“I thought we played with tremendous honor. We played with the heart of a championship program, a program that’s gone back to back,” said coach Dan Hurley after his UConn Huskies failed to emulate what the UCLA Bruins did in the mid-60s under the guidance of John Wooden. The Florida Gators will continue their dance forward to the Sweet 16 in the expense of the defending champions. But this wasn’t just another Round of 32 exit. This loss ended a 16-year streak–one that may not be repeated for a long, long time.

CBS analyst Matt Norlander broke down the game in detail alongside David Cobb. That’s when the shocking 16-year record came to light. A record so significant, it left Dan Hurley teary-eyed after it was broken! Norlander said, “Shout out to our CBS Research Team again just studs, uh UConn had won–this is unreal, UConn had won 26 consecutive NCAA tournament games when leading at any point in the second half. Any point that UConn had a lead in the past 26 tournament games, it won. The last time it lost it had a lead in the second half, most recently it happened was 2009 in the Final Four against Michigan State.”

A 16-year streak–gone in a flash. UConn led 61-59 with just over three minutes left. Then, everything changed! Karaban attacked the rim. Contact. No whistle! Florida wasted no time. Walter Clayton Jr. pulled up from deep. Bang! The lead flipped in an instant! Moments later, disaster struck again. A costly turnover resulted in a Will Richard dunk. Just like that, Florida was up 64-61. The game had completely shifted and UConn couldn’t recover.

But let’s be real–the Huskies weren’t expected to win this one. A 24-10 record going up against the second-best offense in the country, according to KenPom? Yeah, not exactly a recipe for an upset. Sure, March Madness is full of surprises. But UConn? They never felt like the team to pull off one here. But why?

Jeff Goodman broke down what’s next for the Huskies–but he didn’t hold back on calling out a key mistake from the offseason. On The Field of 68: After Dark podcast, Goodman said, “I think if you start bringing in guys that don’t know Dan Hurley this could go badly but they know what type of player(they need) now they made a little bit of a mistake on Aidan Mahaney let’s be honest but for the most part they’ve recruited whether it’s to the portal or high school kids the type of players that fit Dan Hurley.”

Unlike Hurley’s prior transfer portal successes—like Cam Spencer, a First-Team All-Big East sharpshooter in 2023-24, and Tristen Newton, the 2024 tournament’s Most Outstanding Player—Mahaney struggled with the Big East’s physicality. His minutes fluctuated, and he fell behind freshman Ahmad Nowell in the rotation. However, he had flashes of promise, including a 15-point effort against Providence and a solid showing in the Big East Tournament.

After losing key players like Cam Spencer and Stephon Castle, the Huskies had to make some adjustments. They brought in Aidan Mahaney, who was averaging nearly 14 points and 3 rebounds at Saint Mary’s Gaels. But things didn’t work out as planned. Mahaney struggled to replicate his form, falling out of the rotation and finishing the season with just 4 points per game. This move could be one of the reasons why UConn had a dip this season.

Dan Hurley admitted earlier in the season that he made a mistake with Mahaney. He acknowledged it wasn’t the right fit for the team. Let’s dive into what Hurley had to say about the veteran guard and the struggles that followed

Dan Hurley admits his mistake regarding Mahaney

Aidan Mahaney started the season as UConn’s primary facilitator. But during the Maui Invitational, it became clear–he couldn’t be the guy. The Huskies dropped all three games, and Hurley knew a change was needed. He made the adjustment, and it definitely paid off.

“It probably would have made more sense to start him (Diarra) from the opener. Just have him at that natural point guard position rather than to put a square peg in a round hole there with trying to force that on Aidan,” Hurley said explaining his decision about shifting Aidan as a shooting guard and making Diarra as the primary playmaker of the team.

Mahaney’s signing might’ve been a setback for Hurley and the Huskies this season, but he’s not the only reason for the struggles. UConn lost too many key players to the NBA, and Mahaney alone can’t be blamed. Hurley knows he has a big job in the upcoming transfer portal. He’ll need to make some strong moves in the transfer portal. If he gets the right pieces, the Huskies could be title contenders again next March. Stay tuned for more updates!