Another UConn basketball nonconference season is done, and it was again a dominate start for the Huskies. A year after going 11-0 in nonconference play, the program is 10-1 after a 76-63 win over Gonzaga in Seattle Friday night. UConn, which is ranked No. 5 in the AP poll that came out Monday, relied on its balanced and intricate offense and intense defense in the paint to get out to a decisive lead in the first half and hold the Bulldogs at bay throughout, even as the game turned into a slog in the second half. While the win wasn’t the most visually pleasant experience, it showed the Huskies could win a grind-it-out game in (basically) a road environment.
The offense was outstanding to start the game. They easily got the ball to Donavon Clinigan to start the game, and he bullied the Gonzaga big men to score 8 easy points in the first four minutes. UConn was also outstanding from the perimeter in the first half, shooting 7-9 from the 3-point line. Cam spencer got frequent open looks off the Huskies ball movement and made three treys, and Tristen Newton added a pair of threes. However, UConn could not open a large lead against the Bulldogs for most of the half. Old friend Ryan Nembhard, who transferred from Creighton, and Anton Watson gave UConn fits, and it was a five-point game with under three minutes remaining. Nembhard was especially able to beat the Husky guards off the dribble for layups and open jumpers, scoring 13 points in the half.
UConn ended the first half on an 8-2 run to go into the locker room up 8-2 , setting up a similarly strong start after the break. Spencer and Solomon ball each hit a 3-pointer in the run, with Newton and Stephen Castle picking up assists.
The Huskies began the second half on a 7-2 run thanks to five quick points from Clinigan, and eventually pushed their lead to 18. They led 61-44 with 11 minutes to go. UConn’s defense was excellent in this opening portion of the half, with Clinigan and Samson Johnson shutting down Gonzaga in the paint and Castle and his fellow guards hounding Nembhard and not allowing him to get open or facilitate.
The Bulldogs finally got going from this point, showing the game down and ending dreams of a blowout. Their increased ball pressure led to a handful of layups and free throws, and the Huskies perimeter attack dried up (they were 0-8 from deep in the second half). With just over four minutes left, Gonzaga cut the deficit to 10 on two Nolan Hickman free throws. UConn responded with an alley-oop to Clinigan and a fastbreak layup by Hassan Diarra to cement the 13-point victory.
Clinigan was the star of the night, finishing with 21 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Spencer scored 15 and had 3 steals. Karaban added 11 points and Diarra was outstanding in 19 minutes, finishing with 9 points and 4 rebounds. UConn shot 63% in the first half, and was still comfortably over 50% for the game, and had 16 assists. Gonzaga shot 39% and committed 11 turnovers. While Nembhard and Watson scored 35 points, no other Bulldog had more than 8.
UConn is absolutely one of the top two or three teams in America right now. While the Big East schedule is a different animal, they have all the skills and mental toughness to continue to be dominant going forward. Below, I discuss a few of the most satisfying takeaways from the Gonzaga win, as well as a few nitpicks.
Donavon Clinigan Silences the Haters
During Clinigan’s inconsistent start to the season, a lot of people have been jumping on him. How long will it take for his foot to recover and get back in full shape after injury issues stretching back to the preseason? How limited is Clinigan’s offensive game, and can he play 25-30 minutes every game? Is he that much better than Samson Johnson? The chatter was becoming deafening, and it wasn’t really far to Clinigan.
The Bristol native answered every question against Gonzaga. After a week’s break between games, he was moving quicker and getting more lift off the floor, and it was reflected in Clinigan’s stats. He established great post position against their offense and was highly efficient, shooting 8-11 and making a few tough baskets. Clinigan was great at the free throw line for the first time all season-making 5-7 to reach 21 points. He did a great job of rebounding, grabbing four offensive boards and finishing with eight, and continued to do an excellent job of finding open teammates for baskets. Clinigan’s defense has been strong all season, and it was no different against the Bulldogs. He shut down their leading scorer Graham Ike, limiting him to just 5 points, and altered many shots. Finally, Clinigan seemed to have no issues with his stamina and played 27 minutes.
It was just one game, but it was important to see Clinigan have a strong offseason season against a premier team before Big East play. He will benefit from the rest provided by the lighter December schedule due to the holidays. If Clinigan can avoid further injury and continue to play himself into shape, he has the ability to be both one of the best players in the Big East and big men in the country, especially offensively. I am rooting hard for him.
Come on Down, Hassan Diarra
Diarra has been a pleasant surprise throughout this season, showing much more offensive efficiency than his first year at UConn to go along with the same defensive intensity. The win on Friday was arguably his best performance of the season, and the best of any player not named Clinigan. Diarra’s 9 points were his second highest of the season, and he was 3-4 from both the field and line. He was strong on both the boards and in handling the ball. Finally, Diarra’s in-your-face defense helped UConn shut down Nembhard and slow down Watson in the second half.
Diarra’s game, however, was defined by the number of big plays he made in the second half on both ends. First, he helped end Gonzaga’s first run of the half by blocking a shot and then stealing the ball with just under eight minutes remaining. This was followed by consecutive baskets by Karaban that extinguished their momentum. Diarra had another block roughly a minute later, and quickly followed with a putback basket. Finally, Diarra had the aforementioned fastbreak layup after the Bulldogs cut it to 10 to help seal the win.
Diarra is clearly one of UConn’s leaders and the heart and soul of the team. I expect him to be more up-and-down during the rigors of Big East play, but his defense and outstanding defense makes Diara a perfect backup guard for the Huskies.
UConn Takes Control of Games and Doesn’t Let Them Go
In all the wins UConn had had against strong teams so far, they have generally been given a lot of competition in first halves and had to endure runs in second halves. And yet, the team has been able to grab solid leads going into halftime and then maintain them the rest of the game. Even as teams like North Carolina and Gonzaga went on runs late in the game to try and rattle the Huskies, they have made a couple of clutch plays to ice things. Dan Hurley and his team will not continue winning every game by double digits, but that toughness and confidence should sustain thaste team going forward.
Stephen Castle Continues to Make an Impact in Limited Minutes
The heralded freshman, who is still on a minute’s restriction, again contributed against the Bulldogs in 19 minutes despite not shooting very effectively. Castle shot 3-9 to finish with 6 points, but his excellent passing led to 3 assists. Meanwhile, his defense flustered the Gonzaga guards and made it extremely hard for them to get easy shots. At the same time, he has looked completely confident on the floor and shown leadership when running the offense. As Castle’s restrictions get loosened and he can play freely, I believe he will have a breakout game in the next week or two. He should be a star.
UConn Will Need to Defend Opponents Better off the Dribble in the Big East
Clinigan is an elite interior defender, and Johnson frequently is as well when he can avoid foul trouble. However, Spencer has been a poor defender so far, Newton is good but not great, and Karaban can be bullied by bigger and more athletic opponents. While Solomon Ball has shown promise, he is inconsistent on defense like most freshman. The Huskies were burned by RJ Davis and Nembhard at different points this month, and they will face similarly skilled guards in most conference games. It cannot become a pattern, as it was for much of January and February last season. The guards need to be able to help teammates without giving up open shots to their own man. Dan Hurley will have to find a way to get his team more effective on defense going forward, or the team will not reach its ceiling.
HUSKY NATION 