UConn Huskies, Dan Hurley Won't Love This New Take About Last Season

UConn chased a historic three-peat, but an early stumble in Maui and Big East struggles left the Huskies short of their championship standard.

Mar 23, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Connecticut Huskies forward Liam McNeeley (30) drives to the basket during the second half against Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

For Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies, being average is unacceptable. Unfortunately, based on ESPN's end-of-season report card for Big East teams, average is the only way to describe how things went for the Huskies, with UConn getting a C from the Worldwide Leader in Sports.

Heading into the 2024-25 season, UConn was looking to become the first program since the 1969 UCLA Bruins to win back-to-back-to-back championships. However, as ESPN points out, the Huskies going 0-3 at the Maui Invitational set an unfortunate early tone for UConn, something they struggled to shake throughout the season.

After the three-game losing skid, UConn would go on an eight-game winning streak, picking up two impressive wins over Baylor and Gonzaga. But when the Huskies got into the thick of Big East action, UConn wasn't as impressive, losing to Villanova, Xavier, and Creighton in January.

That up-and-down conference play earned UConn the third seed in the Big East tournament, where the Huskies would lose to Creighton in the semifinals 71-62. Thankfully, the program's pedigree was enough to earn an NCAA tournament invite. But after losing to the eventual champion Florida Gators in the second round, the Huskies, and their average season, had come to an end.

ESPN does note that a healthy Liam McNeeley, missed eight games, might have made the difference for UConn last season. But that early skid in Maui and uninspiring Big East play made it clear that the Huskies didn't have their usual edge, and their dream of three-peating seemed improbable.

Thankfully, the past is in the past, and UConn is already looking ahead to next season. With the Huskies making power moves in the transfer portal and the highly anticipated arrival of freshman phenom Jacob Furphy, the Huskies should be back to their championship standard sooner rather than later.