Huskies head coach Dan Hurley hinted long back that he was eyeing back-to-back titles. It was a little difficult to digest considering the fact that the last time someone won the Championship consecutively was in 2006 and 2007. And the team was the Florida Gators under head coach Billy Donovan. But given Hurley’s art of marshaling his young troops, another gold might soon glitter for him.

The University of Connecticut Huskies trumped the San Diego State Aztecs in the NCAA Championship 2022-23 Finale by a respectable margin of 76-59. Their guard Tristen Newton and center Adama Sanogo besotted a double-double, helping their team clinch the Championship trophy. While Newton potted 19 points with 10 rebounds, Sanogo smashed 17 with 10. The match was a delight for the Huskies fan.

What’s the winning formula?

It seemed to be a Herculean task for the Huskies since they lost Sanogo to G-league, their guard Andre Jackson Jr. to the Milwaukee Bucks, and another guard Jordan Hawkins to the New Orleans Pelicans. But that did not deter the Huskies from giving their best this season.

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They almost beat the Kansas Jayhawks, shorthanded only by four points, and then upended the North Carolina Tar Heels with an honorable margin of 87-76, instilling back the faith in their devoted fans.

Hurley got back two of their starters Tristen Newton and Alex Karaban whereas Donovan Clingan used height to his advantage to step in the shoes of their lost center Sanogo. Though Clingan has battled his own share of injuries, he has averaged a decent 13.4 points with 5.9 rebounds per game.

Despite their freshman Stephon Castle playing for only 54 minutes due to injuries, the Huskies have somehow cruised to a stupendous 8-1 margin in the NCAA. Karaban with his injured finger has shot just 23.3% and yet the Huskies have somewhat found the winning formula.

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“It was always about culture, culture, culture,” Hurley says. “Toughness. Defense. Hard preparation and scouting. It was about culture, play harder with the defense. We play both ends of the court now. And we recruit talented, good people.”

The Transition

Hurley’s strategy changed when the Huskies lost during the NCAA 2021-22 first round to the New Mexico State by a 73-60 margin. He knew that he needed a top-level offense to help him stay on track in big games. Hurley changed his coaching techniques and became one of the best coaches in a span of one year.

Newton has taken the onus of responsibility on himself, basketing 17.1 points with 7.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists. He also stands as the highest in his team in all three departments.

Clingan has not matched up to Hurley’s expectations but has been good. However, it is their guard Cam Spencer who has shown a lot of grit, smashing 23 points against the Tar Heels with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. He refused to be subdued by the rival’s center Armando Bacot. 

With this, the Huskies look like a more offensively committed team. They regularly search for open spots and push the ball toward the basket. Hurley has been their main man since he devised such tactics that wouldn’t lessen the defense but add to the offense.

The UConn thus screeched past 10 three-pointers for the fourth time in the current NCAA season with only six turnovers. 

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If they keep going the way they are, who knows they might get the title back consecutively and script history.