Rick Pitino HS criticism reaction: Dan Hurley states Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan and Liam McNeeley examples to highlight finding a balance
UConn coach Dan Hurley reacted to what his St. John's counterpart Rick Pitino had to say about getting players from high school.
During a media availability session for the Huskies' upcoming showdown with the Red Storm on Sunday, Hurley scoffed at Pitino's belief that recruiting high school players doesn't bring any good to a program contending for a national title.
The 52-year-old bench tactician insisted on investing in young players while keeping the veterans satisfied and securing the right pieces from the transfer portal should go hand-in-hand to maintain the balance in the team.
"I think when you're going through a season like this (and) after the seasons we've had ... in your mind you're evaluating a lot of things as you're preparing for the next opponent and trying to get the most out of your team," Hurley said (7:27). "I think having the balance, you could maintain enough culture pieces and just hit it right in the portal."
The two-time champion coach pointed to the recent composition of his team over the past three years. The Huskies made it a point to use their NIL money to invest in acquiring high-impact freshmen like Stephon Castle and Liam McNeeley and mixed them up with veteran reliables Donovan Clingan and Alex Karaban.
"I think investing in young players (and) being able to have high-impact freshmen like a Steph Castle or a Liam McNeeley or high contributors like a Donovan Clingan or Alex Karaban," the UConn coach said (8:56). "It's just you can have talented young players, but you've got to have strong older players, and you can't miss on your portal."
In an interview with Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take," former national champion coach Pitino rejected the possibility of securing the commitment of a five-star freshman to play with the team. He doesn't believe the young player could carry a team to the national championship.
"I probably wouldn't take him because I don't think you can win and win big with high school kids," Pitino said (1:04:48). "I really don't believe it."
Dan Hurley hopes UConn fans will turn out at Madison Square Garden despite the season record
When asked about what he expects from the fan distribution in the UConn-St. John's game at Madison Square Garden, Huskies coach Dan Hurley hopes alumni and fans will troop to the 19,500-seater facility and cheer for the team despite its pedestrian record for the season.
UConn is 10-5 in the Big East and 18-8 overall. The Huskies are 3 1/2 games behind conference-leading St. John's (23-4, 14-2). They must treat the game as a must-win situation to improve their chances in the NCAA Tournament.
Dan Hurley hopes the fan turnout could be 50-50 like previous seasons where the team is at the top spot, but he will also be happy if the crowd turnout has 40% UConn fans.
"Maybe because we're not as good as we've been and they're a lot better than they've been, I imagine the split tomorrow is going to be 70-30 again," Hurley said (13:51).
He was reminded of UConn's Dec. 14 game against Gonzaga at MSG, where the Huskies won. The veteran coach, however, discounted the familiarity with the arena's atmosphere and noted they'll still be at a disadvantage because St. John's will play as hosts.
Hurley said he wants his team to learn the lessons of losing a 14-point lead in its previous outing and not to repeat the mistakes in Sunday's rematch.