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There will be nights like this, as for all teams.
There will be games that will look like marathon explorations of frustration. There will be two-hour blockages that will leave a fire-breathing coach with his hands apart and a frantic expression as an opportunity that begins to crumble, then again when he is ejected in the last moments. .
It was Dan Hurley in the 91-72 loss to UConn against Iowa on Friday night in the 2K Empire Classic Championship game at Madison Square Garden, which resulted in a special moment in New York City 24 hours earlier and the scene for a wild match. butter, disorder disjointed from an off-Broadway.
The Huskies smoked. The officials sprayed them early and the Hawkeyes worked them all the time. They could not lead the way. They could not find balance or rhythm. They could not stop a severe and disciplined offense.
Heck, there were times when they could not even keep basketball, especially early, all those decisive aids in a declared victory over Syracuse becoming annoying turnarounds in a flat performance against Iowa. Hurley's demonstrative ways intensified as discomfort persisted, but no trampling or grimacing could move enough to bring about real or lasting change. The Huskies fought – and it's clear they will still do it – but they were knocked over and sent back to Connecticut a bit discouraged.
It happens. UConn is not immune from the type of disappointment that has affected the program in recent years. However, the Huskies have benefited a lot from this trip. What was won against Syracuse was not made with a defeat against Iowa.
"Listen, I have a bitter taste in my mouth," said Hurley. "[Friday] was a little deflated for me. I've obviously done a very poor job with a quick turnaround, getting ready for a team that I think will win a lot of games and have a chance of being a big factor in March. But if you ever told me six or seven months ago, after the first individual workouts, that we went to the garden, beat Syracuse in an intense and emotional match, then lose the next, take a crack – in fact, lie detector six or seven months ago, I'd love to know where we are after four [games]. That being said, I did not like the work I had done to prepare my team. So I failed. Bitter taste for me. Bitter."
UConn remains in a good position, one that took a fairy-tale after Thursday's victory over a former rival in a busy arena, almost packed. There were plenty of good spots available for Friday's defeat, which took place in what appeared to be a completely different building. There was little buzz.
It was probably long-term healthy. And it was a confrontation with reality, a reminder that there was still a lot of work to be done. Hurley would not be here if he did not have one.
We know that UConn has its weaknesses. This remains a team built largely with staff that has combined for 30 wins over the past two years. We also know that the ceiling is higher than many recognize. Both facts were exhibited in New York City, a town that served as a starting point and starting point for two weeks and 80 minutes of basketball.
And we enter the time of the 2018-2019 season, our curiosity exacerbated, a coaching job is to get a team out of what he could Thursday, but not Friday. The introduction "Hello, Hurley" is over and his project is complicated. The corpus takes shape. Cornell, New Hampshire and UMass Lowell complete the November program.
"We just have to keep improving, man," Hurley said. "It's not a Disney movie, like the Mighty Ducks or anything else, it's going to take time to improve, and hopefully in January and February, we're a very good team."
A good direction has been fixed. There will be more peaks than valleys.
Holy Smokes, however, was a struggle Friday. UConn missed his first 12 3-pointers and lost 16 points at half-time and 25 points in the second half. Iowa took care of UConn's anti-pressure defense, and his big men were bulldozed to the brink. Tyler Cook seemed determined to deflect the ball into the ground by throwing two fast dunks.
Speaking of deflation: When a team reaches an emotional high as UConn Friday, which has become an evening to celebrate the awakening of a program, it is almost impossible to match that investment a day later. Hurley thought UConn needed to fall behind and panic by looking for 7- and 8-point baskets instead of trusting the offensive methods that had worked so far.
The Huskies just did not play well. It's far from being a perfect basketball team, even though it seems to have the perfect answer aboard Hurley, who has seen himself inflicting a second technical foul and who was sent off at 1: 44 from the end.
It was to the delight of fans of UConn, Iowa and even Syracuse who had stood after the unbalanced defeat of their team against Oregon.
Hurley's hands moved away. He said he did not have a clear explanation of why he was thrown.
"I have a hard job. The players have a difficult job. Referees all have hard work, "said Hurley.
Yes, Hurley has a very difficult job.
The Huskies had no answer for their opponent Friday.
They do not go every night.
"I love the way the guys fought until the end of the game," Hurley said. "I came here to get two and one championship. We have to leave with a split. We are not happy with that. We will learn from it. Let's hope that at the next big game like this, we can play a little better. "
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