The best time to be a freshman on the UConn men’s basketball team is in the offseason. Whether intentional or not, head coach Dan Hurley fed the frenzied masses last summer with hyperbolic comparisons for his latest crop of players. Samson Johnson is a ‘pterodactyl’. Jordan Hawkins has ‘wall’ potential. ‘Agent Sool’ was supposed to be the leader that brought it all together.
The cognitive dissonance between Hurley’s words and actual playing time this year was frustrating for fans who were excited about their shiny new toys. This offseason will be very different, with UConn fans glued to the portal for immediate help to fill the void left by RJ Cole, Tyrese Martin, Tyler Polley, and Isaiah Whaley on top of Jalen Gaffney and Rahsool Diggins transferring.