Ironically, reality TV shows are far from the real thing. As the actors play roles and the producers manipulate storylines, most viewers willingly fall for the script. What typically exists is a mix of fiction and reality, which was likely the formula at work in the curious case of the Lakers’ whirlwind courtship of Dan Hurley. A chaotic college basketball offseason, highlighted by unprecedented free agency via the transfer portal, was punctuated last week when Hurley announced he’s remaining the coach at Connecticut.
Most of the significant player and coach transactions have been settled, allowing oddsmakers to set the NCAA championship futures market and relax for a while. Not much will change in college basketball between now and November. But there was nearly a major move at the top a week ago, if you believed the media hype.
On June 10, Hurley, maniacal and wildly successful at UConn, announced he had turned down a six-year, $70 million offer to lead the Lakers. Instead of jumping to the NBA, Hurley remained committed to the Huskies and their bid to win three consecutive national championships.
It was a big story full of brand names, just as it was planned to be, but was it fake news? ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news on June 6, the morning of NBA Finals Game 1, and there was no doubt when “Woj” dropped the bombshell report it would dominate the news cycle all day and all weekend. It certainly seemed the timing of the story was manipulated by the reporter, and the reality of it all needed to be questioned.
For the record, I was co-hosting VSiN’s Follow The Money morning show with Paul Howard when the breaking news hit. Immediately, I was skeptical and predicted Hurley would not take the job. I was far from the only one who sensed the story was planted.
The three main parties involved — Hurley, the Lakers and ESPN’s Wojnarowski — all had something significant to gain from the tale.
Hurley stood to gain the most. The hottest coach on the market gets courted, plays the game and gets his ego pumped up. He entertains a huge offer from the Lakers, lets it linger all weekend as the media breathlessly reports on his every move and rumor, and finally says he’s staying at UConn, where he’s getting a raise that ranks him among college basketball’s highest-paid coaches. Hurley wins again.
The Lakers were accused of letting LeBron James pick his coach, his friend JJ Redick, and were criticized for hiring someone with no coaching experience. The Lakers won a little something by showing they swung for the fences with Hurley. Now, the franchise can hire Redick or another coach who meets LeBron’s approval.
The perception was Wojnarowski was getting beat on the Lakers’ coaching search story by his competitor, Shams Charania, the NBA insider for The Athletic. Charania had reported the Lakers were zeroed in on Redick. Wojnarowski, who is fiercely competitive with Charania, was able to discredit Charania’s report by saying Hurley had been the Lakers’ focus all along. Wojnarowski, who has been close with the Hurley family for several years, wins along with ESPN, which received immense publicity throughout the soap opera.
The dots don’t completely connect on the Hurley story being legitimate. First of all, the timeline is mysterious. Hurley was done with UConn’s season on April 8, and the Lakers fired Darvin Ham as coach on May 3. If Hurley was the Lakers’ target the entire time, why was it never mentioned until early June?
Also, Hurley said he never spoke to James, which is odd. And if the Lakers desperately and truly wanted Hurley, where was the Godfather offer he couldn’t refuse? Why not an offer of seven years and $100 million? The Detroit Pistons, after all, fired coach Monty Williams on Wednesday and will be eating the final five years and $65 million remaining on his contract. The Lakers easily could have offered Hurley a much bigger deal.
Hurley, whose family has deep roots on the East Coast, is likely to eventually make the pro leap, with a team such as the New York Knicks someday providing a better fit. This was not the right time, with UConn shooting for a three-peat, but the table is set for his NBA move in the future.
In recent interviews, Hurley has said the Lakers’ offer was “real.” What else would he say? The story may or may not have been an orchestrated sham, but it was certainly a reality TV hit. Hurley was a convincing actor throughout the drama.
There is no doubt Hurley is a phenomenal coach who should have been desired by the Lakers. While his court-stomping, screaming style that plays well in the college game would need to be adjusted for the NBA, Hurley is the definition of a winner. If you don’t have great respect for his coaching abilities, you don’t know basketball.
The college basketball storyline now shifts to UConn’s chase for a third straight NCAA title. The Huskies’ 12-0 straight up and ATS run through the past two tournaments is an amazing accomplishment we are unlikely to see again.
In next week’s NBA Draft, two UConn players — center Donovan Clingan and guard Stephon Castle — will be lottery picks. Another former Huskies guard, Tristen Newton, is expected to go in the second round. Cam Spencer, the team’s top 3-pointer shooter, also departs. Alex Karaban withdrew from the draft and will be UConn’s only returning starter. Hassan Diarra and Samson Johnson, role players last season, will become starters. Hurley lured highly-touted recruit Liam McNeeley and Saint Mary’s transfer guard Aidan Mahaney.
The Huskies will be worthy of a top-five power ranking, but I’m not buying the 10-1 title odds DraftKings is offering. It’s risky to doubt Hurley, but he has probably lost too much experienced talent to “Do It Again,” a reference to the Steely Dan song.
BACK TO THE FUTURES
With the coaching carousel no longer spinning and the transfer portal mostly settled, the picture of college basketball contenders has come into focus. These five teams are worth a title shot (with odds listed from DraftKings):
ALABAMA (10-1)
About a month before the NBA Draft deadline, I bet Alabama at 20-1 odds, surmising that guard Mark Sears would withdraw and return to the Crimson Tide. Sears was the catalyst to the Tide’s run to the Final Four, but he was not projected to be a first-round pick. Sears, who scored 24 points in the national semifinal loss to UConn, did pull out of the draft. He will now lead a team that potentially power rates as No. 1 next season. While the odds have moved and value has been lost, this remains a worthwhile bet.
Alabama coach Nate Oats has a loaded roster, thanks to Sears and 6-11 sophomore Jarin Stevenson withdrawing from the draft. Oats, who also welcomes back 6-11 senior Grant Nelson and Latrell Wrightsell Jr., hooked transfers Cliff Omoruyi (Rutgers), Aden Holloway (Auburn) and Chris Youngblood (South Florida).
KANSAS (10-1)
If Alabama does not open the season as the top-ranked team, Kansas will. Senior center Hunter Dickinson returns along with forward KJ Adams and point guard Dajuan Harris. Jayhawks coach Bill Self landed big-time transfers AJ Storr (Wisconsin), Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State) and Rylan Griffen (Alabama). While the Jayhawks will miss Kevin McCullar and Johnny Furphy, they will be deeper and much improved due to the transfer class led by Storr.
BAYLOR (20-1)
Bears coach Scott Drew snagged 6-7 power forward Norchad Omier as a transfer from Miami. Omier was the missing piece to a Baylor team that features impressive guard depth with returnees Langston Love and Jayden Nunn, Duke transfer Jeremy Roach and freshman VJ Edgecombe, a top NBA prospect.
GONZAGA (20-1)
The Zags got hot late last season before falling to Purdue in the Sweet 16, and coach Mark Few has reloaded around returning guards Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman and talented big man Graham Ike. Few brought in transfers Michael Ajayi, a dynamic scorer at Pepperdine, and Khalif Battle, who developed into a star for Arkansas. Steele Venters, a 3-point marksman and former Eastern Washington transfer, is ready to go after missing last season with an injury.
ST. JOHN’S (50-1)
Rick Pitino was one of the few coaches who figured out how to push UConn to the limit last season when the Red Storm took a 95-90 loss to the Huskies in the Big East tournament semifinals. Pitino is coming back strong after getting two top transfer guards on the market, Kadary Richmond (Seton Hall) and Deivon Smith (Utah). Pitino beefed up the front line with 6-10 Ruben Prey, a top recruit from Portugal, and USC’s Vincent Iwuchukwu. I’ll continue to scout college basketball for long-shot teams, but St. John’s was my first sleeper play at 80-1 in early May after Richmond committed to the Red Storm.
