Dan Hurley and the Huskies won’t be dancing any further. Their title defense ends here. The Florida Gators are moving on to the Sweet 16, taking down the back-to-back champs in a thriller. “I thought we played with tremendous honor,” Hurley said, his voice heavy with emotion. “We played with the heart of a championship program, a program that’s gone back to back. For a team to end what we really wanted to do, they were going to have to put us down.” Florida had to fight for this win. But let’s be real–luck was on their side too!

Refereeing mistakes are becoming a constant in big games. This one was no different. Dan Hurley was furious when Alex Karaban drove to the hoop and got hit and no whistle was called on him. That moment changed everything. UConn was up by two with three minutes left. Then, in the blink of an eye, they were down by three. They never recovered. But let’s be honest–this loss wasn’t just on the refs. The Huskies had their chances. You can’t blame the officials for everything!

Tate Frazier didn’t hold back on The Mark Titus Show. He pointed out UConn’s biggest flaw against Florida—poor three-point shooting. He said, “UConn walks away from this saying Boys if we could have shot better than 27% from the three-point line we would have pulled off this upset today.”

Frazier’s blunt assessment wasn’t just punditry; it was a spotlight on UConn’s Achilles’ heel, one that shocked fans who’d seen the Huskies dominate with perimeter shooting in past title runs. In 2023 and 2024, UConn’s tournament success leaned on efficient three-point barrages—think Jordan Hawkins and Cam Spencer—but this year’s squad couldn’t replicate it. Florida’s defense, ranked among the nation’s best, clogged the paint and dared UConn to shoot, a challenge the Huskies couldn’t meet.

UConn’s defense was on point last night, but their three-point shooting? A different story. It was a similar tale for St. John’s against Arkansas. A poor shooting day almost always spells trouble.UConn’s big three– Alex Karaban, Liam McNeeley, and Solo Ball struggled beyond the arc. Karaban shot 2-9, McNeeley went 2-8 (with the last one cutting the deficit to just 2), and Ball also finished with 2-9. If just one of them had found their rhythm, things could’ve turned out differently for the Huskies.

Hurley was nothing but proud of his Huskies. They left it all on the court. Despite the loss, he knew they gave their best. Hurley made it clear—his team deserved nothing but love and support from the fans. Let’s take a look at what Hurley had to say about his squad.

Dan Hurley proud of his team

“I just love ‘em. Just love ‘em,” Hurley said of his team. “This year’s been a real battle. We’ve battled and we’ve had to battle and battle and battle. At times I don’t think we liked each other a whole lot with some of the things we had to go through together but I don’t think I’ll ever love a team more than how hard they fought for what we were trying to accomplish and for the honor they played with today.”

This wasn’t just a game for Hurley—it was the culmination of a grueling 2024-25 season that saw UConn face early struggles in non-conference play and finish second in the Big East, a far cry from their dominant runs in 2023 and 2024.

The 52-year-old also admitted his antics sometimes distracted the team. Going forward, that’s got to change! Hurley himself recognized that ego got in the way. “You struggle with the ego at times because you’ve been on this incredible run,” he said.

The Huskies absolutely had the right to talk their smack, especially as the first school in nearly 20 years to win back-to-back championships. However, at times, Hurley pushed it too far, putting a massive target on UConn’s back. That spotlight wasn’t always easy to handle. Now, Hurley is shifting focus to the transfer portal, searching for key pieces to bring in. With a few smart moves, he’s hoping to rebuild and turn the Huskies back into a championship contender for next season. Stay tuned, there’s more to come in the near future!