Dan Hurley's Wild Moment With the Ref: "I Thought He Wanted to Chest-Bump"

UConn's Elite Eight thriller against Duke is already legendary for one of the craziest finishes in NCAA tournament history, but the real talking point might be what happened right after the final buzzer. Coach Dan Hurley is now breaking his silence on that bizarre interaction with referee Roger Ayers, and his explanation is way more innocent than the viral clip suggested.

The Shot That Won't Be Forgotten

Freshman Braylon Mullins hit a 35-foot 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to give UConn a 73-72 win in one of the biggest comebacks ever in the NCAA tournament. Cameras caught everything: the ball going through, the celebration, and then something that had people talking for days. Right after Mullins' shot, Hurley walked away from the bench and appeared to bump heads with Ayers for a few seconds before both men went their separate ways.

Hurley Sets the Record Straight

During an interview on the "Triple Option" podcast this week, Hurley put the whole thing to bed. He said Ayers is an "easy guy to work with" and made it clear there was no bad blood. The take? Hurley thought the veteran ref was looking to "chest-bump me to celebrate." In other words, Ayers was just caught up in the moment like everyone else in the building.

The Huskies are now headed to the Final Four chasing their third title in four years. But thanks to one head bump and a whole lot of social media, this Elite Eight victory will be remembered for way more than just Mullins' impossible shot.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.