‘I’m not going in the portal, I’m not’

GLENDALE, Arizona. – Kentucky can call up Dan Hurley, but the UConn coach has no plans to leave his current school.

“Are you going to run it here next year?” a reporter asked Hurley after his team won the second of consecutive NCAA championships with a 75-60 victory over Purdue at State Farm Stadium.

“I’m not going to walk through the portal, I’m not going to,” the Jersey City native and former Seton Hall guard said.

His response followed another that referenced his players’ upcoming decisions related to the NBA Draft and the transfer portal.

Asked if he was surprised that the John Calipari-to-Arkansas news came out on the eve of the NCAA championship game, Hurley said: “Listen, college basketball, we need a commissioner. It’s the biggest sport, we have the biggest sporting event. We have NIL, which will keep players in college longer, allowing for a deeper connection of fan bases to the game. We have to control the situation of the portal.

“But we just can’t do things that take away from what is a great game. And releasing news like that the day before, or the day of, is…” Hurley added without finishing the sentence. “But again someone told me because my phone doesn’t work.”

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UConn has no plans to let Hurley go anywhere.

“Kentucky can call. Yes, we will do everything we can to retain him and I think he knows that,” UConn head David Benedict told NJ Advance Media.

Hurley signed a new contract at UConn last year worth nearly $33 million.

Hurley is expected to get a call from AD Mitch Barnhart. Hurley, Billy Donovan and Scott Drew are perceived to be near the top of the list.

Kentucky may be a Blue Blood, but Benedict said UConn has everything Hurley needs, and more.

“Look, if we can’t be a Blue Blood, then we’re a New Blood and come find us because we’re not going away,” Benedict said.

Villanova coach Jay Wright who said he is not interested in the Kentucky job after retiring in 2022He said Hurley should stay at UConn and not go to Kentucky.

“Danny should stay there,” he told NJ Advance Media. “He should work at UConn. he’s in a great place. “For Danny Hurley, that’s the best job in the country.”

Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman said she “expects” Hurley to return to the Big East next year.

“When you’re as successful as he is, it’s not surprising that other opportunities present themselves, but we know him, he seems like a Big East guy to us, he seems like a perfect fit for our league given his roots, given the way he coaches his team,” he said. to NJ Advance Media.

“I think the praise he gives about the league is very sincere and we hope he comes back. “It’s your decision.”

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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter covering Seton Hall and New Jersey college basketball for NJ Advance Media. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and visit their website at ZAGSBLOG.com.