"Wanted to be like the Chiefs" "Dan Hurley got cooked": College hoops fans troll UConn as Florida crushes Huskies' three-peat dreams

UConn Huskies coach Dan Hurley has turned himself into a villain in college basketball with his antics. So, fans bashed him and the team on social media after they fell to the Florida Gators in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.

While the two-time defending national champion made a valiant effort against the No. 1 Gators, it ultimately lost 77–75 in a tight back-and-forth affair, thanks to Walter Clayton Jr.’s late-game heroics.

Moreover, the Huskies' loss to the Gators cost them a three-peat. Fans laid it on Hurley and UConn on X.

"Yay!!! Hate UConn," another fan tweeted.

Other fans expressed their views on the game. UConn had the lead with under three minutes left in the game, but the two-time national champ couldn’t keep up with the Gators down the stretch. It was one of the closes games in the NCAA Tournament so far.

"That was a great back and forth battle! That’s what March is all about!" Another tweeted.

"What a thrilling matchup between Florida and UConn! Both teams played hard, but Florida came out on top in the end," a fan tweeted.

Freshman Liam McNeely led the Huskies with 22 points, two rebounds and three assists in defeat. Junior Alex Karaban also had a strong game with 14 points, five boards and three helpers.

Florida will face the winner of the Maryland vs. Colorado State matchup, which will be played later today.

Dan Hurley, UConn fail to end over 50-year three-peat drought

After becoming only the third team in the last 40 years to win back-to-back national championships, the UConn Huskies were looking to become the first school to win three straight national championships since UCLA’s seven-year title run from 1967 to 1973.

Since the Bruins' final championship during that run, only the Duke Blue Devils (1991-1992), Florida Gators (2006-2007) and the Huskies had won back-to-back titles.

Like UConn, the Blue Devils lost in the tournament's second round, upset by the California Golden Bears. Florida didn’t make the NCAA Tournament in 2008 and lost in the NIT semifinal against the UMass Minutemen.

Although Dan Hurley and UConn went through some difficult moments during the season, they eventually made the tournament as the eighth seed. They beat Oklahoma in the first round before losing to the top-seeded Florida.