Dan Hurley didn’t mention Duke by name, but he didn’t really need to.
The UConn coach has spent plenty of time needling the Blue Devils in recent years, and his latest comments at an NBA Summer League game sounded like another shot in Durham’s direction. Hurley said, “We've had the second most amount of players drafted in the last 4,5 years, but we also have National Championships to show for it and Finals appearances to show for it.
We don't hang our hats on just getting our guys to the NBA or just getting to championship games. …”
That line is easy to read as a dig at Duke, especially with the two programs set to meet again in November in Las Vegas. It’s the kind of thing Hurley tends to do: poke, prod and then back it up. And he has certainly backed it up lately.
The tension between these programs picked up around the recruiting battle for Cooper Flagg, when Duke and UConn were the serious contenders for the generational prospect. Jon Scheyer won that fight, landing Flagg for his lone college season in Durham. Hurley’s comments after that commitment were widely seen as aimed at Duke, and they came just after he had won his first national title.
Since then, the needle has only gotten sharper. UConn and Duke finally met again for the first time since 2014, and the Blue Devils’ Elite Eight loss in April was a brutal one.
That’s why Hurley’s latest remarks are bound to land with Duke fans. Even if he wasn’t specifically talking about the Blue Devils, the timing and the tone make the message pretty clear.
The November rematch already had plenty of juice. This only adds more.
Hurley has the recent edge in these conversations, too. UConn has won three national championships in the past four years, and Hurley has won two of them. That kind of résumé gives him plenty of room to talk.
Still, Scheyer isn’t far behind, and Duke fans will be ready if the Blue Devils can get the better of UConn in Las Vegas. It won’t erase what happened in April, but it would be a satisfying answer. And if Scheyer eventually brings a sixth national championship back to Durham, the Blue Devils will have plenty to say back.
In Other News...
Boumtje Boumtje Just Gave Duke Fans An Early UNC Rivalry Moment
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje is already giving Duke fans a taste of what his arrival could mean in the sports fiercest neighborhood rivalry. The incoming freshman, whose international tournament play has helped put him on the radar, talked through his recruitment and commitment on The Brotherhood Podcast, where he made clear that choosing Duke felt like the right move for where he wants his college career to go.
The timing only adds to the intrigue with another Duke-UNC chapter looming next season, especially with North Carolina bringing in Michael Malone as its new head coach. Boumtje Boumtjes comments also hint at a matchup layer beyond the usual rivalry heat, since he could eventually share the floor with former FC Barcelona teammate Sayon Keita, now an incoming freshman for the Tar Heels. [Read more 🡒]
Isaiah Evans' Brutal Start Is Hiding One Encouraging Sign
Isaiah Evans has had a rough opening stretch in Summer League, and the shot has not come around yet. The former Duke wing has been trying to find a rhythm in Las Vegas after a late trade finalization slowed his arrival, leaving him behind from the start and short on the kind of practice time that usually helps a young player settle in.
Even so, there has been one clear reason to keep watching. Evans has stayed locked in defensively, competing hard and showing the kind of engagement that can travel even when the jumper does not. For a player whose offense is still catching up, that end of the floor is giving him something to build on while the rest of his game gets back on schedule. [Read more 🡒]