"Tried to force a square peg into a round hole": Analyst pinpoints major reason behind Dan Hurley's UConn falling short of a three-peat

At the start of last season, UConn coach Dan Hurley was optimistic that he could repeat their championship success and complete a three-peat. The challenge for him, though, was compounded by the loss of four starters to the NBA draft.

The team had to rely on a revamped roster with new players while trying to maintain the same level of performance and consistency. As the season progressed, it became apparent that the team was encountering several obstacles that hindered their quest for another title.

Analyst Mark Zanetto of "The Hoops Cap Pod" discussed why the Huskies fell short of their goals and how Hurley has assembled, potentially, a better roster for the upcoming season.

"Well, you start with losing five phenomenal players. Yes, they lost five players the year before too — but they didn’t replace that talent with equally talented players," Zanetto said (TS: 2:17). "They brought in good players, but not necessarily championship quality players. And they kind of made bets, right? Sometimes bets hit, sometimes they don’t."

Zanetto noted that Dan Hurley brought in transfers like Aidan Mahaney from Saint Mary's to fill the void, and it did provide some glimpses of success early on, but eventually fell short.

"Now, when you’re watching closely, you realize that once they got into the wars of Maui and Big East play, Aidan Mahaney wasn’t the answer. They tried to force a square peg into a round hole, trying to make him into a hybrid of Tristan Newton and Cam Spencer. And that just wasn’t his comfort zone. He never looked comfortable doing that."

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Dan Hurley's UConn Huskies look to regain national powerhouse form with roster upgrades

Seven players departed from last season's UConn roster, including the team's leading scorer, Liam McNeeley, who declared for the NBA draft. Dan Hurley and his staff have addressed these departures by bringing in a new wave of talent via recruiting and the transfer portal.

With key players returning, including Solo Ball, Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr, the Huskies also added four incoming transfers and four freshmen, bringing a blend of experience and youthful exuberance to the team.

Among the notable additions are Georgia transfer Silas Demary Jr and Le Moyne transfer Dwayne Koroma. Hurley also secured a commitment from five-star recruit Braylon Mullins and four-star center Eric Reibe.

The Huskies will look to integrate these newcomers and build cohesion with hopes of improving from last season and competing for a national title.