Dan Hurley, UConn prove they can dish it out but not take it in post-loss meltdown

On their way to the very top of the college basketball world, Dan Hurley and UConn have earned a reputation for being among the sport's very brashest trash-talkers. Whether directed at the refs or opposing fans, the Huskies always have something to say, and hey: When you're the two-time defending national champions, you've earned a little leeway when it comes to letting people know about it.

But as Uncle Ben once (sort of) said, with great confidence comes great responsibility. It's all well and good to talk a big game, but it does mean that you forfeit the right to wring your hands about etiquette and respecting the game when things don't go your way. That's a lesson that UConn seems to be reminded of after a Big East Tournament semifinal loss to Creighton on Friday night.

It's hard to take Dan Hurley, UConn's pearl-clutching seriously after loss to Creighton

It's been a frustrating season overall for the Huskies, who got off to a rocky start with a winless trip to Maui and have struggled for consistency since thanks to a defense that's failed to live up to the program's typical standards. It seemed like Hurley's team might be turning a corner, winning its final four games of the regular season before blasting Villanova in the Big East quarterfinal. But as it has all year, that momentum came to a grinding halt in the semis, as Creighton shot better than 50 percent from the field in a 71-62 win at Madison Square Garden.

It was an emotional moment for the Blue Jays, who are now a win away from their first Big East Tournament title since joining the conference for the 2013-14 season. And they decided to celebrate a little in the final seconds, as Jamiya Neal soared in for a meaningless dunk rather than simply running out the rest of the clock. UConn ... was not a fan, to put it lightly.

Was Neal's dunk strictly necessary? Of course not; Hurley's team had conceded the game, and all the Jays had to do is dribble out the clock in order to seal a win. But on the other hand: Is this not also exactly the sort of thing you could see the Huskies doing themselves?

UConn has carried itself with a program-wide swagger of late, one that's been richly deserved based on their success on the court. But that success, and that swagger, has also put a target on their backs; everybody wants a shot at the two-time defending champs, and everyone's going to relish in taking Hurley down a peg based on his antics on the court. Again, no one's ultimately harmed by Hurley talking his talk, but for him to then turn around and demand humility and respect when he's on the losing end is a bit rich to say the least.