Secret Behind Dan Hurley’s UConn Winning Back-to-Back Championships Revealed by Alum Ray Allen

The Huskies are now back-to-back champions. As amazing as this is for Huskies nation, the celebrations combined can’t match the sheer joy UConn alum Ray Allen is exuding. The NBA legend was in the arena watching UConn win 75-60 over the Purdue Boilermakers. Like he probably didn’t when he won two NBA championships himself, he was caught breaking into a jig over the Huskies win. The clip has since gone viral over social media but that’s not all. The overwhelming elation was palpable in his immediate statement after his team won.

He defined “UConn’s winning culture,” to the media in the arena stating, “Winning culture is about teaching the kids how to be selfless, how to be committed, how to be on time, how to be there early, you have to stay late. Being with a team is difficult. and it requires commitment out of the kid in high school but from parents as well. Too many times we get excuses from… ‘oh, I can’t be here, I’m going out of town.’ Creating a culture, every person has to be where their feet are, mentally and physically.” Sounds like Allen’s recalling his days in the Huskies jersey.

Allen is undoubtedly one of the best players to lace up for the Huskies. He never won the national championship himself but was the reason the Huskies made it to the tournament consecutive times under Jim Calhoun, Dan Hurley’s predecessor. So he knows all about the winning culture in these parts.

Ray Allen is the proudest Husky

The South Carolina native attended the University of Connecticut from 1993 to 1996. From his freshman season, he was noticed averaging 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists and made it to the Big East All-Freshman Team. He was Big East Player of the Year in his junior year when he led them to the third consecutive Big East Conference title and made consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. He was the one who led them to an 89-13 record across three seasons.

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He headed to the 1996 NBA Draft without winning an NCAA title. That’s probably why he dubbed the 2024 squad as the best team in program history. Allen’s head coach, Calhoun, led UConn to three NCAA titles after his era. Hurley arrived in 2018 and secured the 2023 and 2024 titles.

While playing pro-ball, Allen went back to UConn to complete his degree at his own pace. He earned his bachelor’s degree in General Studies from UConn in 2023. The 48-year-old is also one of the inaugural inductees in the Huskies of Honor program and his number 34 was retired by UConn in 2019. He’s kept his connection with his school thriving but the dance and statement prove this is the proudest he’s felt as a Husky.

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