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Observations on win against Xavier: The offense wakes up, Cole brings the goods, and Akok brings a shot of adrenaline

UConn entered Saturday’s game at Xavier with their backs against the wall. Last Wednesday’s loss to Providence was the ugliest of the season, and the mood surrounding the team afterwards was one of frustration as well as resignation. James Bouknight was again out, and it was announced before the game that Tyrese Martin and Isiah Whaley had had minor injuries in practice, meaning it would be more difficicult for them to play well. While Xavier came in having not played in 15 days and only once since January 10th due to COVID-19 complications, it was also 11-2 (4-2 in the Big East). The Huskies also had the challenge of playing on the road with fans for one of the only times this season, as the Musketeers welcomed a crowd of roughly 1,000. For UConn to earn an upset win, almost everything would have to go right.

Well, it just did. After a slow start, the Huskies had their best offensive performance in a long time, playing much quicker and more efficiently in the 80-72 win. It was the first time they had scored at least 80 points since Dec. 30th in an 82-61 win against DePaul, and only the third time this season. UConn was also better on defense than in many of their recent games, holding Xavier to 40.3% shooting.

Entering the game, Dan Hurley was looking for a lot more effort and desperation from the players than was seen against Providence and to a lesser extent Seton Hall. The players were similarily determined to show it, as R.J. Cole led a player’s meeting on Thursday where each Husky discussed their roles and exactly what was needed from one another. With Cole leading the way, they rose to the occassion.

UConn did start the game poorly, something that has been an issue for many of its recent games. It struggled to make shots and allowed three 3-pointers in the opening 5:55, falling behind 16-7. The Huskies then began to play quicker and and shoot earlier in the shot clock as well as distribute the ball well. A 12-1 run was ignited by Akok Akok, of all players. The sophomore, returning from a few games missed due to a shin injury, hit a wide-open three at the 12:57 minute. Following another 3-pointer by Cole, Akok also hit a layup and jumper, and ultimately scored seven points in seven minutes. Tyler Polley made a layup to give UConn a 19-17 with 9:47 remaining, and it never again trailed.

The Huskies ended up earning assists on 13 of its first 15 field goals and took a 38-32 lead into halftime. Cole both distributed and shot the ball well, ending the 20 minutes with 12 points and five assists. In addition to the strong starts by he and Akok, Andre Johnson had five points, four rebounds and three assists despite foul trouble, and UConn did an excellent job on the offensive boards. While the defense cound not hold Zach Freemantle in check (he scored from everywhere on the floor and finished with 30 points and 15 rebounds), it did a strong job of defending the paint. Muskeeters star Paul Scruggs had just two points against primary defender Jackson, who used his length to make Scruggs shots very difficult.

The Huskies continued to play well at the beginning of the second half and took a 49-40 lead at the 14:49 mark when Whaley hit a three off a pass from Cole. Xavier dug in and went on a 9-0 run to tie it up at 11:36. Freemantle scored five points during the run and the Musketeers made four free throws. Meanwhile, UConn went cold from the perimeter, missing four consecutive threes, and were unable to keep Xavier from getting to the rim. For a minute, it was possible to imagine the Huskies were losing their shooting mojo, and with it the game.

That’s when UConn when on one of its most memorable runs of the season. Starting with a 3-point play by Martin with 10:39 left, it scored three points on four consecutive possessions (a 3-point play by Whaley and threes by Polley and Cole), and eventually took a 68-56 lead with 4:58 remaining. The Huskies did an excellent job of distributing the ball and pushing the tempo during this stretch. On defense, it held Xavier without a field goal for 3:16 and did a very good job of shutting down the paint.

UConn would stretch its lead to 73-59 at 2:17 before Xavier made a late run as UConn struggled against the press and at the line, eventually getting within four. Free throws by Martin and Whaley iced the game.

Cole had his best game as a Husky. He smoothly ran the offense and finished with 24 points on 5-7 from deep and seven assists against just one turnover. He avoided fading in the second half as he has in recent games, staying just as agresswive. Whaley and Martin didn’t miss a bit despite their injury issues entering the game. Whaley had a great all-around game with 12 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and four assists, and Martin had a great second half to finish with 15 points and nine rebounds. Polley also had his best game in some time, making two 3-pointers and finishing with 10 points, his first double-digit game since Jan. 11th against DePaul.

While the Huskies were helpless to stop Freemantle, they played strong defense overall for most of the 40 minutes. The Musketeers shot 40.3%, the lowest an opponent has recorded since the Butler won, and just 42.9% on 2-pointers. Nate Johnson had 14 points for Xavier, but no one else on the Musketeers finished in double figures. Scruggs had 12 assists, but scored just nine points on 3-10 shooting. With Whaley leading the way, UConn mostly shut down the paint on defense and outrebounded Xavier 41-37 overall and 12-10 on the offensive boards. These were the most offensive rebounds it has had since the loss to Creighton on Jan. 23rd. Finally, the Huskies played more disciplined defense and held the Musketeers to 18 free throws.

As stated before, in my opinion this was the team’s most important win of the season. UConn needed to show that they could win an important game and beat one of the Big East’s top teams without Bouknight, and it did it in commanding fashion and showed a ton of confidence. Now with Bouknight officially coming back against Providence Tuesday night and the team at its healthist all season, I expect the Huskies to go on a late-season run again.

Here are my game observation’s on UConn’s win at Xavier:

The UConn offense was enjoyable to watch again

During the team’s recent struggles, the Huskies had been extremely frustrating to watch, even when they were scoring efficiently. The offense was continuing to mostly play at a glacial pace and shoot later in the shot clock, in a probably misguided effort to keep the score of opponents down with Bouknight gone. This resulted in less urgency from the team as a whole and poor shot selection and rushed shots. UConn’s shooting continuued to be poor and multiple players (mainly Polley, Whaley and Gaffney) had disappeared on offense, while no teammates stepped up to take on the scoring load. Combine all this with inconsistent defensive performances and the Huskies not rebounding as well, and this was a recipe for losses.

Against Xavier, on the other hand, UConn’s offense was very efficient and pleasing to the eye. After its slow start, the team uickly began pushing the tempo and attacking the Musketeers defense, which was rusty and back on its heeels throughout. The Huskies rushed fewer shots and passed the ball better than it has in a while (their 21 assists was the most since the season-opening win against Central Connecticut. They finished at the rim much better than normal and knocked down open 3-pointers, a huge contrast to the Providence game. Even when UConn missed open shots, it was able to get offensive rebounds and second-chance points at an impressive rate, likely due to them playing at a quicker pace.

What was most rewarding to watch about Saturday’s win was that UConn got positive contributions from almost everyone. Other than Brendan Adams and Josh Carlton (who didn’t play) and Jalen Gaffney, who scored just three points on 1-6 shooting in 20 minutes, the other Huskies all played well at times on offense and or defense. Cole, Martin, and Whaley each had strong all-around games, Polley played much better on offense, and Akok was great in his 10 minute return. Jackson also had a strong first half on both ends, and Sanogo grabbed eight rebounds in 23 minutesw. The best illustration of the teamwork UConn showed is in its assist numbers, as six players had multiple assists. It sounds cheesy to say, but this was all beautiful to watch after the Providence and Seton Hall losses.

R.J. Cole takes on the leadership mantle

Hurley has been urging Cole to take on a bigger leadership role and be an offensive centerpiece of the team with UConn not at full strength. When he didn’t do this or play with more consistency, Hurley installed Gaffney as the starting point guard (at least temporarily) to help send a message. After the Providence loss, the junior transfer finally answered the call. Starting with the team meeting before the Xavier game, Cole challenged both his teammates and himself to play smarter and more aggressively. He then came out and put together a great all-around performance, while elevating the confidence of his teammates.

Cole’s shot selection was excellent against Xavier. He didn’t rush shots or display his usual habit of driving into the paint and trying to score against taller and quicker guards, instead generally setting for (mostly) open threes and various layups earlier in the shot clock. Cole brought the ball up quicly, and made smart passes while handling the ball well. And as usual, Cole played solid defense and snatched two steals. He also demonstrated a lot of intensity and passion when talking to teamamates, which I am sure pleased Hurley.

Cole has had a lot on his shoulders this season, and the expectations may have been too high for him considering he had to sit out last season and was transferring from a low-major conference. While he had played well with Bouknight gone, he had also not had a signature performance. Maybe after the win against the Musketeers a switch has been flipped, and Cole can continue to play well and act as a leader even with Bouknight playing. If Cole succeeds in this role, then UConn should make the NCCAA tournament and can go far.

Akok Akok Demonstrates the Impact he Can Make

After finally returning from his leg injury that ended last season on Jan. 9th against Butler, Akok played just 11 minutes over the next three games, making one basket and grabing two rebounds, and then missed four more games due to a shin injury. It was clear he lacked the exciting athleticism and mobility that was there last season, and I was very doubtful he could contribute anything of note even after being cleared to play against Xavier. Akok made me eat my words. Despite only being able to play 10 minutes, Akok scored seven points, including a 3-pointer, and added a block and a eye-catching assist. The sophomore center demonstrated a great shooting touch, and defended well even with his physical limitations. Most importantly, the energy and sense of joy Akok brought to the floor helped lift up UConn as a whole. as his appearence helped kick off its comeback from a slow start.

At this point, Hurley doesn’t seem to expect Akok to play more than 10-15 minutes in any of the remaining regular season games, although his health and matchups will obviously dictate Akok’s availibility to some extent. Still Akok can make a hude difference on both ends. On offense, he can stretch the floor due to his ability to hit jumpers and threes, something that UConn’s other seniors are incapable of doing, as well as score inside. While Akok has not yet demonstrated the ability to rebound well this season, his wingspan can constantly make him a threat on defense. Finally, Akok has always brought a ton of energy to the floor in every appearance, and the Huskies will play better with him as long as Akok has the stamina. I’m not sure how reliable Akok can be going forward, but if he can supply decent defense and a high motor when on the floor, UConn will be an even bigger threat to opponents.

UConn again looked happy on the floor

In the recent losses, the Huskies didn’t seem to be playing with much enthusiasm or urging one another on, especially against Providence. The loss against Providence seemed to be a walk up call, however. The players were constantly talking to and encouraging one another, and you could see the joy on their faces when they went on runs. It was clear that Akok’s performance especially made everyone ecstatic. At the same time, you could see the happiness on Hurley’s face as his team made big plays. With the momentum of this win, I believe UConn will bring similar enthusiasm to their second game against Providence.

Observations on loss to St. John’s: The defense collapses, UConn’s offense stagnates, and Hurley errs in an ugly loss

We all suspected this could be coming.

Over the last four games, UConn did an admirable job of winning tough games without their star to improve to 7-1. The Huskies earned a signature win against Marquette and won on the road, with different players stepping up in each game. The defense had consistently played very well, led by R.J. Cole and the bigs. It was all good enough to earn them their first Top 25 ranking in five years. That all came to a crashing loss in the second half against St. John’s Monday, all while Adama Sanogo inexplecably sat on the bench for the final 12 minutes.

The No. 23 Huskies, who led St. John’s 49-41 with 12:57 remaining and by eight with just under nine minutes left, was outscored 25-13 for the remainder of the game to lose 74-70. The Red Storm (8-7) took their first lead with 4:24 to go and took the lead for good on a layup by Posh Alexander at 2:35. UConn had just one field goal in the last five minutes and missed four free throws, including two by Tyrese Martin with 18 seconds left. For the game, the Huskies shot just 15-23 from the line.

Led by Cole’s hot start from behind the arc, UConn jumped out to a 21-7 lead over the first 7:17. For the remainder of the half, however, the Red Storm tightened up their defense and forced UConn into a half-court game. The Huskies struggled from the outside while missing shots in the paint. While St. John’s struggled from the perimeter and got just three points from Julian Champagnie, the Big East’s leading scorer, it was able to beat UConn in the paint and rebounded well, cutting into the deficit. The Huskies led 33-30 at the half.

Early in the second half, UConn played better in the paint, led by Sanogo and Isiah Whaley (9 points and 8 rebounds). Sanogo showed good footwork and obtained multiple good shots against the Red Storm defense, scoring twice, and Whaley scored on a hook shot and a goaltending call. A Huskies 6-0 run forced a St. John’s timeout and gave them a 49-41 lead.

Just when it seemed UConn was in control of the game and ready to hit a double-digit lead, St. John’s got going. Ellington hit consecutive 3-pointers to put the Red Storm within three, as head coach Mike Anderson went to a five-guard lineup. To counter this and protect against their speedy guards and outside shooting, Danny Hurley removed Sanogo for the rest of the game despit his great play. Fans freaked out in response as the Huskies lead withered away.

UConn was able to tread water in the next few minutes despite poor shooting and turnovers with the help of Martin, who got to the line repeatedly and scored seven consecutive points. Eventually however, the Huskies poorus defense and their offensive struggles caught up with them. St. John’s, led by Alexander, continuisly beat UConn in the paint for either layups or free throw opportunities, with players providing no help defense and unable to keep the guards in front of them. Despite Hurley’s efforts to to counter the Red Storm’s peremiter shooting by removing Sanogo, it didn’t work. Champagnie hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to two with 7:21 left, and St. John’s took its first lead of 64-63 with 4:24 to go on an Earlington three.

From there, UConn’s free throw woes and paint defense cost them. Cole missed multiple free throws, and layups by Alexander and Champagnie gave St. John’s a 71-67 lead with 1:21 to go. Martin drained an open three on the following possession, but then missed his free throws that could have given the Huskies the lead. They had one last change down 72, 70, but Polley rushed a three that was wildly off to seal the loss.

UConn had its worst defensive performance by far against St. John’s, allowing the Red Storm to shot 49% and 46.7% from three. St. John’s scored at will in the paint at will in the second half, and at the same time, the Huskies frequently got beat to loose balls and allowed offensive rebounds and generally were just outhustled on both ends. The Red Storm got great production from bench players Earlington (15 points, 5-8 from the field) and Dylan Addae-Wusu (10 points, 5 rebounds). Alexander was their best player, finishing with 18 points and six assists. Champagnie, the conference’s leading scorer rallied from his poor start to finish with 12 points and made seven free throws.

Meanwhile, UConn mostly struggled on offense and reguarly missed open layups and other easy sots. For the second consecutive game, the Huskies underperformed on the boards. Both teams had 34 rebounds.

Cole hit all his threes early, and finished with 16 points and five asists on 6-16 shooting. Sanogo was the Huskies best all-around player in his limited minutes, scoring a season-high 12 points on 6-11 shooting to go with five rebounds and a block in 17 minutes before he disappeared. Martin had an up-and down game, finishing with 14 points but shooting 4-11, and had six assists. Polley was lousy all-around, going 2-8 and 1-6 from three for seven points, grabbing only one rebound, and getting dominated on defense.

It was a poor effort, to say the least. Even without Bouknight, UConn is definitely a better team than St. John’s, who come in having lost three consecutive games and had not beaten a top-00 team in the KenPom ratings. UConn did not play up to their ability in all facets of the game, and fell apart when they seemed to be in control. Hurley called it a “brutal” loss, and that is a great way to describe it. Hopefully, the loss will serve as a wake up call, and the Huskies can work on their issues and finding the right personal in practice the next few days. Starting Saturday with Creighton, things don’t get easier for UConn, as they will also have games against No. 4 Villanova and a hot Butler team over the span of six days. If nothing else, the team needs to play with the effort and intensity they are capable of.

Below are six observations on the loss to St. John’s:

The defense was abysmal, especially in the paint

I sound like a broken record, but UConn played both poor team and individual defense against St. John’s. In the paint, the Huskies could not stay in front of the Red Storm’s guards, and the big men and others mostly failed to switch off their men and provide the necessary help defense to try and stop them. St. John’s coach Mike Anderson made a brillant tactical decision to go to a five-guard lineup for the last 10:40 of the game after UConn went on a run, and Hurley and the players had no answer for it. Ultimately, the Red Storm made 50% of their 2-pointers. The Huskies always looked a step slow, and they did not show the same urgency as normal in getting to rebounds and loose balls, even as the game slipped away. One has to wonder if the team let up after taking its large lead and got discouraged by their defensive struggles and just couldn’t get back on track. The one bright spot was with the turnovers, as St. John’s had 18 and UConn had 12 steals.

After the Red Storm, a below-average 3-point shooting team, struggled from the arc in the first half, they were much better at the start of the second half. This was a large part of why Hurley made his fateful decision to remove Sanogo. It didn’t matter however, as St. John’s went 6-9 from three in the second half. It did a good job of moving the ball well and finding open 3-point shooters whom the Huskies were unable to rotate over on.

No UConn player had a particularly strong defensive game. The “6-9” Polley was constantly overmatched by the Red Storm’s quick and smaller guards, and sadly got no help. Josh Carlton was almost completely MIA, playing just three minutes, and Whaley did not make his usual defensive impact and allso did not provide help defense at crucial times. Sanogo actually made a couple of good defensive plays against Champagnie, earning a block and steal, but was removed from the game because of Hurley’s worries that he couldn’t keep up on defense against the quicker guards. Gaffney and the usually reliable Brendan Adams struggled on defense, with Gaffney picking up four fouls in just 11 minutes. Even Cole wasn’t as good as normal. Martin probably had the biggest impact on defense, earning six steals.

Dan Hurley has a poor game, making some inexplicable moves

Hurley is a very good recruiter. He is a great teacher of defense and is able to consistently develop and motivate his players. However, he has always had a streak of stubborness and had struggles with in-game coaching. These weaknesses were definitely on display Monday.

First, it made no sense for Hurley to take out Sanogo midway through the second half when he was playing at his best and the team was on a run, and then never put Sanogo back in as St. John’s was owning the paint and in the process of coming back and winning. In the final three minutes before Sanogo came out, he scored twice and assisted on a basket by Whaley to give UConn a six-point lead. While guarding Champaigne, he also blocked a shot and helped force a turnover. Sanogo showed great footwork and a variety of efficient low post moves, including an impressive hook shot, and he got himself open even on the shots he missed. Add his rebounding ability, and in the first 27 minutes Sanogo had been the Huskies best player on the day alongside Cole.

Hurley justified the removal of Sanogo to he and the fans by saying he could not play against St. John’s five-guard lineup, as he would have been able effectively defend the guards due to his size. You can understand the argument on paper to a point, but even if Sanogo had struggled on defense, he would have continued to give UConn an advantage on offense, allowing them to attack the paint and play an effective in-out game. It’s not like Whaley really stepped up on either end in the abscence of Sanogo. Anyway, once UConn’s offense started sputtering, there was no reason not to try and insert Sanogo back in to try and give it a pick up. I hope that Hurley realizes he made a mistake, and shows more trust in Sanogo late in games.

Besides the decision to remove Sanogo, I also don’t understand why Hurley did not try and do more to alleviate the Huskies defensive struggles in the paint. With Polley not making shots or rebounding and getting torched on defense, why not remove him and insite either Carlton or Sanogo again to defend the paint and give the team more size on the offensive end. Carlton may not have been able to defend St. John’s guards, but he could have possibly given UConn an offensive boost as well as a coming presence with his experience. I know Hurley is not found of playing zone, but the Huskies could have swihtched to it to give the Red Storm a different look and attempt to slow down their offense. Hurley was not flexible enough, and let Anderson and St. John’s dictate UConn’s game plan instead of the team sticking with what was working. Hurley should never take that step, and hope he realizes his mistake.

The one other fining I am interested in is what Hurley said to his players in the huddle to the players in the second half as they struggled and St. John’s rallied. Whatever he said to try and motivate the players didn’t work, and the players werent really exhibiting excitement or confidence on their faces. Maybe Hurley will need to change what he says and ajustments he makes when in a similar game situation.

Can someone make some damn free throws, please?

Against Creighton, R.J. Cole failed to make free throws in regulation that would have put the game out of reach. Against St. John’s, Martin, Cole, and others failed to hit free throws that could have guranteed the win, with Martin’s two misses with 18 seconds left the most painful. Martin, who got off to a hot start from the line, shot 5-8 there, and Cole was 2-4. Gaffney, who is the team’s top free throw shooter, took just one. In the game’s last nine minutes, UConn went just 7-12 from the line.

The Huskies free throw struggles have cropped up in many games, not just against St. John’s and Creighton. They are shooting just 69% as a team overall and 68% in Big East games, which is sixth in the conference. Bouknight is an excellent free throw shooter (81%), but he is out. Three of the other four guards (Cole, Adams, and Martin), are average or below average free throw shooters for guards. Cole and Martin, who each have 28 attempts, are shooting 71% and 61% respectively. Cole has earned a reputation as someone who misses free throws in close games, and Martin is very inconsistent despite seemingly having a good shooting motion. Gaffney is excellent at the line at 83%, but right now his disappointing play is causing him valuable minutes. The big men are all below average at the line, and Polley does not get there enough despite shooting 85% at the charity stripe.

There isn’t a simple solution to UConn’s struggles at the line in crunch time, especially without Bouknight. Right now, however, it is a big problem when most of your primary ball handlers cannot be trusted to make free throws in key late game situations. There isn’t a ton of time to work on free throw shooting drills in practice, but let’s hope that Hurley finds time to fit them in and that players figure out techniques that will make them more comfortable shooting free throws and improve their mindset and form.

Tyler Polley looks lost on both ends of the floor

After a slow start to the season, Polley had stepped up in the previous three games propr to St. John’s in place of Bouknight, averaging just over 18 points per game and shooting 13-24 from three. Monday’s performance was easily Pollley’s worse of the season, however. I have already discussed his defensive struggles, but Polley’s shot was also off all day, as he hit just one of six threes and scored only 7 points. It was the senior forward’s worst offensive performance since the first game against DePaul.

Polley was unable to hit any open threes and did not get set on many of his attempts and rushed multiple shots, most egregiously his airball three at the end of the game with the Huskies down one. Polley just seemed to try and do too much on offense, and got caught up in playing hero ball in the process. He also grabbed just one rebound and had no assists in 26 minutes. There is no excuse for a”6-9″ player to do nothing on the boards, especially against a small lineup. Polley has never been a strong rebounder, but is averaging just 2.6 per game. When his shot is not falling, he has to find other ways to contribute. That is what senior leaders are supposed to do.

The guards again played inconsistently

The three main guards against St. John’s (Cole, Martin and Adams-Gaffney played just 11 minutes) combined for 39 points and 9 assists. That’s good on paper. The numbers are deciving when you look closer, however. The trio shot just 11-30 (37%) and 6-18 inside the arc. They combined for 6 turnovers, and Martin had 6 rebounds, lower than his season average. While the three had 9 assists (5 by Cole) and handled the ball decently, they and their teammates were sloppy with the ball at times and the trio did not consistently generate good scoring opportunities for teammates.

Cole had a pretty solid game overall, finishing with a team-high 18 points and 5 assists and shooting 4-7 from three. The junior came out like ganbusters and hit four threes early. However, he faded down the stretch and did not make a field goal in the final 12:57, missing his final three shots. Cole again repeated his frustrated habit of driving into the paint and getting his shot blocked by larger opponents, failing to either pass to an open teammate or using his footwork to create an open shot such as a floater or hook. Martin scored 14 and had 6 rebounds (three offensive), but shot just 4-11 and 1-4 from three. He made some clutch shots near the end, but again missed open shots in the paint throughout the game. And of course, he and Cole missed key free throws that could help earn the win. Finally, Adams took just three shots in 30 minutes and committed four fouls, finishing with 7 shots overall. All three, particularly Adams, did not play up to their usual standards on defense. Finally, Gaffney again had a lousy game, scoring just 3 points in 11 minutes and struggling on defense to the tune of four fouls.

I trust UConn’s guards to rebound and play their usual strong defense over the next few games. However, they need to play better on offense, particularly in regards to shooting and creating quality shots for teammates. Most importantly, Gaffney needs to get back on track and show the confidence and athleticism he displayed at the end of last season.

Observations on UConn’s win over DePaul: Martin and Carlton step up, defense again solid in impressive victory

DePaul is not exactly a powerhouse or anything. That being said, the Huskies 82-61 win on Wednesday night was the team’s best overall performance of the season. UConn (4-1, 1-1 in conference) got strong offensive contributions from a number of players, particularly Martin and Boukright, played strong defense and rebounded well. It all added up to the program’s first win in the Big East since 2013.

The Huskies never trailed in the win, and maintained a comfortable lead starting midway through the first half. With the questions floating around about who the team’s primary scorers will be after Bouknight, it was highly encouraging to see three players (Martin, Bouknight and Carlton) in double figures and two others (R.J. Cole and Brendan Adams) score 8 points. As a team, UConn shot 49.2 percent and 7-17 from the three-point line. It outrebounded DePaul 43-33.

The Huskies defense was again very good, led by Carlton inside and Cole on the perimeter. Carlton grabbed a number of tough rebound, and ultimately earned a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Cole shut down a star guard for the second consecutive game, this time holding Charlie Moore to 8 points on 4-12 shooting.

As a team, UConn held DePaul to 38.1 percent shooting, 4-27 on 3-pointers, and also shut down the Blue Devils second-leading scorer Romeo Weens, limiting him to six points. DePaul had 16 turnovers, with the Huskies scoring 21 points off them.

UConn took control with a 16-3 run midway through the first half, and led by 14 at halftime. In the second half, the Huskies went on a 13-7 run starting just over six minutes in the half, taking a 66-40 lead. The run featured memorable back-to-back dunks by Martin (22 points on 9-15 shooting and 10 rebounds) and Bouknight (20 on 6-13 shooting) .

The convincing win should give the Huskies a lot of confidence and momentum heading into January and the meat of the Big East schedule. Starting on Tuesday the 5th at Marquette, the team will have three away games in six days, the program’s first road games this season. After playing Marquette as well as Butler and DePaul that week, the team and fans should no a lot more about UConn’s consistency and ability to get multiple quality performances in each game on both ends.

Below are four observations on the win against DePaul:

The benefits of depth

Unlike the UConn teams of the last few seasons, this year’s edition can regularly go 8 or 9 deep, even with the current absence of Akok Akok. Wednesday’s win was a perfect illustration of how valuable the team’s versatility can be.

When Bouknight struggled from the field in the first half (though he did make five of six foul shots and finished with 9 rebounds), Martin helped lead the offense with nine points and four rebounds. When Adama Sanogo quickly looked lost on defense at the beginning of the game, Hurley immediately inserted Carlton and he anchored the Huskies in the paint on both ends for the remainder of the game, picking up a foul-prone Whaley. Tyler Polley contributed strong play on both ends in 15 minutes of play, scoring five points after missing the Marquette game. Cole played in control on offense after his struggles against Marquette, shooting 3-7 and dropping six assists. Adams was also noticebly better in 21 minutes and made two three-pointers. UConn got 28 points off the bench.

Along the same lines, the win was the Husies most efficient offensive performance since the season-opening win against Central Connecticut. The offense did a much better job of moving the ball and spacing the floor than against USC or Creighton. UConn seemingly came in with the goal of trying to get the post players more involved and attacking the hoop, something I was calling for after the Creighton loss. It paid off handsomely, as Carlton was clearly hungry and looking to score and the Huskies obtained a lot of second-chance points. Doing so also seemed to take pressure off the guards, who took smarter shots and rushed fewer possessions than in the past two games. After the win, the teams adjusted offense statistics rank 39th in the country as of Thursday night. UConn will try to maintain the same level of play against Marquette, which has been struggling on defense.

Tyrese Martin has Coming-Out Party

I had liked Martin a lot since he debuted against Hartford, and he showed all the skills he has to offer against DePaul with his double-double. Martin showed how his speeed and athleticism can be a huge asset in offense in transition and that he is capable of scoring from the peremiter (2-5 from three) as well as at the basket. At the same time, Martin grabbed a significant number of rebounds in traffic, and his five offensive rebounds helped create quality second-change scoring opportunities. Martin’s physical defense helped to make things difficult for the DePaul guards.

Through five games, Martin has demonstrated that he can be a strong glue guy for the Huskies, and especially valuable as a defender and rebounder. Having a guy who consistently perform well in these areas and is capable of strong offensive performances is a huge advantage against opponents. Hurley and the program obviously knew what they were looking for in transfers this offseason when Martin decided to leave URI, and he is making himself right at home in Storrs.

Defense and rebounding defining the Huskies

Through five games, UConn has established itself as a very strong defensive team. It is holding opponents to 39.6% shooting from the field and 27.4% on 3-pointers (the 38th lowest in the country), and is allowing just 65.4 points per game. Hartford, USC and DePaul were all held under 40% shooting. Currently, the 5.6 blocks per game the Huskies ranks 12th in the country.

Against DePaul, UConn did a strong job of playing team defense and pressuring the ball, and was able to jump passing lines consistently, pulling off a couple of impressive steals. Their performance visibly ruffled the DePaul players, who consistently made sloppy plays. In addition to Cole, Carlton, and Martin, Adams and Bouknight also solidified the defense. By shutting down the Blue Demons top scorers, the Huskies again forced other players to step up and beat them, a dynamic they will hopefully repeat regularly going forward.

UConn’s rebounding was again excellent, as it grabbed 58% of the available rebounds. With the addition of Martin, the team now has three high-quality rebounders who play regularly in Martin, Carlton and Whaley, as well as Sanogo and Bouknight. Each of these players are good at boxing out and can use their athleticism and strength to help generate scoring opportunities off of rebounds. It will be fine to see how much better the Huskies become on the boards with the addition of Akok.

James Bouknight and the awesome C+ game

After the game, Hurley praised some of Bouknight’s performance, but ultimately proclaimed it a C+ performance overall. Although it was obviously a step down from his 40 points against Creighton, I will take 20 points on 13 shots from Bouknight nine times out of 10. As stated earlier, when Bouknight’s shot was not falling in the first half the sophomore was smart enough to get to the free throw line for his scoring, helping put DePaul in immediate foul trouble in the process. Bouknight began to find a groove in the second half, scoring a couple of baskets in transaction and and draining multiple jumpers in traffic. Bouknight also did a good job of distributing the ball and getting his teammates involved.

While Bouknight was sometimes reckless going to the basket and made a few sloppy turnovers it was a strong performance overall, and it was nice to see the load not entirely on his shoulders for a night.

The guards still played very inconsistently as a whole

Jalen Gaffney looks a little lost right now on both ends of the court. The sophomore, who did not start for the first time this season, scored just 3 points against DePaul on 1-3 shooting, and has just a combined 13 points in the last three games against power conference teams. Gaffney seems hesitant to shoot, and when he has the shots have been frequently rushed or weak attemps in traffic at the rim (Gaffney is not the only player guilty of doing this).

Gaffney has also not pushed the tempo when playing point guard as much as I’d like this season, whereas Cole and Bouknight did so against DePaul. Gaffney has a well-earned reputation as a good ball-handler, but against DePaul he had just one assist, and he committed two turnovers against both the Blue Demons and Creighton.

Finally, Gaffney continues to struggle on defense, particularly in staying in front of his man. I don’t have any one suggestion for Gaffney to improve other than playing more aggressive while still under control, but he and the coaches need to come up with plans in practice that will help Gaffney be more effective. Otherwise, he will lose playing time as the Huskies go deeper into the Big East schedule.

While Cole and Bouknight both had some strong games, they also need to avoid playing too recklessly and getting poor shots when attacking the paint, as this happened regularly against the Blue Demons. Cole still has not quite proven he can be a strong secondary scoring option to Bouknight, and at some point he will need to as UConn’s schedule gets consistently tougher.

Isiah Whaley was absent

After the USC game, I declared Whaley my favorite player on the Huskies. Whaley still is when he is playing, but he has been nearly invisible due to foul trouble. He was very ineffective in his 15 minutes against DePaul, scoring just 2 points on 1-4 shooting and commiting three turnovers before fouling out. Whaley appeared to be disengaged at times, and committed multiple moving screens, which are fouls that should be easy to avoid. Whaley has enough experience where he should be able to play high-level defense while not picking up silly fouls, and he needs to concentrate on tightening up his defense in practice before the game against Marquette.

Observations on UConn’s loss to Creighton: James Bouknight and a strong defense unable to ensure a victory

I thought they had the win “in the bag”, so they say.

With just 21 seconds remaining in the second half , two free throws by Jalen Gaffney gave UConn a 66-62 Tead. All the Huskies needed to do was to make one more defensive stop and hit any free throw opportunities, and they could earn an upset win against the No. 9 Bluejays in the program’s first game back in the Big East. Instead, UConn had two poor defensive poessions, and junior point guard R.J. Cole missed two free throw attempts, allowing Creighton to send the game into overtime tied at 66. The Huskies offense continued to struggle mightily and the team ran out of gas at the end, ultimately falling 76-74.

For UConn (now 3-1), the loss was most defined by two things: James Bouknight’s unforgettable performance and poor offensive play by his teammate. As discussed more below, Bouknight was absolutely electric, scoring 40 points and shooting 13-24 from the field and 5-12 from the 3-point line , with 4 rebounds for good measure. The sophomore demonstrated the ability to score from anywhere on the floor and through defenders. He got barely any help, however. The other Huskies ultimately shot just over 25% (11-43), with Cole hitting the only other two 3-pointers. The other guards shot particularly poorly, and none of the big men were particularly effective on offense, partly due to foul trouble.

On one hand, it was an extremely frustrating loss. The Huskies blew the lead late in regulation, played poorly on offense as a team, and were consistently outrebounded by Creighton (6-2). Beating a top-10 team would have been a great welcome back to the Big East and a warning to UConn’s confrencemates that it should be freared, but the opportunity slipped away. However, Bouknight and the defense (particularly Cole’s)putting Marqueete on the ropes in the program’s first game in 17 days is commendable, and hopefully demonstrates that the Huskies can play with anyone. I think that if UConn can have a more consistent schedule, it can develop as a team and win similar games in January and February.

Below are six observations on the Huskies loss to Creighton.

James Bouknight demonstrates that he can be a superstar

All UConn fans know that Bouknight can be a great scorer and all-around offensive player at his best. The sophomore guard had excellent starts to his first three games, and rebounded the ball when in the wins. Overall, Bouknight was averaging 18.7 points and 6.3 rebounds. However, he also disappeared for stretches of each contest and had defensive lapses, causing Dan Hurley to repeatedly talk about the need for Bouknight to be better and more consistent for the Huskies to be successful.

Sunday was Bouknight’s chance to show he could put together a full 40-minute performance and propel the Huskies to a win against a top conference foe. Bouknight couldn’t succeed in the second task, but he showed on a national stage throughout the game that he can be one of the best scorers in the country.

Overall, Bouknight scored or assisted on 62.5 percent of UConn’s field goals. In the first half he got off to a quick start, and when the Huskies went on a cold streak and fell behind by 15, Bouknight took over and scored 10 points in the final five minutes the score 33-29 at the break. In the second half,he came out on fire and scored 13 points in just over five minutes, putting UConn up again. From there, Bouknight did struggle to score for much of the rest of the game, missing six of eight field goals and scoring just five points the remainder of the second half while being constantly double-teamed. However, Bouknight did continue to pass the ball well and set up plays for others as well as playing passable defense, and was the game’s best player for msot of its 45 minutes.

During his hot streaks, Bouknight’s ability to hit shots all over the floor and beat defenders was extremely impressive. From the outside, he was able to get good looks off screens and hit jumpers with defender’s hands in his faces, continuisly displaying a good stroke. Bouknight beet defenders off the dribble regularly and was able to score in traffic, earning multiple three-point plays. He looked quicker and stronger than almost any other player, including All-American candidate Mark Zegorowski.

Bouknight is not going to score 40 points every night, but if his teammates give him more help, he will finish with a high number of points per game and hopefully be a consistently efficient scorer. In addition, having more scoring threats can lesson the burden on Bouknight and allow him to contribute in a wider variety of areas. One thing is for sure: After four games, it is clear Bouknight should have received peseason first-team All Big honors aend not second team.

Right now, UConn has almost no reliable scoring threats

I’ve talked about the greatness of Bouknight and how he is capable of scoring in bunches. Through four games, there is not another player who looks capable of regularly scoring in double-digits. R.J. Cole had two great seasons at Howard before coming to UConn but had a terrible shooting day against Creighton, going 2-13 overall and 2-8 from three, finishing with 12 points. Most egregiously, Cole missed the two aforementioned free throws at the end of regulation that would have sealed a win, his first missed free throws of the season. Throughout the game, Cole appeared to be either rushing many of his shots or shooting them off balance. He looked very frustrated, especially after missing the free throws. So far this season, Cole is averaging 11.3 points and 3.3 assists, but shooting just 31.7% overall and 25% on 2-point attempts. Cole was seen as the most likely secondary scoring option heading into the season, but the game still looks to be too quick for him at times and it appears he is trying to do too much. I think Cole will improve a lot as the schedule becomes more consistent, but it could be a bumpy road at times, especially against the best Big East teams.

While Cole at least negated some of his offensive struggles by shutting down Marc Zegarowski, the other Huskies, particularly the guards, were unable to do the same. Tyrese Martin went 1-6 and finished with just 2 points, Jalen Gaffney shot 1-8 overall and 0-5 from three on his way to 4 points, and Brendan Adams scored just 2 points and shot 1-5. Gaffney missed four shots in overtime. Andre Jackson was scoreless in 5 minutes of play. The offensive performance of the UConn bigs was also hurt due partly to foul trouble. Josh Carlton picked up four fouls and took just 3 shots in 19 minutes of play and finished with 2 points, while Isiah Whaley was a perfect 3-3 and had 7 points but also played just 19 minutes. Whaley fouling out in the final minute of regulation was a game changer, as his absence helped Creighton to get to the rim easier on its final two possessions and ultimately tie the game at 66 off an out-of-bounds play. The absence of Tyler Polley, whom had to sit out due to not having cleared all COVID-19 protocols yet, also loomed large. If Polley had shot well from the perimeter, he could have opened up the offense and hopefully make it easier for players to get into the paint and find UConn’s bigs for scoring opportunities.

The Huskies guards did a poor job of moving the ball and getting teammates involved, and consistently took ill-advised shoots that were either well-guarded or rushed. The UConn backcourt failed to get their big men involved enough (in contrast to Creighton), in particular Carlton. If the team had gotten more scoring opportunities for the bigs, it may had opened up the floor a little and given Bouknight better looks at the basket late in the second half and overtime. Hopefully, the return of Akok Akok by late January will make the offemse more efficient everywhere.

The UConn defense was impressive against an excellent offensive team, particularly R.J. Cole

Creighton entered the matchup as one of the highest scoring teams in the country, averaging 82.3 points per game. The Bluejays have a deep lineup led by Zegarowski, one of the most talented players in the country who had scored 20 points in the previous game against St. John’s.

After getting off to a good start and taking a 29-17 lead with 4:41 remaining in the first half, Creighton was cold for most of the remainder of regulation. It eventually ended the day having shot just 41.5% overall and 7-27 from three. It committed 16 turnovers (UConn had 13) and allowed 9 steals. While Christian Bishop had an excellent day (19 points on 8-11 shooting, 5 rebounds, game-tying basket at end of regulation) and Mitch Ballock was good (13 on 4-7 shooting), most of the Bluejays struggled on offense, especially Zegarowski(11 points on 4-14 shooting, 1-8 from three, 5 turnovers)

UConn’s guards hounded Zegarowski and the other Creighton ballhandlers and regularly forced turnovers and loose balls. They were particularly adepth at jumping the passing lanes. R.J. Cole, who made improving his defense a priority in the last year, did an excellent job of forcing off-balance shots by Zegarowski and made it difficult for him to create plays and pass the ball. While UConn’s big men could have done a better job rebounding the ball (more on this below), Whaley and Carlton played solid defense and repeatedly interfering with shots when not sitting due to foul trouble. The duo combined for four blocks (3 by Carlton) and 3 steals when in.

Through 4 games, UConn has established itself as a very good defense. It is holding opponents to 66.5 points per game and forcing 12.8 turnovers a game, while recording 7 steals and 6 .3blocks, ranking sixth in the country. Opponents have shot just 40% overall and 28.2% from three. According to Ken Pomeroy’s advanced analytics, UConn’s adjusted defense totals rank 48th in the country. Most importantly, the Huskies have played their best defense against power conference foes.

R.J. Cole showed a lot of maturtity and guts after the loss.

Not a lot of college athletes would be willing to call themselves out and apologizing to fans for not making a play in a close loss, especially one who has only been with a program for four games. Cole is obviously unique though, and his willingness to apologize to fans directly over Twitter for missing the two free throws that could habe guranteed a win is brave and demonstrates the leadership skills Hurley and other team members have praised Cole for having. Cole has nothing to apologize for considering his defensive performance and the fact that other players didn’t execute as well. I believe he will become a better shooter and a key secondary scorer as he becomes accustomed to playing at this level. UConn is lucky to have a player with Cole’s talent and leadership ability.

UConn did not rebound at the level we are accustomed to seeing

Against USC, a big factor in UConn winning was its ability to control the boards even against the Trojans imposing front line. Against Creighton however, the Huskies allowed plenty of second-chance scoring opportunities and were regularly beaten out for key rebounds, grabbing just 63 percent of Creighton’s misses however. The Bluejays ultimately won the rebounding battle 48-41, grabbing 33 defensive rebounds. Denzel Mahoney led the way with 13 rebounds.

Tyrese Martin continued to show he’s an excellent rebounder, grabbing 4 offensive boards and 10 overall. Jalen Gaffney also had 7 rebounds. Whaley and especially Carlton were disappointing however, being frequently outhustled. Hurt by foul trouble, the pair combined for just eight boards, only two coming on offense. With UConn’s offensive struggles, it needs to consistently outrebound teams to give the offense momentum and second-chance opportunities, and take advantage when their opponents struggle at shooting the ball.

A reminder to fans: This was still an impressive effort and hopefully a stepping stone to bigger things.

If you looked at the online discourse about the loss to Creighton aftterwards, you could be forvgiven for thinking that the Huskies completely embarassed themselves in the final few minutes of the game. Yes, this loss was extremely frustrating, especially with the program’s recent history of blowing games late to power conference teams. In the end though, UConn, down two starters (Polley and Akok) still took a top-10 team to overtime after a 17-day layoff, a team that has one of the best offenses in the country. There are a lot of good teams that would be blown out in a similar situation. Even as the Huskies went stale on offense, they continued to play good D and never gave off. As the schedule hopefully becomes more normal, UConn will be winning these types of games in a few weeks.

The college basketball season should be paused until the beginning of February

I love not only the UConn Huskies, but men’s college basketball as a whole. I treasure the rivalries between programs, the rich histories and traditions the game has, the fascinating storylines and players fans get to watch every season, and of course, March Madness. I was heartbroken when the conference and NCAA tournaments were cancelled last season and very excited for the return of basketball, especially with UConn back in the Big East and on the upswing.

My love for UConn and the sport doesn’t change my opinion however: Men’s and women’s college basketball should not be going on right now.

Coronavirus infections are going up throughout the United States, with many hot spots spread throughout communities and states. The nation surpassed 3000,000 deaths a week ago, and is now at nearly 304,000 as of late Tuesday night according to the New York Times. The Times also stated that between the 8th and 15th,there was an average of 206,557 cases per day. People lost their jobs and have been unable to find employment again, including yours truly. A new recovery package has still not yet been passed by Congress.

Here in Connecticut, the increasing rate of COVID-19 cases and its effect on not only both individuals but institutions like schools and restaurants has been on the forethront of every citizen’s mind. Connecticut’s seven-day positivite rate as of Tuesday night was 6.5%, down only slightly from the previous week. The state’s current surge of infections is expected to reach its peak between late December and mid-January, just in time for Christmas and New Year’s. Hospitalizations in CT have been slightly up the last two days.

Even as the country and world is being ravaged by COVID-19, the NCAA continues to insist on playing basketball, with the Ivy League being the only Division 1 conference that stepped up and restricted or cancelled competition for its member schools. When it decided to not delay seasons and kick off right before Thanksgiving, the NCAA showed that money, particularly that coming from television revenue, was more important than player’s health as well as the ramifications positive tests would have on schedules and the level of competition.

The decision to not delay the start the season has bit the NCAA, and by extension UConn (3-0), in the ass. Twenty Division 1 teams have not played a game yet this season as of Tuesday. In the Big East, only 7 of its 15 members have played at least one conference game, while DePaul has not played a game and Butler just one. Starting Sunday the 13th and through Wednesday, 46 Division I games were either cancelled or postponed. Left to right, there are cancellations and postponements due to either players, coaches or other associated team personal testing positive for COVID-19 and programs having to put team activities on hold.

The Huskies practice and game schedule has been thrown completely out of wack. They were unable to practice for almost two weeks right before the season started, and had games cancelled against Vanderbilt and NCT State while in the Mohegan Sun “bubble” due to positive tests with those programs. Following their win against USC at Mohegan, UConn again immediately got back positive test results that caused practices to again be shut down for more than a week and postponements of games against St. John’s, Georgetown and Providence, which are tentavily scheduled to be maide up in February. The team returned to pracice only on Sunday, and as a reward they get to face Creighton, which is currently 4-2 and ranked No. 9 in the country. There is very little chance it will play any more nonconference games.

The effect COVID-19 has had on the Huskies could be very detrimental to both individual players and the entire team competititively and mentally along with the ever-present threat of infection. The roster has a number of players who are either freshman or first-year transfers, and that limited practice and game experience they have together will make it harder for the whole group to gel even with its depth. Fans saw this against both Central Connecticut and Hartford as well as in the impressive win over USC, especially on the offensive end. (Just look at the offense’s striggles against zone defenses). This inexperience could especially be a limitation initially against strong conference opponents.

It is a virtual gurantee that UConn will have a few more games postponed in the coming weeks. Its contest on the 23rd against DePaul will very likely be postponed, as the Demon Deacons are currently not practicing due to infections and have had to already postpone two more games before then.

I give the UConn athletic program and Danny Hurley, a lot of credit for the caution they have shown when dealing with cases and the soppage of play as well as scheduling games. The department and Hurley decided not to rush back into practicing after this latest suspension of play, and instead listened to the state’s Department of Public Health and is maintaining its modified quarantine for 14 days before hopefully competing against Creighton on Sunday. Hurley and the administration recognized that following protocols mitigazes the chance of infections, and hopefully the postponement or cancellation of games for UConn. In addition, Hurley has been able to provide his players with much-needed practice time by not trying to constantly schedule games. He used the time off between the Hartford and USC games to work the players hard and address the issues that were seen in the first two games, and it paid off with a signature win.

At the same time, I also give Commissioner Val Ackerman and other leaders of the Big East credit for releasing game schedules for the remainder of the conference season, and leaving two weeks in February available to reschedule postponed games. Whie it is not enough, at least the conference is being realistic and considering a controlled-environment model for the Big East schedule in January and February, in which UConn would face the other conference members on the East Coast at likely either Mohegan or a site in Washington D.C. Unfortunately, it is too late to be thinking of tinkering with the schedule now when teams should not even be currently competing.

Pausing the Division 1 men’s basketball season now and waiting until roughly the beginning of February to resume it is a step the NCAA should immediately take after this week of games. There are a huge number of benefits to doing so. The number one benefit is that not holding games and having teams travel to play away or neutral-site games, while having players and team personal continue to test at the rate they have been doing so, can hopefully ensure that these individuals have few if any positive tests. If teams do have members who test positive, then no games will make quarantining easier and not cause changes to game schedules. Players and teams can isolate themselves during such a break in the season from others, and will have almost no interaction with student and staff since it will be winter break.

By the beginning of February, the positivity rate and deaths for COVID-19 will ideally be going down in much of the country. Individuals who traveled for the holidays will hopefully have been home a few weeks by then, and many states and communities will have tighter restrictions to keep rates down. And of course, certain groups will be in the process of getting vaccinated.

One argument I don’t see being talked about enough for pausing the season is that by doing so, the quality of play and competitiveness of teams will be higher when it resumes. While it may take a couple of games for teams to get back in the swing of things, the possibility of having a steady schedule of games and practices without delays or cancellations will allow many teams to improve their level of play and mature on court and off. For fans, this will mean more exciting games. Similarily, moving conference tournaments and the NCAA tournament back to roughly the start of May from its normal dates in March can make for more entertaining and memorable tournaments.

As annoying as it is to agree with Rick Pitino, I feel he was right on the money when he stated the NCAA should restart the season when it is safer for coaches and players and have “May Madness”. Dan Hurley and other prominent coaches like Mike Krzyzewski have questioned the safety of playing right now and the affect COVID-19 has had on players, and coaches of women’s teams have echoed their concerns, including Geno Auriemma. While it may be frustrating for fans to see the season put on hold, I feel loyal ones will embrace a “May Madness” concept after the wait. The NCAA tournament will likely not have to compete with any playoffs in other major sports, helping to draw attention and viewers. If UConn is competing in the tournament I will be just as excited as ever, even if it is in May.

If the season was put on hold for a few weeks, I would feel bad for the players throughout the game. They have already sacrified so much individually and as team members since the pandemic started, and I would argue they have not gotten the appreciation they deserve (as well as the play or similar benefits). The players want to compete, and you just know not being able to play games would make them extremely frustrated. In the end however, a pause in the season would protect the health of themselves and coaches, the programs, and the sport as a whole. Better to not have games temporarily then for the virus to cause the entire rest of the season to be cancelled.

In the end, I have little confidence that the NCAA will pause the season until roughly the beginning of February, despite all the marquee games that have postponed or cancelled and the large number of teams that have played very few or no games. The conferences value the money they are getting from TV deals and other resources too much, and obviously think continuing to play is worth the risk. The only way I could see a pause happening is if positive COVID-19 cases spiked exponentially over the holidays, or enough prominent coaches and players demanded this. A man can dream though, can’t he?

Observations on Huskies win against USC: A developing team shows its toughness and depth

It’s been six-plus days, but the Uconn men’s 61-58 win over USC at the Legends Classic in Mohegan Sun resonates even more then right in the moment due to the program’s state of limbo they are in as of Wednesday afternoon. After a positive COVID-19 tests by a player and “non tier-one” member of the program, the 3-0 Huskies cannot resume practicing until at least Sunday and have already postponed games against St. John’s, Georgetown and Providence. They are scheduled to resume the season on the 20th against Creighton.

Over the next week, Husky Nation will make sure to cover how the pandemic is affecting the program and how it is approaching returning to playing, as well as looking at how UConn has played so far overall. For the website’s first major post however, we wanted to do a more conventional “game takeaways” post. Going forward, we will do this in a variety of formats, some that will hopefully work great and some that may not. Please enjoy our first game takeaways!

Going into the Huskies matchup with then-undefeated USC last Thursday, I have to admit I was a little worried. The Trojans have a great frontcourt featuring the star tandem of the Mobeley brothers, and had played well against a much tougher schedule. In contrast, UConn had played inconsistently against Central Connecticut and the University of Hartford, particularly on defense, and Danny Hurley was critical of their performance. The team had tinkered with its lineup consistently in the contests, and I was unsure what the lineup would look like at different points of the game. Ultimately, I believed it would be a close game but that the Trojans size would be the difference in USC winning.

I was ecstatic to be wrong. The Huskies demonstrated how what I believe are their biggest strengths (their depth and versatility) can allow them to beat a tough non-conference opponent. UConn was outstanding on the boards, outrebounding USC 42-31 and snatching 40.5% of offensive rebounds and 75% of defensive boards. The Huskies held the Trokans to 35.8% shooting from the field and made USC go 3-19 from three. The offense was strong throughout the first half behind James Bouknight, who scored 13 points, and at times in the second.

I elaborate on the subject more below, but it was also great to see UConn win a close game against a power conference team this early in the season. The players showed a lot of toughness and poise for all 40 minutes, even when UConn went completely cold on offense midway in the second half and nearly coughed up the lead. I was completely confident they would win.

Below are six (mostly positive) observations on the Huskies defeat of USC.

Josh Carlton comes alive

Coming into the season, I think everyone was uncertain how Carlton would fit into this year’s roster. Could he be a centerpiece of UConn’s deep frontcourtconsistently after a disappointing junior season? Did his decision to lose 20 pounds over the season pay off? The concerns about Carlton only intensified after playing only three minutes against CCSU and none against Hartford.

Freshman Adama Sanogo started in place of Carlton, but was quickly replaced by him after committing two fouls. Carlton immediately wiped away my doubts. He scored nine points and grabbed 11 rebounds (six offensive) in 30 minutes. Along with Isiah Whaley, he helped neutralized the Mobley brothers in the paint. Carlton displayed great mobility along with his trademark toughness. My biggest pet peeve with Carlton has always been his tendency to get into early foul trouble, but he played smart and was able to avoid this, no doubt helped by his increased mobility.

The Huskies are a deep team, but they are also in need of veteran leadership. Carlton can supply that if he plays consistently and with energy. Hurley and Bouknight singled out his play after the win. If Carlton continues to play well it will help to solidify the frountcourt, especially when Akok Akok returns from injury. I can’t wait to see what comes next from him.

UConn shows the resilence all fans are looking for

Throughout the second half, I imagine many fans were thinking: can they beat a good nonconference opponent in a close game? Last year’s Huskies lost seven games by less than five points and four in overtime. They entered the USC game having not played in six days and off an underwhelming win against UHart. UConn’s grueling week off practice clearly prepared them for the challenge, however.

After g0ing into halftime up 39-34, the Huskies came out in the second half with a sense of purpose. They played great on both ends in the first eight minutes and took a 53-40 lead with 11:40 remaining in the game. Even when the offense went ice-cold against the Trojans zone defense (it shot 1-14 from the field over a long stretch and scored just three points in the final eight minutes), UConn continued to rebound well and play strong defense. The players looked calm and composed on the sideline and did not display the “deer in the headlights faces” that charecterized last season’s close loses. With Whaley leading the way, UConn held USC to just three points in the final five minutes. Ultimately, the signature image of the game for me was 6-1 R.J. Cole springing up to grab the final rebound amid a crowd of larger players, looking cool as a cucumber.

Following the win, Hurley immediately said this was not a game UConn would have won last year and he’s completely right. Even if there’s no way to tell how the team will play in similar games the rest of the season, seeing it pull off such an impressive win makes me feel the Huskies will generally live up to the challenge and continue to regularly win these games.

Isiah Waley and Tyres Martin, the human energizer bunnys

Whaley is just a joy to watch and my favorite player on the Huskies. The win was another showcase for Whaley’s versatility, as he recorded 10 points, five rebounds, and five blocks. The senior forward locked down the paint and either blocked or altered many shots. He also made a few tough shots in the paint and added multiple putbacks. While Bouknight is UConn’s star, I would argue that Whaley has been their MVP so far.

Martin had a great debut performance against Hartford and again showed how important he can be to UConn’s success against the Trojans. The junior guard scored 11 points and grabbed seven boards while also playing solid defense. He demonstrated strong shotmaking ability and consistently got to the foul line, going 4-4 from there. Martin also made the single most impressive shot of the game early in the second half, draining a topsy-turvy shot at the rim. It appears like Martin will bring much-needed stability and leadership to this year’s backcourt. Martin and Whaley were the Huskies most reliable offensive players in the second half.

The beatiful inconsistency of James Bouknight

In the opening minutes, Bouknight looked unstoppable. The sophomore guard scored the game’s first nine points (he had 13 for the half) and displayed very smooth touch on his jumper. He constantly managed to get open in UConn’s pick-and-roll attack, and the ESPN announcers rightfully heaped Bouknight with praise. As the half wore on, however, Bouknight started to got fewer looks and fade into the background in a manner similar to his play against CCSU and Hartford. It was both thrilling and frustraing to watch.

In the second half, Bouknight’s shooting touch never returned and he finished 5-15 from the field for 18 points. Bouknight had a handful of shotsthat rimmed out or were rushed and was generally swallowed up by USC’s zone. He was also careless with the ball at times in the paint and committed four turnovers. Despite these struggles, Bouknight continued to play hard and made the game’s clinching basket owhen he completed a three-point play at the rim with 2:18 remaining to make it 61-57.

Bouknight still had an excellent game overall even with his offensive inconsistency. He grabbed seven rebounds and mostly did an efficient job passing the ball and finding open teammates. Hurley and Bouknight both said that he can do better and needs to be able to score efficiently for all 40 minutes. Bouknight is having a great season so far, but he hasn’t yet demonstrated he can be an alpha dog for the Huskies against their best opponents. Bouknight needs to for the team to live up to its potential this season.

Zone defense is UConn kryptonite

The Huskies struggled mightily against zone defenses throughout last season, although they performed slightly better as Bouknight and Whaley emerged as centerpieces of the offense. It’s been the same story against Hartford and especially USC. UConn shot just 34.5% overall in the win and made only one three-pointer in the second half. After the Trojans switched to the zone with roughly 12 minutes remaining in the game, UConn could not make outside shots to soften it up. USC also limited the players offensive movement and was able to deny any fastbreak opportunities for the Huskies. The Trojans offense benefited from UConn’s struggles, as the Huskies appeared uncertain at times on the defensive end in the middle of the second half before getting back on track . Evan Mobley and his teammates cut into the deficit by scoring in the paint and on layups.

You have to hope that as UConn gets back to practicing regularly and (hopefully) playing games, Danny Hurley emphasizes what UConn must do to score effectively when teams play zone against them, particularly from the peremiter. As I discuss more below, Cole, Tyler Polley , and Brendan Adams did not pick up Bouknight offensively when he struggled in the second half, and you have to wonder if this will regularly happen until the Huskies become a more cohesive offensive unit. Ultimately though, I am confident that we will have enough talented scorers so that teams cannot ensure themselves a win by just siting back in a zone and waiting for UConn to miss.

Cole struggles and Polley and Adams are MIA

Entering the season, myself and many other fans saw Cole as the most likely secondary scoring option for the Huskies. Through three games Cole’s performance has been mixed, and he looked shaky against USC. Cole scored just six points on 2-8 shooting. Many of these shots were challenged or out of rythm. Cole did contribute in other ways, earning four assists and grabbing five rebounds despite being the shortest player on either team. Ideally, the Huskies will need Cole to regularly score in double figures and handle the ball well to play up to his potential. As he adjusts to playing at a power conference level this season, I believe Cole will become that player.

Polley has had ugly games against both Hartford and USC, going scoreless in each while being plauged with foul trouble. He played just four minutes against the Trojans and committed four fouls while missing three shots. Polley still doesn’t appear to have regained the athleticism or shooting touch he showed last season before his ACL injury and has struggled to stay in front of players on defense. Polley has always been a limited player, but it was hoped that he could again be a scoring threat from the peremiter this season. Right now, Polley is still a huge question mark.

Adams performance against USC was disappointing, as he went scoreless and played just six minutes due to foul trouble. Adams has scored just two points in the last two games in 30 minutes of play. If Adams can avoid foul trouble and supply good defense and decent shooting in most games, he will continue to be a valuable member of the rotation. He just needs to let the game come to him more.

Thank you for reading my first game recap article! Please contact me if you want to provide any feedback, and lets hope UConn plays again soon.

The Journey Begins

 

Welcome to Husky Nation and thank you for reading. During the 2020-21 season, we will provide engaging and detailed analysis of the Uconn men’s basketball team. It should be an exciting season as the Huskies return to their rightful home in the Big East and hopefully the NCAA tournament. We will have recaps of the team’s games as well as other fun coverage of the Huskies. Thank you for helping me build this community.

Jonathan