"You don't take the belt from them": Dan Hurley explains why Huskies deserved the No. 1 spot at AP preseason poll
Despite winning back-to-back NCAA championships, Dan Hurley's UConn Huskies were not granted top spot on the AP preseason poll released last week. Instead, the Huskies are listed as No. 3 on the list with 11 votes. Nate Oats' Alabama Crimson Tide is placed second with 14 votes while Bill Self's Kansas Jayhawks top the list with 30 first-place votes.
The AP preseason poll does not affect a team's season or NCAA journey and is simply a measure to indicate some of the top teams in the college circuit. However, Dan Hurley is not happy with his team's rankings. The coach used a boxing analogy to argue his case while speaking to CBS Sports' Matt Norlander on the "Eye On College Basketball Podcast" on Wednesday.
"I could see when you look at a roster and you say, 'Well, it might not measure up to these other people that just went portal crazy.' Yeah I see that," Hurley said.
"You know, we did it two years in a row with compeltely differnt teams. Feel like we earned that number one the way a heavyweight champ would when they win the belt, even if they look staggered in fight, but they retain the belt. You don't take the belt from them. You let them keep the belt until they prove that they're not the champs anymore," he added.
Dan Hurley's consecutive titles is a rare feat in NCAA basketball. Currently, only seven teams have clinched the dominating run.
However, UConn is the only team to do so in the modern era of basketball after Florida (2006-07). Oklahoma State (1945-56), Kentucky Wildcats (1948-49), San Francisco Dons (1955-56), Cincinnati Bearcats (1961-62), UCLA Bruins (1964-65, 1967-1973) and Duke Blue Devils (1991-92) mounted the run in the 20th century.
Dan Hurley and UConn on the verge of making history
Before UConn's exhibition game against Rhode Island, the championship coach went through his fair share of jitters.
"I had no idea what's going to happen tonight," Hurley said after UConn's 102-75 win.
"You never know, I mean, especially when you lose as many players. Championship team two years ago, we lost so many players going into the first game you play, you have no idea what's your team going to look like," he added.
However, Hurley has won championships with a completely new set of stars and role players before.
With that, if UConn successfully clinches a three-peat, it will make the Huskies the only modern-day program to achieve the feat in men's basketball. Overall, UConn will be the second school to win three consecutive titles after the UCLA Bruins, who lifted seven consecutive titles from the late 60s to the early 70s.
Do you think Dan Hurley's UConn will three-peat next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.