Providence basketball prepares to face national powerhouse UConn and coach Dan Hurley
Dan Hurley has lived up to his promise.
It’s approaching six years since his move from the University of Rhode Island to an old Yankee Conference rival.
What he’s done, simply, is restore the University of Connecticut to power. The Huskies are coming off a fifth men’s basketball national championship since 1999, are the current favorite for at least a share of a first Big East regular-season title since 2005-06 and the No. 1 team in the polls for the first time since 2009.
Providence, quite clearly, faces a daunting challenge on Wednesday night at Gampel Pavilion.
“I knew deep down inside I wanted just one more job in coaching, a place where Final Fours and national championships are a distinct possibility,” Hurley said the day he was introduced in March 2018. “I had to make one more move to put myself in that position, and this was that move. This was that destination.”
Why wouldn’t Hurley back himself? He built a prep monster at St. Benedict’s in his native New Jersey, won 25 games in just his second season at Wagner and finished 51-18 over his final two years in Kingston. None of those jobs had the advantages offered at UConn — recent March tradition, energized fanbase, modern practice facility, deep staff salary pool, the chance to recruit at the highest level of the sport.
The marriage of dormant blueblood and determined leader has been an ideal one. UConn is a battering ram at the moment — the Huskies are 33-4 in their last 37 games, with winning streaks of eight, 13 and six. That middle run started in the NCAA Tournament last season and spilled into the beginning of this 2023-24 campaign.
This recent dominance includes a pair of victories against the Friars. UConn stuffed them over the final 12:39 to notch an 87-69 blowout on campus last February. The Huskies did their work early at Madison Square Garden in March, opening a 26-point lead and hanging on for a 73-66 triumph at the conference tournament.
Hurley’s best teams at URI largely excelled at the defensive end. He's unlocked an offensive component at UConn to go along with that nastiness. The numbers at KenPom.com tell the story of an all-around problem difficult to solve for opposing coaches.
In the last five seasons, the Huskies have been a top-25 team in offensive rebounding and blocked shot percentage, a top-35 team in 2-point defense and a top-50 team in effective field-goal defense. In the last four seasons, UConn has been a top-30 adjusted offense and a top-45 adjusted defense. There are few weaknesses to exploit, and a return to health for a frontcourt star has given the Huskies (18-2, 8-1 Big East) a midseason boost.
Donovan Clingan (foot) was back in the starting lineup for a 99-56 shelling of Xavier over the weekend. UConn has played two of its three most efficient defensive games of the year since Clingan shed the walking boot that cost him almost a full calendar month. Clingan is one of several recent recruits who helped elevate the program’s talent base, an in-state target from nearby Bristol.
A return from the American Athletic Conference certainly gave the Huskies a boost, but make no mistake — Hurley was always going to do better than Kevin Ollie here. Future NBA players like James Bouknight, Andre Jackson and Adama Sanogo had already debuted for or committed to the school, and UConn improved by four conference wins in 2019-20. Clingan, Jordan Hawkins, Alex Karaban and this current top-5 national class of freshmen — Stephon Castle has starred among that group — have continued the assembly line of gifted contributors.
Providence (14-6, 5-4) has stabilized after losing Bryce Hopkins for the season due to a left knee injury and dropping four straight. The Friars won a third consecutive game on Saturday, an emotional 84-76 reunion with visiting Georgetown and former coach Ed Cooley. Devin Carter continued to excel with 29 points, including 11 in the final 1:53 to help decide it.
More: Providence basketball defeats Georgetown and spoils Ed Cooley's return, but it wasn't easy
An upset here would give Providence just its third win against the nation’s top team — the last came in February 2009 against Pittsburgh. The Friars are 3-3 against the Huskies since they rejoined the league but just 30-41 dating to the 1974-75 season. An ECAC regional matchup at Springfield Civic Center ended what had been a hiatus in the rivalry dating to the 1946-47 campaign.
More: Here's what Ed Cooley said after his Hoyas lost to his former team before a sellout crowd
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Dan Hurley has restored a winning tradition at UConn
