For the second consecutive season, the UConn Huskies have secured upward advancement to the Final Four.
The Big East Crusaders are on the path to becoming the inaugural back-to-back champions in men’s college basketball since the triumphant reign of the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2007.
In the Elite Eight showdown, the Huskies bulldozed their way past the Illinois Fighting Illini, with a solid score of 77-52.
This victory warrants them a seat on the extended flight to Phoenix, where they are set to play against the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Post-victory, Head Coach Dan Hurley was not all smiles and cheers. He centered his attention on a tweet from former Illinois shooting guard and ESPN analyst, Sean Harrington.
Dan Hurley upset over ESPN analyst’s ‘asinine’ tweet https://t.co/CDypX3nlmZ pic.twitter.com/oe32YxAlNj
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 31, 2024
Harrington had made a controversial assertion in his tweet last Thursday, stating that UConn had yet to face a competitor like Illinois’ Terrance Shannon Jr.
Furthermore, he suggested that UConn wouldn’t withstand Shannon Jr’s onslaught, causing Hurley to retaliate.
Illini to the Elite 8. Defense stepped up tonight. Illini were the more physical team. Iowa State didn’t get any easy buckets. TSJ was the best player on the floor again. And TSJ will be the best player on the floor Saturday. UCONN doesn’t have a good answer for him.
— Sean Harrington (@smharrington24) March 29, 2024
Hurley interpreted this as a blatant disrespect towards the Big East’s integrity and skill, resulting in him retaliating.
He addressed the offending comments post-game, calling Harrington’s statement “asinine.”
“The Big East is a monster. Iron sharpens iron. The league prepares us for these non-conference games. I read a tweet last night from a former Illinois player, Sean Harrington, he was a good player. It was something like ‘UConn has never had to play against this physical of team and has never seen someone like Terrance Shannon Jr.’ or something along those lines. Statements like that are just asinine. You’re going against beasts and monsters every night in the Big East. Sorry if I misquoted him on that, but that’s what I took from it,” Hurley explained in his postgame press conference.
Dan Hurley references former Illinois player Sean Harrington's comments about UConn not having seen a player like Terrence Shannon:
"Statements like that are asinine. You're going against beasts and monsters every night in the Big East." pic.twitter.com/2pTXAJ3cML
— UConn on SNY (@SNYUConn) March 31, 2024
The irony of Harrington’s comment became apparent when Terrance Shannon Jr concluded the game with a mere eight points, following an awful 2-12 shooting performance.
The UConn Huskies continue to set records, boasting ten successive NCAA Tournament games, each won by a remarkable 13 points or more.
It’s become increasingly clear that the Big East effectively prepared this team for the ongoing battles, as reflected in their present winning streak.
