Add a little salt (pun intended) to the planned October exhibition between Gerry McNamara's Syracuse basketball and UConn, the Big East Conference powerhouse led by outspoken head coach Dan Hurley.
Speaking with reporters on Friday, Hurley appeared to take a shot at teams, such as the Orange, that are adding players to their 2026-27 rosters due to the recent injunction issued by a federal judge in Colorado that grants class of 2022 athletes a fifth season of eligibility.
Earlier this week, the 'Cuse received a commitment from transfer forward Amarri Monroe, who played the past three seasons at Quinnipiac and one campaign before that at Wofford. Inside the Loud House published an article earlier on Friday after talking to legal experts to gauge whether Monroe will ultimately be eligible to play for SU this coming season.
Dan Hurley is not a fan of cbb landsape:
— David Borges (@DaveBorges) August 7, 2026
"At some point, you've got to care about the sport. Especially if the sport has given you a lot. Doing things to hurt the sport so that you can win a little bit more, you've got to look in the mirror a little on that."
"The art of what…
Per a post on X from David Borges of ctinsider.com, Hurley had a lot to say about teams that are adding to their respective rosters in early August, with preseason practices ahead of the 2026-27 campaign not too far off in the distant future.
"We can't go on like this," Hurley said. "And anyone who acts like it's great, it's good for college basketball, they've already taken the stance that this is what they've wanted, and now they're just defending their position. It's total chaos, and it's not sustainable."
Dan Hurley got a little salty on Friday when discussing teams, such as Syracuse, that are adding players in early August.
When Hurley speaks, people listen (for better or for worse). He won national titles with UConn in 2023 and 2024, and the Huskies advanced to the championship game of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, where they fell to Michigan.
I understand the sentiments of what Hurley said on Friday, but at the same time, McNamara's Syracuse program and other teams that are bringing on board roster additions this late in the game are merely following the current rules.
Hurley went on to say: "Now, you can screw up high school and portal recruiting, not have a very good team, and now start plucking from a group of players in August and put together a team."
That statement is irritating, because the Orange staff didn't "screw up" its recruiting this offseason. The 'Cuse has put together a solid 2026-27 roster, and when the injunction came down in Colorado, Syracuse basketball coaches had the opportunity to pick up a pledge from Monroe, a player who loves 'Cuse and has received interest from SU coaches for several years, Inside the Loud House reported this past Thursday.
Hurley added: "At some point, you've got to care about the sport. Especially if the sport has given you a lot. Doing things to hurt the sport so that you can win a little bit more, you've got to look in the mirror a little on that."
So is he suggesting that McNamara and other head coaches who are adding players as a result of the injunction in Colorado don't care about college basketball? Respectfully, that's utter nonsense.
But, hey, Friday's comments from Hurley only add more drama to the upcoming exhibition between his Huskies and McNamara's Orange. They will play on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., with both schools' women's programs battling at the same site a day earlier, on Monday, Oct. 12.
Get your popcorn ready, 'Cuse Nation.
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