After watching Arkansas defeat second-seeded St. John's on Saturday, UConn coach Dan Hurley envisioned a favorable path for his team to return to the Final Four, provided they could overcome Florida. For the first 30 minutes of their game on Sunday, it seemed a likely outcome as the Huskies managed to keep Florida's star player, Clayton, under control while also frustrating the Gators' ball handlers. "We dragged them into the type of game that we wanted to drag them into," Hurley stated. "We kind of dragged them into a Big East, low-possession game, which was the only way for us to give ourselves a chance to win."
However, it was Clayton who ultimately changed the course of the match with two crucial three-pointers. His first shot, made with 2:54 remaining, flipped a 61-59 deficit into a one-point lead for Florida. Just over a minute later, his second three from the corner extended the lead to four points. Despite a valiant effort from UConn in the closing moments, this sequence felt like the closing chapter of a storied dynasty. Florida coach Todd Golden praised his players, saying, "When it was kind of nut-cutting time, our players stepped up and made big plays. I think it was more about our guys stepping up and winning the game than UConn not pushing through."
After the final buzzer, the two coaches shared a heartfelt embrace on the court. In that moment, Hurley, a two-time championship coach, seemed to symbolize a passing of the torch to Golden, expressing his support for Florida's journey moving forward. "We all know the reality," Golden remarked. "If you're going to make a deep run in March, you've got to catch some breaks and win games like this to stay alive. Beating a team like UConn, that's used to winning this time of year, in the fashion we did should be really good for us moving forward."
As Florida advances in the tournament, Hurley is preparing for a mental reset at UConn. He acknowledged that unless the Huskies had won it all again, the disappointment felt after Sunday’s loss was inevitable. "There's a lot of rewiring and things I've got to do in the offseason," Hurley said. "You get caught up in this tidal wave of success that we've had, and you lose perspective. It will be nice to have a normal offseason and just focus on the upcoming season." He plans to make improved decisions regarding all aspects of coaching to prepare for future challenges.
Throughout the past year, Hurley has been under scrutiny due to his heated interactions with officials, which continued during Sunday’s game. His frustration peaked over a non-call on a drive by Alex Karaban, leading to animated protests from the sideline. However, following the loss, Hurley’s emotions shifted from anger to tears. After experiencing back-to-back championships and 13 consecutive tournament wins, he felt that this defeat was more than just the end of the 2024-25 season.
Hurley reflected on the incredible journey UConn has taken in recent years, stating, "You have no idea the company we're in and what we've accomplished. So we can take some solace in that. But today was -- to be that close to getting to a Sweet 16 ... the bracket could've really opened up for us." As UConn looks toward the future, the lessons learned from this season will undoubtedly shape their strategy and mindset moving forward.
