With UConn having back-to-back games against Butler last Tuesday and Thursday (the result of the December game against the Bulldogs being cancelled and then rescheduled due to the Huskies Covid-19 issues), it had a great opportunity to get two comfortable wins against a weaker opponent. UConn had been unable to do so before last week against mid or high-major conference teams, with most of its wins instead being nail-biters. While the wins were very different, the Huskies succeeded in their task and extended their winning streak to three games. The games also showed UConn’s versatility and their ability to win in multiple ways.
UConn defeated Butler 76-59 Tuesday night before winning 75-56 at Hinkle Fieldhouse two days later. It improved to 13-4 overall and 4-2 in the Big East with the wins, while the Bulldogs fell to 9-9 and 2-4 in conference play. Both wins were the team’s biggest since a rout of Grambling State in early December. As of Sunday night, the Huskies were ranked 18th on KenPom, and moved up to No. 20 in the AP Poll on Monday. Tuesday’s win was also the first time they have held a team under 60 points since December 4th.
In Tuesday’s win at the XL Center, UConn quickly demonstrated the talent disparity between it and Butler, leading nearly the entire game and never allowing the Bulldogs to go on a second-half run to get within striking distance. While the Huskies started slow offensively their defense was excellent from the get go, and they eventually caught fire in the final five minutes of the first half, establishing momentum that would last for a long time.
After the Bulldogs hit two free throws to cut the deficit to 25-16 with six minutes remaining in the first, UConn would flip the script with three consecutive 3-pointers (two by Andre Jackson and one by Tyler Polley), giving it a 17-point lead. Ultimately, the Huskies ended the half on a 14-8 run to take a 39-25 lead into the break, allowing just a single field goal in the process. This stretch was fueled by outstanding interior defense and ball movement, with the Huskies pushing the pace and consistently getting open shots. Jackson and Polley were the primary beneficiaries of these looks and took advantage.
After a poor first half, Adama Sanago came out of the locker room firing and made two baskets to open the second half and give UConn a 19-point lead. Butler made a spirited 13-4 run when the Huskies got cold from the outside, and a tough layup by Simas Lukosius cut their lead to 47-36 with 14:39 to play. This was the last sustained run the Bulldogs would go on until garbage time however, as R.J. Cole and company began to attack the paint for baskets and find one another for quality looks inside. UConn pushed their lead to 15 and eventually 20 at 65-45 on a 3-point play by Jackson with 4:49 to go before going on to win by 17. Its defense in the paint continued to be suffocating for much of the second half, ultimately finishing with 10 blocks, and Butler does not shoot well enough from outside or the midrange to make up the difference. In the final minutes the Huskies were finally able to get their young benchwarmers into the game, with freshman Samson Johnson and redshirt sophomore Richie Springs making baskets.
Cole was the standout offensive performer in the win, scoring 17 and shooting the most efficiently he had in a while (4-7 from the field and 8-9 at the line) while adding six rebounds and three assists. Four other players scored in double figures and Sanago had his third consecutive double-double with 13 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks). Jackson was everywhere with 12 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, Jordan Hawkins had his best game in a long time with 14 points on 5-9 shooting, and Polley scored 10 to round out the double-digit scorers. On defense, the Huskies bottled up Butler to the tune of 31% shooting and shut down their top scorers Bryce Golden and Bryce Niz, allowing the pair just 10 combined points on 3-16 shooting in 56 minutes. In addition to the four blocks by Sanago, Akok Akok had three and Isiah Whaley two. UConn outrebounded Butler 49-39.
After UConn had dictated tempo two nights prior, Butler did so in their home gym during the first half Thursday. It played a methodical and physical style, and it worked as the Huskies couldn’t score anywhere besides right at the basket and struggled with ball security, committing seven turnovers while shooting 28.6%. They went scoreless multiple times for long stretches, and the trio of Cole, Jackson and Tyrese Martin were defended very well and had poor shot selection, going on to shoot 2-15 in the first 20 minutes. It was Sanago and Whaley who carried the offense to their 24 first-half points, combining for 16 on 7-11 shooting to get UConn to get 24 points. Sanogo’s footwork around the basket was excellent and Whaley crashed the boards to earn multiple putbacks. Despite the lack of offensive firepower, the Huskies managed to trail just 28-24 at halftime due to their aggressive defense and poor shooting by Butler, who made 39.9% of their looks and committed seven turnovers.
As the second half started, UConn regained the lead roughly three minutes in and claimed it for good when Martin hit a jumper with 11:55 left to make it 40-38. The Huskies continued their outstanding defense in the first eight minutes and Martin, who had struggled offensively for a few games and during the first half, suddenly woke up and anchored an 11-0 run. Martin scored eight points in this run, including two 3-pointers, and was just warming up.
After going up by two, Martin and UConn began attacking the paint, sharing the ball efficiently and pushing the tempo, when possible, to establish a commanding lead. However, Butler refused to go quietly despite continuing to shoot poorly, instead doing their best to live at the free throw line. Jalen Gaffney and Martin scored consecutive baskets off Bulldogs turnovers to go up 10 with 6:16 to go, but they quickly answered with a three and free throws to cut the deficit to 57-52. The Huskies stayed calm and Cole, who did a strong job running the offense despite offensive struggles, found a wide-open Martin for a three with 3:;59 to go, and Polley solidified the win with a three on the next possession, again set up by Cole. In the final 4:18, UConn outscored an exhausted Butler 18-4, with eight curtesy of Martin.
Martin, who scored just two points in the first half, put up 25 in the second to finish with 27 on 7-11 in 15 and 11 points. Whaley grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double, while Sanago just missed out on a double-double with nine and added three blocks. Jackson struggled mightily with his shot but still earned seven rebounds and five assists. Cole had a season-low four points on 2-8 shooting but ran the offensive effectively and committed just one turnover. The Huskies improved their perimeter defense on Thursday and held Butler to 4-19 from three and 38% from the field, and outrebounded the Bulldogs 39-25 after struggling on the boards early.
As discussed more, the two wins last week were very encouraging, no matter the level of competition. They continued to show how formidable UConn’s defense can be at its best, its depth, and that certain players can take over when necessary, among other signs. Beating Butler by nearly 20 points twice gives me the confidence that the Huskies will play well against low level Big East teams in Georgetown and DePaul this week, and be in good position to play well during the team’s tough early February schedule. Below, I look at the most encouraging observations from last week’s performances as well as important developments fans possibly saw in players and the performance of Dan Hurley.
Once Again, We Were Reminded That UConn Can Win in Multiple Ways When Needed
There were plenty of lessons for myself and other fans to learn and see from both wins over Butler. In the first win, I saw that UConn could be in control from start to finish against major conference opponents, which it had not done all season beforehand. At the same time, the Huskies demonstrated that their depth, though sometimes overstated, can come from less obvious sources at times. In addition to the strong games from Cole and Sanago, Jackson’s first career double-double, 3-4 shooting from long distance, three assists against one turnover and strong distance showed how dangerous he can be on both sides of the ball at times. As raw as Jackson is, the fact that he can already put together games like this shows how indispensable the sophomore is to UConn’s success. Combine all this with the 14-point game from Hawkins (more about him below) and 10 by Polley, and it was just too much for Butler to deal with. UConn’s ability to establish a comfortable lead quickly also allowed Hurley to distribute minutes more evenly and get his least experienced players into the game, both of which the team needed desperately.
There were even more lessons to take from the second win. First, it reminded fans that UConn can recover from lousy offensive performances in the first half if the defense can play at high-caliber level and just one or two players are able to keep the team in the game offensively. This is exactly what happened with Sanago and Whaley. In the second half, the Huskies reminded Butler that it has more players than just Sanago or Cole who can go off and take over a game. Martin’s performance was the best half any Husky has played offensively this season. I talk about him more below, but the shot-making ability and strength Martin showed against the Bulldog defenders is a reminder that he is a great compliment to Sanago and Cole.
This was the best job UConn has done in closing out a game this season by far considering it was only up by five with four minutes to go. It avoided the turnovers, defensive mistakes and poor offensive execution seen in the team’s close losses or overtime wins. The Huskies put their foot on the necks of an opponent and made it impossible to stop them. Hopefully, they will be able to build on that momentum in the next week. Finally, it was wonderful and surprising for me to see how decisively UConn was able to win with Cole making no impact as a scorer (although he still ran the offense well when not dealing with foul trouble). This was the first time Cole did not reach double figures in two months, and yet Martin stepped right into his role of offensive leader and Gaffney at point guard (more on him below) while the bigs still produced. I don’t know if the Huskies could survive Cole scoring so few points against a formidable opponent, but it was a great learning experience.
At the same time, the Butler wins was also evidence of things observers already know. UConn has a consistently strong defense that can be elite. The Huskies are one of the best rebounding teams in the country, especially on the offensive end. And of course, they do not give up on a game even after a tough stop or if they are not executing one on side of the ball. UConn consistently demonstrated all these skills in both games, and with their athleticism and strength Butler could not keep up for 40 minutes.
Martin and Whaley Have the Bounce-Back Games They Desperately Needed
When Martin returned from his wrist injury by scoring a combined 40 points against Providence and Marquette on 15-30 shooting, I was certain that he was close to being fully recovered and could reliably continue to be part of a dangerous trio with Sanago and Cole. But after UConn returned from their 17-day delay on the 8th at Seton Hall, Martin was largely ineffective in the next three games, averaging just a combined nine points on 10-27 shooting and five rebounds while play a ton of minutes a game. I am not sure how much the layoff and or a case of Covid-19 and a lack of full practice hurt Martin, but it was clear starting with the Seton Hall game that Martin’s wrist was still bothering him and that it was affecting his shooting, especially close to the rim. At the same time, Martin didn’t seem to be showing the same energy and toughness on both sides of the ball against Seton Hall, St. John’s and the first game against Butler. Combine all this with Martin not rebounding at the same rate and occasionally struggling with turnovers (five against Seton Hall), and he had seemingly temporarily lost his status as the team’s third banana to Jackson.
I am not sure what adjustments Martin exactly made or what was said in the locker room to him before coming out in the second half, but he was aggressive from the opening tip and never let up. Martin used his agility and strength to bully the weaker Bulldogs inside and found ways to get open on the perimeter for threes, which were all right on the money. He used every opportunity to push the action and attacked unprepared defenders and found open teammates for good opportunities when appropriate. Martin seemed to realize that the UConn offense was stuck in the mud at halftime and needed him to take over the shot creator role Cole usually occupies with pleasure. Martin is so versatile that he can contribute well even when shooting poorly, but having a third player alongside Cole and Sanago who can carry the offense at times is a huge luxury.
For Whaley, he entered Thursday’s game determined to up his defensive play and contribute more on offense and the boards after being called out by Dan Hurley as someone who needed to step up and be more efficient and energetic. Whaley has had myriad health issues all season and was reportedly the player who took the longest to recover from Covid-19. Before Thursday, the super senior had scored just 10 points and six rebounds in three January games, albeit with eight blocks. Whaley showed fatigue on the court at times, part of why Hurley played him for just 10 minutes on Tuesday. Most worryingly, Whaley’s defense had visibly slipped, as he was getting beat one-on-one at the rim more and not providing help defense as efficiently. Add this all up, and “The Wrench” was missing.
It was clear before the game that Whaley knew he had to play better and he answered Hurley’s challenge Thursday. Along with Sanago he carried the offense in the first half as the guards struggling, crashing the glass and earning putbacks with a ferocity he had rarely demonstrated this season and stepping out for a pair of jumpers. Whaley ultimately finished with 12 points and had 10 rebounds, six offensive, for a double-double, his first of the season. This was also the first time Whaley pulled down multiple offensive rebounds since the loss to Providence. On defense, Whaley looked very quick and strong and consistently altered Butler’s passing and shooting at the rim, even if he was credited with only one block. With the confidence boost from his showing and a few days off, Whaley can hopefully keep up his mojo, especially on defense, for the rest of January before the schedule gets tougher. Let’s just pray for no injuries.
Another Awesome Week for Adama
A new week, another two signature performances from Adama. The sophomore has been money since returning as a starter against Seton Hall, and averaged 14 points and 12 rebounds against the Bulldogs along with a combined seven blocks. Sanago was smart about picking his spots in the two wins. In Tuesday’s home contest, he focused on crashing the boards and playing tight defense in the first half while struggling on offense and then got some easy looks at the rim in the second half courtesy of his teammates. In the second game, he was unstoppable around the rim in the first half before stepping back in the second as Martin took over, while playing good defense throughout. Sanago has a ton of energy in both games and got back on track at the free throw line on Thursday, making all five opportunities. He should continue to feast on opponents against Georgetown Tuesday night, as the Hoyas are very poor defensively in the frontcourt.
Hawkins and Gaffney Remind Fans of Thir Talents
Before last Tuesday, Hawkins had been in a prolonged shooting slump and was still struggling with ball security and on defense. These factors had all combined to lower his minutes significantly and Hawkins entered the night having not played more than 12 minutes since December 11th against St. Bonaventure. In the four games since, he had scored just nine points on 3-14 shooting and 2-9 from 3-point land and one assist against five turnovers, including three versus Seton Hall in nine minutes. Hurley was pulling Hawkins at the first signs of ball-handling or defensive issues instead of preferably sticking with the freshman and setting up good opportunities for him to score, but Hawkins was also shooting himself in the foot by missing open shots and assignments and committing turnovers at the worst time. It was a no-one situation for Hawkins, Hurley and the team, one that Hawkins could only escape from.
And that he did. Hawkins scored 14 points in just 18 minutes, going 4-5 inside the arc and 3-4 at the free throw line. While the guard continued to struggle with his deep shot, going 1-4 from three, all of Hawkins looks were of high quality. Instead of settling for threes like he has demonstrated a tendency to do at times, Hawkins used his athleticism to attack the basket and get open mid-range and layup opportunities while also forcing contact. He showed better handle than normal and the ability to get himself open for teammates instead of standing around and watching. Hawkins also showed more defensive intensity than fans have been accustomed to, a trait that will earn him a lot of points in Hurley’s book.
Hawkins reverted back to his previous struggles in seven minutes on Thursday, missing both shots he took while picking up two fouls. However, if Hawkins can have two or three games in a row where he shoots and handles the ball effectively, particularly if he is making shots from behind the arc, I can see him experiencing the late freshman year development as the last star recruit the Huskies brought in, James Bouknight. He can start by learning from his mistakes and not getting down when he commits one, as all great players are able to do.
Gaffney did not put up a highly impressive line in Thursday’s away win, scoring six points and going 4-5 at the line, grabbing three rebounds and dishing two assists in 17 minutes. What stuck out to me however, was how he did this.
Gaffney appeared disengaged on offense recently, not scoring more than four points since December 11th, and the 3-point shot that was such a big weapon last season had almost disappeared from his arsenal. With Gaffney at the paint instead of Cole, the offense had been looking very methodical and uncreative, and the junior himself seemed to always spend way too much time dribbling around instead of setting himself or teammates up for good scoring opportunities. Alongside the inefficient offense Gaffney had been playing uninspired defense and consistently beaten off the dribble by quality guards despite his height. After a long period where Dan Hurley continued to play Gaffney heavily despite fans’ protests, he began to call out Gaffney for his performance, urging him to step up as a primary ballhandler and secondary scorer, and reduce his minutes and instead give more ballhandling duties to Jackson. Hurley made it clear that it was on Gaffney to be more dynamic and efficient on both ends of the ball to become a primary member of the Gaffney again.
Against Butler, Gaffney finally did not shy away from the challenge of picking up minutes when Cole was struggling with shooting the ball. When running the offense, he clearly pushed the tempo more than normal and began running plays earlier in the clock then we’ve seen before. This helped Gaffney find the UConn bigs and Martin for quality looks right at the basket. Gaffney also seemed to avoid dribbling with his back turned more than normal, a tendency that I just hate to watch and makes it take longer for him to either find teammates or avoid defensive traps. With the ball in his hands, Gaffney attacked the basket more than he has in a long time and earned the most free throw attempts he has had since December 11th, ultimately upping his percentage to a 78.3%. Finally, Gaffney demonstrated improved footwork on defense and helped teammates out effectively, earning a block and steal in the process.
I would really like Gaffney to get his 3-point shot going again even if he is used less as a scorer this season. If he can do this and then run the offense efficiently when needed wile playing improved defense, then there is no reason Gaffney can’t become a reliable backup guard again and put himself in position to take on a bigger role next season. We’ve all seen flashes of Gaffney’s talent. Now he just needs to demonstrate it more frequently.
HUSKY NATION 