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00:00Here's the news that we have as of this moment.
00:06Dan Hurley is set to meet on this Friday with Jeannie Buss and Rob Polinka in Los Angeles
00:11about a potential job change in becoming the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
00:17We had many think pieces yesterday, Donnie, about Dan Hurley and his desire to one day
00:22coach in the NBA, his fiery and competitive nature that wants to be tested at the premier
00:28level of basketball.
00:31This is the Los Angeles Lakers.
00:34To be the head coach of one of the most illustrious brands not only in the NBA, but all of professional
00:40sports and to coach a team that has LeBron James, anybody would salivate at that chance.
00:48It is not a think piece on where collegiate athletics stands in the NIL era.
00:55But you could argue, why would Dan Hurley want to leave Connecticut?
01:01He is on a track as of this moment to become one of the highest regarded head coaches in
01:07the modern era of college basketball.
01:10He has won two national championships and has six seasons at the helm of UConn, but
01:15both of those back to back the previous two seasons.
01:18He is one of eight college basketball head coaches to win two straight national titles.
01:23He is one of 17 college basketball head coaches in men's D1 history to ever even win multiple
01:30national championships.
01:32And he seems as though he is leading UConn into the precipice of doing something historic
01:38in true contention for three straight titles.
01:42And this is in the field of 68 era of a tournament we describe as madness.
01:49Dan Hurley is already one of the best coaches in college basketball in the last decade.
01:55Why would he not want to continue his legacy in stores?
02:00Coaches are competitive here.
02:02You always want to win at the next level.
02:03He's conquered that.
02:04He's won two in college because then you can actually just go back and say, well, why did
02:07he even leave high school basketball?
02:09Shouldn't he just like that and had some fun?
02:10But why did he leave Wagner at this point?
02:12Why would he want to level up and go to Rhode Island?
02:13Why would he leave Rhode Island?
02:14See where I'm going with this?
02:15The ladder goes up and says, I want to prove this at a higher level.
02:19And there's no bigger level to do it than in the NBA in the city of Los Angeles.
02:23And also, let's keep in mind the price points.
02:25We're not just talking about, hey, man, it's going to take a big cut to leave UConn to
02:28go with the NBA.
02:29But that's his true love.
02:30Stop it, man.
02:31We're all professionals in this business.
02:32The more money you make, the more times you level up, the more competitive it gets.
02:35That's a challenge.
02:36He's only 51 years old.
02:37He could go to the NBA.
02:38Not like it after five years.
02:40You know what?
02:41Take any college job he wanted on the comeback there and also keep in mind how business works
02:45here.
02:46Hurley flying out to the West Coast is already a big deal here.
02:50Because if he didn't want the Lakers' job, you know what you just saw?
02:52A salacious report.
02:53The Lakers are reaching out to Hurley to see if he wants it.
02:56Hurley comes out immediately on social media, guys, guys, guys.
02:58Love the Lakers.
02:59Love the NBA.
03:00This is my spot.
03:01I'm squashing this right now.
03:02I'll be back in UConn.
03:03From a Lakers' perspective here, do you think they would be able to let it out and say,
03:06you know what?
03:07I don't think this is close, but let's go through this whole thing to absolutely get
03:11one of the best coaches in college basketball and then lose him at the last minute like,
03:15you know what?
03:16We want a J.J.
03:17Redick anyway at this point.
03:18That would be a flat-out PR disaster unless the Lakers win a championship next year.
03:22We're way too far down the path for this not to come together.
03:26It makes just too much sense on both sides here.
03:28He's going to be their head coach.
03:3014-1.
03:31Now, the price on the Huskies to win next year's NCAA Tournament National Championship.
03:38That would be three in a row for UConn.
03:40But yesterday, they were a co-favorite alongside the team at the top that you see, Kansas,
03:45at a 10-1 number.
03:47So based on the speculation, it is moved by four bucks against Connecticut.
03:52Ben, let me ask you a question, because I don't really follow that much in the offseason
03:58for UConn.
03:59I know a couple guys, but they lost a lot of talent.
04:01Were they really going to be that good?
04:03Because sometimes we see it like, hey, you know what?
04:05I have my guys together for two years.
04:07We went back-to-back.
04:08I see the writing on the wall, next year, and it's the perfect time to leave.
04:11So it wasn't really a case of that.
04:13UConn is stacked for next year, apparently?
04:15Yeah, they are.
04:17They got some good transfers.
04:18Aidan Mahaney from St. Mary's, I believe it was, as well.
04:22They're going to be good.
04:23They're going to be one of the best in the Big East.
04:24They're going to be a top-25 team all year long, probably the preseason number one, because
04:28they've won two straight out-of-caravan returns.
04:31Yeah, they'll be fine, despite losing Steph Castle, Donovan Klingin to the NBA draft,
04:35both probably lottery picks.
04:37They are going to be in contention.
04:39Could they win three straight?
04:40Of course, that is a very high bar to clear.
04:42Will they be as dominant as we have seen in non-conference play the last two seasons with
04:47or without Dan Hurley?
04:49That remains to be seen.
04:50But yeah, UConn is deserving of a 10-to-1 price, or at least one of the top five numbers
04:54to win a national championship.