Hassan Diarra – HUSKY NATION

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.

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.

Fans Need to be More Positive About Team

During the few weeks leading up to UConn’s preseason against Stonehill Monday night, I noticed a frustrating trend from the Huskies fanbase: Way too many members of Husky nation are extremely cynical about this team. Yes, there is the small contingent whom are already certain UConn will be lifting the national championship trophy. But many, especially online, are constantly questioning the team’s reliance on transfers and the ability of certain players to live up to the hype. These fans are especially skeptical of Dan Hurley’s ability to adjust as a coach and lead the Huskies to greater postseason success.

I don’t mind reasonable skepticism about UConn’s ability to be successful this season, and share a lot of the same questions and concerns as these fans to some extent. However, this cynicism is misplaced. Yes, there will be growing pains as the team integrates a lot of new faces and probably new styles of play (four-out on offense and a faster pace of play, zone on defense), and the Huskies will eventually have to demonstrate they can consistently win close games against tough opponents. But there will also be more depth and likely offensive versatility than the last few seasons, players are primed to take large steps forward, and the transfers each offer clear strengths already. The beginning of the UConn season is a time for optimism, not worry.

First, I believe the fanbase is expressing too much concern about transfers Tristen Newton (senior guard), Hassan Diarra (junior guard), and Naheim Alleyne (senior guard). UConn has shown already that they can develop transfers from smaller conferences into impact players in R.J. Cole and Tyrese Martin, and that will continue.

Newton, a 6-5, 190-pound combo guard, had a huge season at East Carolina last season, averaging 17.7 points and 5 assists and earning First Team All-AAC honors. He averaged just under 12 points overall in three seasons at ECU. Newton showed last season that he can take over games and be a floor general against strong competition, and brings more size and speed to UConn’s backcourt.

As he gets comfortable against the tougher competition, Newton should develop into a go-to scorer for the Huskies. He does not need to be the guy constantly handling the ball for UConn with Andre Jackson and Diarra also right there, and I don’t expect him to be. Newton just needs to gain the trust of his teammates and Hurley and demonstrate reliable ball-handling. By the middle of the season, I think Newton will be main guy the team relies on to attack the rim and get big-time buckets and free throws in crunch time. Dan Hurley has indicated he has high expectations for Newton and that he needs to work hard to meet them, and I believe Newton can meet Hurley’s demands.

While Newton’s success will likely depend on his ability to create offense for both himself and others and make baskets when the game is on the line, Darra’s will depend on him being a junkyard dog and doing all the little things, especially on defense. The 6-2, 190-pound combo guard from Queens and Texas A&M is highly regarded as an on-ball defender and can use his size and strength to force turnovers. He showed at A&M that he can be a primarily ball-handler when necessary, and improved his assist-to-turnover ratio tremendously from freshman to sophomore year.

While Diarra is still an inconsistent offensive player, he similarly made strides as a shooter and demonstrated he could be a threat behind the arch, most memorably in the Big 12 Tournament. Diarra was highly regarded by the Aggies coaches for his work ethic and competitiveness, and all reports indicate Hurley and his staff feel the same way. I strongly believe that Darra’s strength and competitiveness could help him develop into a solid rebounder for a guard of his size.

Diarra seems like he is destined to eventually become a fan favorite at UConn. With his defense, ability to play the point, and improved shooting, he could be a sparkplug off the bench or an ideal running partner for Andre Jackson, Newton, and Jordan Hawkins. Diarra showed off his versatility against Stonehill (11 points on 5-8 shooting, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals) as well as his intensity. Reports coming out in the preseason said that Diarra was demonstrating improved shooting and the ability to run the offense effectively, and Hurley seems to get the most out of any player who plays all out. In a few years, Diarra could emerge just like Christian Vital did as a senior.

While Alleyne players shooting guard and not forward, it appears to me his game is a better, more complete version of Tyler Polley. The 6-4, 195-pound senior transfer was a reliable perimeter scorer in three seasons at Virginia Tech and made 37.3% of his threes for the Hokies last season. He is over 38% in his career from deep. While Alleyne missed all four threes, he took against Stonehill, there is no reason to think those numbers will not be similar at UConn. With his size and shooting range, Alleyne should open up the offense for whomever else is on the floor.

Alleyne is more than just a 3-point specialist, however. He is considered a solid defender, and had four steals in the opener. Alleyne can play at small forward against certain teams and has been both a starter and sixth man. His maturity and extensive experience playing in a high-major league can allow him to be a leader for the Huskies, especially in these first few weeks while Jackson and possibly Hawkins are out with injury.

Most of the feedback about Alleyne’s play in the preseason was positive, and Hurley expressed satisfaction with the flexibility he offers UConn on both ends of the court. Alleyne is the perfect complimentary player every good program needs to improve.

I have become even more frustrated over the skepticism fans have in the ability of Adama Sanogo, Andre Jackson and Jordan Hawkins to become more complete and efficient players. All the offseason work Sanogo put in to expand his game, and the team’s efforts to make the offense more flexible, can allow him to be the Big East Player of the Year. Fans have read the reports/stories and seen video about Adama expanding his shooting range and passing ability, and his passing certainly looked much smoother against Stonehill. I expect Sanogo to become a more disciplined defender over the course of the year as well, especially if Hurley fully adjusts the defense so Sanogo must defend the high hedge less. I also think that with the encouragement of Hurley, Sanogo will be more aggressive offensively (more dunks please!). Finally, the likely improvement of the Huskies shooting can make it much easier for Sanogo to score and create offense for others. Fans will have to wait a while to see if he can consistently make jumpers against good teams when the opportunity arises. But Sanogo has told the rest of the Big East for two years that they should not bet against him.

Andre Jackson is already likely the most essential player to UConn reaching its ceiling not named Sanogo, as well as my favorite Husky now that Martin left. He improved tremendously as a defender (I would argue he is one of the best in the Big East) and rebounder last season, and as a ball-handler in the second half of the season. While Jackson’s offensive game was extremely inconsistent and his shooting mechanics remained ugly, he significantly improved his shooting last season and was a 3-point threat, albeit with very few attempts. With all the hard work Jackson put in to improve those mechanics and ability to finish at the rim during the offseason, and the positive feedback Hurley and reporters have given about those efforts, I think Jackson will be a more aggressive offensive player and consistent scoring threat. He may even be able to average double digits.

While I am excited about Jackson’s potential to improve as a scorer, I am way more bullish in his ability to run the offense and create good scoring opportunities for others. Jackson’s speed, vision and unselfishness is unique, especially for a forward. If he can just be more disciplined and not always go for the spectacular pass, he can be a nightmare for defenders, especially on the fastbreak. Throw in Jackson’s eagerness to embrace the role of the Huskies vocal leader, and there is a reason Hurley thinks Jackson is the heart and soul of the team. I need a little time to see if Jackson can really be a point guard like he claims, especially if Jackson is rusty when he returns from injury in a week or so, but the NBA will come calling if he can.

I am a little less confident in Hawkins’s ability to take as big of a leap offensively as fans and pundits are predicting, and that the added muscle and weight he put on in the offseason will still make it easier for him to score and avoid injury. And of course, that fear of him getting injured has only increased since his possible concussion against Stonehill that will keep him out at least one game. Hawkins has excellent shooting mechanics and was consistently praised for the offensive improvements he showed in preseason practice and scrimmages by both Hurley and reporters. While James Bouknight was better as a freshman than Hawkins, Hurley has shown the ability to develop talented freshman into sophomore stars in both Bouknight and Sanago. There is a reason NBA scouts are so high on him and he is already projected to be a first-round pick if he leaves UConn. If Hawkins can improve his ball-handling and ability to score around the rim, Hawkins will be a double-digit scorer and could consistently take over games. And as a result, UConn will likely go on a postseason run and put Hawkins in position to be a possible lottery pick next summer.

Finally, I feel a small but loud contingent of fans believe that based on the last two seasons, Dan Hurley is incapable of winning a majority of close games against quality teams and taking the Huskies to a Big East Tournament championship and far in the NCAA tournament. These fans have unrealistic expectations for Hurley and can sound ridiculous when saying he should be fired if UConn does not get to the Sweet 16 or further in the next two seasons. I am frustrated by how the past two seasons ended, and feel that Hurley can be too slow to make in-game adjustments and call timeouts, especially in their final minutes. His tendency to always be highly emotional in games also appears from my high to have a negative effect when the players are struggling. Still, Hurley’s strengths fair outweighs his faults. He appeared to make the necessary roster adjustments in the offseason for UConn to became a more well-rounded team.

Hurley is an excellent defensive coach, and his teams the last two seasons have been especially strong at guarding the paint and getting blocks, led by the incomparable Isiah Whaley. With the departure of Martin to the NBA and Whaley and Cole to other professional leagues, Hurley made sure to bring in two well-regarded defenders in Diarra and Alleyne. While Hurley’s offenses have been more limited, he made a concentrated effort to add better shooting and ball-handling through both the portal and recruiting (for this season and next). As already stated, generating improved perimeter shooting should give Sanago more space to operate in the post, which he frequently lacked last season.

In regards to returning players, Hurley has been clear that he plans on playing Jackson at point guard frequently when he returns. While that is an audacious move to make with a guy that was recruited as a forward and has been sloppy with his passing at times, it has a ton of upside. Jackson has outstanding court vision and length and has improved his ball handling, and a point guard with his speed and size could help UConn run a devastating fastbreak. Finally, Hurley has indicated he is willing to play more zones and other defensive styles with this year’s team instead of being so reliant on the high hedge. I think doing so successfully will help the big guys a ton, especially Sanago and Clinigan, and possibly allow the Huskies to have more energy for the end of games.

I am sure I will be plenty critical of Hurley on this blog at times throughout the season, especially if the Huskies continue to lose close games like they did last year. But if Hurley truly can adjust and learn from his mistakes, this is the year the team should break through in March Madness and win a few games. Who knows what will happen in future seasons, but it is nice to have a top-5 recruiting class coming to Storrs next season.

I urge Husky nation to embrace this fun team with so many newcomers. Enjoy the opening slate of games and the opportunity to see less experienced players contribute, and do not freak out if UConn drops a game or two when they start facing powerful out-out conference teams. This group has the talent to seriously challenge for the Big East titles and go on a tournament run, and is showing a lot of promise already despite missing some key players. If UConn has a strong year, it will put them in position to likely challenge for a Final Four in the next couple of years with the talent coming in. Support the players and enjoy the ride!

Hassan Diarra Comes Home to Storrs

When Hassan Diarra was starring for Putnam Science Academy in high school, UConn heavily recruited the four-star recruit hard but came up short for the shooting guard, who decided to head to the Southwest and Texas A&M. When Diarra was ready for a new opportunity after his sophomore season, however, it didn’t take much time for Diarra to decide to come home.

Diarra, a ‘6-2’ shooting guard, averaged 6.2 points and 1.4 assists last season and 6 points in his two seasons with the Aggies, who just missed the NCAA tournament last season. He added 19 assists last season in 39 games. Diarra developed a reputation for clutch shooting last season, hitting three 3-pointers that either tied or won the game for Texas A&M. Diarra is certainly not scared of the big moment, telling the media “I think it’s just a testament to how hard I work. I work hard every day, and it showed in the biggest moments.”

Diarra showed some growth last season but still has a lot of room for improvement with the Huskies, who he can play up to three seasons with due to the extra Covid-19 year available. He improved his shooting significantly as a sophomore, going up 13 points in his offensive rating according to KenPom and recording solid jumps in his effective field goal and true shooting percentages as well (to 43.8 and 48.7). Diarra cut down his turnover rate by 7.3 points to 21.4, and improved his assist rate in conference play. After a tough start to conference play, Diarra ultimately ended up with seven double-digit scoring games and ultimately had 11 on the season. The muscular Diarra is a solid finisher and shot 48.7% inside the arc during conference play.

Diarra does not have a great handle and committed multiple turnovers in 12 games. However, he will be capable of providing additional ball-handling when necessary and support Tristen Newton, Andre Jackson and Jordan Hawkins with running the offense during short spurts. Diarra will likely compete with Hawkins for starter’s minutes. A key factor for Diarra earning more minutes is improving his 3-point shooting. He knocked down 31.2% beyond the arc as a sophomore and drained multiple threes in eight games.

Diarra should be a solid defender for the Huskies. He has demonstrated the ability to use his size and athleticism to body up on defenders and pressure the ball. Diarra has a knack for getting steals and earned a steal rate of 2.5% with the Aggies last year, forcing multiple ones in six games.

The long-standing relationship that Hassan’s brother Mamadou has with the UConn program certainly didn’t hurt when Diarra was deciding to transfer. Mamadou played briefly for UConn under Kevin Ollie before injuries ended his on-court career, and has been a member of the coaching staff for four years now. He was recently promoted to the role of Director of Player Development. Ultimately however, Hassan told the media that his final decision in where he transferred came down to the relationship with the coaches, where he could see himself thriving, and the program having winning as a priority.

Diarra is especially valuable to the program as a skilled player who will be with the program for at least two years (barring him transferring) and can develop under the tutelage of Dan Hurley. As a junior, he will likely play 15-20 minutes at most. Diarra should play significantly more minutes next season at shooting guard if Tristan Newton and Naheim Alleyne choose to not use the super senior year available to them due to Covid-19 or Andre Jackson decided to pursue a professional career.

UConn was in need of two-way players who have had proven success at a high level, and Diarra absolutely fills that niche. If he can provide an immediate impact on defense and continue to become more well-rounded on offense, the Huskies could find themselves with an indispensable piece and fan favorite in Hassan’s final season in Storrs.