Storrs — UConn started spring team workouts this week, trying to put a stunning end to last season in the rear view mirror and begin to build momentum for next season.

It's a strange time for coach Dan Hurley, who still feels the sting of a first round exit from the NCAA tournament on March 17 while he's focusing on trying to restock a roster that's undergone some significant changes.

"You're starting to maybe get over the sadness, the frustration and just feeling really, really terrible that your season didn't go further and that you didn't accomplish more," Hurley said on Tuesday. "That really only starts to subside when you get back into practice with the returners, when you turn your attention to the late signing period.

"I love watching the NCAA tournament, men's and women's, but I can't wait for the men's to be over so we can all start again."

Five players, including three starters and a vital sixth man, have moved on. None of the departures were a surprise.

Isaiah Whaley and Tyler Polley completed their fifth season. Veterans Tyrese Martin and R.J. Cole elected to enter the NBA Draft  and forgo their final year of eligibility. Freshman reserve Rahsool Diggins, who played a total of 46 minutes last season, entered the transfer portal on Tuesday, hoping for more playing time at his next destination.

That leaves substantial holes to fill, especially in the backcourt. Finding a scoring point guard, likely in the transfer portal, will be at the top of Hurley's list to replace Cole, who led the team in scoring. The Huskies have as many as three scholarships open.

Basically, Hurley is looking for skilled perimeter players so he can play a four players outside, one inside style that he's had success with prior to arriving in Storrs.

It will be an important late signing period, which begins April 13.

"We know how close we were to getting what we wanted and feeling a lot more fulfilled about what went on," Hurley said. "Unlike our other late signing periods where we were just all about maintaining, we've got to get better. We've got to get better."

Hurley has some strong building blocks in place as well as some young players that are expected to make an impact next season.

Two of the three newcomers — 6-foot-3 guard Corey Floyd, Jr., and 6-8 forward Alex Karaban — practiced with the team but didn't play in games. The other newcomer is two-time Gatorade Connecticut Player of the Year Donovan Clingan, a 7-1, 265-pound center out of Bristol Central.

Hurley feels good about his returning players, especially All-Big East first team forward Adama Sanogo and guards Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson.

Hawkins showed flashes of his shooting ability during his freshman season. Jackson has star potential and gained valuable experience as a sophomore, starting all but one of 33 games. And Sanogo will be coming off an All-Big East first team season.

"When you look at the perimeter, I'm feeling great about Andre and what Jordan can do next year with their length and skill set and athleticism," Hurley said. "You expect Andre to absolutely be a dynamic player. I expect Jordan next year to be one of the top shooters/scorers. I think both of those guys will make a huge, huge jump next year.

"And you're talking about having a center (Sanogo) who's going to be, I would imagine, (Big East) preseason player of the year and a potential All-American. So, it's supplementing those three guys with the things we need in terms of skill and shooting."

Other returning players include guard Jalen Gaffney, forwards Akok Akok, Richie Springs and Samson Johnson, who all have something to prove next season. Gaffney and Akok will be a senior and redshirt senior, respectively.

Gaffney, the backup point guard, had an underwhelming season while Akok battled inconsistent play and a foot injury. They averaged a combined 7.4 points.

"He's been in the workouts," Hurley said of Akok. "We had a very productive meeting. It would be ideal for these older guys that are returning to get better and to fight and to earn the opportunity that they want. It's obviously, clearly going to be there.

"... Akok and Jalen are roommates. They're both at crossroads here in terms of how the year went for them and what they want to do about it. Guys have come back from their situation and turned it around. ... And some guys have not. There are guys that we've invested in for a couple of years. It was disappointing for them that they didn't play more, and it was disappointing from our standpoint because this team needed more."

Talking about the future helps Hurley focus on something other than his team's brutal ending.

UConn's overall body of work — third in the Big East, No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament and 23 wins overall — is overshadowed by being eliminated in the Big East semifinals and NCAA first round for the second straight year.

Hurley is as driven as ever to help the program take a significant step forward.

"I came here to win big," Hurley said. "I came here to win Big East championships, to go to the Final Four, go for national championships. That's why I came here. If I was content with just getting to the NCAA tournament, winning a game and then getting sent home, I would have stayed where I was.

"But we all came here to do big things. The opportunities aren't created for players and coaches, the big, big ones that everyone wants, unless you do more than we did this year."

News and notes

• It's understandable that Diggins, a 6-foot-2 freshman from Philadelphia, decided to transfer. He never cracked Hurley's rotation, scoring just seven points with three assists and six turnovers.

Coming out of Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster, Pa., Diggins was considered a consensus top 50 recruit.

"It was a frustrating year for Rahsool," Hurley said. "You just wish him well. He's a really good player and a quality guy. When you're a young player and you don't get an opportunity to get in there and you're as competitive as he is, basketball is a big part of his life and he feels there is a better place for him."

• Martin and Cole have been invited to participate in the Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational, a pre-NBA draft workout for players running from April 13-16. They also will play on the East team in the NABC-Reese's Division I College All-Star game Friday in New Orleans, the host site of the Final Four. ... Cole worked out with director of player development Taliek Brown on Tuesday at the team's practice facility.

g.keefe@thedaycom