UConn – Page 4 – HUSKY NATION

Game Recap: Adama and RJ Carry UConn to Another Overtime win Against St. Johns

UConn doesn’t want to make it easy for fans, do they?

Through the first 25 minutes of the Huskies home win against St. John’s Wednesday, I was confident they would win by double-digits, likely around 15. They were playing great on defense and generally looked very flued on offense, with Adama Sanogo dominating the Red Storm on both ends. But a combination of foul trouble, stilted offensive possessions, missed free throws and Julian Champagnie and his fellow shooters going off from the permitter put UConn down in the final seconds and sent the game to overtime. In the timeout before overtime, I definitely wondered if UConn would come out flat and scared at the beginning of overtime, and how devastating it would be for the team to again blow a game to a team it should be significantly better than. I needn’t have worried.

The Huskies were outstanding in overtime, outscoring St. John’s 15-7 while going on an 11-0 run, ultimately winning 86-78 and improving to 11-4 and 2-2 in the Big East. UConn attacked the lane for layups and free throw opportunities, eventually forcing three Red Storm players to foul out and finally hitting consistently from the charity stripe. St. John’s continued to struggle to score inside and Champagnie finally went cold. It hit just 34.6% from the field overall.

Now that UConn has survived its scare, it can look back on the win and see a ton of positives from it. While it was extremely sloppy with the ball (16 turnovers) as discussed more later, the offense was often very efficient, as the Huskies shot over 47% and 40.9% from three and averaged 1.09 points per possession. Adama Sanago continued his reign of terror in the frontcourt, going for 26 points and 18 rebounds and blocking six shots, while R.J. Cole scored 19 and had eight assists against just two turnovers. The defense was dominant at times, as exhibited by their 14 blocks. And UConn shook off the tough end to regulation and came out with a ton of energy and focus. It stinks that the team wasn’t able to build on the win quickly because of the Providence game scheduled for Saturday being cancelled due to Covid—19, but they will be able to take a lot of lessons into the two games against Butler this week.

The fast-paced first half was a bit of a mess, with UConn committing a number of unforced turnovers that kept them from getting a large lead. St. John’s also did a good job of responding to runs by the Huskies. They went into halftime up 36-31.

The game started off especially sloppy, as the Huskies committed four turnovers in the first three minutes and both teams struggled with their shooting. UConn was especially careless with the ball, with their turnovers the result of either carelessness or poor ball-handling. It did a good job of moving the ball quickly and getting open looks however, and threes by Polley and Hawkins gave the team a 15-10 lead eight minutes into the game.

St. John’s immediately responded, with two open 3-pointers of their own, a forbidding illustration of what would come in the second. A tough layup by Dylan Addae-Wusu gave the Red Storm the lead at the 9:30 mark, but the Huskies erased that deficit by the next TV timeout with a 7-0 run. It featured two silky shots by Sanago (a layup and jumper), an Andre Jackson off a bullet pass from Cole and Martin flying in for a layup.

The remainder of the half saw St. John’s tie the game one last time before UConn finally ended halftime up five and both sides slow down on offense. The Red Storm quickly tied the game at 27 on a Champagnie 3-point play and another unforced turnover, this time by Isiah Whaley, that set up a dunk by Joel Soriano. Cole answered with an open 3-pointer on the next possession and he would go on to make the Huskies final two field goals as well, with the other points coming on free throws by Jackson. The teams combined for just eight points in the final five minutes of the half as they both went cold from the outside. UConn forced multiple turnovers and blocked shots in the final minutes of the half.

With the play of Sanago and Cole and excellent defense in the paint, it should have had a double-digit lead halftime and not just 36-31, but the nine turnovers (mostly unforced), brilliance of Champagnie and poor defensive rebounding kept it closer. Those issues would return again in the second half with a vengeance.

UConn played an outstanding opening five minutes of the second half, ending the stretch with an 8-3 run to go up 50-39 with 14:55 remaining in regulation. The stretch featured threes from Jackson and Cole as well six points by Sanago and an assist on a dunk by Whaley. The offense was doing an excellent job of spacing the floor and Sanago continuously found ways to get open in the paint. On defense, he was all over the backboard and altered multiple shots alongside Whaley. The Huskies forced multiple turnovers and allowed just two field goals, both off of offensive rebounds. Their efficient and entertaining play on both ends quickly disappeared however.

As soon as Cole and then Martin had to briefly leave the game due to foul trouble, everything changed on offense. In the minute between when Cole earned his third foul at 14:08 and checked back in less than two minutes later, UConn committed multiple unforced turnovers and missed a wide-open 3-pointer and generally ran less smoothly. It also allowed gave up a layup and the Red Storm made four free throws to cut the lead to 50-45, with the second foul forcing Martin to the bench. While the Huskies got decent shots after the under-12 timeout, they came late in the shot clock. And as St. John’s became more physical the pace of play slowed down, hurting UConn’s flow. It ultimately went more than four minutes until a Whaley jumper at the 10-minute mark. Thankfully, the defense held the Red Storm at bay thanks to the block party Sanago and Whaley were having and improved perimeter defense. A 3-pointer by Polley off a kick-out from Sanago put the Huskies up 57-50 with 7:44 to go in regulation.

Despite the continued turnover issues and Sanogo’s struggles at the free throw line, his block led to a fastbreak three by Polley to put the team up 60-50 with 6:19 to go, and every UConn fan began to imagine it could win comfortably. This was premature to say the least. In under three minutes, St. John’s went on a 12-4 run, leaving the Huskies up just 64-62 at the 3:58 mark. They did a poor job of defensive rebounding, leading to five second-chance points for the Red Storm, including a three by Aaron Wheeler. The three by Champagnie that made it a 2-point game was partly the product of a turnover by Sanago. To their credit, the Red Storm did a good job of attacking the basket quickly and beating UConn to rebounds and loose balls and got open beyond the arc before defenders could effectively challenge shots. On offense, the Huskies continued to play slowly and did not look for any 3-point opportunities, instead just attacking the basket and drawing fouls. That would have been helpful if they could of converted on any of these shots or consistently hit free throws. UConn instead infuriately kept making one of two.

The Huskies briefly responded nicely, as a Sanago putback dunk and tough offensive rebound and layup by Cole gave them a 68-62 lead with 2:41 to go. From then on, the offense continuously shot itself in the foot to leave the door open for St. John’s. Cole and his teammates seemed to decide everything should be put on the senior’s back and St. John’s was having none of it. Cole missed three questionable shots in the final 2:27 while using a ton of clock, and Whaley and Sanago each went one of two at the line. The Red Storm happily took advantage of the door UConn left open. Champagnie hit a tough 3-pointer following a three deflected by Wheeler and then found his teammate open in the corner to cut the deficit to 69-68 with a minute to go. Cole and Wheeler missed twin 3-pointers following a timeout and Sanago missed a second free throw. St. John’s was able to get the ball quickly down the floor and Cole was forced to switch onto the much taller Champagnie. He gave a valiant defensive effort, but the much bigger junior drained the trey with four seconds to go to give his team a 72-71 lead, their first since midway through the first half.

It briefly looked like Champagnie would be a hero and UConn was going to suffer another ugly loss, a worry that the players later admitted they had after the game. The Huskies took a timeout before inbounding and it briefly looked like Jackson could end the game with a turnover, as he threw a full-court pass to the right baseline after he could not find an open teammate in the backcourt. A Red Storm player tipped it out of bounds when trying to intercept the pass, giving UConn a second chance and the opportunity to draw up a play after St. John’s took a timeout. To his credit, Dan Hurley drew up a good play for Martin to cut to the basket on the inbound pass and try to get a layup or at least a foul called or putback. Martin did not get the call when he was fouled on his attempt, but Sanago was right there to get the offensive rebound and draw free throws. He did his job, making one of two to send the game to overtime tied at 71.

After gaining a second life, UConn proved to the audience that there was a clear gulf between itself and the Red Storm in overtime once the offense got going. Following a Champagne jumper, Sanago tied the game with a layup and Martin gave them the lead for good on a fastbreak layup with 2:51 remaining off a bullet pass from Jackson. After a pair of free throws from both Cole and Sanago, Whaley stole the ball from Alexander and Jackson pretty much sealed the win with 1:21 remaining on a 3-point play to make it 82-73 and cap the Huskies 11-0 run. They made all six free throws in overtime, causing players to foul out in the process, and did not commit a turnover. Sanago, Martin and Cole each had four points in five minutes. UConn’s defense was also outstanding, hounding ballhandlers and doing a better job of challenging jumpers. It helped force three turnovers and held the Red Storm to 3-11 shooting. From the overtime tip to the buzzer, the Huskies were on a mission to win.

Outside its play in the final six minutes of regulation, UConn’s defense was mostly excellent. While they couldn’t slow down Champagnie, who finished with 27 points on 10-22 shooting and hit four threes, there was no shame in this, especially with the number of contested shots the “6-8” forward hit. Wheeler, who finished with 14 points and nailed three treys, was the only other truly effective scorer for St. John’s. Cole played excellent defense on Alexander, who scored just 11 on 4-13 shooting and committed four turnovers after burning Cole in the Red Storm’s win over UConn last season. While Sanago was praised earlier for his six blocks Whaley was an even more effective defender, blocking five shots and altering countless others and snatching three steals in 36 minutes. Martin also had two blocks. As mentioned before, St. John’s shot just 34.6% overall and 32% inside the arc. The only area it had a clear offensive advantage was in rebounds, grabbing 21 to the Huskies 13.

In addition to Sanago and Cole, who were outstanding on both ends the entire game, two other players finished in double figures and one with nine points. Martin was inconsistent shooting the ball but still finished with 11 points and two assists and played solid defense. Jackson had 11 points and five rebounds, although he returned to the risky passes he showcased earlier in the season and was burnt by it with four turnovers. Polley carried over his excellent shooting from behind the arc for the second consecutive game, knocking down three of four. As stated earlier, the Huskies shot over 47% overall and 40% from three, although it made just 65.4% of its free throws (17-26).

Akok Akok surprisingly played only seven minutes, going scoreless. Hawkins and Gaffney continued their ballhandling and shooting issues, playing just a combined 19 minutes and both committing two turnovers. Hawkins went 1-4 from three. UConn is struggling significantly with ball security and unforced turnovers right now. It finished with 16 and five players had multiple turnovers.

While it would have been great to see UConn get a second chance against Providence after the loss to them earlier in the season instead of it (likely) getting postponed to later in the season, it can hopefully build on the overtime win in its home-and-home games against Butler tomorrow and Thursday. The Bulldogs are 9-7 overall and 2-3 in the Big East, but just got smoked at Villanova Saturday by almost 40 points. The Huskies match up very well with Butler, and these same like the perfect games for them to get double-digit wins and build momentum heading into the last week of conference play.

Inspiring Performance is Only a Hollow Victory in Loss to Seton Hall

Entering the 2021-22 season, every fan and pundit was eager to see which player or players could be UConn’s go-to-player in close late-game situations and create scoring opportunities in these situations when plays broke down. It’s January 10th, and we are still no closer to having a clear answer to these questions.

In their first three losses, the Huskies had chances to come back or take leads in the waning minutes of the game and blew these opportunities due to both poor execution and puzzling play calls. Now, add Saturday’s 90-87 overtime loss at Seton Hall to that group. While UConn, returning from a 17-day pause due to COVID-19, led the majority of the game despite it being its first contest in 18 days, the team was never really able to slow down Kadary Richmond and the No. 24 Pirates in the second half and overtime. Combine this with sloppy ball-handling and inconsistent shooting during the game’s final 20 minutes, and the stage was set for a heartbreaking loss.

There’s a lot of positives to take away from the conference loss. The Huskies (10-4, 1-2) were more competitive after such a long layoff than myself and many others thought they could be, especially with multiple players (most prominently Isiah Whaley) being on minutes restrictions due to contracting the virus. It was their most impressive offensive performance since the win against Auburn, including UConn shooting 60! percent and Adama Sanogo going for 18 points and 16 rebounds. It had significantly more assists (18) and rebounds (40 to 25) than Seton Hall. And yet the Huskies also played very poor defense, gave up 27 points to role player Kadary Richmond and lost. Your record is what you say you are.

UConn had one of its best starts to the season despite its layoff. After trailing 13-11 five minutes into the game, it slowly but surely took the lead and began a 13-8 run midway through the first half, eventually taking a 36-28 lead on a jumper by Whaley with 4:35 remaining. This run was fueled by 3-pointers by Akok Akok and Polley as well as a 3-point play from R.J. Cole. The Huskies made six threes in the first half against a Pirates squad that defends very well from deep, with Akok and Polley draining two. Sanago also was a focal point of the offense and got excellent looks at the rim, scoring eight points. Despite forcing 10 Seton Hall turnovers UConn did a poor job of defending in the half and especially at the rim, ultimately allowing the Pirates to shoot 51.7% and get within four at halftime at 41-37.

After Bryce Aiken opened the second half with five points to give Seton Hall a 42-41 lead, UConn quickly responded with a 13-3 run to go up 54-45 and force a Pirates timeout four minutes in. Andre Jackson was the catalyst for this run, scoring eight consecutive points on two open 3-pointers and free throws.

Richmond and the Pirates weren’t going to go quietly however. The 6’6’ sophomore guard, who transferred from Syracuse and was pursued by UConn in the portal, scored 17 consecutive points in just over four minutes to put his squad up 62-61 with 11:48 to go. Richmond, who had just two points at the half, used his size and strength to make layups and get to the line against a succession of Husky guards and forwards. Seton Hall was content to keep feeding Richmond during the run, and UConn allowed him to go 1-on-1 while rarely sending help. Richmond did a good job forcing contact, but the Husky defenders again and again failed to stay on the ground at the rim to make it easier for him to do so. During this stretch, UConn went cold from the field and made multiple turnovers, including two by Jordan Hawkins that sent him permanently to the bench.

The remainder of regulation was a back-and-forth affair, with the squads regularly trading baskets. After a few more points, UConn and Hurley finally began to double-team Richmond and mostly kept him quiet from there. A pretty jumper by Sanago briefly put the Huskies back up and then a three by Cole off a nice pass by Martin tied the game at 68. Ike Obigau, who made multiple clutch blocks on UConn late in the second half, gave the Pirates a 74-72 lead at the 5:04 mark, but Martin answered with a wide-open three a minute later to finally give UConn the lead again at 75-74. The teams traded free throws in the next three minutes and Cole made it 77 all at the line with 1:48 remaining. After both teams missed 3-pointers, Hurley called a timeout to set up UConn’s final play of regulation with 32 seconds to go. I discuss the play in more detail below, but Cole dribbled the air out of the ball before throwing up an ugly layup with seven seconds left that failed to hit the rim. Aiken missed a last-second three to send it to overtime. In the final four minutes, the Huskies failed to make a field goal, going 0-4 with two turnovers and a air ball from Jackson.

UConn put up an impressive effort in overtime in rallying from multiple 4-point deficits, but again failed to make a play in the game’s final seconds. After Rhoden and Aiken each beat their man off the dribble to score on layups to put the Pirates up 81-77, Sanago kicked the ball out to Martin for an open trey to get within one. With two minutes to go, Polley drained a three to cut the deficit to 84-83. Gaffney answered a Rhoden layup with two free throws and Aiken missed a well-defended layup attempt with a minute remaining, causing Hurley to call a timeout. The Huskies executed the play call perfectly, as Gaffney found Sanago at the rim on a pick and roll to give the team an 87-86 lead with 45 seconds remaining. Richmond stepped up and was again Enemy No. 1 for UConn, predictably backing down Whaley and scoring over him for a layup as his teammates left him out on an island on defense. The Huskies final quality scoring opportunity was again a disaster as Martin was trapped into the left corner and forced into a turnover. Sanago missed a desperation three at the buzzer as Pirates fans celebrated their impressive victory.

The trio of Richmond, Aiken and Rhoden carried Seton Hall to the win, scoring 64 points in all. Richmond went a remarkable 10-13 from the field and 9-10 at the line and had three assists, while Aiken had 22 and seven assists. Obigau was a monster in the paint, eventually earning six blocks The pair got to the line at will, where the Pirates went 20-24. Sanago managed to play 32 minutes and had his best all-around game of the season, scoring 18 points and grabbing a career-high 16 rebounds. Cole struggled in the paint but still finished with 15 points and four assists, and Jackson scored 10 points and grabbed six boards.

While all of UConn’s losses have felt like an ugly version of “Groundhog Day”, there are a lot of positives to take from Saturday’s effort that should make them feel confident heading into Wednesday’s home game at St. John’s, which will be the first Big East conference matchup at Gampel with fans in a decade. Both my positive and negative observations on the crazy game are below.

UConn Gave Seton Hall Everything it Could Handle With the Odds Against Them

After a 17-day layoff caused by nine players and Hurley getting Covid-19 cancelled two games and caused no full team practices until Thursday myself and a lot of fans would have been satisfied with a competitive road loss by single digits, the result I thought would be most likely. Instead, the Huskies looked strong from the jump and controlled the game for the first 25 minutes.

As discussed more below, UConn got strong offensive contributions up and down the lineup despite several players being on minute restrictions and scored in a variety of ways. After a few games where it underachieved on the boards, the team dominated the glass and consistently got second-chance opportunities. The Huskies consistently fought back from deficits late and competed hard on both ends through all 45 minutes despite visibly being gassed late.

Ultimately, the Huskies lost for two reasons in addition to their layoff. One, they played poor defense and did not make adjustments on that end when being burned in the paint. And two, UConn did not have ball-handlers who could break down the defense and take over when necessary, in contrast to Seton Hall. Moral victories are mostly hollow and I am sure the players were very frustrated with the loss. But the Huskies have no reason to hang their head, and hopefully the strong performance will give them momentum heading into an easier stretch of opponents in the next two plus weeks.

The Offensive Comes Alive

At the tail end of November and in early December the offense hit a relative dry spell. Much of this could be attributed to tougher competition and the absences of Sanago and Martin for much of this time, but the Huskies still didn’t do a quality sharing job of sharing the ball much of the time and multiple players failed to step up. UConn began to get out of this funk in their 78-70 win at Marquette on December 21st and smashed through it on Saturday.

UConn burned Seton Hall, an excellent defensive team, both in the paint and behind the arc and scored 1.18 points per possession. Five players scored in double figures (Sanago, Cole, Martin, Jackson, Polley) and eight with at least five points, shooting 47% overall. The Huskies shot 14-23 from deep (60%) and five players had multiple threes. They only made more threes against Auburn in a double-overtime game and the percentage was the season’s highest. The team continued its recent outstanding performances at the free throw line, going 11-12. UConn did an excellent job of responding to Seton Hall’s run, including after Richmond’s scoring streak and in overtime.

The Huskies shooting was not an adnominally. The players did an excellent job of sharing the ball, as evidenced by their 19 assists (six players had multiple dimes). UConn was able to efficiently run pick-and-rolls and find Sanago and others open at the top of the key and consistently earned players open looks from behind the arc, something they probably should have tried to do even more. Jackson provided valuable playmaking duties at times, despite some poor decision making. It was especially entertaining seeing Akok and Jackson continuing their hot streaks from deep and Polley regaining his ability to drain threes in clutch situations.

Sanago especially deserves accolades. Originally expected to play just 20 minutes, he gave 32 and made big plays every minute, eventually finished with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Sanago dominated defenders down low, stepped out for a few shots and moved well without the ball. He was a monster on the boards, outmuscling opponents for balls to earn second chance opportunities. Sanago defended well, blocking three shots and altering more. His stamina was remarkable after a layoff and injury and calmed my worries about his reliability. Sanago can feast on lesser opponents in the next stretch of games.

Turnovers Defining Factor in the Loss

God knows I am sick of talking about UConn’s ballhandling issues, especially its lack of secondary ballhandlers. However, it’s impossible to avoid the subject when it’s been the biggest contributing factor in all four losses. The Huskies 19 turnovers, 11 of which came in the second half, helped Seton Hall rally from their 9-point deficit early in the second half and prevented them from going on a sustained run in the half or overtime. Every time UConn seemed like they were ready to get back on track, they shot themselves in the foot with an unforced turnover. Some of it was poor passes or players losing control of the ball. Some of it was players either dropping passes or not being ready for them. And some of it was just good-old fashioned defensed by the Pirates. The Huskies have a habit of being sloppy with the ball at times every game, but Saturday was a new low. UConn now ranks 187^th on KenPom in percentage of turnovers that are not turnovers at 9.7%. The only Big East team worse in this category is Georgetown.

Four players had four or more turnovers, with Martin and Jackson being the primary culprits with five and four respectively. Martin had multiple travels and of course the turnover that basically ended the game. Meanwhile, Jackson had the ball stolen from him multiple times and was burned by risky passes. After a good start to the game, Hawkins disappeared midway through the second half after three quick turnovers, all of which were preventable.

The game again highlighted why Cole is the only reliable ballhandler on UConn, and even he had three turnovers. Hawkins handle is poor and he is struggling with a lack of confidence. Jackson can still take too many risks at times and his teammates aren’t always ready for his passes. Martin’s handle is also way too shaky And Gaffney takes the air out of the ball on offense when playing paint and cannot pick up the scoring role for Cole. Cole was making plays for teammates, especially Sanago and Martin, but when he fouled out with 2:19 remaining in overtime the offense ground to a standstill and Gaffney and Jackson didn’t efficiently initiate sets. It was a mirror repeat of the Michigan State loss where the Huskies let the game slip away after Cole fouled out on a questionable call. If UConn cannot develop another reliable ballhandler/secondary point guard and consistently execute late, there will be more close losses to teams at Seton Hall’s level.

UConn Losing Identity on the Defensive End

After a mediocre defensive performance in the 78-70 win at Marquette, the Huskies had their worst showing of the season against a major conference team on that end. Seton Hall shot 59% inside the arc and 40% from three for the game and their shooting on 2-pointers was even better in the second half and overtime, and added 20 free throws at an 83% success rate. The Pirates ended the first half strong and once Richmond got going, they were off to the races for the remainder of the game. No matter which defenders UConn threw at Richmond and Aiken, they couldn’t keep the pair from beating defenders off the dribble or backing players down and scoring over them, as well as getting to the line. UConn stuck to its man-to-man defense for almost all 45 minutes and did not make adjustments to slow down Richmond and others (more on that below) and the help defense was lacking. Seton Hall took care of the ball with just 12 turnovers and had both more steals and blocks than UConn, a very rare occurrence. In the end, Seton Hall looked stronger, faster and more determined than their defenders. It makes you worry any time the Huskies play opponents with multiple quality guards that rely on speed.

A special space should be reserved to talk about Whaley and his defense. I know Whaley has struggled with injuries and was one of the last players to recover from COVID-19, giving him less time to prepare for Saturday. And we know how much of a warrior Whaley has always been. Ultimately though, he looks less athletic and strong this year than last and not the same elite defender, especially one-on-one. If Whaley continues to not play at his past defensive level, then UConn is in trouble unless others step up in his place, especially with providing help defense.

Defensive Strategy and Late Game Execution Lacking

After touching on it throughout the article, I am going to finally focus on the questionable decision making of Danny Hurley. I am not sure if UConn could have stopped Richmond during his run or the other guards late. The trio did an outstanding job of shot-making and using touch to finish layups, as I cannot remember the last time an opponent made so many of them against UConn while not having any layups rim out. There’s always one or two times a season that an unheralded player like Richmond goes off on the Huskies and they are not prepared. But there’s no excuse for Hurley allowing Richmond to go off and score on every possession and embarrass the defenders while not making any adjustments. Doubling…zone…box-and-1…there’s a bunch of different defenses Hurley could have tried to get the ball out of Richmond’s hands and make someone else beat them instead of letting him define the game. Ditto for sticking with man-on-man for all of overtime when Aiken was getting to the line constantly and not having bigs like Sanago or Akok help more.

itscoring opportunities on out-of-bound plays and out of timeouts. At the end of regulation and after Cole fouled out in overtime however, I thought that the play options he set up for UConn were baffling.

On their last possession of regulation, Cole dribbled until near the end of the shot clock and then fired up a floater that had no chance of going in and ended up being a shot clock violation. It seemed like UConn was either trying to get Sanago open rolling to the basket off of a screen or try and give Cole the chance to either make a floater/layup or just have his attempt give teammates a shot at a putback or tip-in. Cole still spent too many seconds dribbling in place and not getting the play going to give him multiple options for either a catch-and-shoot play or for him to get to the hoop, ideally for either a layup or at least a foul. Not telling Cole to start the play earlier and give his point guard more options is on Hurley.

Similarly, the final play of overtime with Seton Hall up 88-87 was a mess with both the call and execution. It appeared that the goal was to get the ball to Martin and have Sanago set a screen that would allow him to have a passing lane to the basket. Obigau shut down the passing lane to Sanago and Richmond played excellent help defense to trap Martin at the top of the right corner to force the turnover near the end of the clock. Martin tried to clear Sanago out for him to drive, but instead Sanago trapped Martin even more by coming over and trying to help by setting a screen.

Hurley again had the players wait way too long to start running the play and he was right to say that Martin should have started his drive quicker. However, Martin should have been given more options, such as a pick-and-pop play or getting to the middle of the floor and either passing it out or driving it into the lane to get a layup or force a foul. If Hurley had had his team run a quick play, they would have had more play-making opportunities or more time for a chance at offensive rebounds and second-chance opportunities. It makes sense to want the ball to go to Adama on final possessions, but UConn needs to have other options in its pocket, including looks behind the arc, as opponents are going to be geared towards keeping the ball away from him. Hopefully, Hurley and his players are learning from his losses and would have two or three plays in their back pocket available for similar late-game game situations going forward. The Huskies lunch has to change, right?

Andre Jackson: An Appreciation

Instead of any type of game preview for UConn’s game today at Seton Hall, I wanted to have some fun and write a brief post of appreciation for Andre Jackson’s play this season. I was a Jackson skeptic entering the season, but the sophomore shooting guard has slowly but surely proved me wrong, especially as the calendar turned to December and Jackson was forced to step up due to injuries to teammates.

Jackson is one of the few players on the team who has played in every game and is averaging 7.2 points, 8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals in and shooting 49.2% in over 27 minutes per game. In the five December games, Jackson is averaging just over 9 points on 63% shooting, 8.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Jackson has also made four of his five 3-point attempts and is somehow shooting 43.8% from three on 16 attempts, despite his ugly shooting style and huge struggles from deep last season. On the season, Jackson has three double-digit rebounding games and scored nine or more points seven times. He was outstanding in UConn’s two most recent wins against St. Bonaventure and Marquette, recording nine points, 11 rebounds and five assists against the Bonnies and 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists and steals against the Golden Eagles. Hurley’s confidence in Jackson has clearly gone up, as he’s played more than 30 minutes in three consecutive games.

Jackson is such a valuable player because of his versatility, and I would go so far has to call him the most versatile player on the team currently outside of Tyrese Martin. Jackson’s rebounding skills are remarkable for a guard. On the boards, he is able to use his wingspan and jumping ability to block out and leap over opposing players and also does a strong job of anticipating where the ball will bounce off the rim. Jackson’s defensive rebounding percentage of 25.7 is the highest on the team by far and ranks 46^th in the country according to KenPom. While Jackson takes just 12% of the Huskies shots, his true shooting percentage of 59% leads the team and his effective field goal percentage of 54.6% is fourth. While most of Jackson’s shots inside the arc come very close to the rim, those numbers are still impressive and a huge improvement over his freshman season. While Jackson continues to sometimes lack confidence in his 3-point shot and passes up open opportunities, there’s no way I could have imagined him shooting 43.8% of his treys on 16 attempts to this point of the season, second to Akok Akok. That’s bound to come down as teams focus more on defending Jackson from deep, but he deserves a lot of credit for such a vast improvement.

Where Andre Jackson is probably most valuable on offense is his ability to use his passing and speed to push the tempo and run fastbreaks for UConn, particularly off of rebounds. He is definitely the quickest and most athletic player on the team and Jackson’s outstanding court vision allows him to anticipate which players will be open. UConn is arguably at its best when playing up-tempo (despite not doing it nearly enough) and he is essential to making them succeed in that area. As the season has gone along, Jackson has improved his ball-handling and done a much better job of taking fewer risks when passing and making sure teammates will be prepared to receive the ball. His assist rate of 28.2 is second to R.J. Cole. Jackson has cut down his turnover rate from 32.6 to 27.9. After committing at least two turnovers in the first eight games of the season, Jackson has had just five in the last five games.

While Jackson can be a shaky defender at times, he is a huge weapon on that end at his best. Jackson will use his wingspan and speed to make it difficult for opponents to handle and pass the ball and is skilled at defending the passing lanes and earning steals. Jackson has multiple steals in six games, with a high of three, and his steal percentage of 2.9% is tied for second on the team with Cole. Jackson has improved heavily at pressuring without fouling and has committed over two fouls in a game just three times. The biggest areas Jackson can improve on defense is not putting himself out of position by searching for steals and providing help defense to teammates.

Despite making huge strides this season, Jackson still has a long way to go to reach his potential. He has to be more aggressive on offense and look to score, while improving at finishing at the rim and developing his outside shot. Jackson, who Hurley has said could be a point guard, must continue to improve his ball-handling and accuracy as a passer. Finally, the Albany native must be a more disciplined defender. Jackson is already the Huskies Swiss Army Knife. Eventually, he needs to become a consistent scoring threat and second “point guard”. I look forward to watching that development.

The Ramifications of UConn’s Bout With Covid-19

Going through UConn basketball withdrawals is not fun, even if it’s a situation where the team just has a week between games. With that the case, the team’s 15-day and counting break between games, which is supposed to end Saturday at Seton Hall has been miserable. The Huskies had nine players either test positive or show mild symptoms of COVID-19 as well as Dan Hurley and its games against Xavier and Butler were cancelled (Xavier has been rescheduled for February 11^th). At this time, we have no idea if multiple players caught the virus at an event or something similar or if it just spread from player to player. The team did not have enough healthy scholarship players to face either Xavier or Butler on New Year’s Day. Finally, they will still be missing players at Seton Hall Saturday and likely St. John’s next Wednesday as well. It’s not surprising that the team had issues with COVID-19 and games cancelled despite all players being vaccinated and a majority boostered. It has happened with a bunch of programs throughout the country. It is disheartening however, especially after the number of games the team has already had to play shorthanded.

There are a number of storylines around how UConn will be affected by the COVID-19 layoff going into Saturday and then further into January, most negative. However, there are a few small positives, especially involving Adama Sanogo. It is hard to look at things a few days out and examine where UConn stands when we don’t know who is definitely available against Seton Hall (I cannot imagine we will until Friday morning at the earliest). I still feel it is interesting to reflect on these storylines and dig into them. I have done so below, and will update the article as necessary. Let’s hope things break positive for the Huskies as much as possible!

Negatives of Stoppage and Layoff

I’m actually going to start with an issue that might not immediately come to the mind of fans. For the afflicted players who are able to compete against Seton Hall and St. John’s because they are healthy and cleared and had enough practice time, how rusty will they be and what will their stamina level be on the court? We all know that guys can be rusty even if they have been practicing in their first on-court action after a long layoff. Add on the fact that individuals who get Covid-19 can have lingering effects such as shortness of breath and various heart issues even if they are young and in great shape, and we just have to pray that these players and Hurley are fully healthy for the remainder of the season.
Hurley said to reporters last week that the timing of people getting symptoms and positive tests was staggered and we obviously do not know how many players have been at the level of being able to fully practice and work out this week. It’s easy to imagine that the players may not have their regular chemistry in practice and against Seton Hall, especially based on who will be able to play against the Pirates (more on that below). What has the team been able to work on during the last few practices while being shorthanded? Will it be prepared to specifically handle the strengths and weaknesses of a very strong Pirates team, and can they maintain composure when back in game action? Those questions cannot be answered until Saturday, but I am both excited and worried about how the chemistry issue plays out.
My personal hope is that the absence of certain players and the way Hurley has handled practices and training has allowed the freshman and others who normally are backups to get a chance to practice more in the last week, and that this group will ultimately get a solid amount of playing time against Seton Hall and St. John’s. This is a double-edged sword in certain ways. We cannot know whether certain guys who have played less be able to rise to the occasion against the Pirates and execute well on both ends. At the same time, we cannot know how many of the team’s best players and leaders (in my mind Cole, Martin, Sanogo and Whaley) will be available and if the Huskies can rely on them in a close game, although it seems like Sanogo did not test positive and should be close to fully recovered from his injury by Saturday. More than anything else, I want to know how many members of this quartet will play on Saturday, as I believe it will make the difference between a win and loss.
If the situation is the reverse and a majority of the players out on Saturday are backups, how much of a burden could that place on guys like Cole, Martin, Whaley, Tyler Polley and Sanogo in his first game without full minute restrictions? Those guys were already averaging a lot of minutes, especially Cole, who is playing roughly 35 minutes a game recently as the Huskies main scorer and ball-handler. It would be tough for them to have the same consistency and stamina after no games for so long.
Seton Hall has had its issues with having players out due to COVID-19 as well, and lost to Providence and Villanova at the end of December and on New Year’s Day shorthanded, dropping its record to 10-3. The Pirates had a nice 71-56 win at Butler yesterday however, and should have all their players available against UConn. With their full team Seton Hall is absolutely one of the best teams in the Big East, and defeating them on the road shorthanded would be up there with UConn’s defeat of Auburn as its best of the season. I think the game will be close no matter what, but there would be no shame in the Huskies losing.
Finally, it will be interesting to see how the Covid-19 layoff affects Tyrese Martin. If Martin was one of the players who tested positive and experienced symptoms, not being able to play would be a tough pill to swallow after missing four games and playing just twice in December due to injury. While Martin was solid against Providence and great against Marquette inb his first two games back before the break, it’s possible he wouldn’t follow the same pattern the second time. Even if Martin did not get Covid-19 or has fully recovered, he could certainly be rusty against Seton Hall. Either way, I feel bad for my favorite UConn player.

Positives of Stoppage and Layoff

The biggest positive of UConn’s layoff so far is that it gives Adama Sanogo more time off to recover from his abdominal injury. Hurley said that this long of a layoff should guarantee that Sanago would be declared injury-free without minute restrictions. Sanago was solid on offense in the 12 minutes he played against Marquette (six points, two rebounds and a block), but it would be great to see him on full strength and being a big force on both ends of the court. Sanago is a good matchup against Seton Hall because of his size and I could see him carrying UConn to a win against the Pirates.
As discussed earlier, the lineup against Seton Hall could rely on multiple players who are backups depending on the health of players and the days they were found positive. For some backups, being able to play more could be a huge step in their development, even if it results in a UConn loss. I am thinking specifically of Jordan Hawkins, Polley and Jalen Gaffney and possibly even Samson Johnson and Rashool Diggins. Hawkins has been struggling mightily, and having the opportunity to get more touches and play without the risk of immediately being sent to the bench could help mightily with his confidence. Polley would benefit from playing a game where he does more than just take threes and is forced to be creative on offense. Finally, having Gaffney face the challenge of being the Huskies main ball-handler could force him to step up on both ends and show more efficiency as a player (it could also be a disaster, but either way would be interesting to watch). Finally, Diggins and Johnson deserve the opportunity to play more and prove themselves. I would accept a loss to Seton Hall if it meant these guys played more and were forced to lead the team, as it could help the Huskies down the line when they are needed.
As great as the 10-3 Huskies have looked at times, their season has been a bit of a mess, from the injuries and the close losses to the questions surrounding Hurley’s offense and team management late in close games. No matter who is able to play against Seton Hall and St. John’s, the layoff could be a blessing in disguise. It will allow the team to reset, get fully healthy and hopefully develop more chemistry. UConn has a long way to go towards fulfilling their potential, and the next week or two could be the start of them doing so.

Observations on Providence Loss: UConn’s Offense is MIA at Home in Flat Performance

It’s hard to call a loss a worst-case scenario when the team you are rooting for only loses by four points. UConn’s performance against Providence was pretty ugly at some points however, and exposed the biggest weaknesses the Huskies currently have without Adama Sanogo, even after the return of Tyrese Martin. They had a terrible stretch at the end of the first half and beginning of the second to fall behind by 15 points, and their admirable comeback effort was eventually foiled by poor execution on both ends. Poor shot selection, terrible perimeter shooting, overreliance on one player, weird substitution patterns, costly defensive mistakes…. you mention it, Saturday’s57-53 defeat at the XL Center had it. It was a crappy way to start the program’s first home schedule with fans in two years and their first ever in the new Big East.

To ensure that this article is not too long, I am going to mainly just briefly focus on the most important stretches of the game before I get to the meet of the article, my observations on the game. After UConn took a 9-5 lead into the first TV timeout, the game entered a very ugly stretch, as it did not score a field goal for more than nine minutes after a Martin layup at the 15:20 mark. As already discussed, the Huskies and Tyler Polley and R.J. Cole in particular were struggling to make perimeter shots despite many of their opportunities being good looks, while blowing opportunities at the rim. UConn’s defense on the Friars was good enough that it managed to have a 21-20- lead with 3:09 remaining in the half. In its final stretch however, the Huskies fell apart on both ends and ultimately trailed 31-21 at the half. A.J. Reeves and Ed Croswell each made multiple 3-pointers and dunks, while UConn failed to score off multiple offensive rebounds.

After a poor start to the second half, a Martin three 4:35 in got UConn back within 10 at 39-29. The Friars shook off the trey and continued to execute well on offense, dominating the Huskies in the paint to go up 48-32 with 10:41 remaining. During this stretch, Croswell and Watson pushed around defenders and set up scoring opportunities through strong screens. UConn was doing a poor job of pressuring ball-handlers, and the lack of Sanogo or teammates to help out Whaley (calling out Akok Akok) made it very difficult for him to keep Watson and Croswell consistently in check. Meanwhile, the Huskies were forcing shots both outside and in the paint and looked to lack confidence on offense. They were also struggling with making adjustments to Providence constantly switching its defense. To the Huskies credit, they slowly clawed back after falling behind by 16. They executed a series of beautiful backdoor passes and shots at the rim that led to either baskets or fouls. UConn also finally begin hitting a few threes, with Andre Jackson of all people hitting two treys. The team tightened up its defense and forced the suddenly cold Friars into tough shots, while also benefiting from Providence’s poor free throw shooting. Polley’s 3-pointer (his only one of the day) made it 55-53 with 1:58 remaining and sent the crowd into a frenzy.

I will go more into UConn’s ugly performance on offense in the final two minutes, but let’s just say that it brought back memories of previous losses to West Virginia and Michigan State. The Huskies missed four 3-pointers in this stretch as well as a scoring opportunity off of an offensive rebound, and played poor defense on the Friars one basket during this stretch. It was a heartbreaking loss for the fans to stomach, and showed just how far UConn is right now to living up to its potential. UConn fell to 9-3 overall with the loss, with all these losses occurring with the team having at least one major player out and by a combined 11 points.

Below, let’s look at a series of observations about the Huskies third loss of the season and its first in conference. Why the tone of this story has been pretty negative so far, I promise all my observations are not.

The Offense is Ugly Right Now, especially on the Perimeter

Any loyal fans who read that headline will probably immediately reply, “no shit, Sherlock”. UConn shot 32.1% overall and 27.6% (8-29) from three, while also going just 7-13 at the line for good measure. In arguably six of the last seven games (notwithstanding the 88-59 win against Grambling State), the Huskies have arguably underperformed offensively and from deep, admittingly against quality teams. In the last three games against West Virginia, St. Bonaventure and Providence, UConn has shot 19-77, adding up to 24.7%. That’s an epic slump, and it’s almost impossible to believe things won’t average out to some extent.

Against the Friars, UConn’s struggles on the perimeter had large similarities to those in the previous two games. Providence deserves a lot of credit for their strong defense on the opposing shooters. Ultimately however, the Huskies either rushed or forced a lot of shots, including at the end of the game and consistently missed open shots, wasting good ball movement. Everybody joined in on the struggles, including the teams so called best shooters (Polley and Tyler Hawkins), Cole and a rusty Martin. As the crowd saw, UConn seemingly continues to hoist threes that are forced instead of performing the ball movement necessary to set up the best perimeter opportunities, and then hesitates when having quality open shots from the outside.

I know Dan Hurley is committed to having the Huskies shoot a lot of threes every game, and it made since somewhat to attack the paint less against Providence due to the Friars imposing front line. However, maybe it is time to be so heavily reliant on treys and look to score near the rim more, especially with Sanogo returning against Marquette. Let’s hope the tide starts to change by the end of the month with everyone healthy.

Poor Production from Most Experienced Members of the Lineup

Starting with Tyler Polley, UConn’s starters and main bench players almost all struggled against the Friars for a large percentage of the game. Polley has been catching a ton of flack lately and it is deserved, even if it may go over the top at times. Polley went just 1-7 against Providence, missing his first six attempts. Since the Auburn game, the senior forward seems completely lost, especially against the toughest competition. Part of the issue against Providence may have been that Polley seemed to take almost all his shots off screens and without being set, arguably making them tougher to make. If Polley again takes multiple threes against Marquette as part of the game plan, Hurley and UConn needs to do its best to make sure they are set shots. With Polley not contributing on the boards or supplying efficient defense despite his size, there is no reason he deserves the amount of playing time he gets unless he is on a hot streak and making attempts. Otherwise, give more time to Akok and Samson Johnson in place of Polley to help solidify the defense and provide additional perimeter threats.

It’s easy to gang up on Polley, but none of the most experienced team members have looked great in the last two weeks (besides Martin, obviously). With Martin and Sanogo out and the struggles of Jalen Gaffney, Cole has been asked to do way too much on both ends of the court while getting little rest. Cole has found it more difficult to score at the rim without the spacing Sanogo and Martin provide, and is going through one of his cold streaks shooting outside of the paint, which Cole showed he was susceptible to last season as well. While Cole has averaged just under 16 points per game in the last four contests, it has taken him 65 shots to do so. Against Providence, Cole shot 5-19 overall and 2-10 inside the arc, and many of these shots were forced or came late in the shot clock. When Cole is asked to pick up a huge load of the scoring slack he cannot focus as well on point guard responsibilities, and Gaffney hasn’t shown him consistent support.

Speaking of Gaffney, he may be the player who I have been most disappointed with this season. The junior guard went scoreless in 24 minutes against the Friars while committing three turnovers. In the team’s six games against major competition, Gaffney has scored just 32 points, made no threes, and committed 13 turnovers against 14 assists, but played at least 20 minutes in most of these games. Across the board, a majority of Gaffney’s offensive numbers are worse than last season. While Gaffney’s defensive ratings are mixed, his weaknesses are visible against tough competition, such as his difficulty staying in front of quick guards and tendency to sell out for steals, which can lead to huge baskets by the player he’s supposed to be guarding. For example, Gaffney was out of position and late on Alijami’s Durham’s layup in the final minute against Providence, a basket that more or less sealed the game. Everything about Gaffney’s game-his reluctancy to attack the basket despite his athleticism and free throw shooting, commit inexplicable turnovers and waste way too much time bringing the ball up the court when playing point-is designed to frustrate me to death. At this point, Gaffney should start to lose minutes to Hawkins and Rashoul Diggins should be given the opportunity to play 5-10 minutes per game so Hurley can see his ball-handling and passing abilities. Maybe making such a move will light a fire under Gaffney and motivate him to reach his potential.

While I don’t have much negative to say about how Isiah Whaley has played on either end recently, even he played inconsistent defense against Providence. The return of Sanogo should take some pressure off Whaley and give him more freedom to focus on playing defense and controlling the boards.

Please Come Save us, Adama Sanogo

UConn is a solid team without Sanogo, but they need him back and playing to full or almost full strength as soon as possible to get off to a strong start in the Big East. Sanogo is expected to play limited minutes tonight against Marquette, and the Huskies luckily will have a week off afterwards until playing at Xavier. The sophomore can immediately give UConn the potent scorer they need inside, improved rebounding and more reliable post defense and blocking, while allowing Whaley and Akok to be used more flexibly. With Sanogo, I am certain UConn would have won against Providence. Even if Sanogo can be a bit of a black hole on offense, he will make it better and more consistent. With a healthy Sanogo, the Huskies are one of the top teams in the conference and a Top 25 team.

Bring on Akok Akok and the kids

Despite getting two key blocks and rebounding well early against Providence, Akok was used less as the game went on and ultimately attempted just one shot in 16 minutes (a 3-pointer that he missed). After the loss, Hurley said that Akok had looked tentative on offense and got lost a few times on offense and I certainly don’t dispute those statements, especially in regards to the offensive end. As inconsistent as Akok is as he returns from injury and gets more up to game speed however, he is already showing offensive rebounding and shot blocking abilities that the Huskies are desperately in need of. Factor in his 3-point shooting success (8-14) this year and ability to stretch the floor, which no other big on UConn really has, how well he had just played against St. Bonaventure and the enthusiasm Akok brings to the team, and I think Hurley needs to be willing to give Akok more leeway if his body is up to it. Akok’s speed and size makes him a good fit against Marquette, so hopefully he will get more consistent minutes tonight.

Regarding Samson Johnson and Rashoul Diggins, what more can I say? Johnson has apparently been playing decent in practice and has occasionally shown solid scoring skills and rebounding in the limited minutes he has played. It would have made sense to give Johnson more of a chance to play with Sanogo out, and yet he was DNA against Providence and only played two minutes against St. Bonaventure. Hurley indicated Johnson may play some against Marquette, and there is no reason he shouldn’t get at least 5-10 minutes in the next few games as Sanogo gets back to full strength. I imagine Diggins must look poor (at least on defense) in practice if Hurley is not giving him any playing time against non-cupcakes, but with Gaffney struggling so much and Cole overwhelmed, it makes a world of sense to at least give Diggins five minutes or so to display his ball handling and passing abilities against Marquette. Finally, Hawkins needs to get more consistent minutes in the next few games with Polley in a shooting funk. IF Hawkins playing patterns made more sense, I would hope he would be more confident and able to get into a groove at times.

Kudos to Jackson and Martin on Their Play

For the second straight game, Jackson was probably UConn’s best player. He scored eight points and snatched down 14 rebounds (12 defensive) and knocked down two 3-pointers. Yes, Jackson again missed a few easy shots at the rim (stop trying to tip in the ball with one hand already). But he continues to look like the most energetic player out there and a great facilitator while slowly becoming more disciplined. Meanwhile, Martin got more up to speed as the game went on and finished with 15 points and five rebounds. I am confident he will be close to the same player he was early in the season within two weeks or so.

Huskies Show the Right and Wrong Ways to Win in Important Pair of Games

A lot of UConn fans have already put the West Virginia and St. Bonaventure games behind them and are looking forward to Saturday’s game against Providence and the returns of Tyrese Martin and Adama Sanogo, with Martin all but guranteed to play and Sanago possibly. However, I think it will be good to take a look back at last week’s games against West Virginia and St. Bonaventure to see the lessons we can take from the Huskies successes and struggles, and how they will affect the matchup with the Flyers. Below, enjoy five observations on the games, with the Mountaineers and Bonnies.

UConn finally proved it could win a tight game on Saturday after failing Wednesday

A major question at the beginning of the season was if UConn could consistently win close games that were decided late, something the program has struggled to do for multiple seasons. In the first 10 games of the season, the answer to that question was no, with the Huskies blowing late leads to lose in regulation to Michigan State and WVU and also doing so in the overtime wins against Auburn and VCU. While UConn could use the excuse of not having Isiah Whaley, Martin and Sanogo in at least one or two losses, part of being a quality team is winning despite injuries. It wasn’t just that UConn lost these games, but how they lost them. The team looked sloppy and nervous in all the aforementioned games and did a poor job of handling the ball and getting high-quality shots. Throughout these late-game stretches, the big theme throughout was poor basketball IQ on both ends of the floor. It didn’t help that any adjustments Danny Hurley made either were not visible or didn’t work, such as in inbounding situations. I have to admit that after the Huskies blew their lead against West Virginia, I was extremely frustrated and worried that they did not have the mental fortitude to beat St. Bonaventure. I was wrong.

Against St. Bonaventure, UConn executed well on offense in the final minutes to deny a comeback opportunity, making just enough plays on defense to ensure the victory. Led by R.J. Cole, the Huskies did an excellent job of handling the ball and showed a lot of smarts in attacking the basket and taking advantage of the Bonnies inability to avoid fouling. The plays in the last two minutes which defined the wins were 3-point plays on by Jalen Gaffney and Cole, which were both scored in traffic, and a dagger three by Tyler Polley with 44 seconds remaining, set up by good ball movement, to put the Huskies up by nine. The Bonnies missed two jumpers in the final two minutes. Dan Hurley appeared to do a good job of communicating with his players from the bench and making clear the offensive plays they should run during the stretch run. In the end, UConn’s finishing kick on Saturday ensured they would earn their second signature out-of-conference win before Big East play begins.

The Huskies x-Factors Come Through One out of Two Games

With Sanogo and Martin out every player besides Cole are x-factors for UConn to some extent, which mostly makes sense when you don’t have many players who can consistently generate their own shots. For the purpose of this exercise however, I am looking at Jordan Hawkins, Akok Akok and Andre Jackson as a trio who can help determine how far the Huskies ultimately can go.

In the 59-56 loss at West Virginia, this trio combined for just 14 points (10 by Jackson) and three assists on 6-17 shooting while committing five turnovers. Hawkins struggled in particular, going 0–7 from the field and committing four turnovers in 28 minutes. While Hawkins got a lot of good looks especially from three, he rushed his shots at times and continued to display his frustration. The freshman’s struggles shooting arguably caused him to lose confidence and affected his ball handling. Hawkins again lost control of his dribble multiple times and did not protect the ball well. While Akok is not normally looked to as a scoring threat, UConn needs more from him on that end with Sanogo and Martin out, and the junior was again MIA. Akok missed multiple shots close to the basket and went 1-5 from the field overall, and generally looked disengaged on offense. While he did an admirable job on the boards and finished with 10 (5 offensive), he failed to box out multiple times late in the game, allowing the Mountaineers to get to key offensive rebounds they converted into points. Akok did not show the strength and agility fans were hoping for and finished with just one block. Finally, while Jackson was actually fairly effective on offense and hit one of the team’s three threes, he was not quite as effective on the boards as usual and still played out of control at times, making a costly turnover late. Jackson was also consistently beat on defense or out of position, an issue that plagued Hawkins as well. If just one of these players had been better (especially if Hawkins had hit a few shots to allow for more spacing), UConn would almost definitely have won.

If the performances of Hawkins, Akok and Jackson were instrumental in the loss on Wednesday, they redeemed themselves on Saturday. The trio combined for 32 points on 11-18 shooting and 16 rebounds, and went 4-7 from three. They also did a much better job of controlling the ball, committing just three turnovers. Jackson had arguably the best all-around game of any Husky, finishing with nine points, 11 rebounds and five assists while adding a steal. Jackson did an excellent job of playing under control and sharing the ball, while still using his explosiveness to get to the rim and deliver crisp passes to open teammates. Jackson showed much better shot selection than normal, using his speed to get easy scores at the basket, and ultimately hit all three of his shots. Jackson’s defense was also strong, as it was clear his pressure and length made it difficult for Bonnie players to get open shots in the paint.

Akok had 12 points, five rebounds and three blocks and went 5-6 from the field, knocking down two 3-pointers. This was the first strong performance Akok has had against a high-quality team this season. The 6-9 forward showed good touch around the rim, but it was the two gorgeous threes he knocked down that were most exciting to see. Akok is now 8-13 from behind the arc this season, and if UConn can consistently make sure to get him shots from deep Akok could be a nightmare for teams to prepare for if he shoots well from there. Akok was outstanding on defense, consistently blocking and altering shots and limiting the impact of Osun Ossuniyi, an elite big man himself. When Whaley and Akok are playing the frontcourt together, they are absolutely one of the best defensive tandems in the Big East.

Finally, Hawkins got the much-needed boost of confidence he has been searching for multiple games and ultimately finished with 11 points in 20 minutes. After having missed 16 consecutive shots, Hawkins finally nailed an upon jumper with just over 11 minutes remaining in the game to give the Huskies a 46-39 lead. He immediately responded with two more threes in the following two minutes which anchored a 13-0 run that gave UConn control of the game. The joy and confidence these shots gave him was very visible. Hawkins showed excellent form on these shots and moved well without the ball to get open, and it is clear Hurley believes in him and gives Hawkins the green light to shoot. If Hawkins can build up his confidence and be more selective in the shots he chooses, there is no reason he cannot became an excellent long-range shooter. Combine that with improved ball handling and defense, then Hawkins should be one of the Huskies very best players by the end of the season.

Jackson, Akok and Hawkins each of the power to elevate UConn at their best. Jackson’s speed and athleticism makes him a nightmare in transition for opponents, and he can be an excellent passer and rebounder and a dangerous defensive presence. Akok is the one traditional big on the Huskies who can stretch the floor and shoot from the perimeter, and is an accomplished shot blocker and rebounder. Finally, Hawkins can be the pure shooter and second quality ballhandler UConn needs at guard. These players have a lot of questions to answer, most prominently Jackson’s skill as a scorer, Akok’s durability and Hawkins ball-handling and confidence issues. But with their inexperience and developing games, the x-factors have nowhere to go but up in Big East play. Their success will largely determine the program’s both this year and the seasons to come.

R.J. Cole Continues to be the Man

It has been a tough challenge for Cole to be both the primary ball-handler and scorer with Martin and Sanogo out, and there were times against both West Virginia and St. Bonaventure where he struggled mightily. In the end however, Cole was there to make the big play for the Huskies when they needed it.

Cole scored 29 combined points against the Mountaineers and Bonnies on 11-26 shooting and had six assists. Cole again demonstrated his strength and ability to score in the points in the games as well as his passing. Against the Bonnies (15 points), Cole worked around his struggles behind the arc by getting to the free throw line, hitting 4-6, and also did a very efficient job of running the offense. In both games, Cole played solid defense and had three steals against West Virginia. His ability to get to the line and score late against the Bonnies demonstrated his ability to take over for the Huskies when needed. As the season as gone on, Cole has asserted himself more and more as a team leader, and his communication skills and ability to give teammates confidence were visible in these games. Cole will likely have to shoulder less of the load as Martin and Sanogo return, but no one questions whom the Huskies alpha dog is.

Some Things Change, but UConn’s 3-point Shooting Woes Stay the Same

Entering the season, UConn’s ability to consistently shoot well behind the arc was a big question, and so far the team has failed that test. The team is shooting 35% from three on the season, but against high-quality teams (major conference and A-10 opponents), that rate drops to 28.2%. Since the team shot the lights out from three against Auburn, it has shot 22.7% against teams in that category. UConn shot 3-21 against the Mountaineers and 8-27 against the Bonnies. These struggles can be chalked up to a few factors, with examples being the Huskies just not making open shots, proven marksmen like Polley and Cole underperforming (as well as Hawkins), and the team either rushing or forcing shots instead of being more discerning in their selection. You have to believe that these numbers will come up at least somewhat due to the law of averages. However, UConn will continue to lose some close games (like they did against the Mountaineers) if they don’t improve from behind the arc from game to game.

The Huskies are Ultimately on the Right Track

Before the week began, I was expecting UConn to go 1-1, as I thought it would be difficult for UConn to win against a good team on the road, after not playing an away game with fans for roughly a year and a half. As tough as the loss to West Virginia was, it demonstrated where the team needs to improve to beat good opponents, and the Huskies used those lessons to outplay St. Bonaventure. It seems like there is a lot of momentum around the team and it has confidence, and UConn has at times showed the much-ballyhooed depth people said would be one of the team’s greatest strengths. Tomorrow is going to be a crazy environment at home against a big-time rival in Providence, and UConn is better than the Friars on paper and matches up well with them. With Martin and possibly Sanogo back, a win and good performance by the x-factors could be huge and put the team in good position to start Big East Play with a winning streak.

Examing Takeaways from the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament

Hello all, and welcome to another year of UConn men’s basketball coverage here at Husky Nation! I have had some technical issues with the website recently that prevented me from publishing content, but these have been ironed out and I now should be bringing you regular coverage of this year’s Huskies squad.

It has certainly been an interesting start to the season. UConn started the season with four impressive wins, but all against extremely weak competition. It was presented with its first real tests at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas Thanksgiving week, and fans were treated to three exciting games. The Huskies won a 115-109 shootout against a ranked Auburn squad in double overtime last Wednesday. On Thanksgiving, it coughed up a late lead to Michigan State and fell 64-60 but recovered the next day to win a rock fight in overtime against VCU, 70-63. The two wins earned UConn a third-place finish in the tournament and moved their AP rating up to No. 17. The team moved to 7-1 on Wednesday despite a poor performance against Maryland-Eastern Shore.

I will publish an article after the Huskies game against Grambling on Saturday focusing on their performance without the injured Tyrese Martin, but I first wanted to focus on UConn’s performance in the Bahamas. The tournament showed the best and worst tendencies of UConn, as well as the mental fortitude this squad has. Below, I have a list of the most essential observations I saw during the tournament. I hope you enjoy!

UConn Showed It Won’t Be Out-Toughed

The Huskies were without Isiah Whaley against Michigan State and Martin had to deal with a wrist injury throughout the tournament. They started each game off slow and trailed at the half to both Michigan State and VCU. UConn was ineffective on offense for long stretches against MSU and VCU, two of the best defenses in the country who successfully made these games ugly. And of course, the Huskies had a ton of trouble holding the lead late and handling pressure defense against all three teams, costing them a win against MSU. And yet, it didn’t really matter in the end. UConn overcame fatigue and various weaknesses to play all out in each game. Their hustle and teamwork were outstanding, especially on the defensive end, and their ability to execute on both ends in the winning overtimes was very promising. Throughout Dan Hurley’s tenure, the program has had trouble winning close games and in overtime against high-quality teams. This tournament gave me the confidence that won’t be the case again.

The Senior Stars Showed They’re the Heart and Soul of This Team

The trio of RJ Cole, Tyrese Martin and Isiah Whaley certainly have their weaknesses as individual players. But they are greater than the sum of their parts as a group, and the Huskies certainly would have lost to these tournament opponents if each senior hadn’t played their best individually and as a trio at the most important moments. Cole was UConn’s best offensive player in the tourney and was great against Auburn and VCU, scoring a combined 50 points in 88 minutes with eight assists and four steals. Cole shot 8-18 from three in the wins while going 16-18 from the line. Cole made clutch shots from both beyond the arc and at the rim, and these shots along with his free throws carried UConn to both wins. Cole also did a solid job of managing the offense and played good defense at times throughout the tournament.

If Cole was the team’s most indispensable offensive player, Whaley was their most indispensable defender. The big man was the one Husky who could consistently stop Auburn players at the rim, recording seven rebounds (three offensive) and five blocks in 43 minutes to go along with four assists. Whaley returned against VCU after being forced to miss the game against MCU doing to fainting at the end of the first game and was every bit of effective on defense while also coming up huge on offense. He had four rebounds and two assists and steals and scored 16 points while going 3-3 from behind the arc, including the trey that sent the game to overtime. Whaley’s energy and hustle was infectious for the while team. His ability to affect shots allowed UConn to shut down VCU at the end of regulation and in overtime. I have no doubt that the Huskies would have beaten MSU if Whaley was available.

And now, we come to Martin, the man who has been the team’s best two-way player throughout the season. Despite injuring his elbow against Auburn (a fracture that will now keep him out 2-4 weeks), Martin fought threw it to average 12 points and over nine rebounds in the tournament on 44% shooting. Martin recorded 13 points on 5-9 shooting and eight rebounds against Auburn and had eight rebounds against VCU, and was also outstanding against MSU, earning a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Martin was able to bang with all three teams and overpowered their offense at times and was the most visibly aggressive player on the court. The trio seemed to also be the leaders of the time during timeouts and huddles and helped to make sure younger teammates were composed. With Martin out for a few weeks, Cole and Whaley are going to have to improve their games and take on an even greater leadership role. It will be interesting to see if they are up to the challenge. Ultimately, I think UConn will only go as far as Cole, Whaley and Martin can take them.

An Inability to Handle the Press and Close Out Games Continues to Plague the Program

If you asked dedicated fans coming into the season what they hoped to see from UConn, I’m sure a common hope would be that the Huskies would be more prepared when facing the press and finding ways to break it after this being a huge weakness in 2020-21. Similarly, fans would say that UConn needed to do a better job of adding on to leads late, instead of becoming flustered and making mistakes that put opponents in position to come all the way back. `In both areas, the fans, players and coaches did not get the results they were looking for.

First, UConn seemed lost how to handle the press against Auburn and VCU, which both rely on it heavily. It had difficulty passing over and inbounding against the press and not getting trapped, resulting in multiple costly turnovers, ballhandlers (particularly Cole), being trapped along baseline corners and it taking a long time to set up offensive possessions. It didn’t help teammates failed to move towards ballhandlers to help make it easier to pass and subsequently get down the court. The struggles against the press were key to helping Auburn and VCU force overtime. Hopefully, they were a wake up for UConn and the team will work hard in upcoming practices to refine their approach against the press and Hurley will help his players realize the best strategies towards handling it. Opponents who are capable of running the press effectively will certainly run it against the Huskies until they demonstrate facing it is not a weakness.

Meanwhile, UConn let Auburn come back to force overtime in the first game and MSU to win and had to make a last-second shot to even keep the game going against VCU. In the first two games UConn easily became flustered and showed poor communication and basketball IQ on offense, while doing a poor job of limiting penetration on defense. The Huskies seemed to be playing not to lose in the games and Hurley did not appear to be able to get the team refocused during timeouts. UConn was lucky to get on track in overtimes, but it might not be so lucky in similar games going forward. The team needs to work on end-of-game drills in practice to try and mimic these situations, and come together the next time they are in a game coming down to the wire.

Adama Sanogo is a Mixed Bag

Sanogo was brilliant on offense throughout against Auburn and at times against Michigan State. At the same time, he generally played solid defense and did a strong job of defending the rim. At the same time, his extreme reluctance to pass the ball out slowed down the offense and caused turnover issues. Ultimately however, any college basketball fan watching the tournament unfamiliar with UConn would have immediately realized Sanogo is one of the best big men in the country.

Sanogo had the best game of his young career against Auburn and the best a Huskies big has had in a long time. The sophomore was unstoppable, scoring 30 points in 30 minutes on 12-25 shooting while going 6-7 from the line and recording six rebounds and two blocks. Sanogo showcased his soft touch and abilities to score over each shoulder and bully defenders down low. Sanogo was again strong on offense and especially defense against Michigan State, earning a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds and smacking six blocks. Sanogo was slowed down by foul trouble and an abdominal injury against VCU, but still recorded seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Sanogo was frequently the best player in the tournament and showed he could take over the game at times against quality competition.

And now here comes the negatives. Sanogo almost never attempted to pass the ball back out after getting it in the paint, even if he was unable to get in a quality position. This led him to become a black hole on offense when he wasn’t making shots and allowed all three opponents to double and triple-team Sanogo at will, causing him to be susceptible to turnovers. Sanogo turned it over eight times against Auburn and had 13 overall in the tournament. I recognize Sanogo is still a raw player offensively who is likely uncomfortable passing the ball out, and it doesn’t help that his teammates don’t put themselves in better positions to receive passes. But if Sanogo doesn’t develop his passing game as well as his shooting range, defenses can form clear game plans to stop him and the team’s offense will stall out. I am confident Sanogo can become a more versatile offensive player over the next two months and ultimately the best big in the Big East.

Jordan Hawkins Showed He Can Be UConn’s Next Star on a Big Stage

During the preseason, it was said that Hawkins would have the impact on freshman-year James Bouknight and soon became the next great Huskies guard. Hawkins has only shown flashes of that potential so far, but when he’s been at his best like he was against Auburn he’s thrilling to watch.

Hawkins demonstrated his ability to score from all over the floor against the Tigers, scoring 16 points in 16 minutes. He shot 5-7 overall, making all three treys he took, and went 3-4 from the line. Hawkins displayed a beautiful stroke and the ability to get open without the ball and beat defenders. His performance in the next two games was much more inconsistent. Hawkins scored just six points overall on 2-8 shooting in 28 minutes against Michigan State and VCU, missing good looks and seemingly ignored by teammates at times despite being open, possibly due to doubts they had in Hawkins ability to handle the ball cleanly. He still used his athleticism to make a big difference on defense against MSU however, earning three blocks and two steals. While Hawkins performance was mixed overall in the tournament and his ball handling left something to be desired, it was a net positive overall.

Hawkins will have to become a better ball handler and consistent defender to reach his potential as a freshman. He also needs to manage his emotions better and not constantly wear them on his sleeves (which he did after a costly turnover against Auburn and after being frustrated with not getting the ball more). From everything I’ve seen however, Hawkins should earn more minutes and maybe even a starting spot if he improves and UConn’s guard play remains inconsistent. With Martin out, it’s now Hawkins chance to seize the moment.

Where Are Thou, Akok Akok?

Akok went scoreless in 33 tournament minutes, going 0-5. Akok had nine combined rebounds but just one block (against AU) after two games with three blocks to start off the season. Akok did not match up well with any of the teams, which had bigger and faster frontcourt players. In the limited minutes Akok played, he looked somewhat lost and hesitant on both ends, and rarely showed the speed and athleticism that can make him such an effective rebounder and shot blocker. Against tougher competition, it was clear that Akok is still not the same player he was before his ACL injury, even if he and Hurley claim Akok is fully healthy. Akok remained a non-entity against UMES, recording two points and rebounds in just four minutes. Fans probably need to temper their expectations for Akok, but as he gets back up to game speed, his skills in transition, 3-point shooting and defense in the paint should allow him to have a big impact against the right teams. While Martin is it, Akok will be challenged more and forced to take on a bigger role on both ends. With Akok, it’s all about the right matchups. It is on himself to improve.

UConn’s 3-point shooting is again all over the place

Hurley and the Huskies desperately wanted to strengthen their 3-point shooting and become a more balanced offense this season. At Atlantis, UConn demonstrated how making threes can make its offense way more dynamic. The Huskies, who shot 36.4% over the three games, basically won the game from beyond the arc against Auburn, draining 15-26 treys. Tyler Polley, who I briefly discuss more below, made 6-9 threes. In contrast, they probably lost the game from the perimeter against MSU, going 2-16. The Huskies weren’t very good against VCU either, going 7-24, but Whaley stepped up with three treys, a welcome sight as Whaley is trying to develop his 3-point shooting. And of course, Cole was excellent from beyond the arc the entire tournament, going 10-20 and making clutch threes constantly. While UConn can be a much better team if it could be more efficient from beyond the arc against tough competition, it is nice to see how Cole, Martin and Gaffney have all improved significantly on their 3-point shooting this season.

I just want to speak about Polley for a moment. He arguably won the Auburn game for UConn with his 3-point shooting in overtime, but in the seven other games he has been terrible from three, shooting under 22%. On the year, Polley is shooting 31.7% from there, continuing his downward trend from last season. There is no way Polley can perform at that level and get regular minutes, even if he continues to be more aggressive in attacking the basket. Polley’s distinguishing role on this team is as a 3-point specialist, and despite his “6-9” frame he has never shown the rebounding or defensive skills he should be capable of. Polley will have every opportunity to earn more minutes with Martin out, but he must improve his shooting while also becoming a more complete player to keep them.

When Will UConn be Able to Get Off to Hot Starts?

It doesn’t matter the quality of the opponent or the layoff between games: UConn has not played well at the start of the game against all eight opponents. While the team has overcome this against low-major teams and Auburn, it took them until the second half to get the lead against MSU and they barely led in the VCU game until overtime. I am not sure what the Huskies can do to change their fortunes other than maybe beginning with a different starting lineup or playing more up-tempo to start things off. If UConn continues this habit against good teams however, it will lose a few games it shouldn’t.

Grading Each UConn Player’s 2020-21 Season

This past UConn season was very satisfying, even in despite of the issues COVID-19 and injuries caused the program. The Huskies immediately returned to the Big East and established themselves as one of the conference’s preeminent programs. They earned multiple omemorable wins and were able to recapture the hearts and minds of fans whose interest in the program had wained, as well as new fans. While James Bouknight was a star, a number of players took steps forward and or emerged as fan favorites.

From my perspective, most of the UConn players had solid seasons and a number of Huskies were especially strong on the defensive end. While the squad was definitely flawed, their depth was one of UConn’s greatest strengths. I really enjoyed watching the unique contributions of each player and am excited to see the improvements they make to their games next season.

Below, I have provided grades for each player this season based on their performances as well as other factors such as health and consistency. I have given detailed justifications for each of the grades, which I am sure many fans would disagree with. As always, my opinion is right.

R.J. Cole: B

Coming from a low major program (Howard) where he was a huge star and off a redshirt year, it was hard going into the season how successful Cole could be at the Big East level. While he got off to a shaky start and was inconsistent all year, Cole improved tremendously the second half of the season and proved he can be a quality starting point guard for UConn.

Cole averaged 12.2 points, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals while starting 21 games. In Big East play, he jumped up to 12.9 points per game while shooting 39% and averaged 4.4 assists. Cole developed into the team’s biggest 3-point threat, shooting 38.6% from deep on 4.3 attempts per game. Cole scored in double figures in 12 straight games starting with the win against DePaul on January 11th. After tough losses to Seton Hall and Providence the second week of January, Cole had a season-high 24 points and 7 assists and shot 5-7 from three in the huge win over Xaivier. For the remainder of the season, Cole averaged 12 points and 4.4 assists in nine games while improving his shooting. In addition to the Xavier win, Cole had standout games against Central (17 points, 7 assists and 4 steals), St. John’S (18 points on 4-7 shooting from three and 5 assists), Georgetown (17 points, 7 assists and 6 steals), Marquette (21 points on 9-14 shooting), and DePaul (14 points and 8 assists).

Cole’s most consistent strength was managing the offense. He is a strong ball handler and is able to consistently find teammates with quality passes. While his assist totals don’t stand out a huge amount, they could have been significantly hire if teammates didn’t struggle so much at finishing shots. Cole also does a very good job of avoiding turnovers. He committed just 1.7 per game and had a 2.52 assist-to-turnover ratio. His assist rate of 26.0 ranked seventh during Big East play. Cole was especially good at running an up-tempo offense.

Cole is a very streaky shooter, which is reflected in his season field goal percentage of .387. In the second half of the season, Cole changed his offensive approach to focus more on his midrange game and taking shots from behind the arc, which allowed him to avoid matching up against bigger defenders in the paint, where Cole significantly truggled to score. He became much more effective with this approach, especially from three, and his shooting numbers inproved across the board. Cole ended the season with effective field goal and true shooting percentages of 46.9% and 51.2%.

On defense, Cole is a mixed bag. He defends the passing lanes well and can force steals and poor passes (he had four or more steals in four games). Cole struggles to defend bigger guards in the paint due to his lack of size and speed. Ultimately, he finished the season with a defensive rating of 101.9, which is slightly below average.

By the end of the season, Cole had established himself as a quality guard despite his flaws. If he can take more effective shots next season and continue to improve on defense, he will likely be one of the best point guards in the Big East. The arrival of star recruit Jordan Hawkins will motivate Cole to improve.

Tyrese Martin: B

If I had done this article at midseason, I would have probably graded Martin slightly higher. However, his offensive contribution fell off significantly when Bouknight returned, although he continued to be a force on the boards. Still, Martin had a very impressive season for a player moving from a mid-major to a ower conference while dealing with the complications of COVID-19.

Martin averaged 10.3 points and 7.5 rebounds (3 offensive) while shooting .440. In conference play, he averaged 11.3 and 7.5 while shooting .474. Martin started every game but one. He had a very strong January, scoring in double-digits in every game but one while averaging 13 points and just under five rebounds. Martin ultimately had 13 double-digit scoring games and had 10 or more rebounds in six games. Standout games for Martin included 11 points and 7 rebounds against USC, 14 points, 6 rebounds and 6 steals against St. John’s, 15 and 9 against Xavier, and 9 and 11 against Villanova. Martin owned the trilogy of DePaul, Butler and Providence. He averaged 18 points and 8 rebounds against the Blue Deamons in three games, 17.5 and 6.5 against the Bulldogs, and 15.5 and 8 against the Friards, helping UConn go 6-1 in these games.

Martin’s biggest consistent strength was his rebounding. He had five or more rebounds in every game but one, and was especially strong on the offensive boards, grabbing four or more in eight games. Martin’s offensive rebounding percentage of 10.3% ranked fourth in the Big East, and his defensive rebounding percentage of 16.2% was 17th. Martin was especially skilled at beating players to loose rebounds and jumping over defenders to snag boards.

Martin had a solid season offensively. He was able to score from anywhere on the floor and especially inside and frequently scored points in bunches. Martin is also a solid ball handler and passer. His effective field goal and true shooting percentages were .482 and .51.1, and Martin ranked 14th and 18th in Big East play in these categories. He was 15th offensive rating at 110.7. However, Martin was the biggest offender on the team in missing quality scoring opportunities at the rim. He consistently left layups short or banked them too hard off the backboard, and had similar issues on putback attempts. He will have to work on his shooting technique in the offseason to get these percentages up to an acceptable level. Following Bouknight’s return, he regularly got lost on offense and struggled shooting, scoring in double figures just twice in the last eight games. This culminated with him going 1-10 and scoring just 2 points against Maryland in the season-ending loss.

Martin was also solid on defense throughout the season. While he had some difficulty with hedging and could occaisonally lose players, he was ultimately a strong one-one one defender and a threat to steal the ball (he had five games with multiple steals). Martin finished with a defensive rating of 97.2.

I immediately fell in love with Martin and his high-energy, hard-nosed style of play. He is a joy to watch on the boards, and I believe he could be even better there next year. Although Maritn may not have as many scoring opportunities as a senior with the arrival of a talented group of freshman, I am confident he will work this offseason to become a more efficient offensive player. There is a good chance that Martin can be the Huskies best all-around player next season.

Isiah Whaley: B

After his emergence in the second half of the 2019-20 season, Whaley continued to be a force for the Huskies, especially on the defensive end. He was recognized for his performance by being named the Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

Whaley averaged eight points and 6.2 rebounds per game (2.5 offensive), adding 2.6 blocks for good measure. Whaley was 20th in the country in block percentage (10.5) and second in the conference at 10.6. He started all 23 games. Whaley scored in double-dights nine times and reached double-dights in rebounds four times, earning four double-doubles. He had multiple blocks in 15 games and blocked five or more shots four times. Standout performances for Whaley included 10 points and rebounds, four assists and five blocks against Hartford, 15 points and 13 rebounds against Marqueete, 12 pwoints, 10 rebounds, four assists and five blocks against Xavier, and a season-high 17 points and 10 rebounds against Seton Hall. In the three games against Creighton, Whaley averaged 10 points and 6.3 rebounds.

UConn should be very happy that Whaley is returning, as he can continue to be the anchor of their defense. He was elite on that end this past season. Whaley can shot down bigs inside by altering and blocking shots and forcing poor passes and steals, while also effectively guarding players out on the peremiter. While I have pretty mixed feelings about the defense’s heavily reliance on hedging, there’s no doubt that Whaley is the key when it does work. In addition to the aforementioned blocking statistics, he also stole the ball on 2.2% of possesions, ranking 19th in the Big East in this category according to KenPom. On the boards, Whaley grabbed 8.5% of offensive rebounding opportunities and 16% of defensive rebounding opportunities in conference play, ranking 10th and 18th. He is very skilled at blocking out defenders and getting to the team’s missed shots on rebound opportunities.

Whaley’s offensive performance was more mixed. At his best, Whaley can overpower defenders inside and get a ton of putbacks. He also showed a promising ability to hit midrange jumpers and threes this year, even making treys at a .348 click in 23 attempts. However, there’s no excuse for Whaley’s inconsistency with making shots at the rim. Like many of his teammates, He consistently missed easy scoring opportunities and putbacks, dragging down his offensive numbers. Whaley made only shot .479, nearly down .06 from his junior season, and his true shooting and effective field goal percentages dropped at similar rates. Whaley also struggled heavily at the free throw line, shooting just .479. Whaley’s numbers were also hurt regularly by foul trouble, as he averaged 2.9 fouls per game and fouled out of five games.

Having Whaley back for a fifth year will be huge for the Huskies. He will provide leadership, excellent defense and rebounding, and another offensive threat in the post alongside Sanogo. If Whaley can be more consistent on offense next year and continue to make more shots on the peremiter, along with doing a better job of avoiding foul trouble, he could see his numbers increase significantly and put himself in position for a pro career.

Adama Sanogo-B+

Sanogo would be my pick for the best UConn freshman big man since Andre Drummond. His stats s do not illustrate how impactful he was for the Huskies, particularly on the offensive end. Sanogo quickly developed on offense, and as he got more playing time he displayed a variety of movesand the ability to bully defenders. At the same time, he also demonstrated he can be a vert effectuve defender and shot blocker.

Sanogo averaged 7.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in just 17 minutes of play. The center shot 55.4% from the field. In conference play, he grabed 5.2 rebounds and recorded 1.1 blocks per game. Sanogo began to emerge as a force starting with the loss to St. John’s on January 18th, when he scored in double figures for the first time with 12 points and recorded four rebounds and two assists in just 17 minutes of play. Over the remainder of the regular season, Sanogo averaged 9.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and more than a block per game in 15 contests. They scored in double-digits in seven games.

Besides the game against St. John’s, other standout efforts for Sanogo included 13 points and 5 rebounds in the second loss to Creighton, 12 in the first loss to Seton Hall, nine points, eight rebounds and five blocksin thewas first loss against Providence, 16 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in the win against Seton Hall, 14 points against DePaul, and 13 blocks and five rebounds in the Big East tourney game against Creighton. In the two wins against Georgetown, Sanogo averaged nine points,eight rebounds and 1.5 blocks. In the second win, he had his only double-double of the season.

While Sanogo’s range may have been limited, he became highly efficient as a shooter as the season progressed. He made a majority of shots in nearly every Big East game, and had effective field goal and true shooting percentages of 55.4 and 56.8 for the season. Sanogo’s field 55% field goal percentage ranked 14th in Big East play according to KenPom. Sanogo became adapt at backing down defenders and shooting over them, and also developed an excellent drop step move. While he rarely showed it, Sanogo was also able to step out and make short jumpers by the end of the season. He was probably the best finisher on the Huskies.

Sanogo is also an adept rebounder and his rate rebounding rates were outstanding. His defensive rebounding percentage of 25.5% ranked first in the Big East according to KenPom, and his offensive rebounding rate of 8.9% was seventh. Sanogo grabbed 1.4 offensive boards per game on the season. He did an excellent job of reading rebounds off the rim and outmusclingplayers to the ball as well as finishing off rebounds. Per 40 minutes of play, he grabbed 11.2 rebounds. Samogo is already a skilled shot blocker and his block percentage of 6.8 was third in the conference. He had multiple blocks in five contests.

In addition to his shot blocking, Sanogo developed into a solid overall defender over the course of the season, and finished with a defensive rating of 93.9. However, his biggest flaw as a player was his struggles with foul trouble. Sanogo averaged 2.8 fouls per game in less than 20 minutes, and finished with at least four fouls in seven games. These struggles consistently forced him to the bench during key minutes and was a huge factor in a couple of losses. Sanogo had a tendency to get called for touch fouls and be overly physical when unnecessary, leading to fouls. He will need to learn to be a more disciplined defender to step forward next season. Sanogo will also need to expand his shooting range to take a step forward on offense.

Sanogo is very exciting to watch. He is an extremely skilled offensive player and a huge force on defense. UConn reached its full potential as a team when it began to use Sanogo more, and he was hugely responsible for the team’s run at the end of the regular season. If he can work this offseason to evolve on both sides of the ball, Sanogo can be one of the elite big men in the Big East next season.

Tyler Polley: B-

This rating may seem too low for the now fifth-year senior, who was named the Big East Sixth Player of the Year. However, it is a reflection of Polley’s limitations as a player and his inconsistency from behind the arc. Polley averaged 7.5 points per game and shot 35.2% from behind the arc. In conference play, he shot 36.9% from three. None of Polley’s other stats stood out, and he grabbed just two rebound per game despite his” 6-9″ frame. He averaged two fewer points than in his injury-shortened junior season, when he shot just over 40% from behind the arc. Thanks to his 3-point shooting, Polley’s offensive rating in conference play was 118.5, sixth in the Big East according to KenPom.

Polley’s signature moment of the season was his three-game stretch from January 5th-11th following the injury of Bouknight. Against Marquette, Butler and DePaul, Polley averaged 18 points and shot 13-24 from three, with a high of 23 points against Marqueete on 5-8 shooting from behind the arc. That week’s performance earned Polley the Big East Player of the Week award. Besides these three games, Polley had double-digit scoring games against Xavier and Georgetown (10 and 11 points) as well as in the season opener against Central, where he scored 14. Polley also had strong games against Marquette, Providence and DePaul, scoring nine points in each.

Polley was extremely important for UConn during the season as their biggest 3-point threat. He provided reliable 3-point shooting to a team that was starved for it, and his ability to stretch the floor attracted attention and made it easier for teammates to score in the midrange and especially inside. And Polley’s great stretch of games right after Bouknight’sinjury helped keep the Huskies on track and confident. Despite this, I think Polley’s in consistency from three hindered the team at times. He had a tendency to go cold for long stretches, making things much more difficult on the offense. After the aforementioned stretch of games, Polley did not hit more that three tries in a game the remainder of the season, and only reached this mark twice. He fell into a habit of taking a lot of off-balance threes instead of pump-faking or passing the ball, and his teammates did a poor job at times of getting him opportunities off the catch. Ultimately, Polley’s 3-point shooting percntage dropped nearly five points from his junior year mark. Polley rarely attempted shots inside the arc and either did not make or attempt a 2-pointer in 10 games. Polley was the best free throw shooter on the team at 90.5% but rately put himself in position to get to the line, earning less than two opportunities per game.

While you can find faults in Polley’s offense, the big issue I have with him is his lack of versatility. I don’t expect Polley to do a huge amount of rebounding considering he is almost always playing on the peremiter, but there is still no excuse for a “6-9” guy to only be grabbing two rebounds per game. The coaches need to work with Polley in the offseason to improve his ability to read rebounding opportunities. Polley rarely attemps to create scorig opportunities for teammates. He is also going to have to work hard to improve on defense and in guarding the peremiter in the offseason, as he had the worst defensive rating of any player in the regular rotation (105.1). Polley is always going to get significant minutes next year because of his prowess from the peremiter, but he has to find a way to contribute when his shots aren’t falling.

Polley’s struggles last year needs to be viewed in context, as he missed a large portion of his junior season to an Achilles injury and then could not follow a normal recovery schedule due to COVID-19. Polley frequently appeared less mobile last season than he was before the injury, and this would have limited his ability to get open and play defense. If he is at full strength next year, I expect his statistics to be at or surpas what they were in the past, especially from three.

Polley’s decision to come back for a fifth year at UConn was a pleasant surprise. I am glad he will get a full season to show what he can do when healthy. If he can work to make his game more well-rounded this offseason, he can have a great final year at Storrs and put himself in position to have good opportunities to play professionally. Along with Whaley, he will be able to be a great leader for the freshman and other underclassmen to follow.

Jalen Gaffney B-

If I were doing this grades at midseason, Gaffney’s would definitely be lower. All credit to the sophomore guard, however. Gaffney took a step forward in February and January to become a more efficient offensive player and shooter, particularly from the peremiter. In a disappointing NCAA tournament loss, Gaffney was arguably UConn’s best player.

Gaffney finished the season averaging 6.1 points per game on 41% shooting and 36.2% from three, and 1.5 assists. In the final 12 games of the season, Gaffney scored 6.6 points per game on 44.8% shooting, and had three of his four double-digit scoring games. Gaffney’s best performances came against Hartford (15 points, two steals and two blocks), the first game against Seton Hall (a season-high 2o points on 5-11 shooting and two steals), the second game against Georgetown (15 points on 6-6 shooting) and the season-ending loss to Maryland (12 points on 4-6 shooting and three steals).

Gaffney definitely looked like a different player at times towards the end of the season. While he did not attack the basket as much as he should have, he showed the ability to consistently score inside when he did. With his size and athleticism, Gaffney is more effective at attacking the basket than Cole. Gaffney also improved his midrange shooting over the course of the season, and emerged as the third best 3-point shooter on the term behind Cole and Polley (he actually shot at a slightly higher percentage than Polley). Ultimately, Gaffney significantly improved his effective field goal and true shooting percentages from freshman year to 55.4% and 49%, respectively. Gaffney also improved his ball-handling and lowered his turnover percentage on possessions to 17.6%. His free throw percentage of 82.2% was the best on the term among players with more than 40 attempts.

While Gaffney made significant strides on the offensive end, his defense still leaves a lot to be desired. While he can rack up steals, Gaffney can struggle with staying in front of his man and playing help defense, and is pretty susceptible to reach-in fouls and foul trouble. Gaffney’s defensive rating was below average at 101.2, which was actually slightly lower than his freshman year rating. If he wants to establish himself as a starter next year, Gaffney will need to significantly improve on the defensive end. On offense, he needs to become a more consistent shooter. More than anything else, however, Gaffney will need to play more aggressively on offense next season and attack the basket more frequently, as well as improve at creating scoring opportunities for teammates. Too much of the time, Gaffney just gives the ball up to a teammate immediately and shys away from making something happen. He needs to realize that his offensive strengths are different from Cole’s and that the two will be a much more effective duo when Gaffney upps his aggresiveness.

I am probably looking forward to watching Gaffney next season more than any other play. I am eager to see what improvements he made during the offseason, and if a lightbulb as gone off and he plays with a more aggressive mentality. I think Gaffney has more too lose next season than anyone. If his defense has improved and he is scoring more and more effectively, than he can be a huge part of the Huskies success. If Gaffney continues to play hesitant and his defense is shaky, however, than he will likely not start and UConn will proably struggle.

Aandre Jackson: B

I struggled with the decision to give Jackson a grade due to missing seven games to injury and playing five minutes or less in three of his first four career games, but I ultimately decided that Jackson played enough games (16 with an average of 16.1 minutes) to qualify. The freshman shooting guard rebounded from breaking a bone in his left wrist in practice following the Creighton game on December 20th and missing seven games to became a central member of the UConn rotation. Jackson averaged 2.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists, and had a steal in seven games, and played very strong defense at times.

While Jackson never scored in double digits, he had five games of five points or more, and had multiple assists in eight games. Standout performances for Jackson included his return in the first game against Seton Hall (seven points and four rebounds), the second win against Marquette (eight points,eight rebounds and two assists) and the Big East Tourney win against DePaul (6, three rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes).

While Jackson’s total resume for the season may be less than the sum of its parts, those parts were very impressive at times. In particular, Jackson’s passing and defense stood out in many games. He consistently showed great court vision when finding open teammates and unselfishness when handling the ball and regularly made spectacular passes in the backcourt. Jackson’s assist numbers would have been significantly higher if his teammates had done a better job finishing at the rim. On defense, Jackson used his “6-9” wingspan to pressure opposing guards and make it difficult for them to get the ball to teammates on the perimeter and in the paint, and was able to force turnovers. He has the potential to be UConn’s best backcourt defender next year if he can become more disciplined. While Jackson is highly limited on offense (see more below), he can score effectively at the rim and is a great dunker.

Like almost all freshman to some extent, Jackson is still a pretty flawed player despite his tremendous athleticism, especially on offense. Jackson rarely showed the ability to hit a shot outside of 10 feet and was horrendous from three, going 2-17 and failing to hit one in the last nine games. While the freshman may have shot over 63% inside the arc, most of the 2-pointers he made were right at the rim. Both Jackson’s shot selection and mechanics were poor. As great of a passer Jackson could be, he was not a disciplined ball handler and had multiple turnovers in five games. On defense, he struggled heavily with foul trouble and was especially susceptible to silly touch and reach-in fouls that kept him off the court at crucual times. Jackson committed three or more fouls in 10 games.

With his passing, defense and memorable dunks, Jackson is already one of the most enjoyable players to watch on the Huskies. He showed so much potential as a freshman, and I give him a lot of credit for overcoming the difficulties of COVID-19 and injuries to become a valuable member of the backcourt. Jackson definitely has a long way to go to becoming a servicible offensive player, but I am confident he will be able to tighten up his jumpshot this offseason so that he can become an effective shooter next year. If Jackson does that and can be a more disciplined defender as a sophomore, he can join Cole as a lead guard for the Huskies.

With the emergence of Adama Sanogo, Carlton settled into a firm backup role in his final season at UConn. Cartlon started just one game and averaged only 11.3 minutes per game a year after starting every game and averaging over 20 minutes per game. Carlton largely responded well to his new role, averaging 3.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game and providing valuable veteran leadership. The senior center scored five points or more five times and had six games with five rebounds or more, including two in double-digits. Signature games for Carlton included the Huskies huge win against USC (nine points and 11 rebounds), his lone double-double against DePaul (11 points and 10 rebounds), the win over Providence (seven points, seven rebounds and two blocks), and in the regular season finale against Georgetown (seven points and rebounds).

Carlton was most valuable to UConn as a rebounder and defender. He was consistently strong on the boards and especially as an offensive rebounder, averaging 1.6 per game. Carlton, who is excellent at boxing out, grabbed at least one rebound in every game that he played more than three minutes except for one. He grabbed rebounds on 18.4% of the possessions he played, a career high. On defense, Carlton overcome occasional foul trouble to regularly provide rim protection and shot blocking. He earned blocks on 4.2% of the possessions he played.

On offense, Carlton was inconsistent but largely more effective than as a junior despite his limited opportunities. He underperformed at scoring around the rim and finishing shots and shot only 48.2%. However, Carlton improved his assist rate and ball handling, and went scoreless in just four games. His offensive rating on KenPom went up seven points from his junior year to 99.6.

Carlton definitely ended his four years at UConn on a high note. After a disappointing junior year, he bounced back on both ends and provided a steady presence as a backup. Carlton came up big in the most important games, particularly against USC and at Providence, but he made a big impact whenever he played significant minutes. He also did a great job mentoring Sanogo. In the bigger picture, Carlton had an impressive career at UConn. Along with Whaley and Polley, he was a key figure in the program’s turnaround during Hurley’s tenure, and always represented the program well. I am sure Carlton will continue to play well as a fifth-year senior at Houston, and I wish him the best of luck.

Brendan Adams :C+

It was up-and down season for the junior guard in his final year at UConn. On one hand, Adams stepped in to provide much-needed experience and stability on offense as a starter when Bouknight was injured, and had a few strong games. On the other hand, Adams struggled heavily on offense at times against the tougher competition the Big East offered. It was not surprising that he decided to move on to George Washington as a grad transfer, as it was basically guranteed he would lose minutes next season.

Adams played 16 games, starting 6, and averaged just over 20 minutes. He scored 4.5 points per game, nearly three points lower than the previous season, and 1.5 assists. He had strong games against Central Connecticut in the season opener (15 points, his only double-digit scoring game of the season, and three assists), the first wins against DePaul (eight points( and Butler (nine points, three assists and two steals), St. John’s (seven points, three rebounds, and three assists)) and the second game against Creighton (six points and season-high nine rebounds). Adams had eight games with multiple assists while committing multiple turnovers in just five contests. He had assists on 12.7% of the possessions he played, a career high.

Adams was thrust into a big role when Bouknight went down with his injury against Marqueete on January 5th. Over the next three weeks, Adams played over 25 minutes in the next five games, starting all of them While he struggled heavily with shooting the ball over this stretch, Adams was a reliable third ball handler alongside Cole and Gaffney and was strong in the role. He had 12 assists to just six turnovers during these games, and added six steals. Adams also provided solid defense at times. Even after his role diminished greatly with the return of Bouknight, Adams continued to handle the ball well.

The biggest knock against Adams throughout the season was his shooting. While Adams was never a particularly good shooter in his first two seasons, his numbers plummeted as a junior. Adams shot just under 30% from the field and 31% inside the arc. In coference play, he shot 26.7%. Adams clearly struggled to make shots against the stronger and quicker guards in conference, and his shot selection wasn’t great. In addition, his defense continued to be inconsistent and he finished with a defensive rating of 102.1.

Adams had a mediocre season, but he was still huge for the Huskies as a role player and stepped up in a big way when he was asked to play more. In addition, he continued to be an important team leader, especially for the less experienced guards. As the first player to commit to Hurley when he came to UConn, Adams helped attract others to Storrs, and it was clear how much Hurley appreciated him as a player and person. I’m also really impressed that he managed to get his degree in three years. I am sure he can thrive in a bigger role and at a lower level at GW. Thanks for everything you did for UConn, Brendan.

Akok Akok: Incomplete

In the end, it seems like our expectations for Akok coming into the season were too high. He did not return until January 9th from his Achilles injury, and only played seven games before being shut down after the Marquette win on February 27th. Akok played just 29 minutes and had only nine points and three rebounds, with seven of the points coming against Xavier. He injured his shin soon after coming back, and Akok did not show the same athleticism, mobility and energy he played with last year. The sophomore was especially limited on defense and the boards, as he blocked just one shot. Hurley was pretty upfront about Akok not being able to contribute consistently due to these factors and Covid-19 interfering with his recovery schedule.

After a lost season, I am really curious to see how effective Akok can be next season. If he is fully recovered, Akok should provide UConn more quality defense in the paint and a second shot blocker to go with Whaley. On offense, Akok could help the Huskies stretch the floor with his shooting, while still scoring realibiliy inside. Akok will definitely be UConn’s biggest “addition” for next season.

Richie Springs: Incomplete

The redshirt freshman barely got on the floor this season, appearing in just five games and for a total of 13 minutes. Springs scored three points against DePaul in two games and against Georgetown. The coverage of Springs in the preseason most significantly focused upon his reebounding ability and that was apparent, as he grabbed five rebounds.

I hoped that Spring would get an opportunity to play a handful of minutes here and there with bigs either injured or in foul trouble, but it is clear that Dan Hurley did not think Springs was ready to play meaningful minutes. It was also hard to get him in games when the Huskies were rarely involved in any blowouts. I just hope that Springs works hard this offseason to improve his defense and shooting so that he will be in position to play next season.

Thanking James Bouknight: A look back at one of the most impactful players in UConn history

James Bouknight’s UConn career got off to a rocky start. While the guard was a huge recruit for the program and Dan Hurley, he still was not ranked as high as his talent level (four stars and 53rd-ranked player in the class of 2019 according to MaxPreps) due to injury issues in high school. Bouknight then was suspended for the first three games of his freshman season due to alledgelly fleeing a car crash. These incidents and issues caused fans to have significant questions about Bouknight’s abilities and character. Personally, I was worried Bouknight would be another freshman with great athletic abilities who played very inconsistently, despite Hurley’s statements that he expected Bouknight to be good enough to only play two years in Storrs before being drafted by the NBA.

From the first moment he stepped on the court as a freshman, Bouknight showed he belonged. He scored a combined 40 points in his first three games at the Charleston Classic, including 19 against a strong Xavier squad, and also had 14 in a nonconference win against New Hampshire. As American Athletic Conference play went along, Bouknight really came into his own. He scored in double figures in 12 straight games starting on January 16th, and led the Huskies to a five-game winning streak to end the season. Bouknight was able to use his athleticism and speed to become an effective scorer, and became a more efficient shooter and rebounder and began to take over games the deeper he got into his freshman year. Signature performances for Bouknight came in big wins against Tulsa (22 points on 4-5 shooting from three), Cincinatti (23 points) and Houston (17 points and 7 rebounds). He ultimately averaged 13 points and 4.1 rebounds with an effective field goal percentage of 50.7%, and averaged 15.3 points in conference. Bouknight’s 109.5 offensive rating in conference play was 10th in the entire AAC.

After ending the 2020 regular season on such a high note, expectations were sky-high for Bouknight as a sophomore and he was preseason second-team All Big East. He immediately set about exceeeding them. Bouknight averaged over 23 points in the first five games, including scoring 40 against Creighton, while also rebounding well , creating quality scoring opportunities for teammates, and playing solid defense. He shot well and scored effortlessly both at the rim and on the perimeter.

Entering the first game against Marquette, Bouknight was one of the hottest players in the country and looked like he had the chance to be the best player in the Big East. This was why it was so heartbreaking to see him injure his elbow against the Golden Eagles and miss the next eight games, during which the team went 4-4. UConn’s offense was extremely inconsistent without Bouknight, and none of his teammates could create their own shot at anywhere near the same level. At the same time, it was also heartbreaking that Bouknight never played at the same level when he returned.

With Bouknight’s return on February 16th against Providence, the Huskies turned a corner and played much better through the remainder of the regular season and the conference tournament quarterfinal win against DePaul, going 6-1 during the stretch. The offense was much more efficient and played at a faster pace, and Bouknight’s presence and playmaking ability helped R.J. Cole become a much bigger offensive threat. While Bouknight was just as dangerous of an offensive player as ever and scored 20 or more points against Villanova, Marquette and Georgetown twice, his efficiency and stamina never returned to the same level it was at pre-injury. Bouknight was especially inconsistent from behind the arc and in handling the ball and struggled with turnovers. In addition, the cramping that forced him out of the quarterfinal win against DePaul foreshadowed the ugly ending to Bouknight’s career.

As great and important as Bouknight’s career at UConn was, his play in the team’s losses to Creighton and Maryland to end the season caused a small number of fans to cast Bouknight as not living up to his full potential and or not “tough enough”, which I feel is extremely false. Yes, his offensive stats in the losses (29 combined points on 10-30 shooting and seven turnovers) were not good enough for the Huskies to win, and Bouknight fell into a trap of playing “hero ball”in both games. Your best player has to show up in the most important games, and he didn’t rise to the occasion. However, Bouknight got very little help from his teammates, and it was hard for Bouknight to be effective when he was constantly double and triple-teamed by the Bluejays and Terrapins and the offense became bogged down. Combine these factors with the issues Bouknight had with stamina after returning and the after effects of the cramping against the Bluejays, and his struggles can largely be foregiven. UConn’s biggest weaknesses were exposed in the contests, and there was only so much Bouknight could do to try and get the team on track. From what I saw, his effort level was always impressive in tournament play. If anything, Bouknight was trying so hard that he did not play within himself against DePaul and Creighton.

For the season, Bouknight scored 18.7 points per game and averaged 5.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals while playing 15 of the Huskies 23 games. The sophomore averaged 20.7 points in conference play. Bouknight had an effective field goal % of 49.8% and a true shooting percentage of 54.6%, and was ninth in the conference in free throw percentage (8o.4%) and fifteenth in 2-point shooting percentage (54.9%). His body of work added up to a spot on the All- Big East first team. After Bouknight had such a great season despite a serious elbow injury, he should have been recognized as one of the best sophomores in recent UConn history. However, a surprising number of fans did not appreciate how important Bouknight’s season and career could be for the Husky program going forward.

UConn had other standout players in recent seasons before Bouknight’s arrival, with the most prominent examples being Jalen Adams, Daniel Hamilton and Christian Vital. However, Bouknight was the program’s best player since Shabazz Napier. He is a dynamic offensive player and a stronger all-around player than he is given credit for. Bouknight’s game could translate very well to the NBA, where he will be able to play in offenses that are much more wide open and not be forced to carry so much of his teams’ scoring load. At the same time, he will heavily benefit from being part of an organization’s strength and conditioning program, as Bouknight needs to improve in this area to reach his full potential. Bouknight certainly will need to improve in other areas as well, with his perimeter shooting, defense and ability to play for contact coming immediately to mind. But NBA coaches and general managers certaintly feel like he can quickly become an impact player, as mock drafts currently have him as a lottery pick or being drafted just outside the lottery. Bouknight would be the first lottery pick from UConn since Andre Drummond in 2012.

Bouknight left fans with so many memorable moments in less than two full years of play (his performances at the Charleston Classic and against Cincinatti, Tulsa and Houston as a freshman, his games against USC and Creighton early this past season, his first few games back from injury in February) and deserves to be appreciated more by UConn fans. No, he did not lead the Huskies to tournament success, and did not take on a clear leadership role as a sophomore. However, he helped the program get back on the right track and emerged as a star, something the program desperately needed. Having Bouknight drafted high and hopefully find success in the NBA will make it easier for UConn to attract talented recruits who want to not only match his accomplishments in Storrs, but exceed them. This, in turn would allow the Huskies to have more regular season and tournament success in the future. Bouknight represented the program well, and his full impact on it will not be known for a few more years. It was an honor to watch you, James.

Previewing the First-Round NCAA Tournament Game Against Maryland: Five things to watch for

Five long years after UConn was in the NCAA tournament, the program is finally back where it belongs. In year three of Dan Hurley’s rebuild, he has the 15-8 Huskies competing in March Madness. This is despite a crazy regular season that featured significant injury issues and multiple COVID-19 pauses and cancelled games. Led by James Bouknight, UConn is No. 7 in the East region and will play No. 10 Maryland (16-13) out of the Big 10. Even after losing to Creighton in the semifinals of the Big East tournament, the Huskeies are a trendy Final Four pick largely because of going 11-3 this season with Bouknight. As we now however, they are defined by much more than just one player.

UConn and Maryland is definitely a fascinating matchup and will likely be a close game throughout. While both teams play at a very slow pace, on offense they are otherwise very different. The Terrapins are extremely guard-oriented (four of their five leading scorers are guards and they regularly play five-out), while the Huskies are led by a singular scorer and frequently score many of their points in the paint. In addition, Maryland rarely puts any effort into offensive rebounding and is one of the worst offensive rebounding teams in the country, while UConn is one of the best. Both teams are high-quality defensive squads, with the Huskies defense ranked 24th in KenPom and the Terrapins 27th. Both teams have players who won Defensive Player of the Year in their conferences (Isiah Whaley and Darryl Morsell, who will primarily guard Bouknight). All signs point to the contest being a slow paced and bare-knuckle affair. Y

Can Bouknight score effectively against Morsell?

Did I just say the Huskies were more than one player? Is this the most juicy matchup of the game? Yes. Morsell, a “6-5” senior guard, had a defensive ratting of 99.2 and 1.3 defensive win shares this seazon. He fits the mold of the long, physical guards whfo have given Bouknight trouble this season, with examples being Marquette’s Koby McEwan and Damian Jefferson of Creighton. Bouknight must concentrate on not forcing shots and scoring within the flow of the offense, likely on jump shots. At the same time, he needs to be able to share the ball with his teammates when he is pressured, which he did a poor job of doing last game (granted, no one else was making shots for much of the game).

In UConn’s rcent losses with Bouknight, he has shown a tendancy og getting easily frustrated and losing concentration when defenders are heavily physical with him. This has led to a pattern of costly misses and turnovers. Bouknight cannot do this against Morsell. If he is struggling and or the Huskies are losing, their best player still needs to keep his cool and be a leader on the floor.

How well can UConn rebound on the offensive end, and can they take advantage of their opportunities?

This game is tailor-made for the Huskies to have a huge advantage on the boards. They are sixth in the country in offensive rebounding percentage at 36.8%, while Maryland is solid but unspectacular on the defensive boards. In contrast its percentage is 20.9%, 327th in the country. The Terrapins make a conscious effort to get back on defense after taking shots to allow them to shut down transition opportunities for opponents, a strategy that has worked more often than not.

UConn has a golden opportunity to bounce back from its poor performance on the boards against Creighton. If it can limit to Maryland to one shot per possession and regularly get second-chance opportunities on the other end, then the Huskies will be in very good shape to win. The one catch is that they regularly struggle to score at the rim, even on bunnies and putback opportunities. If that happens, this will be a very frustrating night.

Can UConn outperform Maryland from behind the arc?

The Terrapins are not a great 3-point shooting team, but they are a strong one and consistently emphasize scoring from beyond arc and on the peremiter in general. In Big-10 play, they took the highest percentage of threes for any team at 37.4%, and shot 34.6%, good for fifth in the league. Donta Scott, a forward, shoots 43.7% from three on the season, and leading scorer Eric Ayala (14.9 points per game) shoots 33.5%. Meanwhile, UConn was an average 3-point shooting team this season but is extremely inconsistent. Bouknight has shot just 30.3% from three since returning, and Tyrese Martin has made only one in the last six games. In addition, Tyler Polley has gone just 6-19 from behind the arc in the last three games.

The Huskies defend the three very well, limiting opponents to 31.6% from behind the arc. Maryland can make it difficult for them though, as their guards are bigger than UConn’s. If the Huskies regularly use the hard hedge on defense, will Adama Sanogo and Whaley be forced to defend the Terrapins guards from deep? Will R.J. Cole be able to effectively defend on thepereimeter if needed despite a height difference? On the other end, Maryland does not defend the three particularly well. Can Polley, Cole and others hit a few threes to get momentum and open up the offense, especially early? It will be fascinating to see how things play out.

How effective can Cole be?

Cole was cleared two days ago to play after being in concusion protocol for a few days. When he came out against Creighton with less than five minutes ago due to falling onto the floor and getting cut, a five-point quickly slipped away and UConn ultimately lost 11-3. Cole has been great in the last eight games, averaging 15 points, 5.1 assists and 1.3 steals, and the team will need him to be at full strength and run the offense efficiently. At the same time, the junior will need to overcome his lack of size to have a strong defensive game. If Cole is rusty and ineffective, the Huskies have little chance of winning.

Can multiple players have good games?

I’ve already discussed the need for Bouknight and Cole to play well, but they will need others to step up. In particular, Sanogo, Martin and Polley need to provide support on both ends. Sanogo has to find a way to avoid foul trouble so he can provide help on the boards and in guarding the rim, while continuing to play well on offense. This would be the perfect game for Martin to snap out of his offensive funk and hopefully be a third reliable scoring option. Finally, Polley making a few threes, ideally early, would open up the offense in a huge way. Jalen Gaffney could also be valuable on offense if he stays agressive. If UConn could share the ball effectively and at least two of these players perform well, I am very confident it will win.