Final Four official manning UConn-Illinois game was present for three of Huskies’ losses this year

Dan Hurley is a man of superstition.

The Connecticut men’s basketball coach is also often animated on the sidelines, whether it is his displeasure with something from his team or displeasure with a call from a referee (or referees) on the officiating crew.

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Speaking of officials, the Huskies will see three officials in their Final Four game on Saturday vs. No. 3 Illinois who have worked previously worked their games earlier this season, including one who was on the whistle for three of their five losses.

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As noted by CT Insider’s David Borges, UConn is 1-3 on the season with official Ron Groover this season. The three losses came against Arizona on Nov. 19, at St. John’s at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 6 and then Feb. 18 vs. Creighton. The lone win came in a home game against Marquette on Jan. 4.

Hurley has spoken at length about his intensity on the sidelines with officials this week in Indianapolis after he appeared to have butted heads with referee Roger Ayers in the final seconds of UConn’s Elite Eight win vs. Duke last Sunday in Washington, D.C. after Braylon Mullins knocked down the game-winning 3-pointer.

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“I get much more of a bad reaction from people, I think, on social media than when I meet regular people,” Hurley said Friday, April 3 at the Final Four. “Because anytime I meet regular people, they look at me and they start laughing or they start smiling. Or (say), ‘You’re the guy from the video. You look a little crazy, but I think you’re a good egg.'”

It’s worth noting that in eight overall trips to the NCAA Tournament across his coaching career, Hurley has not received a technical foul or an ejection — like he did in the final game of the regular season vs. Marquette after making contact with an official — from a game in the tournament. He was mindful of this in a media…

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Publish date : 2026-04-04 19:53:00

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