From undefeated to unranked! After not losing a single game since February to losing three consecutive games against unranked teams, the past week has been humiliating for the UConn Huskies. A team chasing a historic three-peat and ranked #2 in the nation has now become the punchline. And the internet hasn’t held back. Fans are roasting the team and head coach Dan Hurley.

College Basketball Report hit the nail on the head, tweeting, “UConn is about to drop from #2 to unranked in 1 week.” Even though it doesn’t sound like the Huskies, it’s true that they have dropped all their games at the 2024 Maui Invitational.

It started with a bang and not the good kind. UConn faced Memphis in a thrilling overtime game that ended in a controversial 99-97 loss. It took a turn when an over-the-back offensive foul was called on forward Liam McNeeley during crunch time.

But what made it more problematic was Dan Hurley’s reaction. He dropped to his knees in protest, got hit with a technical foul, and watched Memphis cash in on free throws. “That was a joke,” the head coach said post-game, clearly fuming. “There was a player on Memphis that made a half-a-s effort to rebound… For that call to be made at that point of the game was a complete joke.”

Meanwhile, Memphis coach Penny Hardaway called the win the biggest of his career, saying, “That was back-to-back national champions, undefeated, first round of the Maui tournament.” The very next day, the Huskies fell again—this time to Colorado in another nail-biter. 

The Buffs edged UConn 73-72, thanks to an off-balance layup by Andrej Jakimovski with just eight seconds left. UConn had led by nine early in the second half, but their defense fell apart. “At halftime, I felt like we were going to do what we do at UConn… and it just didn’t happen,” the coach admitted.

Colorado shot 62.5% in the second half, leaving the Huskies scrambling. By Game 3, things were downright embarrassing. Dayton handed UConn an 85-67 beatdown in the seventh-place game. The Flyers dominated, with Enoch Cheeks dropping 20 points and the Huskies looking completely out of sync.

Star Liam McNeeley, who had shined in the earlier games, went scoreless. Zero points. On 0-for-9 shooting. Three straight losses, a plummet from #2, and fans in full meltdown mode on social media. 

Fans pile on as Dan Hukey and co.’s Maui collapse sends their ‘blue blood’ status into question

After UConn’s collapse at the Maui Invitational, social media is lit with reactions ranging from critiques to outright mockery. Take the comment, “Fakest ‘blue blood’ of all time.” Blue bloods are the NCAA’s elite programs like Kansas, Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, and, yes, UConn. But most blue bloods are holding their own. 

Sure, Duke lost, but it was against another blue blood (Kansas), so it’s not exactly shameful. UConn, though? That’s a different story. Then there’s this jab: “Good… they were in the way of Auburn and Kansas.” Auburn and Kansas fans are loving every second of this. 

Both teams are on fire. Auburn is undefeated at 7-0, and Kansas has won all six of their games, including a statement win over Duke. With UConn faltering, their paths to dominance just got a little clearer. One fan even dropped a GIF saying, “Please, God, let this happen because it would be so funny.” 

Watching UConn potentially tumble from #2 to unranked would be a wild story. However, realistically, as another fan speculated, they’ll likely end up somewhere between 15-20, but the idea of such a dramatic fall has fans cracking up. Another fan chimed in with, “You mean UConn has a year or two of national success and then disappears again? Shocking.” 

Harsh, but it cuts deep because there’s some truth to it. UConn has had a phenomenal two-year stretch, winning back-to-back national titles. But now? This tournament flop has people wondering if their glory days are already over. And then one penned, “Finally.” 

These sound like the ones who’ve been waiting for this moment. They’re here for the chaos, whether it’s rivalry or just pure schadenfreude. Some even dropped laughing emojis because, for them, this is entertainment.

But UConn has to bounce back, and fast. For a team with such elite talent and back-to-back championships, this was a shocker. But who knows? Maybe this was just a bad week. Either way, Dan Hurley & Co. have a lot of work to do if they want to get back to being the powerhouse they were.