Be it on the hardwood or with a mic in the broadcasting room, Charles Barkley has always lived boldly, but his latest take didn’t sit quite well with Dan Hurley. It tipped off with Barkley’s prediction for the UConn-Illinois Final Four game, in which the NBA legend largely leaned towards the Fighting Illini. But as reality set in, it was UConn who got the victory, and subsequently, Hurley didn’t hesitate to hold Barkley accountable, prompting a string of reactions from the fans.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a close game. I think Illinois is going to beat them pretty good,” was Barkley’s statement on the TNT Sports show before the game. And the Huskies just made a mockery of it, winning 72-61, leaving Hurley to go on a rant against it in the post-game press conference.

“I just couldn’t be proud of my guys, and you know how hard they fought when most people didn’t think we were going to win the game, or at least a little bit of what I saw on TV today, TNT, and some of those prognostications,” Hurley said. “So, it was great to win the game, and I had to throw some shade.”

Although Hurley didn’t mention Barkley by name, it was clear who his post-game comments were aimed at. For context, Barkley’s assessment had some substance. The NBA veteran had shared that Illinois’ physicality near the paint can harm Hurley’s team immensely in this important game.

With bigs like Tomislav Ivisic and Zvonimir Ivisic, the Fighting Illini have defended pretty well this season. But Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies handled the defense with ease. The Huskies scored pretty convincingly throughout, hitting 12 three-pointers. Additionally, UConn also moved the ball across quite seamlessly, with Braylon Mullins and Tarris Reed Jr leading the charge and combining for 32 points.

This added up perfectly for UConn’s 9-point win against the Fighting Illini, proving Barkley’s predictions wrong and allowing Dan Hurley and the NCAA Community to go all out against the NBA veteran.

Fans Don’t Mince Their Words in the Charles Barkley-Dan Hurley Fiasco

“He ALWAYS bets against UCONN. We don’t need him,” a fan wrote.

“Barkley picked the UConn opponent to win the last 3 games haha!!” commented another.

Fans were quick to note that Chuck had predicted against the Huskies in crucial games several times before. Notably, for the upcoming Championship game as well between UConn and Michigan, Barkley has predicted against Dan Hurley’s Huskies. “I don’t see they (Michigan) have any weaknesses,” Barkley said. “I think Dusty May is a hell of a coach. Y’all talk about experience, he has been to the Final Four a lot lately.”

“I just think he’s underrated, and I think Michigan is going to get its first National Championship in 25 years.” This sums up perfectly Barkley’s possible stance against UConn at major points in this tournament.

“This dude is literally wrong every time. Someone take his mic away,” stated a fan.

Charles Barkley’s predictions have indeed gone wrong several times in the season. While the UConn-Illinois game was the latest in this regard and put him in the firing line from Dan Hurley and the fans, there have been several other instances when the veteran NBA player has missed the mark. For instance, in the Sweet 16 game between Duke and St. John’s, Chuck had predicted that Rick Pitino and the Red Storm would win.

But as reality set in, it was Jon Scheyer’s time that had the final laugh. Even before the March Madness tip-off, Barkley has said he believes the Arizona Wildcats will win the Big Dance. “I’ve been watching more college basketball, and as I call March Madness, it’s the “Arizona Invitational” just for the record. That’s what March Madness is going to be,” Barkley boldly claimed.

And against his predictions, the Wildcats fumbled hard in the Final Four against the Michigan Wolverines. These constant far-off predictions, of course, haven’t sat well with the fans. And this completely sums up their frustration with Barkley.

“Nerd. Dudes always been a UConn hater,” chimed in another.

“Dawg genuinely hates UConn,” summed up another.

Of course, Barkley’s predictions have frequently aligned against UConn of late. But it’s important not to be biased by recency. There have also been ample times when he has spoken well of the Huskies and Dan Hurley. For instance, in the Elite Eight game against Duke, Barkley claimed that Hurley’s coaching might push UConn to victory. And it eventually happened.

Other instances from this narrative might include the 2024 NCAA Championship game, when Barkley predicted that Hurley and UConn would win, and it did. With Charles Barkley already presuming he will root against UConn in the Championship game, it will be important to see which side this prediction falls on.

As far as we know, and given his aggressive nature, Dan Hurley won’t hesitate to go all out to guide his team to a win in this Championship game and prove Barkley wrong. The tip-off is on April 6 (Monday) at 8:06 p.m. ET at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Which side are you weighing in to win this ceremonious final and clinch the national title? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.