now,” Hurley said of his friend, the Alabama head coach.
Oats met Hurley when the latter was recruiting E.C. Matthews to Rhode Island. Oats was Matthews’ coach at Romulus High School outside Detroit.
Oats later worked as an assistant to Hurley’s brother, Bob Hurley, at Buffalo, and eventually replaced the elder Hurley as the Bulls’ head coach when Bob Hurley went to Arizona State.
Neill covers UConn men’s basketball and UConn football teams, and he keeps a finger on the pulse of Connecticut sports. For live game updates, and more insight into UConn athletics, player transfers, and team changes, follow Neill on Twitter: @NeillOstrout, Facebook: JINeillO, and Instagram: @NeillOstrout.
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