Dan Hurley wanted to rub Creighton win in more people's faces, recalls getting his 'b**t kicked' and makes bold college basketball claim

The UConn Huskies under coach Dan Hurley are the defending champions but have had a topsy-turvy season and have fallen out of the AP Top 25 Poll. Going into the game against the Creighton Bluejays, the Huskies had lost three of their last four games before recording an epic comeback 70-66 win in Omaha.

The charismatic Hurley, who was booed constantly at CHI Health Center Arena, exchanged words with Creighton fans after the game, pointing at his ring finger to remind them of his team's recent dominance and waving them goodbye. He did not let up during his postgame news conference either after UConn's first win in Omaha (1-4).

"I just wish there was more people still here," Dan Hurley said. "That was the only thing because when I've got my b**t kicked here minus the COVID year which we would all like to forget, I think this is the only place we came to that actually had fans that year.

"I've obviously had to walk off unceremoniously just crushed by the crowd and cussed at. As long as they're not leaning over the rail and getting in my face, I think it's what makes college sports so much better than any other type of basketball."

He concluded:

"Although the home fans didn't get the win that they wanted but they got a show, they got an intense game with so much passion and a life or death struggle. I'm not gonna lie to you, I mean that was very gratifying, I waved at some people but I just wish that there was more of them still left. They've been a lot more left when I've lost."

Dan Hurley dismissive of UConn falling out of Top 25

The UConn Huskies' recent dominance was encapsulated in a stunning statistic, that they had been ranked in the Top 25 AP Poll for 53 consecutive weeks in their double national championship-winning streak.

After losing 68-62 to coach Rick Pitino's red-hot St. John's Red Storm last week, the Huskies' streak was broken and they fell out of the Top 25. During his pregame news conference, Dan Hurley was dismissive of the potential impact of falling out of the rankings for the first time in over two years.

“No one gets crowned in February,” Dan Hurley said. “You know, there’s no crowns handed out for a while here. Obviously, in today’s world, there’s going to be very quick reactions and all types of hot takes.

"You win a game at Marquette, you’re back and you’re the team that now, once they’re healthy, everyone’s gonna be afraid of. And then you lose a close game at home to a really good team [St. John’s], and you stink again.”

After beating the No. 24 Creighton Bluejays, Dan Hurley and his team have the chance to kickstart another streak of being ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll when they meet the Seton Hall Pirates on Saturday.