Category: Big East tournament

Lessons UConn Must Learn From Marquette Loss

After UConn’s 70-68 loss to Marquette in the Big East semifinals last Friday, I had many reasons to be frustrated. The Huskies had lost another one-possession game for the second straight year in the semifinals, continuing a trait that has plagued the program for multiple seasons. The defense had stepped up midway in the second half after switching to zone, allowing UConn to rally from a 10-point deficit to tie the game at 60 with 9:26 remaining. However, this defense was negated by the offense going 3-13 from the field the remainder of the game, preventing the team from ever taking the lead.

After a layup from Adama Sanogo with a little less than three minutes remaining brought his team within two, the Huskies missed the final five shots of the game. Their shot selection during this stretch left a lot to be desired, as UConn focused on scoring from the perimeter instead of trying to get the ball to Adama Sanogo, who was being guarded by bigs in foul trouble, or at least playing inside-out. Joey Calcaterra missed two great looks from deep, and on the last play of the game Jordan Hawkins threw up a prayer after Dan Hurley elected to not call a timeout. Fittingly, Tristen Newton missed a wide-open Sanogo under the basket on the play.

Despite the frustrating loss, I am mostly at peace with the results. Yes, UConn has arguably more talent than anyone else in the Big East, including tournament winner Marquette. However, the team learned a lot of lessons from the game that can hopefully allow it to go on a tournament run.

First, I believe that the loss showed the Huskies that they need to be willing to get the ball inside more, whether for baskets in the paint or shots off of kick-outs and cutting to the rim. This is especially the case if the team is struggling heavily on 3-pointers, as it was in the second half. Despite Sanogo’s dominance inside (he scored 19 points), the junior center took just 11 shots and none in the final minutes as the guards failed to score. Donavon Clinigan was excellent as well with 7 points and 5 rebounds, but curiously played just 10 minutes. With UConn’s guards struggling and Karaban and Andre Jackson limited by fouls in the second half, Dan Hurley should have emphasized to get the ball in the paint and challenge the Marquette players who were in foul trouble (granted, he may have done so and the team just failed to execute). It’s hard to imagine Jackson and most UConn’s guards playing that badly on offense again versus No. 13 Iona Friday in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, but the team should be able to score effectively inside considering the size, efficiency, and rebounding of Sanogo and Clinigan.

Second, the loss demonstrated that UConn needs to compete hard on defense the entire 4o minutes. None of the guards played strong man-to-man against Marquette and seemed to be unfocused particularly due to their offensive struggles. Jackson’s foul trouble also caused the Huskies defense to be much less dynamic, and Sanogo’s help defense was atrocious, allowing the Golden Eagle guards to score very effectively at the rim. Combine this with Marquette’s success from beyond the arc, and it was the perfect recipe for a loss despite UConn’s effective zone defense. While Iona has strong offensive guards and can score in a variety of ways, I believe the Huskies athleticism and depth should allow them to slow down the offense enough as long as the players are locked in. Hopefully, the semifinal loss will give UConn a lot of t to step up on that end.

Finally, UConn needs to play composed. Against Marquette, the players were visibly frustrated and Hurley was having difficulty communicating with them. As the team has done all year, it seemed to tighten up and show poor shot selection in the final minutes. They will have to avoid this and handle the press effectively against Iona, which is the bread and butter of its defense. As far as individual players, Jackson and Hawkins, who each had two of their worst games of the season, need to play with confidence and intelligence. Jackson needs to be the human dynamo he is capable of, and Hawkins needs to get out of its shooting sleep and start establishing a legacy of postseason success. Finally, Hurley needs to show more smarts as a coach for UConn to go on any sort of March Madness run. He admitted that UConn wasn’t prepared mentally to face Marquette, and struggled to find the right way to communicate to his players as the Golden Eagles executed great on both ends. Harley waited too long to switch to the zone in the second half, and should have played Clinigan more, especially after he was vital in UConn’s comeback to tie the game midway through the second half. Finally, Hurley must do a better job of using his timeouts, and calling ones in the final moments of close games if a play isn’t working effectively. Hurley’s decision to not call one on the final play of the game against Marquette was dumb and put way too much pressure on the offense. This is a make-or-break tourney for Hurley, as he needs to prove he can win at least one game in March and avoid an upset. I think he will, but any criticism he gets if UConn doesn’t is justified.

UConn can make a lot of adjustments to prepare for Iona tomorrow afternoon, based on what they see on tape from Iona’s games and the strengths and weaknesses the team has shown recently. The Huskies have the talent to beat anyone these next few weeks, as we’ve seen at points throughout the season. Starting Friday, it’s now the responsibility of the players and coaching staff starting Friday to play to the team’s strengths against individual opponents and minimize their weaknesses.

Observations on Big East Tournament Games and Team Overall: Sanago at a Crossroads, Martin on Fire, and Questions About 3-Pointers

With the best UConn men’s basketball team since the 2014 season (in my humble opinion) ready to enter the NCAA tournament, a lot of fans will want to just completely focus on the tourney results and not dwell on what the Huskies accomplished either during the regular season or Big East tournament. There are a lot of valuable observations and lessons that can be taken from their conference tournament performance as the No. 3 seed, a quarterfinal win against Seton Hall and semifinal loss to eventual champion Villanova. In particular, I learned a lot from the performances of Adama Sanago and Tyrese Martin and how the team used them in the games.

The 62-52 quarterfinal win against sixth-seeded Seton Hall on Thursday was easily one of UConn’s best performances of the season. Its defense was elite, holding the Pirates to 18 points in the first half and just 0.87 points per possession on 35.7% shooting. The defense, particularly Andre Jackson and Isiah Whaley, absolutely shut down Jared Rhoden and Alexis Yetna, holding the dynamic duo to a combined 13 points on 4-21 shooting. While the Huskies were not exactly lighting MSG on fire as they shot 36.1%, they 17 points each from R.J. Cole and Tyrese Martin, outrebounded Seton Hall 46-33 (five players had five or more boards), limited their turnovers and shot 12-14 from the free throw line, all formulas to tournament success.

While the UConn-Villanova semifinal game on Friday wasn’t quite as exciting as the second between the two a few weeks ago, it was close. While UConn came out on the losing end of a 63-60 game, it gave the Wildcats everything they had and led in the final minutes of the first half and early in the second. What ultimately did the Huskies in was their offensive struggles in the paint and beyond the arc and inability to stop Villanova from scoring at the rim in the second. After Jermaine Samuels and Brandon Slater burned UConn on 3-pointers in the first, Samuels continued his excellent play in the second and Colon Gillespie put on an offensive clinic, finding teammates for buckets with bounce passes and finishing with 10 assists. The Huskies inability to finish shots at the rim and find quality 3-point shooting opportunities doomed them as they tried to make a comeback. Martin was their only reliable offensive player on the night, scoring 19 on 7-17 shooting and grabbing seven rebounds and two steals.

While UConn may have lost in the Big East tournament semifinals for the second consecutive year, their outstanding win against Seton Hall and solid performance against Villanova, which is a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament, bode well for how compeubjtitive they can be in March Madness. The Huskies, whom are seeded No. 5 in the West Region, will play No. 12 New Mexico State in the first round and should be solidly favored. After the Big East tourney, fans and the medica can feel up about the play of Martin and Andre Jackson, UConn’s excellent rebounding, especially on the offensive end, and overall defense on the interior. However, there are legitimate concerns about the play of Adama Sanago, UConn’s inconsistent shooting and the thinness of the bench. I address these subjects and more below, as well as my overall positivity about the team’s ability to go on a tournament run.

The Curious Case of Adama Sanago

There are two versions of Adama Sanago. One is the Sanago that is scoring effectively and aggressively around the basket, getting teammates involved on offense and dominating on both the boards and defense while avoiding foul trouble, even if these elements aren’t all happening at the same exact time. The other is the Sanago that is hesitant on offense and missing easy shots at the rim and or not sharing the basketball with teammates when well-guarded, struggles with foul trouble and gets lost on defense, leading to easy baskets for opponents. Good Sanago is the extremely gifted sophomore who was named First-Team All-Big East and nominated for the Kareem-Abdul-Jabber Award, which recognized the top five big men in the country. Unfortunately, the Huskies got Bad Sanago on offense at the Big East Tournament, and it especially cost them against Villanova.

After consecutive games where he didn’t play well offensively and struggled on defense against Creighton, Sanago ended his regular season on a high note against DePaul with a double-double of 26 points and 11 rebounds, giving fans hope that he would have strong games against Seton Hall and then Villanova. Sanago had been excellent against both teams in UConn’s most recent games against them. Instead, he had ugly offensive performances against both teams. Sanago shot just 2-11 against Seton Hall and scored just six points, and then had 15 points on 6-15 shooting against the Wildcats and went 3-7 from the free throw line. Sanago committed two turnovers in both games and had a single block between the two, coming against the Pirates. There were bright spots, as Sanago grabbed a combined 24 rebounds against the teams and generally avoided foul trouble while playing solid defense.

Against Seton Hall, Sanago did not obtain a lot of high-quality shots, as the Pirates did a very good job of not allowing him to get position deep in the paint and playing him aggressively without fouling. However, there was still no excuse for Sanago not to make at least a couple of more shots. While his performance was concerning, it was less of an issue with the Huskies ahead virtually the entire game, and I was pretty confident that he would have a better game against a Villanova defense that wasn’t quite as good or had the length of Seton Hall. I was very wrong. Despite being able to establish strong position in the paint and getting a decent amount of open looks against the Wildcats, Sanago consistently missed shots within five feet of the rim, a few times even badly. While he was able to get to the line seven times, Sanago missed four of the shots. The sequence that summed up his struggles came when he got the ball on four straight possessions and scored just one point, missing free shots and a free throw during the stretch. Sanago still ended the game with a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds and was far from the only UConn player that had an ugly offensive day, as Isiah Whaley went scoreless and R.J. Cole 1-6 on 3-pointers. However, his team probably would have won if Sanago had hit just two or three of his open looks at the rim.

For Sanago, who played poorly in last season’s first-round NCAA tourney loss to Maryland, it is time to step up Thursday. He should have a big advantage against New Mexico’s state front line and if the Huskies most likely face Arkansas in the second round, a favorable matchup as well. Sanago needs to start either using the backboard or dunking the ball more on his shots to make it easier for him to score, and absolutely needs to involve his teammates more when well-guarded against the high-quality defenses he could consistently face in March Madness. At the same time, he needs to show a killer instinct offensively every second he is on the floor. I am expecting Sanago to rebound well against any opponent he faces and play good defense against most of them as long as he avoids foul trouble. If he isn’t efficient and smart offensively however, UConn will be in trouble and games could turn ugly.

Tyrese Martin Emerging as a Star on the Biggest Stage

My man crush on Martin is well-documented, and every UConn fans knows how important his versatility on both ends of the floor has been to the team’s success this year. He still seems to be overshadowed by Cole and Sanago and not fully appreciated by the media however, as he was snubbed for each of the All-Big-East teams despite averaging 13.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2 assists per game despite missing four games due to a wrist injury and dealing with lingering effects to his wrist throughout the season. Martin, whose big personality and competitiveness has always been a treat to see, was sufficiently motivated by the slight and said he would get back at it by trying to earn the conference tournament MVP award. While he didn’t quite reach that goal, Martin still earned a place on the All-Tournament team by averaging 18 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2 steals and assists against Seton Hall and Villanova.

Martin was outstanding on both ends in each game and especially against Seton Hall. The senior forward spent the whole game trash-talking the Pirates and absolutely shut down Pirates star Jared Rhoden, limiting him to 7 points on 2-13 shooting. Martin made some tough mid-range shots whenever the Huskies needed them, distributed the ball well (4 assists) and was strong on the boards as always with 8 rebounds. Against Villanova Martin was by far the most reliable offensive player, going 4-8 from three, and helped keep UConn in the game in the second half with multiple 3-pointers. As in the first game, his defense and rebounding continued to be strong.

Martin could be a nightmare for New Mexico State and any other NCAA Tournament opponents to content with. His ability to contribute in nearly every facet of the game, as well as his 3-point shooting (43.9%) in Big East play, can allow him to make a difference even if his shot isn’t falling. In addition, Martin is arguably UConn’s emotional leader along with Whaley and can help his teammates get through any struggles and intimidate opponents. As long as Martin is having a strong offensive game and can mostly avoid his issues with fouling and turnovers, it will be very hard for the Huskies to lose to an opponent.

UConn Continues to Dominate the Boards While Improving its Ball-Handling

Everyone already knows the Huskies rebounding prowess, especially when on offense, but there were still occasional games throughout the season when UConn had fewer rebounds than opponents even when the team had a clear advantage in this area normally. This has not been a problem lately, as the Huskies won the rebounding battle comfortably in the final few regular season games and then against Seton Hall and Villanova. This especially made a huge difference against Seton Hall, as their second-chance opportunities helped overcome a poor shooting night. While UConn did not convert on many of its second-chance opportunities against the Wildcats, their offensive rebounding helped to eat up clock and limit Villanova’s scoring opportunities. The Huskies talent on the boards will help nullify New Mexico State’s strength in this area as well. If they advance and most likely face Arkansas, they are better on the boards on paper as well.

While UConn’s struggles where turnovers have been a problem throughout the season, it has improved its ball-handling remarkably since early February, a huge factor in the team’s success late in the season. That continued in the Big East tournament, as the Huskies committed 17 turnovers against 22 assists, and only 7 versus Villanova. As a team, their turnover rate of 17.4% ranks 110th in the country. It is still higher than a team of their caliber should have, but the improvement is a good indicator for NCAA tourney success. New Mexico State forces turnovers just 16.4% of the time and Arkansas 17.4%.

Most of UConn’s improved numbers in the turnover department can be attributed to the improvement of Andre Jackson when handling and passing the ball. After being a turnover machine at times for much of the season, Jackson has not committed more than one turnover in six consecutive games while averaging four assists per game during this span. Jackson has not been as reckless when running the fastbreak and cut down on making risky passes that teammates are not ready far while still showcasing his outstanding his outstanding court vision. While his minutes have been limited, Jalen Gaffney has been more careful with the ball when running the paint recently, and Jordan Hawkins has been more disciplined with his dribble when handling the ball, although Dan Hurley has rarely put him in the position to do so. If these players can continue to limit their turnovers and guys like Martin and Sanago can be more disciplined with the ball, then UConn’s offense can run a lot smoother in the tournament.

The 3-Pointer Conundrum

Entering the season, many fans were worried about how well UConn would shoot from deep after they didn’t get a sharpshooter on the transfer market. It was actually significantly better on 3-pointers than myself and many others thought they’d be, draining 35.3% of them overall (79th in the country) and 35.7% in conference play (fourth). While Cole and Gaffney’s numbers from deep fell, Martin improved significantly, as did Polley to a small extent and Jackson significantly. Add on the contribution of Hawkins (33.3%), and the Huskies 3-point shooting numbers were actually a strength of the time. At the same time, they were pretty inconsistent against high-caliber team and struggled mightily on threes in the last four games of the season (27.3% against Creighton and 30% against Seton Hall). The team also had issues getting Polley open for 3-point opportunities, with an example being him taking no more than three 3-pointers in any of the last five games.

After missing three games due to a concussion suffered against Creighton, Hawkins is expected to be able to play a significant number of minutes against New Mexico State. His presence will help make it easier for UConn to get good 3-point shooting opportunities in the NCAA Tournament. To go on a tournament run, it is essential that the Huskies shoot well from deep. It’s not only a skill that’s been demonstrated to be a barometer for tournament success over time, but will make it easier for Sanago to score as defenders will be drawn away from him. Martin needs to continue to make threes at a consistent clip, Cole needs to be more consistent and another player (likely Hawkins, Whaley or Jackson) will need to contribute at a decent clip. Most importantly, the team needs to find a way to get Polley a decent number of opportunities in every game it plays, particularly shots where he is set, and he needs to do his job and be the sniper he was recruited to the program to be. New Mexico State has held opponents to just 30% from deep (20th in the country), so the Huskies have their work cut out for them.  

While there’s legitimate concern about UConn’s ability to make threes, the bigger issue is allowing threes. It allowed all opponents to shoot 34.5% (233) and conference opponents to make 35.8% of treys). It allowed their last three opponents to shoot over 33% from three, and generally allowed a lot of opponents and players who weren’t particularly good from three this season to have very good nights against its defense (See Brandon Slater and Jermaine Samuels against Villanova). Part of opponent’s success from three against UConn is due to its defensive system, which prioritizes guarding the rim and not allowing ball handlers to beat them off the dribble. While the hard hedge is very successful on defense a majority of the time, it can make it harder for players to close out late on 3-point shooters. As I discuss more below, the Huskies have to be willing to make defensive adjustments to limit quality 3-point opportunities if a player or full team is going off. The players also need to communicate with one another to help limit kickouts and make sure players are capable of closing out efficiently.

New Mexico State and Arkansas are both poor 3-point shooting teams, although Vermont is an excellent one if they managed to pull off the upset against the Razorbacks. While a lot of luck is involved when team’s have especially good games from deep, I could absolutely see that being a big Achilles heel for UConn whenever it loses.

Will Dan Hurley be Flexible?

Hurley had a very good year. He continued to be an excellent defensive coach, tweaked things on offense in the second half of the season that allowed it to become more efficient and began to win more close games as the season went on. Hurley was also instrumental in helping Jackson and especially Sanago make big leaps as sophomores. At the same time, Hurley needs to be willing to make adjustments in a couple of areas in certain situations during March Madness, especially if the Huskies are losing to New Mexico State or another opponent down the round.

The first area UConn and Hurley need to be flexible is with their starting lineup. It has consistently started games out slow and a huge factor in this is the lack of offensive power in its regular lineup with Jackson and Whaley. As elite of a defender as Whaley is, I think that the team would generally be better off starting Polley or possibly Hawkins (although I very much doubt that will happen). Starting Polley involved could help him get going early and allow the Huskies to possibly stretch the floor at the same time, which could be a huge boom for Sanago. I am almost completely sure that Hurley would ride the starting lineup he has all season, but it would be interesting to see him change it and throw a wrinkle into the game plan of opponents, especially considering the strength of New Mexico State’s defense.

A second area Hurley needs to be flexible is making sure to his players that they cannot fall into a habit of feeding Sanago and watching him work, especially if Sanago is struggling. Instead, Sanago needs to be told to pass the ball out or to cutting teammates if he is not in good scoring position and then find methods for allowing Sanago to score more easily. Sanago should be very effective against New Mexico State, but UConn would need to continue to follow this strategy against any opponent it faces. Finally, Hurley needs to be way more flexible with his defense if the Huskies are struggling in the man-to-man and with playing the hard hedge, which would involve practicing it a decent amount in the leadup to Thursday’s game. I’d like to see him throw in some variation of a zone if the defense is shaky. Ditto with a box-and-one defense. If the team is consistently struggling to stop a single player, which in this scenario would likely be Aggies star Teddy Allen, I believe Hurley shouldn’t hesitate to double-team said player. Finally, I would love to see the Huskies press ball-handlers in an effort to get more transition opportunities. When you’re in the win-or-go-home situation of an NCAA tourney game, a team shouldn’t hesitate to try anything that might give them a better chance t

Observations About Last Week’s Games: Sanago is Inconsistent, Defensive Breakdowns Against Seton Hall and Questions About 3-point Shooting

This is the first of two articles I am going to write about the UConn men prior to their Big East tournament quarterfinal game against (likely) sixth-seeded Seton Hall (20-9) or No. 11 Georgetown (6-24), arguably the worst power conference team in the country. UConn, which easily swept the Hoyas and split their contests with the Pirates, suffered a frustrating 64-62 loss at Creighton last Tuesday before playing very well on Saturday’s Senior Day against a feisty DePaul squad in the 75-68 win. With their final win, the Huskies earned the tournament’s No. 3 seed when Creighton fell to Seton Hall later that day. The team officially ends the regular season 22-8, 13-6 in Big East play and having won six of seven games. It is the fewest losses a UConn team has had during a full regular season schedule since 2014, the last year it won a championship.      

No one except for R.J. Cole had a particularly effective game in the 64-62 loss to Creighton, which ended up being the only team to sweep the Huskies in conference play. The senior scored 20 points and had four assists, with the only black mark being his 2-7 shooting from three. Tyrese Martin scored 11 and had 5 rebounds but was limited to 25 minutes due to foul trouble and ended up fouling out, and the only other player with more than six points was Tyler Polley, who hit two 3-pointers. UConn’s offensive line was mostly ugly across the board, as it shot just over 40% and went 6-22 from beyond the arc while getting to the line just five times and making only two free throws. It took care of the ball (six turnovers) but had just seven assists. While it had 12 offensive rebounds, the team was ultimately outrebounded 37-33.

I talk a lot more about Adama Sanago below, but offensively he struggled to finish shots and convert on second-chance opportunities against “7-1” Ryan Kalkbrenner and help defenders, ultimately shooting just 6-16 for 13 points, although he had 16 rebounds. Andre Jackson and Isiah Whaley were left open purposefully by the defense as a gambit to force them to make outside shots and it worked, as the two combined to shot just 3-15 for 8 points. Jackson took a number of ugly jump shots in particular and was 0-6 from three. The Huskies shot selection was iffy throughout the game and Sanago and others could not finish shots at the rim. The inconsistent production by the big men and lack of outside shooting was a big factor in why the team trailed 34-24 at halftime, and even after they got it going early in the second half, that deficit and their defensive deficiency’s UConn was experiencing made a comeback win too steep of a hill to climb. It tied the game a couple of times, the last time at 50 on a Martin jumper with 8:18 to go, but never led.

Now about those defensive deficiencies, which again I discuss further below. UConn allowed Creighton, a decent offensive team that was missing its starting point guard and had gotten blown out by 21 against Providence a few days before, to shoot 49% overall and 53.5% on 2-pointers and earn 14 assists against 10 turnovers. In the first half it allowed big man Arthur Kaluma to go off and drain three treys despite being a terrible shooter from deep, and generally was able to beat defenders off the dribble and score in screen and roll action. The Huskies upped their ball pressure at the start of the second half and were able to force enough poor shots and turnovers to come back and tie the game, but the Bluejays and coach Greg McDermott eventually figured things out. McDermott began going to Kalkbrenner in the screen and roll action at the rim, and continued to feed him when adjustments were made. The rest, as they say, is history, with Sanago being the main player successfully targeted by Creighton. Kalkbrenner finished with 22 points, 20 in the second half, on 10-14 shooting and 10 rebounds. Kaluma put up 15 and Ryan Hawkins 13, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.

There was one other big factor that possibly led to the loss. Jordan Hawkins, who had already been hit in the previous game, picked up a concussion on a great screen by Kalkbrenner that the much smaller freshman didn’t see. Hawkins, who was scoreless in five minutes up to that point, had to be removed from the game and is in concussion protocol, meaning he will almost definitely miss the Big East Tournament and could be a question mark for the Huskies first NCAA Tournament game as well. I will talk about the ramifications of this more in the next article, but suffice to say that his absence could cause huge ramifications on both sides of the ball and make it more difficult for the team to hit perimeter shots and space the floor.    

The win over DePaul Saturday went much smoother, as the Huskies controlled the action for most of the game and dominated the paint throughout. Sanago scored 12 of the team’s opening 14 points as he got the ball in excellent scoring position and overpowered defenders, and kept up his dominance on offense and the boards throughout the half, scoring 20 points. Whaley and Martin were also efficient in the first half and Jackson did a strong job of helping to run the offense and on defense. After some lax defense early, UConn tightened up and eventually took a double-digit lead, going into the locker room up 40-29. It continued to play well for most of the second half, with Martin especially doing an excellent job on the board and earning second-chance paints, and led 70-53 with 4:29 to go. Unfortunately, the Huskies continued their habit of taking their foot of the gas and let another inferior opponent make the game closer than it should be. DePaul star Javon Freeman-Liberty finally woke up after being held in check most of the night, and drained multiple threes to help cut the deficit to just five points before UConn closed the game out at the free throw line.

After maybe his most checkered game of the season, Sanago bounced back with 26 points and 11 rebounds on 10-16 shooting. Martin was a wrecking crew with 19 and 16, while Whaley went for 10 and 6. Jackson did a little bit of everything with 7 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. The only concerns on offense were UConn’s 3-point shooting, as it went 3-12, and the struggles of Cole, who ran the offense effectively but shot 1-9 for 3 points. The team outrebounded DePaul 49-31. The Demon Deacons shot just 39.4% overall but went 10-26 from beyond the arc. Freeman-Liberty had 22 and shot 3-5 from three.

Last week’s games offered plenty of exciting moments and reasons for optimism heading into tomorrow night, as well as some frustrating moments and reasons for pessimism entering the Big East Tournament. As I will discuss more in the next article however, overall, I am very excited to see the Huskies compete at MSG and legitimately believe this squad has the chance to win the whole thing if things fall their way. At their best, they have the athleticism and strength on defense to shut down the paint and alter perimeter shots as well as generate turnovers. On offense, they have the best big man in the Big East and one of the best guards and can score in a variety of ways and be dominant on the fastbreak and offensive boards. Certainly, winning the Big East tournament would be a great accomplishment for Dan Hurley and demonstrate that he is one step closer to making UConn a dominant program again.

Below, I discuss how the Seton Hall and DePaul games demonstrated the strengths and weaknesses of Sanogo’s game, the need for Dan Hurley to make adjustments on defense, the rocky but rewarding development of Andre Jackson and the team’s struggles from beyond the arc, among other topics.

The Ying and Yang of Adama Sanago

At this point, devoted UConn fans understand how important Sango is to the team’s success, and the ramifications it has on the team when he struggles on one or both ends of the court. He is one of the best big men in the country and especially on offense and as a rebounder, which was recognized by him being named to the Big East All-First Team on Monday. And yet when he struggles offensively, he can be a black hole and affect the Huskies spacing, and against certain opponents and big men he can struggle defensively, especially with all the hedging Dan Hurley asks his bigs.

Against Seton Hall, he struggled from the start and everything snowballed from there. On offense, Cole and others were able to get the ball to Sanago, but the Pirates defenders did a strong job of pushing him away from the basket without fouling. The sophomore struggled to finish make shots even if they were of high quality, with a lot of his misses just barely rolling off the rim. Sanago earned just two free throws, making one, and could have done a much better job of trying to force contact or attempting dunks. When he got the ball Sanago almost never passed it out even when he wasn’t in good shooting position, a frustrating habit that has consistently been an offensive weakness. Ultimately, Sanago shot just 6-16 to finish with 13 points and was visibly upset by his struggles. To his credit he was still great on the offensive boards, grabbing 5, and finished with 16 rebounds overall.

Even with Sanogo’s offensive struggles, UConn shot over 47% on 2-pointers and was efficient enough on offense in the second half to pull out a win. It was his weaknesses on defense, especially in the second half, that was probably the biggest factor in the Huskies losing. To be fair, Sanago had 6 blocks and was far from the only player that struggled defensively in the final 10 minutes of the game, and much of his defensive weakness was due to the system UConn uses, which I discuss more below. But in the end, the lasting image of the game for me will be Sanago being out of position or late to get back on Kalkbrenner as he easily made layups or dunks on screen and rolls. The defense decided to stick with Sanago doing hard hedges up near the 3-point line instead of initially defending the paint or playing Kalkbrenner one-on-one and it paid the price. By the end of the game, it was completely clear that Sanago, who played 37 minutes, was spent on both ends.

One great skill of Sanago is that he has repeatedly been able to rebound from subpar performances to play very well in the following game or games. I already discussed his play against DePaul above (26 points on 10-16 shooting and 11 rebounds) and Sanago definitely set the tone early and demonstrated UConn could get off to a strong start and dominate the Demon Deacons inside. He will definitely need to demonstrate this ability if the Huskies advance in tournament play. Sanago is the type of player who can carry the team on a run in the Big East and NCAA Tournaments, but his teammates and coach need to put him in position to succeed and he needs to be willing to involve others on offense.

The Creighton Loss Exposed the Weaknesses UConn Can Suffer from on Both Ends of the Floor

Again and again, the Bluejays have demonstrated to fans and opponents the best methods to beating UConn in different ways. Last week, they demonstrated how its inconsistent shooting, how best to attack the Huskies with screens and rolls and their reluctance to quickly change things up defensively.

On offense, the game showed how difficult it is for UConn to score if Sanago and other bigs are held in check and it is not making shots from the perimeter, as Cole cannot do everything himself. The Pirates invited Jackson and Whaley to take 3-pointers and the pair obliged, combining to go 1-9. Much has already been said about Jackson’s ugly stroke and as conference play as gone on his numbers from beyond the arc have predictably gone down. Whaley is inconsistent at best from beyond 15 feet, and if teams are able to effectively guard Polley and Hawkins on the perimeter then the Huskies are in trouble. It would have ben nice to see Cole and Martin pick up the slack against Seton Hall, but the first shot 2-7 from there and Martin took just one three partly due to his foul trouble. Throw in a mix of good defense on Sanago, limiting fastbreak opportunities and rebounding well and rebounding well defensively, all of which the Pirates did, and you are almost guaranteed a win.

As I said earlier, UConn was able to rebound in the second half against Seton Hall because of its effectiveness from midrange and ability to avoid turnovers. However, it was burned from deep by Kulama in the first half, falling behind by as much as 16. After the Huskies fought back to tie the game multiple times, the Pirates figured out how to effectively attack them in the screen and roll repeatedly for baskets, as well as beat them one-on-one when necessary. Because of how frequently UConn hedges, it has occasionally had trouble limiting offenses that have the size and speed to counter them, which Seton Hall certainly does. The defense has also occasionally struggled to defend guards off the dribble or strong big men one-on-one and unfortunately did this in the loss.

While I cannot guarantee whether switching up the defense would have resulted in a win against Seton Hall, I share the belief with many fans that Dan Hurley is too slow to make defensive adjustments. Yes, he has started to make more adjustments in certain games recently, such as playing a zone for short stretches or doubling a player who was giving his defender trouble. And the success of Hurley’s defenses at UConn speaks for itself. Still, he failed to go to some type of zone or double Kalkbrenner to try and limit the Pirates success on screen and rolls in the final 10 minutes of the game and instead watched them score easily again and again. It was inexplicable and Hurley deserved every ounce of criticism he got for these decisions. In tournament play, he cannot afford to fail to be flexible and not give his players as many resources as they need to succeed and win. I just hope Hurley realizes that he will need to roll the dice at times.

Against DePaul, UConn overcame its continued struggles from deep by bullying its opponent inside. However, Seton Hall has at least some of the same qualities as Creighton that gave the Huskies trouble, as does Villanova if the Huskies advance. It will be fascinating to see if they can overcome this and win.

UConn is Again Off from Three

After multiple games where the Huskies shot well from deep and were able to pull off a key win streak, the Huskies crashed back down to Earth the last two games, shooting 9-34 treys (26.5%). With Hawkins almost totally absent due to his concussion, the only other reliable 3-point shooters were Polley and Martin and they only took eight between the two of them, although they hit five. Cole (2-11, Jackson (1-7) and Whaley (1-4) all struggled from beyond the arc. UConn ended the Big East season having hit 35.7% of their threes, good for fourth.

The Huskies will need to be able to hit threes against Seton Hall and whatever opponents it faces in tournament play from there. It is doable against the Pirates, who ranked middle of the pack in the percentage of 3-pointers it allowed in conference play. They were unstoppable in the January loss to SHU, shooting 14-23, but just went 4-18 from deep in the win against it three weeks ago. UConn will need to consistently play inside out, get 3-point opportunities off of fastbreaks and find ways to get Polley open (he has the flu but will almost definitely play). While Sanago and Cole will always be options A and B, the Huskies need to find ways to get Polley open (he had the flu but is going to play as of Wednesday morning) and Martin to take more 3-pointers. With Hawkins out, Hurley may need to sacrifice his defense and rebounding to a small extent and play at times with more shooters such as Akok Akok and Jalen Gaffney until he returns. Considering UConn’s offense is pretty vanilla much of the time, it will need to hit enough 3-pointers to keep defenses honest in its remaining games.  

 We Saw the Best and Worst of Andre Jackson

The sophomore shooting guard demonstrated both how infuriating and fun he is to watch against Creighton and DePaul. Against the Bluejays, he took a few inexplicable threes and missed all six attempts (I find it hard to believe that Hurley gave him the go-ahead to take those shots), likely in an effort to help the Huskies overcome Sanogo’s struggles. While he may have been deliberately left open to take perimeter shots, Jackson would have been better off attacking defenders off the dribble and trying to get to the rim for easy looks and to draw fouls. The size of Creighton and Jackson playing on the perimeter more than usual helped nullify his rebounding skills and he ended the game with just three, all offensive. Jackson continued to handle and pass the ball well and finished with 3 assists against 1 turnover, but his playmaking ability was limited by the sow halfcourt game both teams were playing. Creighton’s focus on forcing Jackson to beat it from outside and general ability to play at a tempo where he is much less effective was the perfect antidote. He needs to realize what he can do offensively if his 3-point shot isn’t following against a similar opponent.

On the other hand, against DePaul Jackson flashed all the skills that make him such a nightmare for opponents to prepare for. He had 8 rebounds and 4 assists with only one turnover, played solid defense and scored 7 points, getting to the rim for two baskets and knocking down a quality 3-point opportunity. Jackson was in his element throughout the game as he got a chance to run the floor and set Sanago and Whaley up for good looks inside. As always, his passing was a pleasure to watch.

Even if Jackson doesn’t score a ton of points, he could be very effective in tournament play, especially against opponents who haven’t seen him before. His court vision and athleticism are second to none, and Jackson has improved his decision-making and accuracy on passes a ton in the second portion of the Big East schedule. He can almost always be relied upon for some rebounding and dominate on the I boards against the right opponent, and Jackson has legitimately become a strong defender, even if he can sometimes fall into playing “matador” defense. Going forward, Jackson just needs to trust himself and not try to do too much. To me, that means he should be more aggressive attacking the hoop and rely less on his 3-point shot, continue to not force passes to teammates, avoid foul trouble and play with a consistently high motor the entire game. I am not sure Jackson can be a reliable force on the tournament stage. But if he is, he can take over multiple games.

Previewing the Semifinals Game Against Creighton: Four Things to Watch For

UConn. Creighton. Big East tournament semifinals. What more could you ask for?

Later tonight, the third-seeded Huskies (15-6) play arguably the program’s biggest game since 2014 against the No. 2 Bluejays (19-7), who just destroyed Butler for the second straight game yesterday in the quarterfinals. Of couse, UConn did the same thing in the late game, defeating No. 11 DePaul 94-60. Both teams are coming in playing great basketball, in a contest that seems more like a conference tournament final than semifinal. Add in the fact that the Huskies are looking to get revenge after two close losses to Creighton in the regular season, and the game adds even more intrigue.

UConn certaintly looked outstanding in all three phases of the game against Butler despite missing James Bouknight for much of the second half due to cramps related to dehydration. Four players scored in double figures, with Tyrese Martin, R.J. Cole and Amanda Sanogo each putting up 14 points. Every player scored, and eight had more than five points. The Huskies did a great job of sharing the ball and pushing the tempo. Cole had eight assists and three other players had at least three, and the team committed just eight turnovers. UConn’s atleticism was on constant display, with multiple highlight-reel dunks.

The Huskies also continued to dominate the boards for the third consecutive game. UConn had 52 rebounds overall and 24 offensive to the Deamon Deacons 32. It grabbed 29 of DePaul’s 36 missed shots and 24 of their own 38, and ultimately finished with an offensive rebounding rate of 53.3%. Martin had 20 rebounds for a double-double and Whaley grabbed eight. Finally, the Huskies defense was very efficient, holding DePaul to 36.8% shooting and turning it over 15 times. UConn shut down star guard Charlie Moore for the third time this season, limiting him to eight points on 3-9 shooting.

To beat Creighton, the Huskies will have to outplay them in all these phases as well. Below, I talk about the importance of UConn’s defense shutting down Creighton’s guards, especially from three, its need to score in the paint and rebound well, and the status of Bouknight.

(1) How well can UConn’s defense guard the peremiter?

Creighton has an elite offensive team, ranking ninth in the country in offensive rating via KenPom and second in conference play in points per game. The Bluejays have a very balanced offense with five players averaging double figures, led by Marcus Zegarowski. Where its most dangerous however, is behind the arc, where they have three players shooting 40 percent or more (Zegarowski, Damien Jefferson, Mitchell Blalock). In its 87-56 win against Butler on Thursday, Creighton shot 13-24 from three.

UConn must limit the amount of open 3-point looks the Bluejays get, and the defenders cannot get caught up in screens or consistently fail to revolve over on shooters. Two ways they can do this is by limiting the playmaking of Zegarowski, which Cole was able to do in the first game between the teams, and by causing turnovers (Creighton averages 11.3 per game in conference). If the game disolves into a shootout, the Huskies will be in trouble.

(2) Will UConn be able to win the battle in the paint and on the boards?

On paper, the Huskies definitely have the advantage down low with Isiah Whaley, Sanogo, and Josh Carlton, with Martin providing them assistance. On offense, they have an efficient scorer in Sanogo, and all of the aforementioned guys can score at the rim and off of missed shots. UConn has been dominating the offensive boards and can continue to do so against Creighton, which is not known for its rebounding. However, the Huskies have to do a better job of scoring at the rim and especially on second opportunities then they did against DePaul, as they regularly failed to score off offensive rebounds on Thursday night. It will be important for UConn to get to the line regularly and finish through contact.

On defense, the Huskies need to stay disciplined in the paint and avoid foul trouble, especially from red-hot Sanogo. They must do a better job of staying on the floor and not biting on faked shots, even if this means the the team gets fewer blocks. The guards need to avoid being beaten on drives and pressure Zegarowski and ball handlers so that the Bluejays have few easy layup opportunities. If Andre Jackson can avoid foul trouble, he can provide much-needed length to slow down Creighton’s players and help clog the passing lanes.

(3) Can UConn make enough 3-pointers to win?

If the Huskies get into a total 3-point shootout, it’s unlikely they will have a chance. If they are able to limit Creighton on the peremiter however, they will still need to make key threes when needed to gurantee a victory. UConn struggled from three against DePaul, especially in the second half, and will need to take smarter shots and not rush opportunities. It would especially be huge if either Bouknight or Martin got going from behind the arc. If UConn is running its offense efficiently there should be good opportunities for Tyler Polley, and if nothing else he can be a key decoy and draw defenders out of the middle.

(4) Will Bouknight be aAt or close to 100 percent?

Although it initially looked bad when Bouknight had to come out in the second half, it seems like it was just a bad case of the cramps and it was reported that he recovered fine. It’s likely Bouknight will start the game, but Hurley and UConn have to closely watch Bouknight’s stamina and make sure he is hydrated properly. If the sophomore’s athleticism and mobility is limited, the path to winning becomes much tougher.

Previewing the DePaul Game: Four Things to Watch For

Hello Husky fans, it’s Big East tournament time! It’s great to have the program back in the Big East tournament for the first time since 2013, and it feels even better when UConn is considered one of the favorites for the championship. I am not going to be doing game observations on each game (unless the team sadly loses in the quarterfinals) and instead cover the two or three games as a whole if the Huskies advance past Thursday. I will write similar game previews to this however, and also provide observations on the tournament as a whole on Twitter/Facebook. I am so excited for the chance to write about the tournament, and be on the edge of my seat in each game.

First up, the Huskies get to play DePaul at 9:00 for the third time this season after the No. 11 Deamon Deacons upset Providence 70-62 late Wednesday night. Javon Freeman-Liberty and Charlie Moore each scored 21 points, and DePaul held Providence to 35.1% shooting and outrebounded the Friars 46-35. The Deamon Deacons, who entered the tournament having lost nine of 10 games, improved to 5-13. UConn defeated DePaul 82-61 with Bouknight and 60-53 on January 11th just after he was injured. The winner will play either No. 2 CrnOeighton or No. 10 Butler in the second game on Friday.

Below, I have five things to watch for in the game relating to how the teams match up, what UConn is looking for from certain players, and the ramifications for each team based on the outcome.

(1) Will UConn’s “other guards” play at a high level?

In the two wins against DePaul, Cole did an excellent job of shutting down their top scorer Charlie Moore, holding him to just 17 total points on 24 attempts. Moore has been playing his best basketball as of late, scoring 20 points in three of the last five games and, and had 21 and seven rebounds against Providence. Javon Freeman-Liberty is a strong second bannana for the Deamon Deacons and also had 21 against the Friars. Cole needs to again play strong defense on Moore while also making it hard for him to make plays for Freeman-Liberty and others. At the same time, Jackson and Gaffney need to avoid foul trouble to give Bouknight adequate help in guarding Freeman-Liberty. I believe Cole as well as Gaffney and especially Jackson (with his great length) can slow down the two, but if Moore and Freeeman-Liberty can go off and get some help, DePaul will make life difficult for the UConn defense.

Cole will have to continue to play at a high level to keep the offense humming against a strong Deamon Deacons defense. It would be nice to see his shooting touch return after going just 1-7 against Georgetown, but Cole doesn’t have to have 20 points for UConn to win as long as he’s handling the ball well and creating good scoring opportunities for teammates. I’m actually more interested to see how Gaffney plays after one of the best games of his career on Saturday (15 points on 6-6 shooting and three 3-pointers). The sophomore has shown more aggressiveness and great athleticism recently, and if he continues to play well the Huskies should win comfortably. Jackson has taken no shots and has just three total points in the last two games, and I think it is imperative that Hurley sets up some scoring opportunities for him early so he gets engaged on offense and does more than just pass.

Suffice to say, I am not worried about Bouknight on either end.

(2) Can UConn make threes?

DePaul is holding teams to 31.9% shooting from three in the Big East, good for second in the conference. UConn is fifth in the conference at 34.4%, but we all know how inconsistent they have been from behind the arc throughout the season. The Huskies were great from three against a team that defends them well in Georgetown (12-28 for 42.9%). If they can shoot near that rate on Thursday, then it will open op scoring opportunities in the paint and for Bouknight and Cole and the team will easily win. It will especially be important for UConn to find ways for Tyler Polley to get open and make some open looks, as he will no doubt be closely guarded. However, if the team struggles from three, then a lot of pressure will be put on Bouknight and the big men to bail them out and the game could be a nail-biter.

(3) Can Tyrese Martin and the bigs perform well on both ends?

Amada Sanogo, Isiah Whaley and Josh Carlton each had strong performances agaist Georgetown, and Sanogo and Carlton did a solid job of avoiding foul trouble. It will be important for the experienced Whaley to have a strong all-around game and avoid foul trouble so pressure can be taken off Sanogo in his first tournament go-around. Similarly,it would be great for UConn if Carlton could provide 10-15 effective minutes, especially if either Sanogo or Whaley is struggling. In a perfect world, Akok Akok could also give the Huskies 5-10 good minutes and another excellent defensive presence. The bigs and Martin will need to shut down DePaul’s secondary scoring threats and give the Deamon Deacons nowhere to go on offense if either Moore or Freeman-Liberty are not scoring. DePaul is a strong rebounding team like UConn, and if UConn wins the battle of boards it will be in great position to win, even if it struggles to make shots. Finally, I would like to see Martin pick it up on offense a little bit and start giving the Huskies a reliable third scoring threat. Since the return of Bouknight, Martin has fallen off on offense, especially from deep.

(4) Can Bouknight building a mark for himself in tournament play?

Everybody whose been watching knows that Bouknight has already proved himself to be one of the best players the program has ever seen in just two years. Tonight is the start of a chance for him to to start leading UConn to a huge program accomplishment (first Big East confence tournament championship since 2011) and make people realize he is one of the best players in the country. I certaintly think Bouknight will answer this call.