Dan Hurley Didn’t Hold Back on Zach Edey’s Special Treatment in UConn’s NCAA Title Win Over Purdue
Compared to a certain women’s Final Four game, this year’s men’s NCAA tournament final didn’t produce nearly as much of a blood-boiling controversy over the officiating. Still, some calls from the UConn Huskies’ 75-60 title win against the Purdue Boilermakers didn’t sit well with coach Dan Hurley.
The Huskies coach had choice words about the referees’ seemingly special treatment of Purdue big man Zach Edey in particular and insinuated that they let him get away with a few no-calls on Monday night.
“I was on [the referees’] ass,” Hurley told Pat McAfee on Tuesday. “The dude [Edey], I mean, he’s a giant, man. He’s a 'Game of Thrones' giant out there and it’s like, there’s this three-second rule that they seem to ignore a lot with him. He’s very physical, and then, you know, they call a touch foul.”
In the first half, Hurley was seen confronting the 7’4’’, 300-pound Edey on the court after Edey’s hard screen wasn’t called for an offensive foul. Throughout the game, the Huskies didn’t have many defensive answers for Edey, who finished with 37 points and 10 rebounds, but they still came away with their second consecutive NCAA title and sixth all-time.
When Hurley and the Huskies start their dynastic quest for the coveted three-peat next season, they can take solace in the fact that they won’t be facing Edey again, as the Purdue senior center likely played his final college game in 2024.
