Donovan Clinigan – HUSKY NATION

The Unforgettable Experience of UConn vs. Creighton

When I entered Gampel Pavilion Wednesday night to see UConn take on Creighton, I admit that I was apprehensive about the top-ranked Huskies ability to defeat the experienced Blue Jays, even at home. They have a strong offense that scores very effectively around the rim and can regularly knock down 3-pointers and is one of the best defensive teams in the country in many categories. Meanwhile, UConn was very inconsistent on offense in the preceding few games, struggled badly on the boards, and was not sure what it would get from Donavon Clinigan in his first game back from injury. Finally, Creighton had been the Huskies kryptonite since they rejoined the Big East, winning every game but one. I expected a close game in which UConn needed to limit Creighton in the paint and execute well on offense to win.

Instead, I saw UConn win comfortably 62-48 against one of the Big East’s top programs. The Huskies played absolutely suffocating defense, dominated the boards, and made clutch shots when needed in front of a rowdy crowd. The game, which was obviously a sellout, was one of the most memorable regular season wins for UConn in a long time. It was a joy and privilege to watch in person.

Instead of writing my traditional detailed observations about one or multiple games, I have decided to cover the Creighton win. Instead, I am going to list and do a short discussion of what I enjoyed the most about UConn’s performance up close. I hope you enjoy it!

Being able to see Donavon Clinigan in his first game back from injury was a lot of fun. In 16 minutes, Clinigan was running the floor maybe the best he has had all season and was in better shape. Clinigan was excellent on defense, blocking two shots and denying Creighton the ability to take the ball to the rim and find star center Ryan Kalkbrenner. While Clinigan was rusty shooting the ball, going just 3-8 from the field for 6 points, he snatched five rebounds and recorded 2 assists. Finally, Clinigan fueled multiple runs and brought a ton of energy when out on the floor, including a memorable sing-along to Taylor Swift. If this was what the big fella looked like in his first game back, I could see him dominating opponents soon.
UConn’s defensive performance was remarkable, especially when observing it up close. The unit never allowed Creighton’s players to get comfortable. The Huskies constantly pressured ball-handlers and rarely allowed the Blue Jays to run effective offensive sets. Their players were forced into taking difficult shots inside the arc or kicking it out for 3-pointers, with Creighton shooting just 6-26(23.1%) from there. UConn’s ability to fluster their ball-handlers led to 14 turnovers. Somehow, the Huskies limited the Blue Jays to 6 foul shots despite their aggressive defense. The 48 points were the fewest an opponent has scored in more than two seasons.
In addition to Clinigan, Stephen Castle and Hasson Diarra were especially great to see in person on defense. Castle, who covered multiple players but was on point guard Trey Alexander the most, hounded everyone he guarded and refused to let ball-handlers get downhill. The freshman forced a lot of poor shots and although he had only one steal, Castle was partially responsible for multiple turnovers. He is on another level defensively than most freshman. Diarra has always been an excellent defender and was all over the place in his 17 minutes on the floor. I also commend Samson Johnson for his defensive effort, as he was able to defend multiple players by hard hedging while still defending well. Hopefully the win will give Johnson, who had 4 points, 3 rebounds and a block, more confidence as a defender.
After a few games without Clinigan in which UConn struggled badly to rebound, it was dominant on that end throughout the game, kicking Creighton’s ass on that end 48-32. The Huskies were more physical and athletic than the Blue Jays players up front and did an excellent job blocking out and reacting to where the ball is coming off the rim. Six Huskies had at least 6 rebounds, led by Tristen Newton’s 8. By grabbing 21 offensive rebounds, UConn was able to offset its lousy shooting to some extent and control the clock better. The team won’t rebound this well every game, but having Clinigan back to handle center with Johnson will allow players to play their regular positions and make it easier to rebound.
UConn’s offensive performance was ugly. They shot roughly 35%, had only 13 assists and pretty much stopped scoring in the last six minutes of the game. Creighton was mostly able to keep the Huskies from attacking the rim or scoring in the paint effectively when playing half-court offense, and missed a lot of open midrange jumpers and 3-pointers. When they needed a player to step up and make a basket or create offense they turned to Newton, just as they’ve done all season. He hit tough jumpers, especially in the first half to give the team early momentum. The senior also was the only Husky that could consistently make threes, hitting two of four and having a third waved off due to a foul. Newton scored 16 points and was more efficient than either Alex Karaban or Cam Spencer, who each finished with 13. He may have not have gotten off to the best start in Big East play, but Newton has been one of the top players in the country this year, and the Huskies will go as far as Newton can lead them.
The crowd was outstanding all night against Creighton. Their energy and enthusiasm gave the UConn players a ton of energy and propelled runs, and the fans also helped to rattle Creighton. Everyone was loud and celebratory, and the students were very engaged. UConn gets good crowd support wherever they played, but the Gampel experience is a lot more fun because of the intimate setting and students leading the way for the rest of the crowd.

UConn Needs to Adjust to Life Without Donavon Clinigan

After a thrilling opening 11 games to the season, UConn’s final two games before the winter break were a nightmare at times. The defending champions faceplanted in their opening Big East conference game at Seton Hall last Wednesday, looking mostly lost on both ends in a 75-60 loss, the largest the program experienced since 2020. As embarrassing as the showing was on the court, what was worse was the loss of Donovan Clinigan. The sophomore center has dealt with injury and conditioning issues all season, and a fall early in the second half resulted in Clinigan injuring a tendon in his right foot, which will keep him out at least 3-4 weeks. It’s what all fans were dreading, and came just as Clinigan finally seemed to be rounding into form on offense the previous few games.

While the Huskies pulled out a gritty4-point win against St. John’s on Saturday, the offense was again stilted and the outside shooting was mostly nonexistent, especially when the Red Storm played zone and pressured the ball heavily. If Samson Johnson hadn’t stepped up so well in his first game at center, there’s a very good chance UConn would have been upset again at home.

The Huskies have a lot of question marks right now, most of which they have been able to work on during the 9-day holiday break between games. What adjustments can they make on defense to stop getting beat off the dribble and burned for layups, and to protect Johnson and Karaban in general on defense with Clinigan out of commission. How can the offense be more efficient in the halfcourt and play quicker, especially against teams that can switch throughout the lineup and deny good 3-point attempts? Finally, how can the Huskies change their identity where needed in January, including relying more on the bench and improving Stephen Castle? Dan Hurley and his assistants are very smart guys, and I feel like they will be able to get the team to continue playing well without Clinigan and then go on a run when he returns. The Big East is very deep however, and the struggles against Seton Hall and St. John’s were scarily similar to the losses the team had in last year’s January swoon.

Below, I talk a little bit about where I think UConn played well and poorly as a team the last two games, performances of a few players, adjustments the team can make on both ends, and the overall impact of Clinigan being injured and its ramifications.

The Defense Shows a Lot of Deficiencies

Throughout the season, there have been clear signs that UConn is not at the same level defensively as last year. The departure of Andre Jackson and Cam Spencer’s underwhelming defense has made the team weaker at shooting guard/small forward, and Alex Karaban still struggles to defend larger and more athletic forwards. While Castle is an excellent defender for a freshman and Solo Ball is decent on defense if undisciplined, UConn will be starting three players without Clinigan that are less athletic than their counterparts on Big East team. Finally, Johnson is super athletic and can defend the rim, but is a poor rebounder relative to his size and prone to fouling and mental errors.

Without Clinigan at the rim to protect other defenders and clean up their mistakes, UConn looked very vulnerable against Seton Hall’s athletic guards, particularly Kadary Richmond. Too much of the time, he and his backcourt mates beat UConn’s guards off the dribble and glided to the rim for a layup or forced fouls. The Huskies were unable to force turnovers or a lot of poor shots and allowed 14 offensive rebounds to the Pirates. Finally, Johnson had a horrible game, earning just two points and rebounds in 21 minutes. And most frustrating, Hurley seemed unwilling to try any forms of zones or ramp up the trapping and pressure to throw Seton Hall off and hopefully force some turnovers.

While UConn was better defensively against St. John’s, it’s guards were still able to get to the rim too easily for layups or free throw opportunities, especially in the first half. While UConn did a good job of not letting star center Joel Soriano get the ball constantly, he still was outstanding when he was in position to score and pushed around Karban and even Johnson at times. Soriano was 4-5 from the field and 6-7 at the charity stripe for 13 points. The Red Storm got to the line 28 times in all, making 21 of those shots, as those games turned into a slugfest.

Hurley and his team are going to have to make a lot of adjustments on defense while Clinigan is out. They need to come up with ways to neutralize athletic guards and not make it so easy for conference opponents to beat them one-on-one on drives, even if their guards and forwards are naturally more athletic than UConn’s and Karaban. This could mean a lot of things, including emphasizing more help defense, playing zone or similar defensive styles when necessarily, or generally focusing on guarding the perimeter less (for example, the Huskies were defending Seton Hall at the top of the key constantly even when the Pirates aren’t a team that relies on scoring from deep). The team as a whole needs try and be more disciplined and play without fouling in the whistle-heavy Big East, with this being especially true of Karaban and Johnson while UConn is shorthanded. I believe that the coaches are capable of getting the defense to improve through tweaks, but UConn needs to be as pragmatic as possible and willing to try more things on that end of the ball.

The Offense Needs to Regain its Identity

UConn’s offense was one of the best in the country by all metrics in nonconference play. They were extremely efficient and found ways to score against every opponent (barring Kansas) even when perimeter shots weren’t falling. This has changed since Clinigan’s injury against Seton Hall. The Huskies, who are already more inconsistent on 3-pointers than expected in the nonconference, shot just 23.1% (9-39) from deep against Seton Hall and St. John’s. In the half-court, both opponents and especially the Pirates were able to switch and get under screens effectively or play zone and make it tough for UConn to get into its sets quickly and consistently get high-quality shots. Considering the athletic limitations UConn’s experienced guards and Karaban have as referred to before, being forced to play in this style puts more pressure on them to carry the team and get to the rim effectively. And when the Huskies are struggling from deep, it means the team cannot space the floor to counterattack zones. Seton Hall and St. John’s also pressured UConn defenders more than a lot of over times and it was very effective for the Pirates, whom forced a season worse 17 turnovers by UConn.

Even with Seton Hall and St. John’s forcing UConn to play a different style of offense, UConn is not helped by neither all of its main players getting off track in the last two or three games. Karaban has gone back to bricking 3-pointers since the Arkansas-Pine Bluff win, presumably the after-effects of injuring his finger, and it seems to be affecting other areas of the sophomore’s game. While Newton scored a combined 31 points the past two games and came up big in the second half against St. John’s, he has been inefficient from the field and committed 6 turnovers against Seton Hall. Spencer has been highly efficient on offense all season, but he was lousy against Seton Hall and will have a lot of pressure on him from both ends with Clinigan out. While freshman Stephen Castle and Solomon Ball both have the athleticism and size that UConn’s other guards lac, Castle seems to still be getting comfortable after losing time and is playing undisciplined, and Ball is too passive and is struggling badly from deep. Finally, while Johnson’s performance against St. John’s was outstanding, it will take more than one game for me to trust that he can be consistently reliable. With Clinigan not playing, it ultimately affects the spacing of the offense and makes it harder to run plays and get guys strong shot opportunities. The Huskies will have to find a way to overcome that.

I believe that after seeing how anemic the offense looked at times the past two games , Dan Hurley and especially his staff (paging Luke Murray) will make the adjustments needed to get the Huskies playing a wider variety of offensive struggles, which would make the team more versatile for when Clinigan returns. For me, this would include UConn being more selective about taking 3-pointers, especially by certain players (discussed more below), relying more on the pick and roll game to get shots, taking a few more midrange shots, especially by certain players, and especially continuing to attack the basket, with Newton, Karaban, and Castle especially trying to get to the basket and either finishing shots or getting more free throw opportunities. If the Huskies can focus on diversifying their game and work on running successful plays against zones and increased ball pressure in practice, it will carry over to games.

Samson Johnson, Big Game Player

Even as he barely played in his first two years at UConn, we heard a ton from Hurley about Johnson’s athleticism and work ethic, and his potential to be one of the premier big men in program history. Early this season, he seemed to be an excellent complement to Clinigan as a backup center, offering a more dynamic (if also more limited) offensive game and solid rim protection at times. However, he began struggling after the win against New Hampshire with foul trouble and a lack of rebounding, and got less playing time as Clinigan began getting closer to full strength. After maybe his worst game of the season at Seton Hall, Johnson got his chance to prove himself as a starter against St. John’s and passed with flying colors.

Johnson was outstanding against the Red Storm as he went toe-to-toe with Soriano and outplayed him at times. Johnson had a few of his trademark dunks, including a memorable fastbreak one on which an obvious travel wasn’t called, and even took two quality floaters from roughly 10 feet out, making one. While Johnson needs to become a better rebounder, he grabbed three big offensive boards. As tough as it is to stop Soriano, Johnson still made a quality effort and had a block and steal. In a highly physical game with an imposing front court, Johnson looked right at home.

If Clinigan does not return until near the end of January when UConn’s schedule ramps up (which would be the January 17^th game against Creighton at the earliest), Johnson will have to show more diversity on offense and discipline on defense. Offensively, Johnson needs to not rely on just scoring on alley-oops and dunks, and instead develop better post movies. If Hurley is hopefully OK with it, Johnson can also can attempt more floaters and short jumpers. The junior showed decent form when he took those shots against the Red Storm, and Hurley has talked up Johnson’s shooting and ability to make 3-pointers in the past. If Johnson can demonstrate shooting ability, than it will open up more much-needed spacing as well. On defense, Johnson needs to get better at keeping his hands up against his man and not biting on fakes, only attempting to block shots when appropriate, and especially boxing out on missed shots. With how physical games are in Big East play and UConn’s lack of experienced frontcourt players, Johnson needs to be careful and not reach for the ball, resulting in touch fouls. I think that Hurley and the staff will be able to work a lot on defense with Johnson during the break and between games, and continue to make it tough for opponents to outscore the Huskies in the paint.

The Freshmen Ned to Make a Bigger Impact

As briefly discussed earlier, the Husky freshmen did not contribute enough the last few games and have arguably made a lesser impact to this point than one would have expected coming into the season. Solomon Ball hit one key three against St. John’s but otherwise took just one shot in 14 minutes (although he had 2 steals), and missed all four shots he took against Seton Hall, with his 6 points coming on free throws. Overall, Ball seems to have lost a lot of the momentum he had coming out of his 12-point performance against North Carolina. After forward Jaylin Stewart scored a season high 7 points against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, he played just four combined minutes in the past two games despite Karaban’s struggles defensively. Jayden Ross and Apostolos Romoglou have been MIA both the last three games and pretty much all season. Only center Yousouff Singare has made a big impression lately of this trio, as he played 6 minutes and made his first career basket against St. John’s after subbing in for Johnson. And of course, there’s Stephen Castle.

Castle had a strong start at UConn in the team’s first two games, but after missing six games due to injury he’s been an enigma, even as Castle’s playing time has slowly ramped up. Castle is disciplined defensively for a freshman and can use his size and strength to pressure ball-handlers and drivers closely. However, Castle has overall shot under 40% the last three games and has demonstrated a tendency to rush or force shots, which resulted in multiple blocks for the Red Storm. Castle also has not shown a good outside shot throughout the season, mostly scoring off drives and layups. Castle’s defense, passing and rebounding already make him a valuable combo guard even without scoring a ton of points, and versatile for a freshman. But he still hasn’t put together a full game yet against a good team or played under control offensively since returning.

With Clinigan not available, Hurley must quickly figure out what roles his freshman can be most successful in. From my observations, this would mean challenging Castle to use his size and athleticism to go to the rim more and beat defenders for baskets or create plays for teammates. Hurley needs to also emphasize to Castle that he needs to play more under control and not challenge certain bigs one-on-one, where he can just get blocked. For Ball, Hurley needs to try and get him to be more aggressive and not rely on taking 3-pointers so much, as he has the tendency to force them. Finally, Hurley needs to get Jaylin Stewart and possibly Jayden Ross more involved. The ‘6-7’ Stewart has shown flashes of good play on both ends when he’s gotten on the court, and will more importantly be able to spell Karaban, who arguably plays too many minutes and experiences foul trouble against certain teams. While Ross has barely played this season, he may be able to be a 3-point threat off the bench based on his AAU/high school experience and what Hurley said in the postseason. While I can’t imagine Hurley expects Singare to contribute on offense considering he was a project and almost redshirted, he will hopefully be decent on the boards and on defense when Johnson is resting. Hopefully, the long break between games and a relatively easy upcoming schedule will allow the freshman to play more and prove themselves on the

UConn Punctuates Nonconference Schedule With Road Win at Gonzaga

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.

UConn Huskies Season Preview: The Returnees

After UConn’s unforgettable run to the program’s fifth national championship last season, the program’s offseason and the Huskies athletic department didn’t have a fun offseason. The team lost heated recruiting battles to Duke for blue chip recruits Cooper Flagg and Patrick Ngonbga, and UConn athletics just missed out on being accepted to the Big 12 starting in 2024. These setbacks somewhat obscured all the talent men’s basketball is returning from last year. This is before you even consider an incoming freshman class that could be the best the Huskies has had in more than a decade, which will be discussed in a later post. UConn is sixth in the AP preseason Top 25 poll and has a serious chance at winning consecutive national championships.

After the departure of Adama Sanogo, Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson, UConn will rely on the versatile trio of Tristen Newton, Donavon Clinigan and Alex Karaban. After playing a sidekick role in his first year in Storrs last season, Newton is expected to take on a much bigger role both offensively and as a team leader this year. The fifth-year senior guard is looking to be a much bigger offensive threat, similar to his role at East Carolina before transferring, while continuing to be one of the Huskies main facilitators. Newton averaged 10.1 points, 4.7 assists and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 36.6% from three last year. Newton is specifically looking to improve his overall shooting and ball handling, work ethic and defense this season. Dan Hurley was pleased with Newton’s performance in the preseason and during UConn’s games in Europe and scrimmages. At the same time, Newton will need to be a strong leader for the team both vocally and through both his work ethic.

Clinigan made a huge impression in limited minutes as a freshman backup center last season. The 7-3 monster from Bristol averaged 6.9 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks in just 15 minutes. He had a true shooting percentage of 63.4 and grabbed 29.4% of offensive rebounds and blocked 14.4% of shots. Clinigan, who showed much more athleticism than expected last year and was elite as a rim-runner, is seen as a lottery pick next spring by NBA scouts and has the potential to be one of the best big men in not only the Big East but the entire country. To do so, Clinigan will have to continue to be an elite rebounder and shot blocker while expanding his finishing ability at the rim and displaying a decent shooting touch outside the paint. If Clinigan does all this, the attention paid to him should provide quality scoring opportunities for his teammates.

It is also essential that Clinigan improve from the line so that opponents don’t employ the hack-a-Shaq method against him and get better at avoiding foul trouble. Ideally, Clinigan will average around 25 minutes per game. In the summer and preseason, Clinigan worked on improving his core strength and foot speed as well as shooting and was extremely effective in practice and game situations. Clinigan also worked on becoming a more vocal leader and being even more aggressive on offense. As long as Clinigan stays healthy and continues to improve, all of UConn’s opponents will struggle to contain him and the sky will be the limit for the fan favorite.

While Newton and Clinigan are a ton of fun to watch, my favorite player on the Huskies continues to be Alex Karaban. The sophomore forward was a virtual Swiss Army Knife as a freshman, averaging 9.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 47.6% from the field and 40.2% from deep. Karaban’s 125.9 KenPom offensive rating in Big East play was third in the conference, while his effective field goal percentage of 57.5% was seventh. Karaban showed remarkable basketball IQ and versatility on offense from the moment he stepped in Storrs. In addition to his shooting ability, he was a consistently a strong passer and rebounder and did an excellent job of screening for teammates to provide easy scoring opportunities. Karaban improved significantly as a defender over the course of the year and particularly at guarding at the rim. He also showed impressive stamina, regularly playing for over 30 minutes. Finally, Karaban displayed a clutch gene quickly, with 3-pointers at the end of the first half becoming a signature play for him.

Karaban was praised for his work ethic and leadership skills by Hurley and others last season, both traits that made him stand out compared to most freshman. Karaban is applying that work ethic to becoming a more aggressive player on both ends this season as well as a more vocal leader. On offense, Karaban will try to attack the basket more and average double-digit in points. On defense, the team hopes he will stop players off the bounce more effectively and be even better at defending opponents at the rim. Karban had a strong preseason and is fully capable of being one of the best players in the Big East and the team’s best player overall. If Karban does so, he will put himself in position to be an NBA draft pick this season or next.

Outside of UConn’s Big Three, the bench will rely on senior transfer guard Cam Spencer, backup junior transfer guard Cam Spencer, junior backup center Samson Johnson and backup senior point guard Hassan Diarra. Spencer will likely be the only one of the three that starts at least early in the season. The transfer from Rutgers averaged 13.2 points, 3.1 assists and 2 steals in his one season with the Scarlet Knights after transferring from Loyola of Maryland. He is expected to replace the 3-point shooting skills of Jordan Hawkins and Joey Calcaterra, while adding another strong ball handler and defender to UConn’s backcourt. Spencer shot 43.4% from deep last season, good for 44^th in the country, and ranked eighth in the Big Ten at 42.7%. He made 89.4% of his free throws, 23^rd in the country. During his college career, Spencer has shot 40.5 percent from deep, and 50.8% on field goals overall. Spencer was an excellent defender for the Scarlet Knights, recording a steal percentage of 3.9 overall and 3.4 in conference, ranking third. Spencer decided to transfer to UConn because of the opportunity to play against talented guards in the Big East and the competitiveness of the Husky players, and especially Hurley. Spencer has been praised by the team for his versatility and ability to open up the offense.

Johnson may not be a starter like the Big Three (barring injury), but he is every bit as essential to UConn. The “6-10” junior center is an enigma, as he has played just 15 career minutes in 25 games due to injuries and ineffectiveness. Now, Johnson will be thrown into the fire as the backup to Clinigan. He was a four-star recruit out of New Jersey who grew up in Togo and was described by Hurley as having the talent and potential to be an NBA lottery pick. Johnson, who has a ‘7-5’ wingspan, has shown a lot of athleticism and speed when he’s played, and could be an effective shot blocker. However, he has looked uncertain on the court at times in games and has been prone to foul trouble. In the preseason and especially in the Huskies scrimmages, reports indicated Johnson was one of the top performers. In addition to his athleticism and speed, Hurley said Johnson is an excellent ball-screen offensive and defensive player because of his effectiveness in the lob game and ability to disrupt other big men. If Johnson lives up to expectations, he can play for15-20 minutes a game and combine with Clinigan to form a similar dominant duo like he had with Sanogo last season.

Diarra will be UConn’s main backup point guard. The ‘6-2’ senior from Queens had an up-and-down first season in Storrs, establishing himself as a high-energy defensive stopper but struggling offensively in a conference distinguished by hard-nosed defensive guards. Diarra had a stealing percentage of 3.6 last season and steven games with multiple steals. However, he averaged just 2.1 points and 1.8 assists while playing 12.1 minutes per game. Diarra shot just 30.1% overall and 18.9% from three after making 32.4% from deep as a sophomore at Texas A&M. He also was terrible from the free throw line for a guard after being solid as a sophomore, draining just 51.4 of his free throws. These offensive struggles outweighed Diarra’s value as a defender and ball handler come tournament time. In UConn’s run to the championship, he scored no points in 31 minutes.

Diarra will have the opportunity to get valuable minutes at guard as Stephen Castle acclimates to the challenges of playing at an elite program. He already is an excellent defender and will be an important leader to the young Husky guards. All reports have indicated that his shooting was improved across the board in the preseason. If Diarra can improve offensively, especially at finishing at the rim and developing a reliable jump shot, he will consistently be the first gusard off the bench and possibly push Castle for the starting job at point for at least the first portion of the season.

Sophomore Apostolos Romoglou is the one other scholarship player returning. Romoglou, the 6’8’ hybrid guard who appeared in 20 games last season playing garbage-time minutes and made two shots, has been praised for his shooting in practice and appeared to have solid ball-handling skills last season. However, don’t expect him to play any serious minutes unless he improves as a team defender.

UConn’s upperclassmen are very capable of taking UConn to a Big East title and on another Final Four run with the help of the freshman class. They have all the tools, from an elite big man and a pair of guards who are well-rounded and skilled ballhandlers and passers to the incomparable Karaban. They and a solid group of backups have good leadership abilities and a great coach to help them improve. If Castle lives up to his potential, then the Huskies will have one of the best starting five in the country. I expect everyone discussed in this article to improve and UConn to be a top 10 team for a solid portion of the season. Buckle up, everyone!

UConn Has a Lot of Positives to Take With Them Into the Sweet 16

As a natural pessimist, I wasn’t sure if UConn would live up to its No. 4 seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Would the team be able to play disciplined on both ends and put their best players in position for success? Would the Huskies be able to make effective adjustments and stay calm under pressure? The last two postseasons had left me scarred, but the players showed me on Friday and Sunday that there was no reason to be concerned.

Behind Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins, UConn put together two outstanding second halves to earn comfortable wins over No. 13 Iona and No. 5 St. Mary’s and return to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2014. Despite trailing for much of the first half in both games (UConn was down 39-37 at halftime of the opener), the team maintained composure and Dan Hurley made smart adjustments, particularly with using the Huskies bench. This allowed UConn to wear down both teams in the second half and earn 24 and 15-point wins. The Huskies have won each nonconference game they’ve played by double digits.

With UConn’s excellent performance in the opening rounds and losses by other top seeds, the team is again seen as one of the favorites to go to the Final Four and win a national championship. It is in arguably the toughest region (West) and facing a Sweet 16 opponent better than its record in No. 8 Arkansas, but the Huskies look like they are capable of beating anyone right now.

Below, I go over the strengths UConn demonstrated in the opening two rounds, as well as areas they struggled and need to improve upon to possibly win the region.

Adama Sanogo is a Monster

Sanogo’s performance this season has been unappreciated throughout, with the junior center being replaced by Hawkins as the team’s “star”. He continued to be one of the best big men in the country, and reminded viewers all over of this with unforgettable performances against Iona and St. Mary’s. Sanogo put up 28 points and 13 rebounds on 13-17 shooting in the first round and 24 and 8 on 16 shots in the second win, with his KenPom offensive rating finishing over 124 in both.

His shooting efficiency and rebounding made Sanogo the first player since Blake Griffin in 2009 to shoot 70 percent or better from the field and average 25 points and 10 rebounds per game in the NCAA tournament. Sanogo also scored the third-most points all time for any UConn player in the opening two rounds, behind Richard Hamilton and Caron Butler’s 55.

Against both the Gaels teams, Sanogo’s footwork and strength allowed him to dominate defenders. He did an excellent job of positioning himself deep in the post to score easy baskets, and using shot fakes and hook shots to score over defenders. Sanogo’s improved outside shooting forced players to keep tabs on him outside the paint, therefore making it easier for him to get to the basket. Sanogo’s effort on the backboards was outstanding in both games (he had six offensive boards against Iona), and resulted in a few extra points with putbacks. Sanogo’s success was also a reflection on the offense as a whole, as his teammates did a great job of getting him the ball where he could easily score.

Sanogo’s efficiency on offense and solid defensive play gave his teammates a big lift and allowed the team to stay in both games despite slow starts and then pull away in the second half. He and Donovan Clinigan combined to wear down the opponents, and will again have the advantage against a smaller Arkansas frontcourt. It’s often said that a team will go only as far as its backcourt in March, but Sanogo is trying to remind people that a dominant big man can lead his team to a national championship.

UConn Again Demonstrates How its Depth Makes the Team Stand Out

During its 11-0 start in nonconference play, the team’s depth was maybe its most distinguishing characteristic. That depth was key to UConn winning the PK85 Tournament, and made it stand out in comparison to other teams at the top of the polls in November and December. While that depth remained a strength in the Big East schedule for the most part, UConn’s supporting cast and bench was much more inconsistent. However, they have improved in the last month and were outstanding throughout against Iona and St. Mar’s.

The Huskies got 26 bench points against Iona, with a majority coming in the first half as they struggled to establish a lead. Naheim Alleyne and Joey Calcaterra each knocked down two 3-pointers and scored a combined 14 points, with Alleyne also playing strong defense against the Gaels tough guards. Clinigan was an absolute beast with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in just 14 minutes, putting up his best stat line in arguably more than two months. Calcaterra and Alleyne’s perimeter scoring helped pick up the slack for Hawkins and Newton, who made just one basket in the game, while Clinigan did an outstanding job of defending the rim and finishing shots at in the paint. This meant that there was barely any drop-off when Sanogo was on the bench, and it exhausted Iona’s frontcourt. Andre Jackson also did yeomen’s work on both ends, putting up 10 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds to go with solid defense. With all the complimentary pieces clicking, UConn was bound to pull away from Iona once Hawkins finally began draining shots.

While UConn was much more reliant offensively on their starters against St. Mary’s, Clinigan and others still made big contributions. The freshman had 4 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks and even 2 assists in 11 minutes. Clinigan played exceptional defense and kept St. Mary’s from getting to the rim easily like they were in the opening minutes, and vacuumed up rebounds. Alleyne and Calcaterra each hit a 3-pointer and played solid defense, and they, Clinigan and Hassan Diarra were key to helping UConn bounce back from an initially poor start (it trailed 17-9 less than 10 minutes into the game). And while Newton and Sanogo mainly carried the offensive load until Hawkins started hitting threes, Jackson again did a little bit of everything and made some great plays for teammates, earning 7 assists to just one turnover.

As UConn goes on to face Arkansas and possibly other opponents, its depth should continue to be a big strength, particularly with Clinigan backing up Sanogo. It has guards that can provide strong defense and perimeter shooting off the bench, and Jackson’s versatility allows him to somewhat transcend stats. Now the Huskies just need to get Alex Karaban going offensively.

The Defense Locked in Over the Course of Both Games

UConn started both of last week’s games struggling on defense, especially against the guards of Iona and St. Mary’s. The players were beat off the dribble too much and failed to stop their man from getting downhill to the basket, and the help defense was lacking too frequently, especially in the round of 32. As the games went on however, UConn tightened up its man-to-man defense and covered the paint better, especially when Clinigan was on the floor. Combine this with solid perimeter defense and excellent work on the defensive boards, especially against St. Mary’s, and the Huskies had a recipe for success. In the end, Iona and St. Mary’s averaged just 0.95 and 0.86 points per possession. UConn’s ability to defend in the paint and help on pick and rolls will especially be tested against Arkansas, which makes it’s living offensively on attacking the basket and getting defenders in foul trouble.

Dan Hurley Shut up the Haters

While many people take it too far at times, the criticism Hurley has gotten over the past few seasons has been somewhat warranted, especially for UConn’s play in both the Big East and NCAA tournaments. Losing to double-digit seeds in March Madness in consecutive seasons was especially frustrating, and I still don’t understand what happened against New Mexico State. When the team lost to Marquette in the Big East semifinals, the pressure Hurley had on him entering last Friday must have felt suffocating.

Luckily, Hurley responded perfectly to the challenge. It’s clear he had UConn ready to play in both games and knew what advantages he wanted to exploit. Hurley recognized that Sanogo would be a handful for both opponents and made sure teammates got him the ball consistently, and wore down both opponents by exploiting the depth of UConn. He made sure to sub frequently and get the Huskies bench players scoring opportunities, and recognized that giving Clinigan extended minutes could demoralize the opponents. The team had great composure throughout both games even when they were trailing, and Hurley managed to keep Hawkins focused and prepared even when he was struggling to score. Hurley also made adjustments to the defense when necessary, such as having UConn press St. Mary’s to speed players up and throw their offensive flow off. While Arkansas will be a much tougher test and has an outstanding coach as well, I don’t UConn will loose due to a lack of preparation in any way.

Observations on Last Week’s Games: UConn Continues to Look Like an Elite Team

This time last month, UConn was reeling. Following their home loss to Xavier on January 25^th, the team had lost six of eight games and was under .500 in the Big East at 5-6. The defense was playing terribly, and UConn was getting inconsistent production from multiple starters, particularly Andre Jackson, as well as much of its bench. The worst part of this was that the Huskies were playing tentatively, and no one seemed to be having any fun. Never mind reaching the heights of the team’s 14-0 start: UConn needed to turn things around to still get a strong seed in the NCAA Tournament as well as avoid having to play in the first round of the Big East tourney.

Flash forward to today, and the Huskies are the hottest team in the Big East and again seen as one of the most likely squads to go deep into March and reach the Final Four. UConn defeated ranked Providence and St. John’s with ease on Wednesday and Saturday, with the first 18-point triumph on Senior Night one of the program’s signature wins of the season. The Huskies have one six of seven and are now 22-7 and 11-7 in the Big East (good for fifth in the standings), earning them a No. 14 ranking in the AP Poll yesterday. After two mediocre offensive games, they were on fire against the Friars and Red Storm, showing their versatility and depth. On defense, UConn did a much better job of limiting offensive penetration and defending at the rim, especially against Providence, and keeping players off the offensive glass. From better communication and focus as a team to improved coaching to individual players turning things around, everything is looking up for the Huskies going into the last two regular season games against DePaul and at Villanova tomorrow and Saturday.

Below, I discuss my famous observations about the Providence and St. John’s wins and the big-time positives and one negative fans can take from the games. UConn is frequently clicking on all cylinders right now. Let’s hope they don’t lose focus in this last week and hurt their momentum going into the Big East tourney.

Adama Sanogo Reminds Opponents and Fans That he is One of the Best Players in the Nation

As Jordan Hawkins has earned more and more accolades for his shooting and overall improvement in Big East Play, Sanogo has faded to the background a little bit, particularly since he is not a serious NBA prospect like Hawkins is. Sanogo’s reliability is sometimes not appreciated by the Husky fanbase, and the junior hasn’t been helped when asked to carry the load so frequently by the team, as was happening when the offense was being run through Sanogo during UConn’s January swoon. In February however, Dan Hurley made the smart decision to have the big man play significant minutes at the top of the key, allowing Sanogo to focus on setting screens and starting scoring opportunities facing towards the basket. Sanogo’s strength and footwork allows him to be very effective as a scorer from this spot, and it allows him to take better advantage of his surprisingly strong 3-point shot. It also makes it much easier for Sanogo to pass the ball. And of course, Sanogo has been just as strong as ever in the low post since Hurley’s changes, especially now that he is not being double-teamed so much. Sanogo showed off his increased offensive efficiency as well as an improved all-around game against Providence and St. John’s.

Sanogo averaged 17 points against the Friars and Red Storm on 75% shooting and went 10-12 at the free throw line. He also averaged 7 rebounds, grabbing 9 on Saturday. Sanogo did an excellent job of beating his man both down low and off the dribble from the top of the key, and displayed great touch and footwork. Against St. John’s, he did an outstanding job of attacking defenders head on and forcing contact, going 8-10 at the charity stripe. Sanogo also demonstrated his improved passing by dishing out a combined three assists in the wins. On the boards, Sanogo did a strong job of boxing out and reacting quickly to rebound opportunities.

Sanogo’s defense has been much improved in recent games, and that continued to be the case against Providence and St. John’s. He did a good job of staying in front of his man as well as providing help defense when necessary. Sanogo’s rim protection, which has dropped off this year, was much improved, and he recorded a season-high 3 bocks against the Friars. Sanogo did a strong job of avoiding foul trouble in the wins, although he certainly got help from Donovan Clinigan when he was on the bench.

Even if Hawkins is now UConn’s number one, Sanogo is 1B. His ability to score and rebound consistently is remarkable, and when Sanogo is locked in defensively as well, he becomes a great two-way player. Now that Dan Hurley has seemingly figured out how to allow Sanogo succeed without dominating the ball, he has become an even tougher matchup for opponents. Sanogo is UConn’s best big man of the last decade, and he is in position to add postseason success to his legacy if he continues to perform at this high of a level.

The Bench Has Come Alive Again

For most of Big East play, UConn has gotten little offensively from its best players even since it got out again, minus Clinigan at some points. Against Providence and especially St. John’s however, the bench awoke from its slumber. The Huskies bench players supplied 19 points against the Friars and 32 against the Red Storm, while also generally playing good defense.

The duo of Naheim Alleyne and Clinigan were a great bench duo in the last two games. Alleyne scored a combined 17 points and drained all three 3-pointers he took against Providence. He especially stepped up offensively in the first half to give the team momentum. Alleyne has been UConn’s most reliable defender off the bench, and again limited player’s ability to penetrate against the Friars and Red Storm. He had steals in both games and a block against St. John’s.

Clinigan, which had seemed to hit a freshman wall in previous weeks, appeared to be returning to his effectiveness he showed earlier in the season in the last two games. The freshman center scored a combined 16 points against Providence and St. John’s in 25 minutes, while shooting 6-12 from the field and 4-6 at the line. He also kept his turnovers under control, committing just one in each win. Clinigan also grabbed 9 rebounds, 7 offensive. Clinigan did a better job of finishing around the rim after struggling to do so for a few games and continued to do an outstanding job of earning putbacks. Clinigan also again showed how gifted he is at reading where shots will come off the rim and outmuscling offensive defenders for offensive rebounds. It was heartening to see Clinigan finally performing under pressure on foul shots after struggling so much on them recently. After not being as much of a force defensively for much of February, Clinigan was a monster against a small Red Storm squad, blocking 5 shots and also earning a steal. With this increased effectiveness, Clinigan should earn more minutes against DePaul and Villanova squads that he matches up well against.

While seeing Alleyne and Clinigan have two strong games was satisfying, it was particularly fun to see Joey Calcaterra have a great game against St. John’s. The super senior, whose 3-point shot had abandoned him in conference play, drained three of four treys on Saturday and made four free throws in just 17 minutes, finishing with 15 points. It was the first time Calcaterra had more than two 3-pointers in conference play, and tied his season high in points. His teammates did an excellent job of finding Calcaterra against the Red Storm, and he also did an excellent job of moving without the ball. With no surprise, the UConn fans at Madison Square Garden went crazy when Joey California caught fire. While Calcaterra must have more than one good game to prove that he is back on track, the guard can certainly give the Huskies a huge weapon off the bench in tournament play if he has a strong touch in a game.

When UConn is at its best, the aforementioned players as well as Hassan Diarra are capable of stepping up on both ends when needed, especially sense the team has one starter in Andre Jackson whom can be very inconsistent offensively. The performance of the bench against Providence and St. John’s was very promising and fun to watch. However, the bench players must prove that they can be consistent in more games for the Huskies to reach their potential.

Andre Jackson is Changing the Game on Both Ends

Throughout January and early February, no one had a bigger target on their head than Jackson, sometimes to an excessive extent from fans. The junior was playing undisciplined on both ends, and appeared to have no confidence at times offensively. However, he has been much better defensively in February, and his offense has improved as well now that Hurley and Jackson have placed him in the dunker’s spot to get easier scoring opportunities and not be tempted to regularly shoot from the outside, where Jackson has struggled heavily this season. Against Providence and St. John’s, Jackson was locking down multiple players while making plays for both teammates and himself around the rim.

While Jackson was effective offensively against Providence, especially in setting up teammates (he scored 4 points on 3 attempts and dished out 4 assists to just one turnover), it was against St. John’s where he especially impressed. Jackson scored 15 points on 5-6 shooting, going 4-5 at the line, and added 3 assists. It was the second time in three games Jackson dropped a season-high 15. The forward completed multiple athletic shots around the rim, including a dunk and putback, and drained an open 3-pointer. He did a strong job of getting the ball to teammates for open shots., and as always had multiple moments where he came out of nowhere to grab loose balls on both ends.

Jackson’s defense was strong in both games, particularly in the first when he had to cover Friars star Devin Carter. Jackson limited Carter to just 7 points on 3-10 shooting and was consistently in his face while not fouling. Against the Red Storm, Jackson was again aggressive defensively and had 2 blocks while playing 38 minutes.

After Jackson’s underwhelming play for much of the Big East schedule, fans had a reason to feel that the small forward was having an underwhelming year and would never reach his full potential. In the last two weeks however, the adjustments Hurley made to simplify things for Jackson offensively, and his overall re-commitment on the defensive end, have allowed Jackson to reach his full potential on both ends. Jackson is a playmaker and agent of chaos on both ends, and UConn is more dangerous going into March as result.

Rebounding Continues to be Elite

After a drop-off in UConn’s rebounding during its struggles, the team has improved on the glass on both ends the last few weeks, and that was on display against Providence and St. John’s. Their offensive rebounding has been particularly strong, and the Huskies are now the number one team in both the country and Big East at offensive rebounding percentage (39.1% and 40.3%). After struggling on the boards in the first matchup with the Friars, UConn outrebounded them 40-20 overall and 15-8 on the offensive end in last Wednesday’s 87-69 win. While the Huskies had no players in double-digits, five grabbed at least 5 rebounds, led by Alex Karaban’s 8 (he also scored 16). In contrast, no Friar has more than 5 and Bryce Hopkins, one of the best rebounders in the conference, did not record one against UConn’s front line. While the battle on the boards between the Huskies and St. John’s was more even, they still outrebounded the Red Storm 38-32 and won on the offensive glass. UConn had four players with five or more rebounds, led by Sanogo with 9 and Tristen Newton with 7. While Joel Soriano was great on the boards for St. John’s grabbing 11, no other player had a big rebounding game. As in other recent games, the Huskies did an excellent job boxing out and reading balls off the backboard and got to loose balls very quickly.

UConn’s ability to rebound will be a huge strength in tournament play, and especially in the NCAA Tournament when games will likely be less physical. It’s been proven over time that teams which rebound well can frequently go deep into March Madness, and I can see UConn winning a tournament game because of its rebounding and scoring second-chance points. Now let’s make it a reality.

The Huskies Still Need to Improve Their Ball-Handling and Focus for 40 Minutes

The to issues identified in the title have been a huge problem throughout conference play and cost the team wins. While UConn did a better job with passing and ball-handling against Providence and St. John’s, it still committed a combined 27 turnovers and had more turnovers than their opponent in both. Players still made unnecessarily risky passes that were out of bounds or stolen, or either were stripped or lost the ball out of bounds. Newton, Hawkins, and Jackson were the primary culprits. The Huskies are continuing to make unforced errors that reflect a lack of basketball IQ. While UConn was in control throughout against both Providence and St. John’s, they made a handful of silly fouls that allowed both teams to keep their offense afloat in both games. The team especially grew lackadaisical on defense in the final few minutes against the Red Storm, making the score look much closer than it actually was. The Huskies need to tighten up on defense against DePaul and especially at Villanova this week, which will beat UConn if it isn’t giving 100 percent effort.

Season Grades for Each Bench Player so Far

With the Huskies having seven conference games remaining before the Big East tournament at this time last month, I thought it would be a good time to give grades to each player on the team for how they have played up to this point of the season. I decided to first focus on the bench, before moving on to the starters after the Marquette game tonight. This article focuses both on the player’s strengths as well as their weaknesses, and what they can do better in these final weeks. I will update this article after the Marquette game. Enjoy!

Donovan Clinigan: A-

Clinigan may have hit a little bit of a freshman wall recently, but there’s no denying that he has been a huge surprise on both ends and helped solidify the UConn frontcourt.

Coming into the season, Clinigan was still viewed as a project by many fans and reporters, even despite reports out of stores in the preseason that he looked much more game-ready than the staff had predicted. A large part of this was Clinigan dominating at Bristol Central instead of at a prep school, where many fans thought he should have gone for a post-grad season. However, the combination of losing weight and practicing against Adama Sanogo in practice every day has helped Clinigan become one of the best freshmen bigs in the country.

Clinigan is averaging 7.8 points on 72.7% shooting, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks in just 13.6 minutes per game. He has an offensive rating of 119.1 (103.8 in the Big East) with an effective field goal percentage of 69.4. While Clinigan almost never shoots more than five feet from the basket, his strength and improved athleticism allows him to bully almost any defender. Clinigan is already very strong at finishing shots and is a constant threat to score on dunks and lobs as well as put back shots due to his great offensive rebounding (he has rebounded 18.3% of opportunities this season). His one weakness is at the free throw line, where he shoots 52.4%. Clinigan’s rate and per-40 minute stats on offense are insane, and he definitely is more effective on that end than Sanogo as a freshman.

On defense, Clinigan has also established himself as one of the best shot blockers in the country already. He has blocked multiple shots in 13 games and four or more in five games, and his percentage of shots blocked is 14.9%. He has excellent hands, and his size and quick reaction speed allows Clinigan to constantly block and alter shots. He is also an excellent defensive rebounder, and has gobbled up more than 34% of opportunities in Big East play. Clinigan has a rebound in every game he has played and four games with 10 or more. Clinigan does struggle to guard without fouling due to over-aggressiveness and being fooled by his man, but I am confident he will learn to control it with his basketball intelligence, especially as referees give Clinigan more respect.

There’s no telling what heights Clinigan can reach as a sophomore and junior at UConn if he stays, and he arguably has the upside of someone like Zach Eddy, who is on his way to winning the Wooden award. Clinigan is struggling right now defensively and playing less due to foul trouble, but I am confident he will figure things out just like Alex Karaban did. Marquette could be a particularly good matchup for him, as he had 20 and 10 with 5 blocks in the first matchup with the Golden Eagles.

Hasan Diarra: C+

Diarra’s biggest selling point when UConn grabbed him from the transfer portal last season was that he had a reputation as a strong on-ball defender and high-energy point guard off the bench at Texas A&M. These traits have been on display throughout the season and during conference play. In just 14.5 MPG, Diarra is averaging nearly a steal a game and a steal percentage of 3.5%, and he’s had five games with multiple steals. Diarra is also plenty capable of blocking a shot despite his 6-2 frame. He generally does an excellent job of using his strength and athleticism to pressure ball handlers and pick off passes. If UConn pressured more on defense like I want them to do against certain opponents, he would be especially adept at doing so.

So why does Diarra have such a mediocre grade? As anyone who has watched UConn a decent amount this season, it’s because of his lack of production on the offensive end. Diarra is averaging just 2.9 PPG on 32.9% shooting., with an effective percentage of 37.1%. While he is putting up 2 assists per game, he also has a career-high turnover percentage of 28.9%. Diarra was never a great shooter at the line with the Aggies, but he has shot just over 53% at the line, nearly 20% worse than last season. Couple with that Diarra’s lousy perimeter shooting and habit of making costly turnovers, and there is a reason that he has never started this season even when Newton was struggling heavily. Unless there is an injury, I am sure Diarra won’t see the floor for more than 10 minutes at most the remainder of the season. It will be interesting to see how much playing time he gets next season with the arrival of Stephen Castle and possibly another strong transfer point guard to replace Newton.

Naheim Alleyne: C

When Alleyne transferred from Virginia Tech to UConn for his senior season, I said that he should be a better version of Tyler Polley, as the two has a similar game but Alleyne plays much better defense. Alleyne has mostly lived up to the expectations on the defensive end, but his outside shot has pretty much deserted the guard for the entire season, leading to a bad domino effect for the entire team at times.

First, the good: Alleyne has been a strong perimeter defender for the Huskies, particularly during the first two months of the season. The 6-4 guard does a good job using his length to affect shots and has the athleticism to stay in front of his man. The biggest issue with Alleyne on the defensive end is his propensity to be too handsy and pick up fouls, a bad habit which has gotten worse against the tougher competition in practice. While Alleyne’s defense has still been better than most of his teammates in the last month as UConn struggled, he has not done as good of a job keeping his man in front of him and limiting penetration. Hopefully, Alleyne’s individual defense will pick up along with the team down the stretch.

Alleyne’s struggles from beyond the arc has been inexplicable this season, especially since it’s lasted all season and not just in conference play. After shooting over 38% from three during his ACC career, Alleyne is at 27.9% this year (28.6% in the Big East). He has not made more than one trey in a conference game, and only did it four times in nonconference games. Alleyne’s percentages inside the arc have also plummeted in conference play, and he rarely gets to the charity stripe. It’s no wonder Alleyne has not scored more than five points in a game this year and had his minutes dwindle consistently, and I am not surprised he has not started for Jackson at any point recently despite his struggles. Along with Calcaterra, Alleyne shooting closer to his career average on 3-pointers the rest of the season would make the Huskies a much bigger threat to end the regular season well and go on runs in March.

Update: UConn fans were waiting for Alleyne to have a breakout conference game and he finally came through on Tuesday, draining three 3-pointers on his way to 13 points. Alleyne’s treys constantly came at big moments, including one at the end of the first half that gave the Huskies a 16 point lead going into the break. Alleyne’s form looked great on the 3-pointers, and UConn’s excellent screening and passing gave the senior space on each shot. Alleyne’s defense was also steady as always and he played disciplined on that end, committing zero fouls. He recorded his highest point total of the season, and hit a trio of threes for only the second time. With Alleyne’s big bench performance and his general improvement over the last few games, I am bumping his grade to a C+. Even more than Calcaterra, Alleyne’s stronger overall game and accomplished history as a shooter can make him a microwave scorer for UConn thest last few weeks as long as he maintains confidence.

Joey Calcaterra: B

It’s been a roller-coaster season for Joey California. The fifth-year transfer from San Diego was the least heralded of Dan Hurley’s transfers but was a star for the first two months of Big East play. He averaged 9.1 points through 13 games while shooting over 50% from three and had a habit for coming up in the clutch moments. Combine this with Calcaterra’s energy and nifty passing, and it’s no surprise that he became a folk hero quickly for the whole fan base. Calcaterra was one of the biggest reasons for why the Huskies started 14-0.

After the high-water of a 14-point performance against Georgetown on December 20^th in which he led the team to a 14-point performance, Calcaterra has crash-landed in the last 11 games. He has not scored more than 6 points in a game since and is now shooting 27.3% on three’s in the Big East. Calcaterra is similarly struggling inside the arc and has gotten to the line just once! Overall, his offensive ranking in conference games is 91.7 and true shooting percentage 36%.

Calcaterra has never been a particularly good defender due to his lack of athleticism. He was able to hold his own to some extent in the nonconference season, but he has predictability struggled against the stronger and more athletic guards in the Big East and been unable to keep his man from penetrating. With Calcaterra’s shooting struggles and lack of defense, his playing team has decreased significantly. Even if his shooting pics up again, Calcaterra will get fewer minutes than the first half of the season as Hurley shortens his roster.

This rating is probably a little too generous. However, I cannot imagine that Calcaterra’s shooting improves somewhat down the stretch, and it already has slightly over the last six games. Before the end of the year, I believe Calcaterra will give us a few more unforgettable moments and clutch shots. Long live Joey California.

Update: Calcaterra played within the flow of the offense in his 10 minutes. He moved the ball and screened effectively, and picked up a layup as well as earning an assist and rebound. Calcaterra surprisingly did not take a three. It was nice to see Joey California contribute without scoring, but he desperately needs to have a game where his shooting touch returns and Joey gains some confidence. Just like Alleyne, UConn is not going to reach his full potential if Calcaterra isn’t making big threes against good teams.

but on Johnson: Incomplete

Johnson has had a tough two years in Storrs, and so far appeared in just four games due to an ankle injury. After sustaining the injury in the opening game and missing two months, Samson finally returned on the 22^nd against Butler. Johnson hasn’t looked bad in the limited minutes he has played, scoring a combined 11 points on 4-8 shooting, and grabbing six rebounds. However, he hasn’t played more than 7 minutes since returning and is getting back into game shape. I expect Hurley to give Johnson spot minutes here and there the remainder of the regular season, but don’t think he will play against any big-time opponents like Marquette barring significant foul trouble. While Johnson may not have the experience and stamina to fill the rim protection role UConn desperately needs yet, I hope decent minutes the remainder of the season and an offseason of working on his game will allow Johnson to unlock his potential next year.

Update: Nothing has changed. Johnson did not play at all against Marquette, and I would be shocked if he did against Creighton. There have also been no updates about how many minutes Johnson is capable of playing in a game. It looks more and more like this will sadly be a lost season for him.

Richie Springs: N/A

The 2023 season was obviously not destined to be we unleashed Springs. His only apparence in Big East play came for less than a minute against Butler, despite actually playing fairly well in the few minutes he got during the nonconference schedule. If Hurley isn’t willing to use Springs for even two or three minutes as a big body and rebounding threat as a junior, then I don’t think Storrs is theplace for Springs. Let’s hope for his sake that Springs transfers in the offseason and finds a low-major program where he can get valuable minutes and prove himself.

UConn Dominant Across the Board in Winning The PK85 Invitational

Starting with UConn’s coming-out party as a national power in the early 90’s up through Kevin Ollie’s 2014 championship squad, the Huskies had plenty of signature regular season performances over the span of just a few days, with these weeks frequently being a signal of tournament success down the line. These unforgettable weeks dried up in the last few years of Ollie’s tenure, and Dan Hurley had not quite brought them back even as the program improved the last three seasons. Until now.

UConn‘s performance at the Phil Knight Invitational over Thanksgiving weekend was remarkable. The Huskies curb—stomped their way through the competition in Portland to win the championship. They blew out Oregon on Thanksgiving and then wearing down and pulling away from Alabama and then Iowa State in the tourney title game. Ultimately, UConn won the games by an average of 19 points, improving to 8-0 and jumping all the way to No. 8 in the AP Top 25.

As I discuss more below, the games were especially satisfying to watch because of the unique ways UConn won them. Against Oregon, it won 83-59, setting a program record for 3-pointers made in a game with 17 and completely shutting down the Ducks backcourt. It then beat a highly talented Alabama team with more excellent defense and star performances by Adama Sanago and Jordan Hawkins. Finally, the Huskies overcame Iowa State’s relentless defense and foul trouble, relying on their dominance of the boards and great performances on both ends by freshman Donavon Clinigan and Andre Jackson to win 71-53. The team’s depth and cohesiveness were reflected in Clinigan being awarded the tournament MVP.

UConn has won all its games by at least 15 points, and scored over 70 in each while holding opponents under 60 five times. It has shot up to No. 6 in the KenPom standings, and is the only program in the country that is ranked in the top 10 in both the site’s offensive and defensive algorithms. It is also the highest UConn has been ranked in the poll since it was ranked eighth in January of 2012. The team’s start makes a compelling case that it is the most talented team UConn has had since then, and that the Huskies are very capable of winning the Big East and going on a significant run during March Madness. I know that things can change quickly, especially due to injury, but I am sky high on the Huskies right now.

Here are a few observations about UConn’s play at the Phil Knight Invitational.

Huskies Display Their Ability to Pull Away Against Quality Opponents

Last season, UConn had an ugly habit of getting ahead against good teams, and then allowing them to rally back before losing by a few baskets. It hurt their seeding in the NCAA Tournament and then defined its loss to New Mexico State in the first round. This group is very different however, and eventually put its boot on the neck of Alabama and Iowa State and did not take it off.

First, the Huskies poor shooting early in the second half allowed the Crimson Tide to rally from 14 points down and tie the game multiple times. With less than nine minutes remaining, UConn completely flipped the script when Sanago and Hawkins returned from foul trouble and Newton got hot. Sanago and Newton went on a 16-1 run all their own. Sanago started dominating in the paint and hit a three, while Newton started bullying his way to the line and hit a three, ultimately giving the Huskies a 68-53 lead with less than six minutes remaining. Sanago finished with 25 points, and Newton had 9 with eight assists and four steals. Three other players (Hawkins, Alex Karaban, and Joey Calcaterra) were in double figures.

While UConn led the entire time against ISU, the Cyclones were able to keep it close with their defense, as the Huskies struggled to make shots and committed a lot of sloppy turnovers. ISU got it to within single digits in the open minutes of the second half, and trailed 53-48 with 9:47 remaining and Hawkins on the bench with four fouls (He would never return). Alex Karaban immediately kickstarted a 7-0 run with a three, and the Huskies ability to continue to dominant the boards, attack the basket and get easy looks and free throws for Newton and Clinigan, and most importantly play outstanding defense let them immediately regain control of the game and cruise to the victory. Clinigan had 15 points and 10 rebounds on 5-6 shooting, and Andre Jackson was everywhere on defense and contributed 10 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.

The mental toughness and poise UConn so far in not only these two games and throughout the season has been remarkable to see. Even when it has been cold on offense or struggling with foul trouble or turnovers, the players and Dan Hurley have been calm and communicated well with one another, eventually finding a solution to these problems. This is despite incorporating so many new players, who have immediately brought into UConn’s culture and established chemistry with the returnees. These qualities that the team has showed it should be able to keep its cool against any team, no matter the stage.

Offense Shows Remarkable Depth Throughout the Entire Invitational

Throughout the preseason, Hurley and his staff along with the players were always talking about how UConn would have great depth and more versatility on both ends due to their experienced transfers and the skills of Karaban and Clinigan. Through the first five games, that depth was on display and much needed because of the absence of multiple starters at different times. Still, fans still needed to see that many players could make an impact against quality teams, and the Phil Knight Invitational was a perfect stage to have their questions answered. Suffice to say, the Huskies answered any and all doubters.

Tristen Newton was the lynchpin of the offense through all three games. Newton averaged 15 points, 5.7 assists and 4 rebounds while also snatching six steals. He shot 52% overall, 8-12 from three and 15-17 at the free throw line. Newton is becoming more comfortable as the team’s point guard, and displayed poise, a strong handle, and the ability to find open teammates for quality scoring opportunities, especially against Oregon and Alabama. While Newton was still inconsistent at making shots inside the arc, his 3-point shot was much cleaner in the tourney and he demonstrated the ability to both shoot from the top of the key and off screens. And of course, Newton continued to be a machine at getting to and converting at the free throw line, especially during scoring runs. Newton has clearly become more comfortable from game to game, and I think he has already established himself as a strong replacement for R.J. Cole.

Adama Sanago did not quite play at an All-American level in the Invitational, but he was still solid offensively against Oregon and dominant at times versus Alabama. Sanago plaid second fiddle to Newton in the quarterfinals bit still had a very efficient day, scoring 12 points on 5-7 shooting with 6 rebounds (2 offensive). In the semifinals, he was a huge handful in the paint on his way to 25 points on 8-12 shooting, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks. Sanogo did an outstanding job in that game of both bullying defenders and scoring on jumpers and shot fakes, as well as passing out of the post. His offensive performance against Ohio State was ugly and marred by foul trouble (just 4 points on 1-5 shooting in 22 minutes), but Sanago at least contributed some solid defense to make up for it. Considering how hard-working and intelligent Sanago is, I have no doubt that he will get in the gym and work on what he needs to do to be more efficient against Oklahoma State Thursday and going forward.

The rest of the team made their unique contributions on offense throughout the three games. Hawkins brough some much needed sharpshooting in the first two games, scoring a combined 34 points and shooting 42% overall and 8-20 from three. He showed the ability to knock down contested 3-pointers and help the Huskies go on key runs, while also driving to the hoop and making layups or free throws when needed. Alex Karaban continued to be a Swiss-Army knife for UConn, scoring when needed (especially on the perimeter), getting big offensive rebounds, and doing an outstanding job of moving the ball to teammates for scoring opportunities. Clinigan, who we will talk about more later, was a nightmare for the three opponents as a substitute for Sanogo. His height and bulk made it almost impossible for the defenders to contain Clinigan on alley-oops or putbacks, at least without fouling. The Bristol freshman also averaged 3 offensive rebounds in the tournament. Joey Calcaterra continued to be deadly on the perimeter, shooting 6-10 from three and averaging almost 10 points, and recorded four assists against Oregon. While Jackson’s scoring did not show up until the championship game, the junior still had five assists both in that game and against the Ducks, and grabbed three offensive rebounds against Alabama and ISU. Finally, Hassan Diarra came up with seven huge points in just 15 minutes, in addition to his usual strong defense.

UConn’s offensive depth is reflected in all the analytics they have recorded this season. It has assisted 65.9% of field goals, which ranks 10^th in the nation. The team is 13^th in offensive rebounding percentage (38.1), 19^th in effective field goal percentage (56.8), 23^rd in 2-point percentage (57.7), and 59^th in 3-point percentage (37.1). The Huskies bench outscored its starters against Iowa State, and came close to doing so in the other two games. With the improved shooting and ball movement and handling of this year’s squad, UConn can have good offensive nights against any opponent, something which certainly not the case last season.

Defense and Rebounding Continues to be Outstanding Against Big Time Programs

Over the last few seasons, UConn has been defined by its consistently strong defense and proficiency on the boards. So far this season that has not changed, especially with the added depth the team has. In the Phil Knight Invitational, the Huskies held Oregon, Alabama, and Iowa State under 45% shooting and 31.8% from three overall. Alabama and Oregon committed 21 and 17 turnovers respective, resly, and all three opponents had more turnovers than assists. Finally, UConn outrebounded Oregon and came close to doing so against an excellent rebounding Crimson Tide Squad. It then whipped Iowa State on the boards, outrebounding the Cyclones 46-19!, leading to a ton of second-chance points and fastbreak opportunities.

While the Huskies team defense was ultimately what stood out, there were a few individual players who had great performances. Newton did an excellent job of pressuring ball handlers up front and forcing difficult passes, and had a combined seven assists against Oregon and Alabama. The 6-5 Newton’s defensive rebounding was also excellent as always. Hawkins was a little too aggressive at times, resulting in foul trouble, but ultimately continued to demonstrate his improvement as an on-ball defender. The duo of Sanago and Clinigan shut down the frontcourt frequently. Sanago was great on the defensive boards and consistently altered shots. Clinigan completely blocked shooters from getting to the rim, and grabbed a combined 14 defensive rebounds in the three games and had four blocks against Oregon. Ultimately however, UConn’s great defensive performance was captured through the incomparable work of Jackson.

Jackson established himself as arguably the best defender in the Big East last season, and despite playing just four games so far, he may be the favorite for that crown. The junior’s on-ball defense was spectacular in the tournament against both guards and forwards. Jackson constantly forced difficult passes and altered shots, and helped set up steals and blocks for both himself and teammates. He also did an outstanding job of rebounding on defense and recorded several contested rebound opportunities. Jackson had two steals against Oregon and Iowa State, blocks against Alabama and ISU, and averaged six offensive boards per game, including 10 against the Cyclones. Jackson’s athleticism and hustle was constantly on display in the three games as he leapt off the TV screen, and impressed both the announcers and opposing coaches. The Invitational was another reminder of why Jackson can be one of UConn’s most valuable players even when he is not scoring much.

Dan Hurley Continuing to Come into His Own as a Head Coach

After UConn’s first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament last season, there was a lot of grumbling about Hurley’s ability to take UConn to the next level. That grumbling kicked into overdrive after the Huskies had four players transfer in the offseason. Hurley blocked out these criticisms and immediately set about looking for quality transfers who could address the program’s shortcomings last season (inconsistent outside shooting, ball-handling, quality defenders on the perimeter and small forward with size), and be a good fit alongside the remaining roster as well as Karaban and Clinigan. Hurley seems to have hit the jackpot with his portal additions, and made adjustments to UConn’s playing style which have turned them into a more well-rounded squad. Factor in all of this as well as Hurley’s calmer demeanor on the sidelines, and you have a squad that is looking like one of the best squads in America after this past weekend.

At the PKI85, Hurley did a great job of making substitutions which had an immediate impact on both ends, especially offense. This was especially apparent in the finale against Iowa State when Hurley took out Hawkins with nearly 16 minutes remaining when he got two fouls (the second a technical for arguing the first call), and did not put him back in for the rest of the game. This sent a message to Hawkins about he needed to better control his emotions and be more disciplined on defense. Hurley also recognized that Sanago was struggling and rode Clinigan as a result, being rewarded with a dominant performance that helped the Huskies pull away. Other examples of smart decisions in the final included Hurley recognizing that Diarra matched up well against the Cyclones and using him heavily in the first half with Newton in foul trouble, giving Jackson significantly more minutes, and maintaining his cool when the referees were making very questionable foul calls. The ability to effectively substitute, maintain composure and allocate minutes was consistently on display against both Oregon and Alabama as well. Throughout the tournament, Hurley also switched up defenses when needed, with examples being occasionally using zone and relying on the high hedge regularly against the Crimson Tide.

The maturity and adaptability Hurley has demonstrated from the beginning of his UConn tenure until now has been remarkable. He will make poor decisions and deal with significant challenges as UConn plays more close games and must face quality Big East opponents at least two times, but this is a mature team that appears to be more prepared for those challenges than last season. If Hurley can keep these Huskies as one of the best teams in America, Storrs will continue to be a destination for great recruits and transfers as long as he is there.

Observations on Last Week’s Win: A Dominant Sanogo, Strong Defense and Sensational Freshmen

It was a fun but tense first week of the season for UConn. The transfer-heavy Huskies, who were already missing Andre Jackson for the first few games due to a finger injury, had to endure Jordan Hawkins suffering a concussion early in its opener against Stonehill (Hawkins is progressing well and should make his return against UNC-Wilmington Friday). Despite the big loss and 3-point shooting struggles, UConn defeated Stonehill handedly 85-54, as freshman Alex Karaban and Donavon Clinigan immediately impressed.

On Tuesday, the team learned that Samson Johnson suffered a foot injury in the win and would be out indefinitely, leaving the Huskies down three starters for Friday’s matchup against Boston University. The players remained resultant however, with Adama Sanogo putting them on his back. After a strong first game, Sanogo was a monster against the Terriers, scoring 27 points on 12-15 shooting and grabbing 15 rebounds while also playing excellent defense. The offense improved and shot 10-21 from deep, and the Huskies again mostly played disciplined defense to win 86-57.

Overall, UConn navigated the challenges of injury and a roster that lacked experience playing together in games with aplomb. Sanogo showed why he is a star, and each transfer and freshman who played demonstrated that they could bring unique skills to the table that make the team tougher to contain on both ends. The Huskies were sloppy on offense and lost focus on defense occasionally, but were largely in control throughout both games.

Below, I have a few observations on the positives and negatives I saw in the games as well as on the injury issues UConn’s experiencing:

Adama Sanogo flashes new skills and shows why he was named pre-season Big East Player of the Year

After a breakout sophomore campaign, fans were excited to see what new skills Sanago showed and if he could step up when new players were struggling. Well, mission accomplished. Sanago averaged 23 points and 10.5 rebounds in the two wins while shooting 77%, and had a block and steal in each game. These numbers earned Sanago the Big East Player of the Week award. The junior center took advantage of the opponent’s small frontcourts to bully his way into the paint and get easy shots and rebounds. Sanago did an excellent job of finishing around the basket and displayed his remarkable footwork. Most importantly, he stepped out and hit jumpers outside of the paint in both wins, including two threes against BU. Sanogo’s form on these shots was impressive and bodes well for his ability to expand his range this season. Finally, Sanogo did a strong job of passing the ball out of the post and finding teammates, making impressive passes in both games.

Sanogo also played strong defense against the overmatched Skyhawks and Terriers. His footwork was strong and he consistently altered shots. Sanogo was especially strong on the defensive boards and had 11 defensive rebounds against BU. If Sanogo can avoid foul trouble and stay healthy, he can be the lynchpin of an imposing defensive frontcourt.

Transfers Show Strengths and Add Depth

It was a lot of fun to see the quartet of Tristen Newton, Naheim Alleyne, Hasson Diarra and Joey Calcaterra finally on the big stage for the Huskies, as I had no knowledge of them before they came to Storrs.

Diarra, a junior combo guard formerly of Texas A&M, probably had the best week of the quartet. He ran the point at times and averaged 8.5 points, 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds. He was especially good against Stonehill, scoring 11 to go along with 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals. The speedy Diarra did an excellent job of attacking the basket in both games and made some excellent passes for assists. He was particularly effective in the fastbreak. Diarra, who was known as a strong defender coming in, used his strength to body up players and force challenging shots. His active hands forced deflections and turnovers and eventually led to fastbreak points.

Alleyne, a guard whom played at Virginia Tech for three seasons, easily slipped into the role of a strong perimeter shooter and defender. Alleyne averaged 9.5 shots on 40% shooting. He had 11 points and drained three threes against BU, and was able to score on floaters and layups against Stonehill when his 3-pointers were not falling. Alleyne played lockdown defense in both games, and his constant pressure led to 4 steals against Stonehill. The maturity and smoothness that Alleyne was said to play with was consistently on display in both wins.

Newton, a senior combo guard, was up-and-down in his opening games at UConn. The former ECU star averaged 10 points but surprisingly struggled with his shots, making just 27% of them. However, he did go 10-14 at the free throw line. While Newton certainly did not have trouble getting open shots and attacking the basket, he just was not able to finish at times or took ill-advised shots. Newton did grab an impressive 11 defensive rebounds on the week. While Newton mostly looked comfortable running the offense, his ball-handling was inconsistent. He had three assists in the opener but committed four turnovers against the Terriers. While Newton wasn’t known for his defense at ECU, he was solid on that end in both games and able to mostly stay on players. While fans may have had higher expectations for Newton entering the week, his inconsistency was understandable considering Newton was filling a different role than he did at ECU and playing in a different offensive system. As he gets more accustomed to the role Hurley wants him to play and his new teammates, I am confident Newton will be a strong guard at UConn and have some big games this season.

Finally, senior Joey Calcaterra, aka Joey California, offered some much needed 3-point shooting in his limited minutes. Calcaterra, who previously played for the University of San Diego, shot a combined 3-6 from deep in the two games and averaged 5.5 points. While his defense was shaky, he came up with 2 steals against BU and grabbed 4 boards. While Calcaterra will likely play limited minutes when Jackson and Hawkins return and must improve his defense, his 3point shooting can offer the Huskies some key scoring off the bench this season when necessary.

Freshman are fun!

While expectations were certainly high for Alex Karaban and to a lesser extent Donavan Clinigan entering the season, it is safe to say that fans didn’t expect the pair to have such good performances in their first two games for UConn. With injuries allowing the pair more playing time against Stonehill and BU, they took advantage and then some.

Karaban was touted as a big with a lot of offensive versatility and basketball IQ since arriving on campus, and he showed these skills off consistently last week. The freshman forward from New Hampshire averaged 11.5 points, 3.5 assists and 2 rebounds, and had a steal in each game. His performance earned him Big East Freshman of the Week honors. He showed the ability to both score in paint and hit the occasional jumper. Karaban, who scored 13 points against the Skyhawks and 10 against the Terriers, made up for his troubles from deep by attacking the basket for buckets and free throe opportunities. Karaban’s passing stood out more than his shooting, however. He had a combined 7 assists against just one turnover, displaying great court vision and ball handling. Karaban made excellent passes, especially in the paint. His basketball IQ was on display both with his passing as well as ability to move without the ball and execute pick-and-rolls.

On defense, Karaban occasionally lost players but played good team defense and guarded the basket occasionally when needed. Overall, Karaban displayed a ton of confidence and smarts on the court and the ability to make contributions wherever they were needed. His versatility should allow him to consistently make contributions even against tough competition.

As great as it was to watch all the Huskies last week, the most fun player to see was by far Donavon Clinigan, and I believe most fans would agree. In just 31 minutes, the gigantic Bristol native averaged 9.5 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Clinigan mostly subbed for Sanago, but occasionally played alongside him to create a highly imposing frontcourt. Clinigan did an excellent job of finishing shots and getting putbacks. He had four offensive rebounds against BU and reached the free throw line six times, making four shots. On defense, Clinigan did a strong job of anticipating shots and avoiding fouls. He had 4 blocks in the opener. Clinigan looked much quicker than expected while still displaying lots of muscle, showing the weight loss and strength training he put in during the preseason has been paying off. Clinigan will have a lot of ups and downs like any freshman big, especially against high-quality opponents, but he already looks like much less of a project than anticipated. And it is so much fan to have a Connecticut native to root for again.

Defense and Rebounding Again Key to Team Identity

For the last two seasons, UConn’s biggest strengths were their defense, especially in the paint, and rebounding, particularly on the offensive end. Stonehill and BU were not exactly Creighton and Villanova, but the Huskies looked pretty much the same last week. On defense, Alleyne, and Diarra pressured guards relentlessly and forced turnovers, and Sanogo, Clinigan and Karaban took terms altering shots and protecting the rim. UConn got a ton of put-backs and limited the opposition to very few second-chance opportunities. If it can consistently be strong in these areas when Jackson and Hawkins return like last year, the Huskies will have a chance to win pretty much every game.

Team Needs to be More Disciplined on Offense and Consistent from Deep

The largest areas of concern against Stonehill and Boston University was UConn’s sloppiness and lousy 3-point shooting against the Skyhawks and in the first half against the Terriers. The Huskies committed 29 turnovers against 33 assists in the wins. Newton’s ball-handling was surprisingly, as he had 6 turnovers and only 4 assists. Calcaterra was also loose with the ball, committing 5 turnovers, and Sanago had 5. Only Diarra and Karaban had strong assists-to-turnover ratios. The turnovers were less the result of strong defense by Stonehill and BU than UConn not protecting the ball well, leading to steals, and playing out of control at times. I am confident that Hurley will work with the players in practice to improve their ball-handling. When Jackson and Hawkins return and Newton hopefully gets more acclimated to his role, I believe the Huskies will be smarter with the ball against a large majority of teams.

UConn’s iffy 3-point shooting is a little stranger. Considering Alleyne came in as a proven sharpshooter, Diarra and Newton have been decent from three in their careers, and Karaban entered the program with a reputation as a strong perimeter shooter, and the level of competition the Huskies were facing, there is no reason they should be struggling this much. The team largely took high-quality threes in both games, with many shots rimming out. For now, I will chalk up this hiccup to the law of averages. Once Johnson and Hawkins return, UConn’s 3-point shooting should be better. It will need to be solid throughout the season to consistently stretch the floor and give Sanago more room to operate down low.

Richie Springs, Take a Bow

It has been a tough couple of years for Springs, who had to redshirt and then barely play the last two seasons. The junior has continued to work hard and stay upbeat however, and it paid off in the first half against BU when other bigs were in foul trouble. Springs had five points and two assists in 10 minutes while also grabbing a rebound. He looked composed on both ends and played solid defense in the paint. Springs has always looked solid in the very few minutes he’s played, and hopefully Hurley will reward him by giving him occasional minutes while Samson is out and UConn is playing an easy schedule.