Dan Hurley leans into UConn's three-peat storyline

It was the beginning of June.

Almost three months before the official exercises would begin.

The roster for the following season had only just been finalized when star forward Alex Karaban made the decision in late May to return to school for his junior year rather than remain in the 2024 NBA Draft.

It didn't matter to Dan Hurley.

It was time to address the coming season — the challenge that awaited Connecticut, which is aiming to become the first school to win three consecutive national championships since UCLA won seven in a row from 1967 to 1973.

“We have arrived here. “Everyone has committed,” he told his players at the time. “The season we are about to enter will be a rare season considering what we can accomplish to literally catch up to these UCLA teams from a historic past [standpoint].”

Karaban said, “He reminds us that we're chasing historic things and it's always a privilege to wear the UConn jersey. “He reminds us of that every day.”

Some coaches may have glossed over this pressure.

They don't want to hit their players over the head with it so early because they think it might overwhelm them.

Hurley is not cut from that cloth. He doesn't do it subtly. He doesn't believe in sugarcoating anything.

In fact, he used it as part of his pitch when recruiting: the chance to be part of a team that could write its way into the college basketball record books.

Of course it will be difficult to win the third title in a row.

Florida, the last team to win back-to-back games in 2006-07, did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament the following year.

The team that came closest to a third straight win was Duke in 1993.

The Blue Devils were seeded third but didn't advance past the second round.

“I've talked about the historic nature of our season pretty regularly because it's the elephant in the room that's there,” said Hurley, who flirted with leaving UConn for the Lakers but ultimately returned to college after the brief courtship. “You can’t pass up this opportunity. That's why I trained this team so hard. I coached this team harder than any other team I've ever had. I know the challenge that lies ahead.”

Connecticut enters the season ranked third in the Associated Press preseason poll.

Only one starter returns in Karaban – along with Big East Sixth Man of the Year Hassan Diarra, senior center Samson Johnson and talented but unproven sophomores Jaylin Stewart, Solo Ball and Jayden Ross.

Hurley brought in highly regarded transfers Aidan Mahaney (Saint Mary's) and Tarris Reed Jr. (Michigan) and signed five-star winger Liam McNeeley in the spring, shortly after cutting nets in Glendale, Arizona.

Diarra believes Connecticut has more shots and more offensive potential than it has in the last two years, a scary thought that Karaban agreed with.

Defense could be a challenge, however, after losing elite defenders Donovan Clingan, Tristen Newton and Steph Castle.

“They are really talented. “Their size and length are frightening,” said one college coach who has seen Connecticut. “I was really impressed with her wings. In second and third place they are really sporty. I thought they were solid defensively. They’re still doing a lot of the things they did last year.”

This time last year there were questions about the Huskies after they lost three starters to the professional ranks.

Somehow they were even better, winning 37 games and clinching their way to the national championship thanks to six NCAA Tournament victories with an average of 23.3 points.

At some point, the logical thinking goes, the loss of so many top players to the NBA will catch up with them. Karaban is the only remaining player from the first championship team.

This is a young group consisting of only two seniors. It will face intense scrutiny and pressure. The three-peat talk will only increase.

“If they thought the target on their back was big last year …” Larry Farmer, who was on the last three UCLA championship teams in 1971-73, said with a hearty laugh. “We have a first-class game for everyone. … Every team that plays them has this game circled on their calendar. They will face that in every game.”

The farmer supports them.

This isn't like the perfect 1972 Dolphins, drinking champagne whenever the last undefeated NFL team suffered a loss.

It's been five decades since John Wooden's Bruins owned college basketball.

“Our era for this stuff is over,” Farmer said. “It is a unique achievement and certainly no one will ever win seven times in a row. It will be a great experience for them if they can do that.”

As Connecticut enters the season with a chance at a third straight title, it finds itself in rare territory. Only two others since the UCLA dynasty have had that chance.

Hurley won't let her forget it. His Huskies are determined to join the Bruins.

“We have an opportunity in front of us,” Karaban said, “that we may never see again in college basketball.”