A year ago, when Connecticut flamed out of the N.C.A.A. tournament, upset by 12th-seeded New Mexico State in the opening round, Coach Dan Hurley was back in his office the next Monday at 7 a.m. to meet with his staff and his players.
He had been in Storrs, Conn., for four years and hadn’t won a postseason game. He did not need any time for reflection.
“The other coaches did not want me to do it,” Hurley said of the meetings. “They thought I was too emotional to make decisions, but I knew exactly where we needed to go.