UConn head coach Dan Hurley is in the center of the spotlight this week, and it’s not just because his team advanced to the Final Four with a 73-72 win over Duke. Hurley was caught on camera when he had an explosive exchange with a referee on Sunday, March 29, during the Huskies’ victory over the Blue Devils.
Now, we already know that the referee who was involved in the incident, Roger Ayers, will not be working the Final Four matchups. It would makes sense that the NCAA decided to pull him from the games due to the Hurley controversy, but now, the NCAA is speaking out, and they have a different story.
As for that incident, at the very end of the UConn Huskies and Duke Blue Devils game, freshman Braylon Mullins threw a three-point shot that seemed impossible with 0.4 seconds left on the clock. It went in, and the team beta the top-seeded Duke to go to the Final Four.
After the shot, Hurley got up in the face of a referee, even though there was still time left on the clock. With that move, he came into contact with a referee before the game was officially over, so many believe he should have been slapped with a technical foul, but he wasn’t.
NCAA Clarifies Final Four Move After Dan Hurley Incident: Report
On Wednesday, April 1, Paul Pabst of “The Dan Patrick Show” and “The Tailgate” went to X to share that he spoke with the NCAA media office and asked if they decided to not have Ayers ref the Final Four due to the Hurley incident. They insisted that it had nothing to do with their decision.
“This had no bearing on the selection of the Final Four officials,” the NCAA media office told Pabst, according to Pabst. So, those at the Final Four and watching at home won’t see Hurley and Ayers engaging in any additional controversial moments on the court, this season, at least.
After the incident, sports voices gave their opinions. Some thought it should have absolutely been a technical, while others just commented that it was a moment between friends.
Seth Davis of Hoops HQ stated of the moment, “Just for context … the referee is Roger Ayers, who has worked multiple Final Fours. Known for his toughness and also sense of humor. This struck me as Hurley messing with a buddy more than intimidating a ref. This is after Mullins’ shot, so Hurley was obviously not mad at the refs.”
Dan Hurley Gets Emotional Before Final Four
Ahead of the Final Four game between UConn and Illinois, Hurley got emotional talking to reporters. The team’s assistant coach Luke Murray just landed a gig as the next head coach of the Boston College Eagles men’s basketball, and Hurley wasn’t at his opening press conference. So, Hurley opened up about that moment and seemed to even get a little teary-eyed.
“I wanted to be there for him,” Hurley said. “He’s one of the closest people to me. Not just somebody I’ve worked with… just personally. Don’t want to start crying right now. But I feel it welling up, so I’m going to stop.”
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