Sitting down to watch UConn’s game against Marquette Tuesday night, I expected an exciting game against a solid team that would likely result in a close win. I was certainly right about the game being exciting. I didn’t expect it to be an 11-point win, however.
I kid, I kid. When we got to halftime with James Bouknight having hurt his elbow and scoring only six points and the Huskies trailing 31-23, I was just happy the game was so close and frustrated with having expereienced one of the worst-shooting halves in recent memory. After the Golden Eagles went on their 10-0 run to start the second half and led by 18 with 15:41 remaining, I was certain UConn would loose and just wanted to end the game playing well and with Bouknight still able to play. I never expected the team would go on a huge comeback run to win, and that it would be led by Tyler Polley. I am extremely happy to have been proven wrong.
Polley, whose shooting stroke had been inconsistent this season after his return from injury, drained a career-high 23 points in the final minutes, as well as five three-pointers. Meanwhile, Isiah Whaley played great on both sides of the ball and was a beast on the boards, finishing with 15 points and 13 rebounds. He even hit a three-pointer! The two seniors would score 74% of UConn’s points on the night. Ultimately, the Huskies would go on a 40-11 run to win 65-54 and improve to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big East.
UConn’s defense was outstanding, particularly in the second half. It held Marquette to 38.6% shooting and 5-18 from three. In the final 11:12 of the game, the Golden Eagles scored just eight points. The Huskies did a great job of playing team defense and shutting down the paint, forcing Marquette into tough shots from the premiter.
After looking lousy in the first half, the UConn offense was much more efficient in the second half. The team played with much more urgency after the first timeout and did a great job of playing quicker and moving the ball. Polley’s shooting helped open up the floor for everyone, and while he and Whaley dominated the action, all players were involved. On the boards the Huskies had 15 offensive rebounds, and outrebounded Marquette 42-28 overall.
As of Wednesday night, UConn is ranked 25th in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings, with the nation’s 33rd-ranked offense and 32nd-rated defense. It’s averages of 15.8 offensive rebounds per game is third in the country, 42 rebounds is 28th in the country, and 63.5 points allowed is 46th. In conference play, the Huskies lead all teams in offensive rebounds per game (15), three-pointers allowed (5.3), three-point percentage allowed (25.8), and points allowed (63.7).
Below are five observations on the phenomenol win against Marquette:
Tyler Polley becomes a sharpshooter again
It has been a long road back for Polley, who missed the second half of last season after tearing his ACL. In the first five games, he looked tenative shooting the ball and did not display the same athleticism or three-point shooting ability he has shown throughout his career. After scoring 15 points in the season oepener against Central Connecticut, Polley scored only five points over three games, and missed the Creighton matchup due to his COVID-19 test results not being in before the game. Polley had only shot 3-11 from three before Tuesday’s game.
Polley went scoreless in the first half and was largely invisible. But after he made a 3 to cut Marquette’s lead to 43-31 with 14:37 remaining, a light switched on for Polley, and by extension his teammates. Polley went 5-6 on threes the remainder of the second half, and would shoot 8-12 for the game and make three free throws to finish with a career-high 23 points.
As UConn’s ball movement improved in the second half, Polley made shots both when covered and wide open, and by extension opened the floor for the rest of his teammates. As it became clear Polley was in the zone, he was very agressive and showed no hesitation. In addition to his offense Polley provided solid defense, using his “6-9” frame to help shut off the paint against defenders. It was a wonderful performance and arguably the signature game, of Polley’s UConn career so far.
As I have hit on in previous articles, Polley coming back to form is essential for this team to be successful. He should be UConn’s most reliable 3-point shooter and provide the team tought defense if he is healthy. I feel the Marquette win will give Polley a lot of confidence and encourage him to be aggressive. The win also shows how important Polley is to the Huskies as a leader. I can’t wait to see how Polley will look like in the next few games.
Isiah Whaley, the man teammates feed off of
In the days leaeding up to the Marquette game, Dan Hurley called on Whaley to provide the attitude and energy he showed at the end of last season that myself and other fans had fallen in love with. Whaley took his message to heart and played like a monster from the opening tip.
The senior helped carry UConn in the first half and the beginning of the second as Bouknight struggled and other teammates hadn’t begun getting going yet. He was constantly attacking on both ends, protecting the rim on defense and scoring there on offense, as well as doing an outstanding job grabbing rebounds. Whaley did an especially good job at hedging when defending Golden Eagle players. He also showed the ability to step out and make shots on the premiter, including his first career 3-pointer. Most importantly to myself, Whaley successfully played aggressive defense without fouling, particularly on screens, an issue that has plagued Whaley all season. He must continue to do this for the Huskies to be at their most efficient on both ends.
Whaley showed off all the abilities that can make him such a special player on Tuesday. Just as important, however, he displayed the intangibles that he provides UConn. The energy he showed on the floor and bench when interacting with teammates visibly inspired them and helped lead the team’s comeback. Whaley’s leadership is sorely needed on this squad, and I know he and Polley can help teammates improve both in practice and games. Whaley won’t put up statistics this good in every game, but if he brings the same energy and leadership, the Huskies will reach their potential.
The advantage of depth
Coming into the season, it was clear that UConn would have a lot of depth, especially when Akok Akok came back (we’re almost there guys)! But through six games, it is evident that depth is the Huskies biggest strength. While Bouknight can always be relied on as the team’s top offensive player and star (even when he was injured and couldn’t shoot effectively on Tuesday, using him as a decoy confused the defense and got players open), at least one other player has stepped up to help lead the team in each game on both ends of the floor. Outside of Polley against Marquette, Whaley played well in multiple games, including the huge win against USC, Josh Carlton was great against USC and DePaul, and Tyrese Martin has immediately established himself as an excellent rebounder and a valuable contributer.
The depth has especially been valuable on defense and in rebounding. UConn has multiple quality defenders, particularly in the frontcourt, and plays good defense as a team. While R.J. Cole has struggled on offense, he immediately showed he is an excellent defender and can shut down quality guards. The Huskies have excellent rebounders throughout their roster, and this allows them to have an advantage on the boards even when players struggle with foul trouble.
For UConn to reach their full potential, it would be ideal if a player could clearly be a Robin to Bouknight’s Batman. Even if this does not necessarily happen, however, the team’s depth will make them tough to beat in the Big East and when they play teams unfamiliar with them in the NCAA tournament.
This win can be a significant stepping stone goes ing forward
As important as beating a very good USC team on Dec. 3rd was the team’s resume and various rankings, beating Marquette was more significant. It was UConn’s first road win in the Big East in more than six years, and first road win overall since last season’s finale against Tulane. It came against a good team and program which defeated excellent Wisconsin and Creighton teams earlier this season. Most important, it showed that this year’s squad can keep their heads and come together to rally when they are struggling against a good team.
Beating Marquette showed a toughness and maturity the Huskies will need to be successful. Bouknight gets most of the attention from the national media, but the win showed that he does not define the team and UConn can win even when Bouknight struggles. I’ll be honest: If you had told me he would only score six points and get injured during the game, I would have told you the Huskies would lose by 10 to 15 points. Thank you, Huskies, for showing I am a fool.
HUSKY NATION 