UConn is on its Way to the Mountaintop After Reaching Final Four

When Dan Hurley took the UConn men’s coaching job five seasons ago, the program was stuck in the purgatory of the AAC and struggling to recruit quality players. Despite this, Hurley had grand ambitions and promised he could eventually make UConn a national power again. As difficult as it was to believe him at times, Hurley has made this goal a reality, culminating in a Final Four appearance in this year’s NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed. Last weekend, the Huskies steamrolled Arkansas and Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight to earn the program’s sixth appearance in the Final Four, and first since 2014.

After watching UConn’s 82-54 defeat of No. 2 Gonzaga on Saturday night, there were a ton of thoughts floating through my head along with unbridled joy, and there have only been more over the course of this week. I am just so happy for Hurley and his coaches, the Huskies players, and others surrounding the program. This is a special team, and they are playing at a level unmatched by any other team in the tournament. Right now, I feel that no team can beat UConn when it is playing at its best and am very confident it will win the national championship. Saturday night’s game against No. 5 Miami, which has a great offense, should be very exciting.

Instead of writing a summary of UConn’s West Regional wins against Arkansas and Gonzaga, I have decided to instead write seven observations I had while watching these games, focusing on individual players and the team as a whole, Dan Hurley, and the importance of making the Final Four to myself and UConn nation as a whole. I hope you enjoy it, and let’s go Huskies! I predict wins over Miami and San Diego State to earn a fifth national championship in 24 seasons.

1. Jordan Hawkins now has a killer instinct. Earlier in the season, Hawkins could be inconsistent against the best teams, especially if his outside shot wasn’t falling. In the tourney and especially the two West Regional games however, Hawkins has shown that he could rebound from cold spells and catch fire quickly offensively, while also finding other ways to contribute besides just shooting 3-pointers. For example, Hawkins was inconsistent from beyond the arc against the Razorbacks, shooting 3-9, but made up for it by going 3-4 inside it and making all his 9 free throws f 24 points, while also adding 3 assists. In the Elite Eight, Hawkins shot 6-10 from deep and scored 20, and also grabbed 6 rebounds. In addition to his overall offensive performance in March Madness, Hawkins has demonstrated his increased versatility and burgeoning leadership skills, with the sophomore being more vocal in the huddle. He has demonstrated to a national audience that he is one of the most skilled shooters in America, and this has helped Hawkins shoot up NBA draft boards. Even if Hawkins has an off shooting night against Miami, I am confident he will find other ways to contribute on both ends. And I wouldn’t count on him being quiet for a full 40 minutes.
2. While this year’s tourney has been a coming out party for Hawkins to fans who may not pay close attention to the Big East, it has also given Adama Sanogo an opportunity to remind people that he is one of the best big men in America. Sanogo was a monster in the first two rounds, averaging 26 points and 11.5 rebounds on nearly 70% shooting. Last weekend, the junior center averaged “only” 14 points and 9 rebounds on over 50% shooting. Sanogo demanded lots of attention against both Arkansas and Gonzaga. After scoring 18 in the first game, he took advantage of that attention against the Bulldogs, dishing out 6 assists to teammates who cut to the rim. It was a showcase for how much Sanogo has improved as a passer, and become a more versatile player overall on both ends. Sanogo is the rock for UConn, and he will provide a very tough challenge against the big men he will match up with against Miami and possibly in the championship game.
3. Andre Jackson is a joy to watch when is causing havoc on defense and making smart plays on offense, and he has done both throughout March Madness. After four games, Jackson is averaging just under 8 points per game on just under 50% shooting, 7 assists against just 2 turnovers, and 7 rebounds. Jackson has been excellent at cutting to the rim for easy buckets, led UConn on fastbreaks and found teammates, especially Hawkins and Sanogo, for easy buckets, and generally just been everywhere on the boards. On defense, Sanogo has provided great help and been able to defend a wide variety of players. He had 3 steals against Arkansas. The tournament has been a great opportunity for Jackson to show how he has improved since the beginning of February, and that he can do a little bit of everything for the Huskies. He will be a difference maker against Miami and be a huge factor in the team winning the title.
4. In nonconference play, UConn’s depth was one of the things that distinguished them as an elite team. For a good chunk of Big East play, the bench play was disappointing and helped cause the Huskies to sleep. In the final weeks of the regular season however, the bench players were much better and have carried that other to NCAA Tournament play. Naheim Alleyne, Donovan Clinigan, Joey Calcaterra and Hassan Diarra have each contributed in different ways, and it’s helped make the Huskies the best tourney team so far. Alleyne has been outstanding on defense as always, and has provided another reliable outside shooter and extra ball-handling. Alleyne is averaging just over 7 points in the four games, while shooting 6-11 from deep. Clinigan has been dominant on both ends in his limited minutes on both ends, guaranteeing UConn would see little drop-off when Sanogo is on the bench. Clinigan is averaging just under 7 points, over 5 rebounds and has blocked 9 shots, while making roughly 70% of these shots. This is all despite playing 52 minute in the entire tourney. The duo of he and Sanogo will almost definitely be too much for Miami to handle. Calcaterra is averaging 6 points per game and shooting 40% from deep. Finally, Diarra has played solid defense and been reliable off the bench as a point guard, averaging 2 assists. No opponent has been able to completely shut down the bench so far, and has a result it has allowed UConn to increase leads while getting much-needed rest for the starters. Let’s see if Miami can be the team that significantly limits the quartet’s offensive contributions.
5. While so far I have focused on individual players, UConn deserves praise as a group for being able to step on the throat of opponents during the second half of tournaments and end any hopes of a comeback for them, particularly in the West Regional. It absolutely blitzed Arkansas and Gonzaga in the final few minutes of the first half and especially in the second, outscoring the two by a combined total of 27 points. The Huskies did a great job of not letting up on offense and going on runs to put the game out of reach. They have tightened up their defense and improved their rebounding in the second half of all four games. We know that UConn doesn’t exactly have the best record in close games, so instead they are just taking control early and then executing the kill shot in second halves. If the team gets off to a decent lead in Saturday’s game in the first half, the Hurricanes will be in trouble.
6. Dan Hurley has been outstanding in this tournament. Against Arkansas, he did a great job coming up with a plan to stop their ball screens and force the Razorbacks to shoot from outside. Then against Gonzaga, he emphasized to players that they needed to get Drew Timme in foul trouble, and forced the rest of the roster to keep up with them offensively, which the Bulldog players failed to do to say the least. Hurley has done a strong job of using his subs on both ends to keep players fresh and confuse opponents, and made sure to emphasize that UConn use cuts to score more effectively around the basket and make it harder for opponents to limit Jackson. Finally, Hurley has been calm and collected on the bench, which has allowed his players to have the same demeanor as well. Hurley is maturing as a coach in all areas before our very eyes, and it bodes very well for UConn’s success going forward.
7. This has been a great ride for the fanbase in general. This is what we have been waiting for since UConn went back to the Big East, and the excitement among both hardcore and more casual fans is palpable. For the next couple of years, the program will likely be well-supported, and it’s possible they can have one of the most devoted fanbases in the country again. All credit to Dan Hurley and his players for getting in this position.