Observations on last Two games: UConn Comes Up Small on Offense and Big on D, Bench is Absent, and R.J at his Best and Worst

By all reasonable metrics, myself and other readers and devoted fans of the Huskies should be pretty satisfied with how the season has played out. UConn is 15-5 and 6-3 in the Big East, just came off of a five-game win streak and in the top 25 in both the AP polls and multiple ranking systems like NET and KenPom. In addition, the team has a few impressive wins already, including one of the best of the entire college basketball season against No. 1 Auburn. And yet the last five days have been extremely stressful for Husky fans, especially after Tuesday’s 59-55 home less to Creighton.

The Huskies quickly morphed from one of the best offenses in the Big East to one that struggled to create shots and convert on quality opportunities against DePaul in a 57-50 win and the Bluejays, as well as being way too reliant one or two players. Combine fears of a limited offense with the Huskies issue of winning close games, and everybody is on edge going into Saturday’s game a t powerhouse Villanova and then a tough schedule for the remainder of February.

After six consecutive games in which UConn scored at least 75 points and demonstrated depth and ability to shoot from the perimeter, that came to a screeching halt against DePaul (10-10, 1-9) last Saturday. The Huskies missed a ton of open shots and struggled with careless ball-handling, went into halftime struggling 29-28 and really didn’t gain control of the game until midway in the second half. R.J. Cole single-handily kept his team in the game in the first half, as the redshirt senior made a serious of tough layups and jumpers on his way to 16 of their first 21 points.

In the second Adama Sanago gave UConn a huge lift by scoring six consecutive points to open the game and Cole continued his brilliant play. A relentless defense limited the Demon Deacons to just six points in the first 10 minutes of the half and the Huskies did enough from there to secure a hard-fought win. Cole finished with 25 points on 9-17 shooting and 5-5 at the free throw line and Sanago had 10 and eight rebounds. Andre Jackson scores seven points, snatched 13 rebounds and added three assists. The Huskies shot just 37% overall and 2-15 from three, but took control of the game in the second half partly by dominating the boards, where they outrebounded DePaul 45-35. Besides Javan and Brandon Johnson, who scored a combined 32 points, no one else on their squad scored more than seven as they shot 28.8%.

I’ll go into specific details about the Creighton game a lot more below, but it was extremely painful to watch the 59-55 loss. The Bluejays (13-7, 5-4 as of Monday morning) entered the game coming off two tough losses and on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament, and from the opening tip looked more energetic and stronger than UConn. It shot just 28.6%, with the Huskies ever forcing shots against a big and physical defense or missing wide-open shots. Against one of the best rebounding teams in the country, Creighton outrebounded UConn 27-16 and earned 11 second-chance points in the first half. The Huskies did a poor job boxing out around the rim and getting to loose balls. They managed to stay in the game only due to the performance of Isiah Whaley, wo scored their first nine points and finished the half with 11 points on 5-8 shooting, and solid defense around the rim that helped hold Creighton to 40%.

The second half shared a lot of similarities with UConn’s loss to Providence in December. Its defense improved their switching and rebounding and altered more shots at the rim, and Adama Sanogo and R.J. Cole briefly stepped up to support the hot-shooting Whaley. Two threes by a wide-open Whaley tied the game at 37 with 13:18 to go, and a key Whaley block and Sanago hook shot gave the Huskies a 41-39 lead at 10:13. After the teams scored baskets for a short time, Alex O’Connell gave Creighton the lead with a dunk off a turnover by Whaley with 5:22 remaining and his team stayed in front the remainder of the game. UConn failed to make a field goal for more than seven minutes starting with 7:56 left, missing numerous open jumpers and putback attempts as Bluejays defenders continued to push them around. Despite a valiant defensive effort by the Huskies, Creighton did just enough on offense and at the free throw line to escape Hartford with a 4-point victory.

While UConn won many of the team statical categories in comparison to Creighton, its ineptitude on offense and lousy start led to its downfall Tuesday. The team ultimately shot just 29.9%, including a ridiculous 34.2%% from three, and Whaley was the 3-point offense for the Huskies, going 4-8 to his teammates 1-13. While Whaley was excellent, going for 20 and nine rebounds, no teammates was efficient on offense. Andre Jackson and Tyrese Martin combined for just 12 points on 4-20 shooting in 69 minutes, and Cole and Sanago struggled to score against Creighton’s size and physicality, ultimately finishing with a combined 23 points. Most egregiously, the Huskies four bench player scored just two points and went 0-8 from the field, with only Tyler Polley playing significant minutes (Creighton’s bench had 13, with Tyler Alexander scoring 11 points). The Bluejays may have shot just 39.3% and had more turnovers and fewer steals and blocks, but to UConn fans they are empty numbers. Hurley definitely summed up the feelings of myself and other fans when he called the loss an “embarrassment” and “stunning”.

Despite the sense of frustration after Tuesday, there are a lot of positives to take from the DePaul and Creighton contests. UConn played excellent defense, R.J and Whaley had signature performances and the team again showed the ability to rally from poor starts to take control of games. And at times they again showed the ability to dominate the glass, even if the Huskies don’t take advantage of this enough. Now, it’s time for the program to get a signature road win against a powerhouse for the first time in forever at Villanova tomorrow. Below, I talk about my observations about UConn’s offensive and defensive play the last two weeks, the impact of good Cole against bad Cole, and concerns about poor bench contribution, among other topics.

UConn Suffered on Offense in Each Game in Different Ways

Against Butler, the Huskies offensive issues were more due to missing open high-quality shots and sloppy turnovers as well as foul trouble for the big men. It’s not like Martin, Jackson, Polley and Jordan Hawkins didn’t get good open looks from the deep or the opportunity to finish at the rim. They just didn’t, for reasons like poor spacing and rushing spots to bad bounces. Jackson, Whaley and Sanago, who combined for 10 of the 13 turnovers, were too loose with the ball against a Demon Deacons squad that gave UConn a lot of trouble due to their physicality. Luckily for the Huskies, Cole was brilliant at finishing shots (more on his performance below) and Sanago and Jackson did just enough to help the offense escape Chicago with the win.

In contrast, the Huskies biggest offensive issues against Creighton were more buried in shot selection and not moving the ball effectively. In the first half, players forced a lot of midrange or 3-point attempts that they were short on or took off balance instead of looking harder for the open man. Creighton’s size and physicality made it difficult for UConn’s guards and bigs, especially Cole, to finish shots, and the Huskies found it difficult to push the pace and get fastbreak opportunities due to rebounding issues. Especially in the first half, the offense looked incredibly static and didn’t seem to be running a lot of creative sets. Who knows how much of that is on the players and then on Dan Hurley.

While the Huskies briefly got going on offense in the second half, largely thanks to Whaley, the team fell into a trap of playing hero ball and returned to being static  as the BlueJays retook the lead and the clock got closer to zero. Cole, in particular, found it very difficult to finish against bigger guards. Sanago had issues establishing position deep in the paint against defender Arthur Kaluma and his teammates didn’t look for him hard enough. UConn could have made it easier for itself by scoring on putbacks or earning and making free throws, but it instead looks helpless on second-chance opportunities (Not going up hard enough? Bad technique? Poor luck? Probably a combination of all these factors). If the team could have converted on three or four more second-chance opportunities and missed fewer front end free throws, they would have one. Frankly however, the team didn’t deserve to.

The Defense was On Point for Nearly 40 Minutes in Both Games

No, the Bluejays and Demon Deacons are not anyone’s idea of offensive juggernauts, and UConn benefited from the absence of star Javon Freeman-Liberty against DePaul. However, the Huskies still have a lot to be proud of from these efforts. They shut down the paint in both games, consistently altering shots and pressuring ball-handlers using their athleticism. After poor starts in both games, UConn did a much better job of challenging perimeter shooters in second halves. UConn did a great job of keeping DePaul off the offensive boards. And most importantly, the Huskies never seemed to lack energy on defense in either game in contrast to its offense. Cole, Martin and Whaley did a particularly strong job of playing defense between the games.

Between DePaul and Creighton, the Huskies held both teams under 40% shooting, 23 turnovers, just 12 assists and only a combined 47 points in the game’s second halves. After a lackluster defensive showing against Georgetown, the defense could have easily been discouraged and slacked off in the next two games. Instead, it shook things up and demonstrated better fundamentals and communication in the following games, and that is why UConn’s identity is centered on its defense.  

R.J. Cole is Jekyll and Hyde

Cole is by far UConn’s most indispensable player. When he is on, the Huskies have a dynamic player who can create shots and facilitate others and the offense runs much smoother. When Cole is contained or off and no one else steps up as a leader sand shot creator, the team is almost guaranteed to suffer a loss. Cole was absolutely brilliant in the win over DePaul. He scored 16 of UConn’s first 21 points to keep it within striking distance. Cole knocked down a series of jumpers and used his athleticism to beat defenders at the rim. In the second half, Cole continued to score effectively and facilitate well on offense while playing aggressive defense and helped close the game out at the line. He finished with 25 points and five rebounds.

The Creighton loss showed how thin the line is between winning and losing for UConn when Cole doesn’t play well. The Bluejays weren’t a great matchup for the redshirt senior with their size and physicality, and with almost no teammates playing well everything was put on Cole’s shoulders. He could not score effectively at the rim, and when Cole’s outside shots weren’t falling at the beginning of the game, he seemed to lose confidence in them. While Cole struggled to get to the line, he missed multiple key free throws late that helped kill a UConn rally, a mistake that is inexcusable for someone that is almost automatic at the charity stripe. By the end too much was being asked of Cole on both ends and it clear he was completely fatigued.

Even with his poor play against Creighton, I don’t put too much blame on him for the loss. Cole was doing his best to provide leadership and play excellent defense as well on offense, and ultimately the challenge was too big for him against a team that is a bad matchup.  While Cole needs to be more efficient offensively, he cannot be at his best unless others are making outside shots to open up the lane for him. When Cole has performances like Tuesday’s it shows just how glaring the absence of more shot creators and a reliable backup point guard is for the Huskies.   

Another Game, Another Slow Start

It seems like you can count on one hand the number of games UConn has gotten off to a quick start, no matter the level of competition. The team fell behind by double digits early in the first half against both DePaul and Creighton, with the defense and a single player (Cole against DePaul and Whaley against Creighton) keeping the offense afloat before it improved its play in the second half. In the opening half against Creighton, everyone named Isiah shot just 18.5% Such slow starts will put heavy pressure on the team and certain players as the Huskies force even tougher competition in February starting with Villanova tomorrow. There is a lot of adjustments the team can make to get going earlier, such as increasing the pace of play, running more creative sets and changing around the starting lineup, which Hurley has alluded to. Whatever is done, a team supposedly at the level should not experience this issue again and again.

The Bench is Nonexistent

Against DePaul and Creighton, the bench of Tyler Polley, Jalen Gaffney, Jordan Hawkins and Akok Akok scored a combined six points while making just one field goal and missing all their 3-pointers despite Hawkins and Polley’s reputation as 3-point specialists. With none of the quartet reliable against the opponents and Polley the only one playing a large number of minutes, it is understandable that the starters tired against Creighton and in other games, especially Cole. The depth Dan Hurley talked about before the season has largely been nonexistent outside the starters, and unless the bench starts showing up the Huskies will struggle heavily to beat the upper echelon of Big East teams. At least one of Polley and Hawkins has to be reliable every game, and Gaffney has to be able to be a reliable backup guard who can generate points off the bench (its hard to get a handle on Akok’s role at all right now). I am confident there is a decent chance UConn could kick-start the bench by experimenting with the starting lineup, but I never imagined it would be this unreliable by February.

Examing the Coaching Staff Changes for the Huskies

The late spring is usually the quitest time for any major college basketball program, especially once the transfer and recruiting processes are mostly settled. This was not the case with the Huskies, however. Instead, the program had multiple coaches come and go from Storrs in just a few weeks. When the dust settled, UConn added one, of the most highly-regarded assistants in the country and a proven strength and conditioning coach who fits the program’s philosphies.

Below, I discuss the departures of one of the Huskies assistant coaches and their strength and conditioning coach, and the additions of Luke Murray and Gavin Roberts to take these positions. I believe Murray and Roberts are excllent hires and can make an immediate impact on the program and be extremely important to its success in the years to come.

Kevin Freeman leaves, Luke Murray replaces him

Freeman, who was a key cog on UConn’s 1999 title team, stepped down in mid-April after one season as an assistant coach. He will now lead UConn’s National C Club, a position previously occupied by current women’s assistant basketball coach Jamie Elliott. The UConn website says that the National C Club ““seeks to build and foster relationships through networking, mentoring and professional experience opportunities between former and current UConn student-athletes”.

Freeman attributed his decision to wanting to make a lifetyle chance that would allow him to spend more time with his young family while also staying within the UConn family. Freeman’s decision is certaintly understandable, and I am glad he will continue to be part of the program, where he previously served as the director of basketball administration from 2011-2018. However, it was concerning to hear that Dan Hurley was upset with Freeman’s decision to go on vaciation in early April when the Huskies were looking at players who could transfer to UConn (fellow assistant Kimani Young went on vacation as well). Like many fans, I wondered if the program could attract quality candidates for the position this late in the offseason. I shouldn’t have worried.

Murray wazs immediately seen as a top candidate for the assistant position by fans due to his success at Xavier and Louisville as an assistant to Chris Mack. Before that, Murray was an assistant for Hurley at Wagner from 2010-11 and at Rhode Island from 2013-15. While with the Musketeers from 2015-18, he helped the Muskeeters to an 81-26 record while bringing in three consecutive ranked recruiting classes. He then helped lead Lousville to a 57-28 record in three seasons and brought in a six-player class in 2019 that was ranked ninth in the country by ESPN.

Murray has connections to UConn’s program and and an understanding of recruiting in the Northeast beyond just his stints at Wagner and Rhode Island. Murray played his high school basketball at St. Luke’s School in New Canaan and went to UConn for his first semester of college before transferring to and graduating from Fairfield University. Murray built a relationship with UConn assistants while in Storrs, and seeing the success of the program helped encourage his interest in coaching in college. He worked for current Huskies assistantTom Moore when he was head at Quinnipiac, and has worked alonside Young in the New York AAU scene. He has coached with AAU programs in Springfield in addition to New York.

Murray checks all the boxes, as they say, for the type of assistant coach Hurley is looking for. He is a coach who Hurley has worked with before, can continue to strengthen UConn as a premier destination for top recruits in the Northeast, and should have a strong working relationship with the team’s other assistants. Most importantly in my mind, Murray has had demonstrated success attrracting recruits from throughout the Midwest and South and can help expand the Huskies recruiting footprint, something UConn will need to do if it wants to return to being an elite program.

Murry is highly regarded for his coaching ability throughout the college basketball world, and is seen as a future head coach. Murray was ranked 10th amoung ESPN’s list of coaches under 40 in 2020 and was named one of the top five recruiters in the country by 247sports. He also was a member of The Athletic’s list of 40 most influential figures in college basketball under the age of 40. After Murray was hired, a number of coaching figures and media members heavily praised the move. The Athletec’s Sam Vecenie wrote “Luke Murray is one of the smartest people I’ve met within basketball. One of the few that I think could legit work in NBA front office, coaching, college coaching, etc. Super smart, and REALLY knows hoops. Just a really great hire for UConn.”

I believe that Murray is about as perfect as a hire as UConn could have gotten. The 35-year old Murray will inject a lot of energy into the program, and his track record and ability to relate to high school recruits should allow him to immediately attract quality players in the 2022 and ’23 classses. In the few weeks since Murray arrived in Storrs, multiple top recruits whom Murray was going after while at Louisvillle have either expressed interest in UConn or officially gotten offers from the Huskies, and there has been indications that Murray and the staff are going after other top targets as well. With Murray there, I expect the program to get excellent classes for these two years. I am especially excited by the potential for Murray to bring in players from throughout the country and not just the Northeast. Throw in Murray’s relationship with Hurley and the rest of the coaching staff, and he is a home run hire.

Best of all, Luke is the son of Bill Murray. How awesome will it be to see him at multiple UConn games?

Strength coach Mike Rehfeldt replaced by Gavin Roberts

UConn’s second coaching departure came on April 30th when Rehfeldt left the program to return to Cincinnati, where he previously served as strength coach for eight seasons. Rehfeldt had served under Mick Cronin before he departed the Bearcats, and was hired by Hurley last July. He made a big impact on the program in his short time in Storrs, helping multiple yong players build their body strength. This effort was reflected in UConn’s rebounding prowness, as it was one of the top offensive rebounding teams in the country. Rehfeldt’s return to Cincinatti was spurred by the firing of John Brannan on April 9th and the hiring of Wes Miller as the new Bearcats head coach.

While Rehfeldt’s decision to return to Cincy was very understandable, it left UConn looking for its sixth different strength/conditioning coach in eight years. This lack of continuity definitely hurts the program, especially in the devlopment of younger players. The Huskies needed to find a proven replacement who they could trust to say multiple seasons.

Two weeks later, UConn hired Roberts. The 31-year old, who was previously at Purdue for three years as the the head strength and conditioning coach, also met all the qualifications the program wanted in a director of sports performance. While Roberts was at Purdue, the Boilermakers went 60-35. He brings to Storrs that conference’s reputation for size, strength and physical play, qualities that are part of Hurley’s philosophy. At UConn, Roberts will be responsible for in-season and offseason aspects concerning strength, conditioning, nutrition and wellness training for the program.

Following his hire, Roberts discussed his biggest prorities as a coach. Roberts cited ensuring players were healthy, building athleticism, and finding a system players need in order to thrive (from a mental, nutriotional and strenth standpoint) as his biggest immediate priorities.

I believe Roberts success at Purdue and his clear goals as a coach will make him successful as a director. If Roberts can help the players go stronger both physically and mentally, while still finding a way for a player’s increased size or weight to not take away from his athleticism, then he should make a positive impact up and down the roster. What will be just as important is ensuring Roberts will stay in Storrs for the long term so that there is some stability with the position.

The Team’s Chemistry Was Highly Visible

UConn’s chemistry has been on display all season, especially that shared by the more experienced players. But its only during this four-game winning streak that I’ve especially noticed it among all the players and the team having fun as a whole. The team was smiling and high-fiving after many big offensive plays and fastbreak baskets, and the communication and connection Sanago shared with both Cole and Jackson was unstoppable. That energy and dedication to pushing the tempo was there for all 40 minutes and allowed the Huskies to take a huge lead when they could have easily sat back and taken their foot of the gas. Whaley even said after the game that the chemistry with this year’s team was better than last year’s and the best he has experienced in his five seasons. If the players can maintain that chemistry and communication among one another against tougher teams and when everything isn’t going smoothly in the coming weeks, UConn can be one of the best teams in America.   

The Defense Was Way Too Leaky

Based on the quality of the offense, UConn clearly had its worst defensive performance in Big East play Tuesday. While a couple of the first-half threes Georgetown hit were well-contested, way too many of them were wide open. What was especially annoying to watch was Husky defenders right there barely contesting threes, something that was inexcusable considering that’s by far the Hoyas biggest strength on offense. While the post defense was hurt by the foul trouble Sanago experienced, the defenders still did not contest shots well enough in the first half, with Mohammed especially taking advantage. It is clear that Hurley emphasized playing better defense at halftime. UConn absolutely came out more aggressive in the second half and pressured ball handlers while rotating well on outside shooters, turning the game into a rout. The Huskies had a lot of leeway with an opponent like Georgetown, but that still doesn’t give them an excuse to play flat on D to start the game. If the same thing happens on the road tomorrow at DePaul, they will quickly be in danger of losing.  

Observations on UConn’s Win Against Georgetown: An Unforgettable Offense, the Front Line Continues to Own, and Hawkins Comes Alive

It’s fun to watch offenses dominate in all facets of the game, isn’t it? More than anything else, that’s the observation to take away from UConn’s 96-73 beatdown of Georgetown on Tuesday night at Gampel. It was one of the Huskies most complete wins of the season, and ultimately by several metrics one of the best offensive games any D-1 team has had this season and one of the five best by the program since 2002. The game also again showcased the impressive chemistry and joy the team has displayed in January. One thing is certainly clear: UConn has absolutely owned Georgetown since returning to the Big East.  

The UConn offense was firing on all cylinders from the get go as they pushed the pace off Georgetown turnovers and missed shots and found Adama Sanago for open shots in the paint. Sanago opened the game with a dunk off a beautiful pass with Andre Jackson, who then had a spectacular fastbreak dunk a few possessions later. After Georgetown called its first timeout following a layup by Tyrese Martin, the Huskies began to expand their shooting range. With the help of some crisp passing, Akok Akok, Jordan Hawkins and Tyler Polley made consecutive three pointers (all assisted open), to push UConn’s lead to 28-19 with 9:28 remaining in the first half. Each trey was taken before the Hoyas defense could get set to challenge the shot.

Even as UConn was hitting everything however, Georgetown was doing a good job of keeping pace with them offensively, scoring 15 consecutive points on 3-pointers, two by Donald Carey to cut the deficit to 36-31 with 4:54 to go. The Hoyas were on fire from deep the entire first half, shooting 8-13. The defense did a poor job rotating and did not sufficiently challenge 3-pointers despite this being by far Georgetown’s biggest offensive strength.

In the last five minutes of the half the Huskies again put some distance between them and the Hoyas.  Whaley scored multiple baskets off of offensive rebounds and UConn scored multiple second-chance points, taking advantage of quality ball pressure and loose handles by Georgetown players. Polley ended the half by making all his free throws after being fouled on a three to give the Huskies a 52-40 halftime lead. Martin scored 12 points in the half and his team had 11 points off turnovers. Still, the Hoyas managed to stay in the game by shooting 53.3%, with Aminu Mohammed dominating UConn inside and out to score 13.

Both offenses started slow in the second half as the game became more physical and there were unforced turnovers. UConn missed multiple shots around the rim and Georgetown struggled from the perimeter. The Huskies slowly stretched out their lead, and a fastbreak dunk and putback by Whaley putback gave him 13 points and made it 62-46 with 13:37 to go. Eventually, an open 3-pointer by Hawkins off a pass by Gaffney put the Huskies up 69-52 just before the 12-minute mark. They eventually figured out how to break the press the Hoyas started the half with to get quick shots, and focused on attacking the paint and scoring at the rim. Meanwhile, the defense, led by Whaley, did a much better job of challenging shots and rebounding at the rim to start the half and benefited from Georgetown finally getting cold from the outside.

Over the next few minutes UConn slowly built its lead. The got a great open look for Hawkins out of a timeout and he drained the three to push the lead to 20 points. Sanago then took over with six consecutive paints deep in the paint, with the final two baskets coming on pinpoint passes by Jackson from the top of the key, extending UConn’s run to 12-0, which lasted just over three minutes. During this run, the Huskies kept the Hoyas out of the paint as they missed jumper after jumper.

After a couple of baskets by Georgetown, UConn went on one last run with 7:48 to go. Sanago had a putback before it scored four points with the help of a flagrant foul, with the 9-1 run ending on a beautiful 3-pointer by Cole. The Huskies extended their lead over 30 in the final minutes as both teams emptied their benches and the Hoyas went on a scoring spree to make the final score look closer than the game was.

UConn ultimately shot exactly 50% and 41.7% 10-24) and 78.3% (18-23) from the free throw line, and the offense as a whole scored 1.45.9 points per possession. This was the best PPP mark by any team in the country this season and  Five players (Sanago, Whaley, Hawkins, Cole, Martin) scored at least 13 points, with Sanago leading the way with 19 and Whaley and Hawkins tying season highs with 15. Sanago had 18 points and 8 rebounds as well as 2 blocks and steals. Whaley went for 15 and 7 and Martin 14 and 8. Cole added 7 assists and 6 rebounds, and Jackson had five dimes. Hawkins went 4-7 from three. UConn had 21 assists to 7 turnovers and 27 fast-break points, it’s best number against high major competition. It had 19 offensive rebounds to Georgetown’s 12 and outrebounded them 40-28 in total.

Georgetown shot 4% and 11-21 from three. Mohammed had 15 points and 7 rebounds and shot 3-4 from deep and Colin Holloway and Donald Carey put up 11 and 10, each making two threes. After a poor defensive effort in the first half, UConn held the Hoyas to 37% shooting in the second half. Led by Whaley, they defended much better around the rim and rebound better, and improved their rotations on the perimeter, allowing the Huskies to consistently contest outside shots. They had 6 blocks and 5 steals.      

There are a lot of fun thoughts to take from UConn’s win against Georgetown. Here are a few significant observations I experienced.

UConn Has Legendary Offensive Performance

I’ve already gone through most of the remarkable offensive numbers, from the 1.45 points per possession (one of the best program marks this century) to having five players score in double digits and eight at least five to the shooting splits (50%/41.7%/78.3%). In addition, every player who played more than five minutes had an offensive rating over 100 on KenPom. Even without these numbers however, any fan watching could see this performance represented all of UConn’s players at their very situational best.

The players did an outstanding job of moving the ball and attacking the defense off of turnovers and missed shots. UConn’s acclaimed offensive depth was completely on display, from Hawkins (and Akok’s) ability to be a sharpshooter off the bench to Sanago and Whaley’s ability to dominate in the paint and on the board to Martin’s versatility on both ends to Cole and a lesser extent Jackson’s ability to beat defenders and create plays. At their best, there are so many ways the Huskies can score that a team can only contain them so much. That’s even more true when they are avoiding turnovers and unforced errors, as the team has mostly done the last few games.      

Adama Sanago and Isiah Whaley Continue to be a Potent Duo

Sanago continued to be a dominant force against Big East opponents, scoring 19 points in just 23 minutes due to foul trouble. The Georgetown defenders were helpless to stop Sanago when he established good position, as he shot 8-14 and 3-4 from the line. The sophomore also showed off his athleticism with a fastbreak dunk, passed well out of double teams and played solid defense, earning two blocks. Sanago is now averaging 18.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 3.6 blocks in the past five games, and no Big East team has shown they can contain him when Sanago is healthy.

While Sanago is the big man who aways looks smooth, Whaley is currently doing the dirty work. After a tough stretch where he underperformed and dealt with health and injury issues, Whaley has averaged 13 points and 8.5 rebounds in the past two games while shooting 12-20. He is currently doing a great job of boxing out defenders and grabbing offensive rebounds for easy putbacks. Whaley was by far UConn’s most effective defender against Georgetown and did a great job of altering shots and grabbing defensive rebounds. Whaley’s energy and leadership ability seems like it is returning to the level Husky fans are used to. If he can continue to be a high-quality defender while getting his outside shot going again, Whaley will be even harder to stop.  

Jordan Hawkins is the Microwave Man

The freshman who came in with big expectations has had a very topsy-turvy year, marked by confidence issues and inconsistent ball handling and shooting. As UConn has gotten deeper into Big East play however, Hawkins is finally starting to show the offensive skills fans were expecting from him. After demonstrating the ability to score in the paint against Butler, Hawkins finally came alive beyond the arc against Georgetown by going 4-7 from three to help the Huskies pull away. Hawkins 3-point shot has usually looked very smooth even when he is off, but recently it appears that he is doing a better job of moving without the ball and getting open opportunities with his feet set. When you combine his abilities from deep with his quality free throw shooting and ability to beat defenders at the rim, Hawkins can provide instant offense off the bench. Hawkins also avoided any turnovers against the hoyas, a issue that has plagued him all season.

Like a lot of talented freshmen, Hawkins has shown a lot of inconsistency and been unable to record multiple strong games in a row (he was scoreless in the second game against Butler). The Georgetown win has a great one for him to build on, as it was the best he’s shot from three in a long time and Hawkins avoided turnovers and played solid defense. After strong performances in two of the last three games, I would hope that he can build some momentum and at least begin shooting well from deep game to game. It’s clear that Hurley and his teammates will do their best to put Hawkins in a position to succeed, as they have been emphasizing playing better defense and working on his ball-handling technique. Now it is on Hawkins to fulfill his promise as UConn begins playing tougher teams.

@@Observations on Huskies Pair of Wins Against Butler: Struggling Players Get Going, Sanago Stays Dominant and UConn Shows Versatility

With UConn having back-to-back games against Butler last Tuesday and Thursday (the result of the December game against the Bulldogs being cancelled and then rescheduled due to the Huskies Covid-19 issues), it had a great opportunity to get two comfortable wins against a weaker opponent. UConn had been unable to do so before last week against mid or high-major conference teams, with most of its wins instead being nail-biters. While the wins were very different, the Huskies succeeded in their task and extended their winning streak to three games. The games also showed UConn’s versatility and their ability to win in multiple ways.

UConn defeated Butler 76-59 Tuesday night before winning 75-56 at Hinkle Fieldhouse two days later. It improved to 13-4 overall and 4-2 in the Big East with the wins, while the Bulldogs fell to 9-9 and 2-4 in conference play. Both wins were the team’s biggest since a rout of Grambling State in early December. As of Sunday night, the Huskies were ranked 18th on KenPom, and moved up to No. 20 in the AP Poll on Monday. Tuesday’s win was also the first time they have held a team under 60 points since December 4th.

In Tuesday’s win at the XL Center, UConn quickly demonstrated the talent disparity between it and Butler, leading nearly the entire game and never allowing the Bulldogs to go on a second-half run to get within striking distance. While the Huskies started slow offensively their defense was excellent from the get go, and they eventually caught fire in the final five minutes of the first half, establishing momentum that would last for a long time.

After the Bulldogs hit two free throws to cut the deficit to 25-16 with six minutes remaining in the first, UConn would flip the script with three consecutive 3-pointers (two by Andre Jackson and one by Tyler Polley), giving it a 17-point lead. Ultimately, the Huskies ended the half on a 14-8 run to take a 39-25 lead into the break, allowing just a single field goal in the process. This stretch was fueled by outstanding interior defense and ball movement, with the Huskies pushing the pace and consistently getting open shots. Jackson and Polley were the primary beneficiaries of these looks and took advantage.

After a poor first half, Adama Sanago came out of the locker room firing and made two baskets to open the second half and give UConn a 19-point lead. Butler made a spirited 13-4 run when the Huskies got cold from the outside, and a tough layup by Simas Lukosius cut their lead to 47-36 with 14:39 to play. This was the last sustained run the Bulldogs would go on until garbage time however, as R.J. Cole and company began to attack the paint for baskets and find one another for quality looks inside. UConn pushed their lead to 15 and eventually 20 at 65-45 on a 3-point play by Jackson with 4:49 to go before going on to win by 17. Its defense in the paint continued to be suffocating for much of the second half, ultimately finishing with 10 blocks, and Butler does not shoot well enough from outside or the midrange to make up the difference. In the final minutes the Huskies were finally able to get their young benchwarmers into the game, with freshman Samson Johnson and redshirt sophomore Richie Springs making baskets.

Cole was the standout offensive performer in the win, scoring 17 and shooting the most efficiently he had in a while (4-7 from the field and 8-9 at the line) while adding six rebounds and three assists. Four other players scored in double figures and Sanago had his third consecutive double-double with 13 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks). Jackson was everywhere with 12 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, Jordan Hawkins had his best game in a long time with 14 points on 5-9 shooting, and Polley scored 10 to round out the double-digit scorers. On defense, the Huskies bottled up Butler to the tune of 31% shooting and shut down their top scorers Bryce Golden and Bryce Niz, allowing the pair just 10 combined points on 3-16 shooting in 56 minutes. In addition to the four blocks by Sanago, Akok Akok had three and Isiah Whaley two. UConn outrebounded Butler 49-39.   

After UConn had dictated tempo two nights prior, Butler did so in their home gym during the first half Thursday. It played a methodical and physical style, and it worked as the Huskies couldn’t score anywhere besides right at the basket and struggled with ball security, committing seven turnovers while shooting 28.6%. They went scoreless multiple times for long stretches, and the trio of Cole, Jackson and Tyrese Martin were defended very well and had poor shot selection, going on to shoot 2-15 in the first 20 minutes. It was Sanago and Whaley who carried the offense to their 24 first-half points, combining for 16 on 7-11 shooting to get UConn to get 24 points. Sanogo’s footwork around the basket was excellent and Whaley crashed the boards to earn multiple putbacks. Despite the lack of offensive firepower, the Huskies managed to trail just 28-24 at halftime due to their aggressive defense and poor shooting by Butler, who made 39.9% of their looks and committed seven turnovers.

 As the second half started, UConn regained the lead roughly three minutes in and claimed it for good when Martin hit a jumper with 11:55 left to make it 40-38. The Huskies continued their outstanding defense in the first eight minutes and Martin, who had struggled offensively for a few games and during the first half, suddenly woke up and anchored an 11-0 run. Martin scored eight points in this run, including two 3-pointers, and was just warming up.

After going up by two, Martin and UConn began attacking the paint, sharing the ball efficiently and pushing the tempo, when possible, to establish a commanding lead. However, Butler refused to go quietly despite continuing to shoot poorly, instead doing their best to live at the free throw line. Jalen Gaffney and Martin scored consecutive baskets off Bulldogs turnovers to go up 10 with 6:16 to go, but they quickly answered with a three and free throws to cut the deficit to 57-52. The Huskies stayed calm and Cole, who did a strong job running the offense despite offensive struggles, found a wide-open Martin for a three with 3:;59 to go, and Polley solidified the win with a three on the next possession, again set up by Cole. In the final 4:18, UConn outscored an exhausted Butler 18-4, with eight curtesy of Martin.

Martin, who scored just two points in the first half, put up 25 in the second to finish with 27 on 7-11 in 15 and 11 points. Whaley grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double, while Sanago just missed out on a double-double with nine and added three blocks. Jackson struggled mightily with his shot but still earned seven rebounds and five assists. Cole had a season-low four points on 2-8 shooting but ran the offensive effectively and committed just one turnover. The Huskies improved their perimeter defense on Thursday and held Butler to 4-19 from three and 38% from the field, and outrebounded the Bulldogs 39-25 after struggling on the boards early.

As discussed more, the two wins last week were very encouraging, no matter the level of competition. They continued to show how formidable UConn’s defense can be at its best, its depth, and that certain players can take over when necessary, among other signs. Beating Butler by nearly 20 points twice gives me the confidence that the Huskies will play well against low level Big East teams in Georgetown and DePaul this week, and be in good position to play well during the team’s tough early February schedule. Below, I look at the most encouraging observations from last week’s performances as well as important developments fans possibly saw in players and the performance of Dan Hurley.

Once Again, We Were Reminded That UConn Can Win in Multiple Ways When Needed

There were plenty of lessons for myself and other fans to learn and see from both wins over Butler. In the first win, I saw that UConn could be in control from start to finish against major conference opponents, which it had not done all season beforehand. At the same time, the Huskies demonstrated that their depth, though sometimes overstated, can come from less obvious sources at times. In addition to the strong games from Cole and Sanago, Jackson’s first career double-double, 3-4 shooting from long distance, three assists against one turnover and strong distance showed how dangerous he can be on both sides of the ball at times. As raw as Jackson is, the fact that he can already put together games like this shows how indispensable the sophomore is to UConn’s success. Combine all this with the 14-point game from Hawkins (more about him below) and 10 by Polley, and it was just too much for Butler to deal with. UConn’s ability to establish a comfortable lead quickly also allowed Hurley to distribute minutes more evenly and get his least experienced players into the game, both of which the team needed desperately.

There were even more lessons to take from the second win. First, it reminded fans that UConn can recover from lousy offensive performances in the first half if the defense can play at high-caliber level and just one or two players are able to keep the team in the game offensively. This is exactly what happened with Sanago and Whaley. In the second half, the Huskies reminded Butler that it has more players than just Sanago or Cole who can go off and take over a game. Martin’s performance was the best half any Husky has played offensively this season. I talk about him more below, but the shot-making ability and strength Martin showed against the Bulldog defenders is a reminder that he is a great compliment to Sanago and Cole.

This was the best job UConn has done in closing out a game this season by far considering it was only up by five with four minutes to go. It avoided the turnovers, defensive mistakes and poor offensive execution seen in the team’s close losses or overtime wins. The Huskies put their foot on the necks of an opponent and made it impossible to stop them. Hopefully, they will be able to build on that momentum in the next week. Finally, it was wonderful and surprising for me to see how decisively UConn was able to win with Cole making no impact as a scorer (although he still ran the offense well when not dealing with foul trouble). This was the first time Cole did not reach double figures in two months, and yet Martin stepped right into his role of offensive leader and Gaffney at point guard (more on him below) while the bigs still produced. I don’t know if the Huskies could survive Cole scoring so few points against a formidable opponent, but it was a great learning experience.

At the same time, the Butler wins was also evidence of things observers already know. UConn has a consistently strong defense that can be elite. The Huskies are one of the best rebounding teams in the country, especially on the offensive end. And of course, they do not give up on a game even after a tough stop or if they are not executing one on side of the ball. UConn consistently demonstrated all these skills in both games, and with their athleticism and strength Butler could not keep up for 40 minutes.

Martin and Whaley Have the Bounce-Back Games They Desperately Needed

When Martin returned from his wrist injury by scoring a combined 40 points against Providence and Marquette on 15-30 shooting, I was certain that he was close to being fully recovered and could reliably continue to be part of a dangerous trio with Sanago and Cole. But after UConn returned from their 17-day delay on the 8th at Seton Hall, Martin was largely ineffective in the next three games, averaging just a combined nine points on 10-27 shooting and five rebounds while play a ton of minutes a game. I am not sure how much the layoff and or a case of Covid-19 and a lack of full practice hurt Martin, but it was clear starting with the Seton Hall game that Martin’s wrist was still bothering him and that it was affecting his shooting, especially close to the rim. At the same time, Martin didn’t seem to be showing the same energy and toughness on both sides of the ball against Seton Hall, St. John’s and the first game against Butler. Combine all this with Martin not rebounding at the same rate and occasionally struggling with turnovers (five against Seton Hall), and he had seemingly temporarily lost his status as the team’s third banana to Jackson.

I am not sure what adjustments Martin exactly made or what was said in the locker room to him before coming out in the second half, but he was aggressive from the opening tip and never let up. Martin used his agility and strength to bully the weaker Bulldogs inside and found ways to get open on the perimeter for threes, which were all right on the money. He used every opportunity to push the action and attacked unprepared defenders and found open teammates for good opportunities when appropriate. Martin seemed to realize that the UConn offense was stuck in the mud at halftime and needed him to take over the shot creator role Cole usually occupies with pleasure. Martin is so versatile that he can contribute well even when shooting poorly, but having a third player alongside Cole and Sanago who can carry the offense at times is a huge luxury.

For Whaley, he entered Thursday’s game determined to up his defensive play and contribute more on offense and the boards after being called out by Dan Hurley as someone who needed to step up and be more efficient and energetic. Whaley has had myriad health issues all season and was reportedly the player who took the longest to recover from Covid-19. Before Thursday, the super senior had scored just 10 points and six rebounds in three January games, albeit with eight blocks. Whaley showed fatigue on the court at times, part of why Hurley played him for just 10 minutes on Tuesday. Most worryingly, Whaley’s defense had visibly slipped, as he was getting beat one-on-one at the rim more and not providing help defense as efficiently. Add this all up, and “The Wrench” was missing.

        It was clear before the game that Whaley knew he had to play better and he answered Hurley’s challenge Thursday. Along with Sanago he carried the offense in the first half as the guards struggling, crashing the glass and earning putbacks with a ferocity he had rarely demonstrated this season and stepping out for a pair of jumpers. Whaley ultimately finished with 12 points and had 10 rebounds, six offensive, for a double-double, his first of the season. This was also the first time Whaley pulled down multiple offensive rebounds since the loss to Providence. On defense, Whaley looked very quick and strong and consistently altered Butler’s passing and shooting at the rim, even if he was credited with only one block. With the confidence boost from his showing and a few days off, Whaley can hopefully keep up his mojo, especially on defense, for the rest of January before the schedule gets tougher. Let’s just pray for no injuries.

Another Awesome Week for Adama

A new week, another two signature performances from Adama. The sophomore has been money since returning as a starter against Seton Hall, and averaged 14 points and 12 rebounds against the Bulldogs along with a combined seven blocks. Sanago was smart about picking his spots in the two wins. In Tuesday’s home contest, he focused on crashing the boards and playing tight defense in the first half while struggling on offense and then got some easy looks at the rim in the second half courtesy of his teammates. In the second game, he was unstoppable around the rim in the first half before stepping back in the second as Martin took over, while playing good defense throughout. Sanago has a ton of energy in both games and got back on track at the free throw line on Thursday, making all five opportunities. He should continue to feast on opponents against Georgetown Tuesday night, as the Hoyas are very poor defensively in the frontcourt.

Hawkins and Gaffney Remind Fans of Thir Talents

Before last Tuesday, Hawkins had been in a prolonged shooting slump and was still struggling with ball security and on defense. These factors had all combined to lower his minutes significantly and Hawkins entered the night having not played more than 12 minutes since December 11th against St. Bonaventure. In the four games since, he had scored just nine points on 3-14 shooting and 2-9 from 3-point land and one assist against five turnovers, including three versus Seton Hall in nine minutes. Hurley was pulling Hawkins at the first signs of ball-handling or defensive issues instead of preferably sticking with the freshman and setting up good opportunities for him to score, but Hawkins was also shooting himself in the foot by missing open shots and assignments and committing turnovers at the worst time. It was a no-one situation for Hawkins, Hurley and the team, one that Hawkins could only escape from.

And that he did. Hawkins scored 14 points in just 18 minutes, going 4-5 inside the arc and 3-4 at the free throw line. While the guard continued to struggle with his deep shot, going 1-4 from three, all of Hawkins looks were of high quality. Instead of settling for threes like he has demonstrated a tendency to do at times, Hawkins used his athleticism to attack the basket and get open mid-range and layup opportunities while also forcing contact. He showed better handle than normal and the ability to get himself open for teammates instead of standing around and watching. Hawkins also showed more defensive intensity than fans have been accustomed to, a trait that will earn him a lot of points in Hurley’s book.

Hawkins reverted back to his previous struggles in seven minutes on Thursday, missing both shots he took while picking up two fouls. However, if Hawkins can have two or three games in a row where he shoots and handles the ball effectively, particularly if he is making shots from behind the arc, I can see him experiencing the late freshman year development as the last star recruit the Huskies brought in, James Bouknight. He can start by learning from his mistakes and not getting down when he commits one, as all great players are able to do.

Gaffney did not put up a highly impressive line in Thursday’s away win, scoring six points and going 4-5 at the line, grabbing three rebounds and dishing two assists in 17 minutes. What stuck out to me however, was how he did this.

Gaffney appeared disengaged on offense recently, not scoring more than four points since December 11th, and the 3-point shot that was such a big weapon last season had almost disappeared from his arsenal. With Gaffney at the paint instead of Cole, the offense had been looking very methodical and uncreative, and the junior himself seemed to always spend way too much time dribbling around instead of setting himself or teammates up for good scoring opportunities. Alongside the inefficient offense Gaffney had been playing uninspired defense and consistently beaten off the dribble by quality guards despite his height. After a long period where Dan Hurley continued to play Gaffney heavily despite fans’ protests, he began to call out Gaffney for his performance, urging him to step up as a primary ballhandler and secondary scorer, and reduce his minutes and instead give more ballhandling duties to Jackson. Hurley made it clear that it was on Gaffney to be more dynamic and efficient on both ends of the ball to become a primary member of the Gaffney again.

Against Butler, Gaffney finally did not shy away from the challenge of picking up minutes when Cole was struggling with shooting the ball. When running the offense, he clearly pushed the tempo more than normal and began running plays earlier in the clock then we’ve seen before. This helped Gaffney find the UConn bigs and Martin for quality looks right at the basket. Gaffney also seemed to avoid dribbling with his back turned more than normal, a tendency that I just hate to watch and makes it take longer for him to either find teammates or avoid defensive traps. With the ball in his hands, Gaffney attacked the basket more than he has in a long time and earned the most free throw attempts he has had since December 11th, ultimately upping his percentage to a 78.3%. Finally, Gaffney demonstrated improved footwork on defense and helped teammates out effectively, earning a block and steal in the process.

I would really like Gaffney to get his 3-point shot going again even if he is used less as a scorer this season. If he can do this and then run the offense efficiently when needed wile playing improved defense, then there is no reason Gaffney can’t become a reliable backup guard again and put himself in position to take on a bigger role next season. We’ve all seen flashes of Gaffney’s talent. Now he just needs to demonstrate it more frequently.  

Observations on the Win Over St. John’s: A Dynamic Duo and Strong Defense Allow UConn to Capture Another Overtime Win

I already wrote a more traditional game article instead of my regular game recap that I write to these pieces for my game coverage of the 86-78 victory over St. John’s on Wednesday. However, I still wanted to write my normal game observations article on the positives and negatives of UConn’s overtime triumph. It was certainly a stressful and frustrating game, but at its best UConn was excellent on both sides of the ball. And

Adama Sanago is a Bad MOF

A year ago, when Sanago played St. Johns in mid-January, he was an inconsistent freshman who looked brilliant at times and overwhelmed at others. A year later, the sophomore center is one of the best big men in the Big East and probably the nation.

While it seemed possible that Sanago would be limited for a few games after returning from his abdominal injury, the time off due to UConn’s first COVID-19 layoff was a blessing in disguise. Sanogo’s first game back was outstanding (18 points, 16 rebounds and 3 blocks), and he topped it with his effort against thue Red Storm, which was definitely the best all-around performance of his career. Sanago had 26 points on 10-17 shooting, 18 rebounds and 6 blocks in 40 minutes of play, never once showing fatigue. As usual, Sanago was unstoppable close to the rim and on the boards and seemed to get a big basket whenever UConn needed it, as well as the tying free throw to send the game to overtime. It’s the areas where he has shown the most improvement in that is most exciting, however.

Sanago is improving tremendously from nearly game to game on both sides of the ball. On offense, he is slowly increasing his shooting range and drained multiple jumpers against St. John’s. Since returning, Sanago has slowly shown a newfound tendency to pass out of the post and it worked well on Wednesday, with Sanago earning two assists. Sanogo’s defensive footwork and ability to recover without fouling is making him an even more effective shot blocker. I doubt Sanago will have another two-game stretch as good as this one, but he is certainty capable of it.

It’s hard to measure Sanogo’s stats up to other Big East players this season when he has only competed in three games. Still, Sanago rates first in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentages according to KenPom and third in block percentage at 11.3%. Hard to believe this man wasn’t nominated to either preseason All Big East team in November.

R.J. Cole Remains the Heart and Soul of This Team

Sanago may be an unstoppable force at times, but its Cole who makes the team go on offense and is its primary creator, while also being a force on defense in his own right. Cole was at his best against St. John’s on both ends, scoring 19 points on 6-15 shooting and dishing eight assists and shutting down Posh Alexander. The sophomore, one of the best guards in the Big East, was held to 11 points on 4-13 shooting and committed four turnovers. Cole drew three charges on plays by Alexander and others.

Cole had the offense humming for a significant portion of the game and made some tough shots both inside and from behind the arc where he went 3-8, tying the second-highest number of threes he has made this season. Cole was especially great in overtime, as he got pretty assists on baskets at the rim by Sanago and Martin and iced the game at the free throw line.

While his shooting hasn’t been the most consistent, Cole has gotten off to an excellent start in conference play, improving substantially on last season. He is averaging 16.5 points and just under seven assists, and is shooting 90% at the charity stripe and 34.3% from three. Cole ‘s assist rate of 40% is first in the Big East and his free throw percentage is third. The senior’s turnover rate, 3-point percentage and true shooting percentage are in the top 25 of all conference players.

While Cole’s stats are impressive, they can’t completely measure his impact on the Huskies. Simply put, they are a different team without him. Cole can manage the offense smoothly and is comfortable creating plays for himself and others at the end of games, something the other guards and forwards cannot do efficiently. The team is much more composed and effective when Cole is on the court and can enter an offensive funk and struggle on defense without him. The last two games are a perfect example, as UConn let the Seton Hall game slip away when Cole fouled out and St. John’s began to gain momentum only when he experienced foul trouble. More than any other player, UConn’s success in the Big East and NCAA tournament is dependent on Cole’s play and health.

The UConn Defense Gets Back on Track and Holds a Block Party

In the previous two games against Marquette and Seton Hall the Huskies defense was underwhelming, especially in their struggles against the Pirates and lack of adjustments to stop Kadary Richmond. It was a different story against St. John’s, especially when defending the interior. UConn had an amazing 14 blocks, many of them spectacular, and almost always managed to earn them without fouling. Their defense around the rim was consistently strong led by the two-headed monster of Sanago and Whaley, Cole shut down Posh, and the Huskies did a decent job of slowing the Red Storm in the midrange game. It was especially rewarding to see Whaley play so strong for all 36 minutes and block five shots while showing a lot of athleticism after the criticism he received after struggling against Richmond.

UConn’s defense wasn’t perfect. It allowed too many open looks on the perimeter and slipped in the final minutes of regulation when St. John’s got out, allowing the game to go overtime. And the Huskies struggled with defensive rebounding all night. When it counted the most however, they held the Red Storm to 3-11 shooting and seven points in overtime while improving their rebounding. That ability to shake off a bad stretch and clamp down when necessary is the hallmark of a quality defense, and UConn’s is just that most of the time.  

UConn Nearly Loses the Game due to Turnovers

There’s not really much to say about the 16 turnovers, most unforced, other than them being absolutely embarassing. A strong squad which has an even higher ceiling should not be losing balls out of bounds without being pressured, dropping passes and throwing balls out of bounds to no one at such a high rate. St. John’s did not play high-caliber defense and were not heavily pressured on many of the turnovers. They were just unresponsible with the ball.

Andre Jackson was the biggest culprit with four turnovers as well as others that could have easily turned into ones. The sophomore has seemed to revert to taking unnecesary risks with the ball and delivering passes players aren’t ready for or capable of catching. Hopefully Jackson goes back to slowing down and being more careful, but with how dynamic he is the Huskies can live with the turnovers. It’s when guys like Sanago (3) and Jalen Gaffney and Jordhan Hawkins (both two turnovers in very little time) are having the same issues that UConn really gets into trouble. The Huskies can do a lot of things to cut down on their turnovers, such as working on ball-handling and passing drills in practice, communicating better during timeouts and playing at a slower pace when appropriate. But ultimately, it is on the players to minimize mistakes and maximize efficiency. You can get away with heavy turnover trouble against St. John’s, but not most Big East teams.

The Killer Instinct is Still Mostly Missing

It was awesome seeing UConn beat down on the Red Storm in overtime. But any decent team can have awesome 5-minute spurts like that. The fact remains that the Huskies have not shown the ability to decisively defeat a power conference team . They have blown leads twice in games they lost in regulation and gone to overtime three times due to surrrending late leads, losing the Seton Hall game in the process. It is easy to make the case that UConn should have three more wins than it does. Right now, the Huskies seem to slow down and get sloppy and hesitate any time a team makes a run on them in the second half, and they should not fold that easily or play into inferior opponent’s hands. There is no excuse for such a veteran-laden and balanced team to have these issues game after game, especially when your head coach is preaching the importance of a killer instinct. Hopefully, these experiences will allow the Huskies to eventually develop one. In the meantime, they can take advantage of this week’s two games against mediocre Butler to playing their best and being unmerciful against an opponent that does not match well with UConn.

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 187th 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 46th 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 11th). 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.  

UConn Takes Big Step in Conference Road Win Against Marquette

Hello, loyal readers! After taking a few days off to spend the holidays with family/friends, I have returned my game observations/recap on last week’s 78-70 win against Marquette. I admit I took my time to publish it when I saw that the team’s game against Xavier was cancelled due to COVID-19 (will likely be scheduled to be made up soon). While the Huskies (10-3, 1-1) played far from perfect, especially on the defensive end, it was reassuring to see them defeat a squad at home that has earned multiple impressive wins this season. Bolstered by the duo of R.J. Cole and Tyrese Martin, who scored 45 points between them, and the return of Adama Sanogo, UConn responded to adversity and the crowd when the Golden Eagles (8-5, 0-2) rallied and solidified the win. Martin and Cole each reached career milestones in the win, with Martin surpassing the 1.000-point mark and Cole the 2,000-point mark.

The Huskies played their best offensive half in nearly a month (since aghast Auburn) in the first half, scoring 43 points to take a six-point advantage into halftime. Led by Martin (15 points) and Andre Jackson (eight), UConn shot 54.5% from the field. With both teams keeping one another off the offensive glass, the Huskies pushed the tempo more than it had in a long time and attacked the basket frequently, especially as the half wore on. After falling behind 16-11 6:26 in, UConn slowly crept back to take the lead and then went on a 10-2 run to take a 5-point lead, and later an 11-4 run with just over six minutes left in the half to take a 7-point lead.  

In just his second game back from injury, Martin was able to get wherever he wanted in the paint and from midrange and showed some surprising athleticism. Meanwhile, Jackson drained a three, did a strong job of finishing at the rim and facilitating for others and played solid defense. After a rusty start, Sanogo made a couple of nice jumpers in the half and finished with six points (also his final total on the day).

Despite its great offensive performance, UConn was only able to take a 43-37 lead into the break because of poor defense themselves. The Huskies allowed a Marquette offense not exactly known for its prowess to shoot over 70% early and over 50% in the half. While the Golden Eagles did a strong job of sharing the ball and attacking the basket, the defense did a poor job of communicating on high screens and pressuring defenders, leading to open shots on the perimeter and easy buckets inside. Super freshman Justin Lewis had nine points at the half.

UConn got off to a solid start in the second half and kicked off a 10-2 run with a Cole 3-pointer at the 15:17 mark, taking a 58-47 lead two minutes later on a 3-point play by Cole that featured a tough layup. Unfortunately, the Huskies quickly pulled their Jekyll-and-Hyde routine, allowing Marquette to go on an 11-2 run over the next four-plus minutes to cut the deficit to two. The Golden Eagles run featured five free throws as well as an easy layup right at the rim, as the defense had multiple breakdowns and was bullied at the rim. On offense, UConn’s ball movement became stilted when Jalen Gaffney briefly took over for Cole at point guard, and it began committing unforced turnovers and missing from the perimeter.

While the Huskies bent, they finally did not break, with RJ and Tyrese making sure to secure the win. After Marquette’s run made the score 62-60, the teams traded baskets and free throws the next few minutes, and Lewis’s layup made it 66-65 with 4:15 remaining. After Martin made one of two at the line, Kur Kauth blew a dunk, and the rest was history. Martin went on a 6-0 run by himself to give the Huskies a 72-65 lead and they would secure the win. He and Cole combined to score the last 14 points of the game, driving into the teeth of the defense again and again and earning acrobatic layups and free throws. UConn did a good job of handling the ball in the final minutes and finally made the choice to good scoring opportunities.

Martin led the team with 25 points on 9-16 shooting, going 6-8 at the line, and added six rebounds. Cole bounced back from a few tough shooting games to score 20 on 7-12 shooting and dropped seven assists. Jackson stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists and steals. Akok Akok made two threes and drabbed six boards. Lewis led the Golden Eagles with 20 points and Oliver Maxence-Prosper added 13 on 6-9 shooting.   

After blowing a chance at a huge road win at West Virginia and then the ugly loss to Providence, it was awesome to see UConn earn a strong road win and lead for a large majority of the game. While the loss to the Friars looms large, it seems like the team is heading in the right direction and will be able to get off to a strong start in the Big East against a tough schedule as Sanogo returns to full strength. Below, I look at all the positive observations the Huskies can take from this win as well as where the game showed they need to improve.   

Cole and Martin Demonstrate How Dangerous of a Duo They Can be

While Cole and Martin have gotten plenty of attention in their year-plus at UConn, the seniors had been overshadowed by Sanago earlier in the season when the trio played together. They shouldn’t be. Cole and Martin are the best all-around players on the team, and the emotional leaders of the team along with Isiah Whaley. They both have a lot of experience and poise, and are capable of generating offense and carrying the scoring load, even when they are not necessarily shooting their best. The pair’s games match up perfectly. Cole, who is averaging 16.3 points and 4.7 assists and has scored in double figures in nine consecutive games, is the natural scorer who can make tough shots at any time and stretch the floor. Martin, who is averaging 14.4 points and 7.2 rebounds, can beat defenders for easy shots in the paint as well as step out and hit jumpers, all while owning the boards.

I am not sure if the average UConn fan appreciates how valuable Cole and Martin are to the program. Both were already accomplished college players who have taken big steps forward this season and helped take on the scoring load vacated by James Bouknight. They have each shown that they can succeed as transfer players coming from mid-major/lower conferences, particularly Cole. While fans were frustrated about the lack of transfers added to this year’s squad, imagine the state the Huskies program could be in right now without the pair agreeing to come to Storrs. I look forward to seeing how much Cole and Martin can continue to grow and the further milestones they will reach going forward.

Andre Jackson and Akok Akok Continue to Show Their Bonafides

Over the last few games, Jackson has begun to consistently show the versatility and playmaking that has gotten fans so excited and writers to product that he can be an NBA draft pick. Jackson constantly pushed the pace in the game and created transition layups and great scoring opportunities for teammates. He continues to improve at handling the ball, a skill UConn desperately needs, as well as work effectively off it. It’s really exciting to see Jackson cut down as his turnovers and (somehow)become an effective 3-point shooter, and he is emerging as essential cog for the Huskies, especially on offense and the boards. I can’t wait to see the player he will become by the end of the season.

While Akok isn’t quite the all-around player right now that Johnson is, he is slowly demonstrating strides as the season advances. Akok’s two early threes kick-started the UConn offense and he had six rebounds while also playing strong defense and recording a block. Akok’s rebounding and defensive skills and ability to score both at the rim and behind the arc allows him to make a valuable impact against almost any opponent, even if the matchups aren’t quite favorable. With Akok improving, I hope Hurley gives him consistent minutes against every opponent and uses him in the right spots. Akok has earned his faith.  

Welcome Back, Adama Sanago

The sophomore was far from his vintage self in his return from an abdanomal injury, but Adama played solid in his 12 minutes, making a couple of tough jumpers and recording two rebounds and a block. Sanago wasn’t as effective defensively as offensively, but this was understandable considering he had less stamina and game legs in general. My only big knock on Sanago is his three turnovers, which were caused multiple times by his reluctance to pass out of the post and instead force shots. As Sanago gets back into game shape and becomes a focal point of the offense, Hurley needs to emphasize the importance of Sanago sharing the ball better.

Defense MIA in Action at Times

It’s been rare that UConn’s offense has been better than the defense, especially against the best opponents, but it was definitely the case against Marquette. The Golden Eagles did a good job of creating shots and being aggressive at the rim, but that’s no excuse for all the miscommunication on screens or the Huskies being bullied at times inside, even Whaley (I never would have thought Whaley would have struggled that much with Lewis, as good as he is for a freshman). Some of the defensive inconsistency can be chalked up to lineup changes Hurley made and the ineffectiveness of Sanago, as well as his stubborn refusal to cut back on using the hard hedge or double-teaming. But the players need to realize that they cannot play defense like that against upper-echelon Big East teams and win.

Still Not Enough from the Bench

While Akok seems to be making a consistent impact in certain areas, the rest of his bench compatriots continue to underperform. The trio of Tyler Polley, Jordan Hawkins and Jalen Gaffney combined for just seven points on 2-8 shooting, with none playing over 11 minutes. Hawkins continues to struggle with his shooting and seemingly his confidence and Polley was again unspectacular from beyond the arc (1-3) and didn’t contribute in any other meaningful way. Gaffney played seven minutes, missing a 3-pointer and committing two turnovers, and the offense was inefficient with him manning the point. As usual, Samson Johnson and Rasool Diggins didn’t play at all.

Ultimately, Gaffney has played poorly this season against high-level competition, and you have to believe that Hurley was sending a message to him by demoting minutes. What I hope is that Hurley challenging Gaffney will light a fire under his ass, and that he can be motivated to address his game and become more disciplined and dynamic. Otherwise, Gaffney is going to lose minutes and duties preeminently to Johnson and Hawkins. UConn was able to get away with a quiet night from its bench due to the brilliance of Martin and Cole. This needs to change however, especially if Sanogo is slower to return to form than expected and other guys wear down. Guys like Gaffney and Polley need to demonstrate their strengths so that the Huskies depth is utilized best.

UConn Finally Shakes Off the Pressure

All season, opponents have been using full-court pressure to terrorize the UConn offense, which did a poor job executing against it and experienced extensive turnover trouble. Against Marquette, the Huskies finally looked patient and collected against the Golden Eagles 2-1-1 three quarters press. They were able to break it quickly and get the ball to open players, and Cole, Martin and Jackson all seemed to understand what to do to escape trouble against the press. Credit goes to Hurley for getting the players ready for dealing with the defense and Marquette’s strategy. Hopefully, that shows UConn will be able to respond to all defenses opponents throw at them going forward.

As discussed before, we don’t know when UConn will play next, with the game against Butler on Friday up in the air as scheduled right now depending on how players and coach’s test. Hopefully the Huskies won’t be rusty when they next play, but defeating Marquette is a huge win to build on.