Previewing the Semifinals Game Against Creighton: Four Things to Watch For

UConn. Creighton. Big East tournament semifinals. What more could you ask for?

Later tonight, the third-seeded Huskies (15-6) play arguably the program’s biggest game since 2014 against the No. 2 Bluejays (19-7), who just destroyed Butler for the second straight game yesterday in the quarterfinals. Of couse, UConn did the same thing in the late game, defeating No. 11 DePaul 94-60. Both teams are coming in playing great basketball, in a contest that seems more like a conference tournament final than semifinal. Add in the fact that the Huskies are looking to get revenge after two close losses to Creighton in the regular season, and the game adds even more intrigue.

UConn certaintly looked outstanding in all three phases of the game against Butler despite missing James Bouknight for much of the second half due to cramps related to dehydration. Four players scored in double figures, with Tyrese Martin, R.J. Cole and Amanda Sanogo each putting up 14 points. Every player scored, and eight had more than five points. The Huskies did a great job of sharing the ball and pushing the tempo. Cole had eight assists and three other players had at least three, and the team committed just eight turnovers. UConn’s atleticism was on constant display, with multiple highlight-reel dunks.

The Huskies also continued to dominate the boards for the third consecutive game. UConn had 52 rebounds overall and 24 offensive to the Deamon Deacons 32. It grabbed 29 of DePaul’s 36 missed shots and 24 of their own 38, and ultimately finished with an offensive rebounding rate of 53.3%. Martin had 20 rebounds for a double-double and Whaley grabbed eight. Finally, the Huskies defense was very efficient, holding DePaul to 36.8% shooting and turning it over 15 times. UConn shut down star guard Charlie Moore for the third time this season, limiting him to eight points on 3-9 shooting.

To beat Creighton, the Huskies will have to outplay them in all these phases as well. Below, I talk about the importance of UConn’s defense shutting down Creighton’s guards, especially from three, its need to score in the paint and rebound well, and the status of Bouknight.

(1) How well can UConn’s defense guard the peremiter?

Creighton has an elite offensive team, ranking ninth in the country in offensive rating via KenPom and second in conference play in points per game. The Bluejays have a very balanced offense with five players averaging double figures, led by Marcus Zegarowski. Where its most dangerous however, is behind the arc, where they have three players shooting 40 percent or more (Zegarowski, Damien Jefferson, Mitchell Blalock). In its 87-56 win against Butler on Thursday, Creighton shot 13-24 from three.

UConn must limit the amount of open 3-point looks the Bluejays get, and the defenders cannot get caught up in screens or consistently fail to revolve over on shooters. Two ways they can do this is by limiting the playmaking of Zegarowski, which Cole was able to do in the first game between the teams, and by causing turnovers (Creighton averages 11.3 per game in conference). If the game disolves into a shootout, the Huskies will be in trouble.

(2) Will UConn be able to win the battle in the paint and on the boards?

On paper, the Huskies definitely have the advantage down low with Isiah Whaley, Sanogo, and Josh Carlton, with Martin providing them assistance. On offense, they have an efficient scorer in Sanogo, and all of the aforementioned guys can score at the rim and off of missed shots. UConn has been dominating the offensive boards and can continue to do so against Creighton, which is not known for its rebounding. However, the Huskies have to do a better job of scoring at the rim and especially on second opportunities then they did against DePaul, as they regularly failed to score off offensive rebounds on Thursday night. It will be important for UConn to get to the line regularly and finish through contact.

On defense, the Huskies need to stay disciplined in the paint and avoid foul trouble, especially from red-hot Sanogo. They must do a better job of staying on the floor and not biting on faked shots, even if this means the the team gets fewer blocks. The guards need to avoid being beaten on drives and pressure Zegarowski and ball handlers so that the Bluejays have few easy layup opportunities. If Andre Jackson can avoid foul trouble, he can provide much-needed length to slow down Creighton’s players and help clog the passing lanes.

(3) Can UConn make enough 3-pointers to win?

If the Huskies get into a total 3-point shootout, it’s unlikely they will have a chance. If they are able to limit Creighton on the peremiter however, they will still need to make key threes when needed to gurantee a victory. UConn struggled from three against DePaul, especially in the second half, and will need to take smarter shots and not rush opportunities. It would especially be huge if either Bouknight or Martin got going from behind the arc. If UConn is running its offense efficiently there should be good opportunities for Tyler Polley, and if nothing else he can be a key decoy and draw defenders out of the middle.

(4) Will Bouknight be aAt or close to 100 percent?

Although it initially looked bad when Bouknight had to come out in the second half, it seems like it was just a bad case of the cramps and it was reported that he recovered fine. It’s likely Bouknight will start the game, but Hurley and UConn have to closely watch Bouknight’s stamina and make sure he is hydrated properly. If the sophomore’s athleticism and mobility is limited, the path to winning becomes much tougher.

Previewing the DePaul Game: Four Things to Watch For

Hello Husky fans, it’s Big East tournament time! It’s great to have the program back in the Big East tournament for the first time since 2013, and it feels even better when UConn is considered one of the favorites for the championship. I am not going to be doing game observations on each game (unless the team sadly loses in the quarterfinals) and instead cover the two or three games as a whole if the Huskies advance past Thursday. I will write similar game previews to this however, and also provide observations on the tournament as a whole on Twitter/Facebook. I am so excited for the chance to write about the tournament, and be on the edge of my seat in each game.

First up, the Huskies get to play DePaul at 9:00 for the third time this season after the No. 11 Deamon Deacons upset Providence 70-62 late Wednesday night. Javon Freeman-Liberty and Charlie Moore each scored 21 points, and DePaul held Providence to 35.1% shooting and outrebounded the Friars 46-35. The Deamon Deacons, who entered the tournament having lost nine of 10 games, improved to 5-13. UConn defeated DePaul 82-61 with Bouknight and 60-53 on January 11th just after he was injured. The winner will play either No. 2 CrnOeighton or No. 10 Butler in the second game on Friday.

Below, I have five things to watch for in the game relating to how the teams match up, what UConn is looking for from certain players, and the ramifications for each team based on the outcome.

(1) Will UConn’s “other guards” play at a high level?

In the two wins against DePaul, Cole did an excellent job of shutting down their top scorer Charlie Moore, holding him to just 17 total points on 24 attempts. Moore has been playing his best basketball as of late, scoring 20 points in three of the last five games and, and had 21 and seven rebounds against Providence. Javon Freeman-Liberty is a strong second bannana for the Deamon Deacons and also had 21 against the Friars. Cole needs to again play strong defense on Moore while also making it hard for him to make plays for Freeman-Liberty and others. At the same time, Jackson and Gaffney need to avoid foul trouble to give Bouknight adequate help in guarding Freeman-Liberty. I believe Cole as well as Gaffney and especially Jackson (with his great length) can slow down the two, but if Moore and Freeeman-Liberty can go off and get some help, DePaul will make life difficult for the UConn defense.

Cole will have to continue to play at a high level to keep the offense humming against a strong Deamon Deacons defense. It would be nice to see his shooting touch return after going just 1-7 against Georgetown, but Cole doesn’t have to have 20 points for UConn to win as long as he’s handling the ball well and creating good scoring opportunities for teammates. I’m actually more interested to see how Gaffney plays after one of the best games of his career on Saturday (15 points on 6-6 shooting and three 3-pointers). The sophomore has shown more aggressiveness and great athleticism recently, and if he continues to play well the Huskies should win comfortably. Jackson has taken no shots and has just three total points in the last two games, and I think it is imperative that Hurley sets up some scoring opportunities for him early so he gets engaged on offense and does more than just pass.

Suffice to say, I am not worried about Bouknight on either end.

(2) Can UConn make threes?

DePaul is holding teams to 31.9% shooting from three in the Big East, good for second in the conference. UConn is fifth in the conference at 34.4%, but we all know how inconsistent they have been from behind the arc throughout the season. The Huskies were great from three against a team that defends them well in Georgetown (12-28 for 42.9%). If they can shoot near that rate on Thursday, then it will open op scoring opportunities in the paint and for Bouknight and Cole and the team will easily win. It will especially be important for UConn to find ways for Tyler Polley to get open and make some open looks, as he will no doubt be closely guarded. However, if the team struggles from three, then a lot of pressure will be put on Bouknight and the big men to bail them out and the game could be a nail-biter.

(3) Can Tyrese Martin and the bigs perform well on both ends?

Amada Sanogo, Isiah Whaley and Josh Carlton each had strong performances agaist Georgetown, and Sanogo and Carlton did a solid job of avoiding foul trouble. It will be important for the experienced Whaley to have a strong all-around game and avoid foul trouble so pressure can be taken off Sanogo in his first tournament go-around. Similarly,it would be great for UConn if Carlton could provide 10-15 effective minutes, especially if either Sanogo or Whaley is struggling. In a perfect world, Akok Akok could also give the Huskies 5-10 good minutes and another excellent defensive presence. The bigs and Martin will need to shut down DePaul’s secondary scoring threats and give the Deamon Deacons nowhere to go on offense if either Moore or Freeman-Liberty are not scoring. DePaul is a strong rebounding team like UConn, and if UConn wins the battle of boards it will be in great position to win, even if it struggles to make shots. Finally, I would like to see Martin pick it up on offense a little bit and start giving the Huskies a reliable third scoring threat. Since the return of Bouknight, Martin has fallen off on offense, especially from deep.

(4) Can Bouknight building a mark for himself in tournament play?

Everybody whose been watching knows that Bouknight has already proved himself to be one of the best players the program has ever seen in just two years. Tonight is the start of a chance for him to to start leading UConn to a huge program accomplishment (first Big East confence tournament championship since 2011) and make people realize he is one of the best players in the country. I certaintly think Bouknight will answer this call.

Observations on win against Georgetown: UConn has unforgettable offensive performance, everyone chips in, and defense shows up in first half

Going into Saturday’s contest against Georgetown, UConn was determined to avoid a letdown of any kind. It needed a win to ensure a berth in the NCAA tournament, and wanted one last regular season opportunity to show just how good the Huskies could be in front of a national television audience. Danny Hurley certaintly emphasized this to players, reminding them again and again leading up to the game to not relax and let up in any way.

Well, guess what? Hurley and the fans had nothing to worry about. On Senior Day, UConn came out and absolutely blasted the Hoyas off the floor in the first few minutes and never let off on the offensive end, and their defense in the first half was outstanding as well. The Huskies grabbed an astounding 51-24 lead at halftime, the largest deficit the program has led at halftime in more than a decade. They then cruised in the second half even as the defense slipped, ultimately winning 98-82. UConn improved to 14-6 and 11-6 in the Big East, its fourth consecutive win and six in seventh games This locked up third place in the Big East for it. Georgetown ended the regular season 9-12 and 7-9 in conference, which ended up being eighth.

Six players ultimately scored in double figures for the Huskies, led by James Bouknight with 21 and Jalen Gaffney with 15. Tyrese Martin, Isiah Whaley, Tyler Polley and Adama Sanogo each were in double figures as well, and Sanogo had a double-double with 10 rebounds R.J. Cole struggled to score but dished out eight assists. UConn shot 59.3% and 12-28 from three, good for 42.9%. The 12 threes were a season high, as were the 51 first-half points. The 98 points were the most the program has scored in a conference game since the 104 the 2016 squad put up against Cincinatti in the AAC tournament quarterfinals. The Huskies also won the rebounding battle and had more assists and blocks than Georgetown.

UConn established its dominance from the opening tip. They sprinted out to a 15-2 lead and made six of its first seven shots while holding the Hoyas scoreless for the first 3:30. Bouknight scored eight out of these points, knocking down two gorgeous 3-pointers and making a dunk. Whaley was also strong early, making a wide-open 3-pointer and scoring five points. The defense immediately made its presence felt. It consistently challenged shots in the paint and guarded the passing lanes well, forcing turnovers and generally making it difficult for Georgetown to move the ball and find open shots.

As the half went on, the Huskies began to get help from others besides just Bouknight and Whaley. Gaffney went off, making four consecutive baskets for 1o points to give them a 33-16 lead with 7:21 left in the half. Both of Gaffney’s threes as well as a dunk were assisted on by Cole. Gaffney used his athleticism to beat defenders going to the basket and moved well without the ball on the perimeter to hit his open threes. Martin and Josh Carlton would each end the first half strong. Martin hit multiple jumpers and did a great job finishing around the rim, ultimately making five of his six 2-pointers on the day. Carlton finished around the rim and at the line and scored seven points in the half. Throughout the first half, the Huskies did an outstanding job of pushing the tempo, sharing and handling the ball and taking intelligent shots.

UConn struggled with foul trouble at times in the first half at times but was still extremely effective, limiting Georgetown to 30% shooting and not allowing any 3-pointers. Half of the Hoyas points came at the free throw line. Throughout the half, Sanogo (who finished with two blocks), Carlton and Whaley defended the paint well and altered shots, while the Huskies guards and Martin played tight defense on Georgetown’s guards and forwards and forced costly turnovers that continuisly led to fastbreak baskets, while also denying these players on the perimeter.

In the second half, both offenses were on fire and played fast and loose, while the defenses appeared disengaged for much of the final 20 minutes. UConn scored 47 but the Hoyas outscored it by 11. The Huskies continued to get scoring from a number of players and moved and rebounded the ball well, while Georgetown attacked the basket effectively and finally began to get going on the peremiter. The Hoyas hit eight of 13 threes after not making one in the first half, with Jhavon Blair going 4-5 and Chudier Bile 3-3 from behind the arc. I am sure Hurley will harp on UConn’s defensive performance in the second half leading up to the Big East tournament.

The Huskies offense was great in every area. They scored 32 points in the paint and 17 fastbreak points and outrebounded Georgetown 35-26. 11 players ended up scoring for UConn. All the seniors had solid days, as Whaley finished 11 points and went a perfect 5-5 from the field, Polley had 11 and hit three 3-pointers, and Carlton had seven points and rebounds in 13 minutes. Seven players had multiple assists, with Cole having the aforementioned eight and Andre Jackson three.

Georgetown ultimately shot 46.6% for the game and went 20-25 from the line. Blair led it with 22 points, and Qudus Whab had 16 points and seven rebounds on 7-11 shooting and Bile 15. Dante Harris earned six assists and Bile three steals. The Hoyas finished with 13 turnovers to 11 assists. They entered the game having won four of five contests.

As of Monday night, UConn was ranked 23rd on KenPom and considered a lock for the NCAA tournament by nearly all prognasticators. The team is a trendy pick to win the Big East tournament after injuries to Villanova, and after Saturday’s decisive win it is clear the Huskies are playing their best basketball of the season. They will face the winner of the first round contest between No. 6. Providence and No. 11 DePaul in the Big East quarterfinals on Thursday. If the players can continue to stay focused and execute at a high level, there is no telling what the ceiling is for this team.

Below are my game observations on the win against Georgetown:

The team functions as a complete unit

There’s no doubt that UConn is defined by James Bouknight, and to a lesser extent Cole. However, myself and other observers have harped on how important the team’s depth is to its success, and this win was a perfect illustration of that. While Bouknight helped get the offense going at the start of the game, his teammates immediately got involved themselves in either scoring or setting up opportunities (as in the case of Cole and Jackson). Martin was more efficient and aggressive on the offensive end after going scoreless in the previous game, and Gaffney built upon some recent promising play. He did not hesitate at all when open and made a variety of shots, going 6-6 from the field. This was tied for Gaffney’s second-highest scoring game of the year. The only player who went scoreless was Andrew Hurley, who played less than a minute.

As discussed above, UConn kept its foot on the pedal on offense even after getting its large early lead and refrained from playing one-on-one basketball, with players instead constantly getting their teammates involved. Combine that with outstanding shooting from a number of players and good ball handling, and the Huskies had a recipe for running up the score.

That gang mentality and depth was seen on the bards and defense as well. While Sanogo and Carlton took on the rebounding load, 10 different players grabbed a board and six had multiple rebounds. The defensive performances were great in the first half, with the guards setting the tone by the turnovers they helped cause and the big men through the shots they either blocked or altered. Some of the Husky defenders are raw or inconsistent, but neither all of them have become better over the course of the season and showed their skills in that half.

The ability of multiple players besides Bouknight to step up on either end of the floor will be very valuable in the Big East tournament. While I expect Bouknight to play very well in the tournament, all the teams will be keying in on him and do their best to limit the sophomore’s scoring opportunities. There will be opportunities for others, and if they can pick up the scoring load then UConn will be able to win the championship as long as the defense plays at a high level. I look forward to seeing if the Husky players can come through in this manner on that stage.

UConn finally got off to an excellent start

Throughout the season, the Huskies have more often than not fallen behind early in games, a habit that has continued even during the team’s strong recent performances. That was why it was so rewarding to see UConn blow Georgetown out of the water early and establish that they had control of the game early in the first half. While the Hoyas don’t exactly have a great defense, the Huskies executed well enough that there was no chance at a Georgetown comeback when combined with UConn’s strong defense. It needs to start its conference tournament games with that same killer intensity to maintain momentum.

The seniors all have the Senior Day they deserve

Isiah Whaley, Tyler Polley and Josh Carlton certainly haven’t had a regular senior year. After having had their junior seasons cut short by the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, the trio have had to deal with the game and practice schedules being affected heavily by the pandemic, injuries to teammates as well as themselves, and various struggles on the court. Each of them had memorable performances on Senior Day in front of their families and friends while leading UConn to the win. Whaley had 11 points and shot 5-5, Polley scored 11 and hit three 3-pointers, and Carlton had an excellent first half and put up seven points and rebounds. Whether any of them return for a fifth year or not, they have given a ton to the program and shown a lot of loyalty and development. I am so happy they will have the opportunity to compete in the NCAA tournament.

Jalen Gaffney shows his offensive abilities

Over the last few games, Gaffney has shown brief flashes of his athleticism and offensive skills. That all came together against Georgetown. The sophomore showed a great stroke from deep and was smart when taking the ball to the basket, and again demonstrated that he can beat any guard defending him using his strength and speed. While Gaffney has dhown over the course of the season that he is better when playing off ball, he also did an efficient job of running the offense when filling in for Cole at point, and had multiple assists for the second time in three games. Gaffney still has a long way to go to become a quality defender, but he should be able to be a valuable offensive piece in the conference and NCAA tournaments in the right situations. He just needs to continue to take those opportunities and not shy away from them.

UConn is establishing itself as a threat in tournament play and a darling of writers

With Bouknight the Huskies are 10-2, and since the second half in their first game at Georgetown on Feb. 23rd they have outscored opponents by 59 points. They are playing great on offense since his return and nearly as good on defense. As alreadt mentioned, UConn was ranked 23rd in KenPom as of Monday night and have also shot up in NET and other ranking systems. It seems like every progranasticator is picking the team to win the Big East tournament after the issues Villanova and Creighton are experiencing, and it seems feasable the Huskies could be a seven seed in the NCAA tournament if they win in the Big East quarterfinals and even higher if they win in the semifinals or the whole tournament. I certainly expect UConn to win at least one game in the Big tournament and have a shot at winning it outright, although I feel they could have a harder path than people believe right now. I will maintain the same stance I have had for a while: If the Huskies play at their highest level, they can beat anyone, even a No. 1 seed.

Observations on win against Seton Hall: Whaley and Sanogo dominate, Huskies get lots of contributions, and team bolsters resume

Even with UConn’s much-improved play in the previous two weeks, it entered Wednesday’s contest at Seton Hall needing a signature win against the Pirates to help ensure they will make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2016. Seton Hall, a fellow bubble team, had lost two consecutive games but also had a week to prepare and defeated the Huskies 80-72 on February 6th, the most points they had allowed this season. To get revenge, UConn needed to neutralize star big man Sandro Mamukelashvili and the rest of the Pirates frontcourt, which had dominated the Huskies in the first matchup.

For UConn, winning the big men battle, and by extension the game, was a challenge it passed with flying colors. After a chaotic first half that saw the team grab the lead at the very end, the Huskies started the second half off hot and controlled the game from there, going on to win 69-58. It was their second straight win and fifth in six games, and improved UConn’s record to 13-6 and 10-6 in the Big East, good for third place. Seton Hall dropped to 13-11 and fourth in the conference at 10-8, and has a must-win game at St. John’s tomorrow.

Senior Isiah Whaley and freshman Adama Sanogo dominated at forward and center on both ends. Whaley had 17 points, 10 rebounds and two assists and blocks, while Sanogo went for 16, nine and two. The pair each played over 30 minutes after foul trouble in the first game against the Pirates. Whaley was the main defender against Mamukelashvili and did an outstanding job on him. After scoring 22 points and going 10-12 at the free throw line in the first game against UConn, he shot 7-20 on Wednesday, only reaching the line three times.

The first half was a game of runs. UConn unfortunately again spottedd their opponent a lead early, falling behind 13-4 in the first five minutes after allowed a trio of 3-pointers. The Huskies eventually found their footing thanks to Sanogo, who hit their first three field goals, and went on an 11-2 run. They tied it at 17 with 9:46 remaining on a wide-open three by Whaley, with Andre Jackson earning an assist. Whaley also set the tone on defense during this run, blocking consecutive shots by Mamukelashvili.

UConn went ice cold on offense after tying the game, going nearly five minutes without scoring as they were unable to hit any jumpers or layups. Seton Hall took advantage of the struggles, going on a 7-0 run to take a 24-17 advantage at the 6:02 mark.

The Huskies responded by tightening up their defense even more and putting up a wall around the paint, holding the Pirates scoreless for the final 4:01. R.J. Cole and James Bouknight, who had struggled with their shooting all half, finally got going and hit a pair of threee pointers, and Whaley ended the half with a putback layup to give UConn a 27-26 halftime lead.

UConn immediately carried over this momentum to the beginning of the second half, scoring the opening six points and eventuallly taking a 12-point lead at 44-32 7:35 into the half on a Cole 3-pointer. During their great opening stretch, the Huskies did a good job of finding Sanogo and Whaley down low and the pair overpowered defenders, consistently making layups. The team also continued to do an excellent job of rebounding on both ends and challenging Seton Hall’s shots. Uconn was able to widen its lead despite Bouknight having to come out when he picked up his third foul at the 16:58 mark. Ultimately, UConn would go on a 25-15 run between the 4:10 mark of the first half and the under-eight media timeout in the second.

UConn continued to maintain a comfortable lead the remainder of the game, with the Pirates only occasionally cutting it to single digits. The Huskies responded with big baskets when necessary, and did an excellent job of closing the game out at the line. UConn had its best free throw shooting game of the season, making 15 of 16.

The Huskies won the game with their defense and on the boards. UConn held Seton Hall to 40% shooting and 5-19 from three. Just three Pirates players scored over four points. Seton Hall reached the foul line 32 times in the first game between the teams, but got there just 14 times on Wednesday, making only nine shots. Arond the rim, Whaley, Sanogo and others did an excellent job of protecting the rim and either altering shots or forcing Pirate players to look elsewhere for poor opportunities without fouling. The Huskies guards and forwards, particularly Tyrese Martin, did a strong job of pressuring ball handlers and guarding outside shooters. Seton Hall rarely got good looks beginning at the end of the first half and much of the second.

On the boards, UConn outrebounded Seton Hall 40-28 and had 13 offensive rebounds to the Pirates nine, with Whaley and Sanogo grabbing five and four, respectively. The Huskies were able to get valuable second-chance opportunities and did not allow Seton Hall to get second looks while struggling. This was the second time in three games UConn has had at least 40 rebounds.

In addition to Sanogo and Whaley, Bouknight and Cole ultimately had solid games despite their early shooting struggles. Cole finished with 14 points on 5-12 shooting and hit two threes, although he had justo ne assist. Bouknight shot only 3-10 but succeded in getting to the free throw line, going 7-8. Martin went scoreless but contributed significantly on defense and on the boards, grabbing six rebounds and earning two steals.

Despite his struggles shooting, Mamukelashvili still managed to finish with a double-double, recording 20 and 10. Jared Rhoden scored 16 on 5-9 shooting. Cale went just 1-6 from three.

While UConn definitely passed the eye test when one viewed bubble candidates, beating Seton Hall was huge for proving their case as an NCAA tournament time. If the Huskies avoid a slippup at home tomorrow against Georgetown and win at least a game or two in the Big East tournament, they will earn a good seed for March Madness. UConn will play the winner of the game between the six and eleven seeds in the Big East quarterfinals on Thursday.

Here are my game observations on the win against Seton Hall:

Whaley and Sanogo are a two-headed monster

Since Sanogo officially secured the starting job at center late in January, UConn has been trying to figure out how he and Whaley can best coexist at the four and five positions. It has immediately been a bumpy road at times. Sanogo has been inconsistent on both ends as freshman usually are, and struggled to execute the hard hedge defense that Hurley loves so much while avoiding foul trouble. Meanwhile, Whaley has struggled to score when playing power forward next to Sanogo (he can’t rely on scoring on putbacks and similar plays as easily) and also regularly experienced issues with fouls as well.

It wasn’t a surprise that some fans wondered whether Whaley and Sanogo could play together effectively, and that having them do so can have a detrimental effect to spacing. Against Seton Hall, the pair demonstrated that they can, with each having one of their best performances of the season.

Whaley and Sanogo combined for 33 points on 15-25 shooting, 19 rebounds (nine offensive) and four blocks against the Pirates, with the senior playing 33 minutes and the freshman 31. Whaley, who was in full energizer bunny mode playing in front of fans for one of first times this season, set a season high in points and had zero fouls for only the second time this season. After being schooled by Mamukelashvili in their first matchup, Whaley set the tone early with blocks and was more disciplined in his rim protection, taking Mamukelashvili out of his comfort zone and forcing him to take difficult outside shots. On offense, Whaley had eye-catching dunks and putbacks and hit a few outside shots that stretched the floor, and continued to do a good job screening for Sanogo and others.

After it seemed like Sanogo was maybe hitting a freshman wall (he entered the game having scored four points or less in three of the Huskies last five contests), he killed any doubts, earning career-highs in both points (16) and rebounds (nine). Sanogo continues to improve his offensive game and footwork, and demonstrated the ability to both back down the Pirate defenders and use fake-out moves to score as well as pass effectively out of the post. It was great to see his aggressiveness early when the UConn offense really needed a lift. Sanogo is also consistently improving as a defender and getting better at avoding foul trouble, having not fouled out since the first Seton Hall game. He demonstrated his improved speed when hedging and recovering on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s win showed just how good Whaley and Sanogo can be when they play cohesively. On offense, Whaley can finish plays at the rim, screen well in the paint and step out and hit shots when necessary, while Sanogo can use multiple moves to score in the post, allowing him to draw multiple defenders, and pass effectively. On defense, the two do a great job of guarding the rim and blocking shots (especially Whaley) and can hedge effectively, and Whaley can guard multiple positions. At their best, the combo recall the great big men tandems UConn had under Jim Calhoun. Whaley and Sanogo are not going to match up with every team as well as they did with Seton Hall, but if they can continue to provide excellent post defense and solid offense, UConn should be able to go on a run in tournament play.

Nearly everyone brings something to the table

Myself and others have focused on the performances of Whaley and Sanogo, but beating Seton Hall was a collective effort. Cole rebounded from a slow start to make some big shots in the second half and did a solid job of running the offense. Bouknight continues to be inconsistent since returning, but was smart enough to attack the basket and get to the line when his shot wasn’t falling and again rebounded well, grabbing six boards. Tyrese Martin continues to struggle with his shot and went scoreless, but remained the Huskies Swiss Army knife, picking up six rebounds and two steals and shutting down whomever he faced on defensed. Andre Jackson also again played solid defense, and Jalen Gaffney provided valuable minutes when Bouknight was in foul trouble and scored four points. Tyler Polley was the only player whom had a poor game, going scoreless and attempting no three pointers in 13 minutes.

This win showed that UConn can beat a quality team on the road even when Bouknight is not at his best. While Bouknight will be the biggest key to determining just how far the team can go this season and helps make his teammates better, the Huskies are currently demonstrating that they are more than the sum of their parts. UConn is peaking at the right time. They are a quality defensive team and are consistently strong on the glass, and have a lot of offensive depth, with multiple players (especially Cole) able to step up at any time. Teams will not be looking forward to forcing the Huskies during March Madness.

The team is becoming better prepared at responding to slow starts and closing out games

While UConn needs to get better at starting games off well and grabbing early leads in the pressure-filled environment of tournament play, you have to give the team credit for being able to rebound when it starts off slow. Despite this occuring in the last two games as well as against Xavier, the Huskies maintained composure and tightened up their defense while making adjustments on offense that allow the team to rally. There haven’t been reoccurences similar to what fans saw in the first contest against Seton Hall, where UConn fell far enough behind that a comeback was impossible.

Earlier in the season, UConn had multiple losses where they lost composure late and made inexplicable mistakes that allowed opponents to come back (see the first Creighton loss and the game against St. John’s). Over time, however, the Huskies have been able to show maturity and leadership and close games out by making free throws and handling opponent’s press. They have now done this in each of the last three games and been able to earn double-digit wins as a result. I am now confident that UConn will be able to maintain leads and close out games as well as pull off comebacks, even against quality tournament teams.

Hurley appears to have a handle on the identity of his team

Earlier in the season and especially when Bouknight was out, it seemed like UConn didn’t have an idea of how the Huskies pieces fit together. A lot of this was understandable considering how much the team’s game and practice schedule was affected by Covid-19, the large number of new players UConn had, and how important its injured players were to the team’s success.

Still, the Huskies were frequently a confunding team. They appeared to look best on offense when they pushed the tempo and attempted to get points in transition, but played at an extremely slow pace largely as an effort to limit the number of possessions opponents could have with Bouknight out. Hurley rarely made any adjustments on defense, even when the team played inconsistently on that end during the middle of the season. While different players stepped up on offense from game to game, Uconn appeared to lack a leader with Bouknight out. Finally, Hurley’s substitution patterns and use of timeouts was suspect.

Starting with the game at Xavier on February 13th, the Huskies have slowly but surely found that identity. The return of Bouknight is a significant part of that, but not the only factor. Cole has emerged as a team leader and improved signicantly on offense while improving his shot selection. The offense has begun playing at a quicker pace in general, especially off turnovers and rebounds,, becoming more efficient as a result. Since returning from injury, Jackson has been a significant weapon on defense and improved UConn’s ball movement. The defense has played better overall, with the improvement of Sanogo a large part of that. Hurley’s benching of Cole motivated him to improve, and the coach seems to have figured out is main rotation. He has also appeared willing to use timeouts more when necessary. It finally seemes like the Huskies are living up to their potential.

With the win against Xavier, UConn has improved its KenPom rating to 26th as of Friday night and seems to have locked up an NCAA tournament berth according to bracket projections, with the team most frequently projected as a No. 10 seed. If the Huskies can take care of business against Georgetown and perform well in the Big East tournament, they will bump up their seeding.

Observations on win against Marquette: UConn has best offensive performance in conference play, Cole continues hot streak, and team again deales with foul trouble

Back at the beginning of January, Marquette seemed to be on the way to handing UConn an ugly loss before it came back from 18 down to earn its biggest comeback win of the season so far. This was the game that James Bouknight injured is elbow before missing nearly six weeks. On Saturday, the Golden Eagles came into Storrs looking for revenge and to build momentum after upsetting North Carolina three days before.

The Huskies were in danger of a trap game and suffering a costly loss as they try to eanr an NCAA tournament berth. UConn quickly dispelled any possibility of this, however, as they shut down Marqueette in the first half and got on an offensive role midway through the half. Behind Bouknight and R.J. Cole, the Huskies kept up their great offensive play the rest of the game and went on to have one of their largest wins of the season, defeating the Golden Eagles 80-62. UConn moved to 12-6 and 9-6 in the Big East, while Marquette fell to 11-13 and 6-11 in conference.

Bouknight continued his excellent offensive play since returning, scoring 24 points on 9-15 shooting and earning two steals. Cole was the MVP of the game however, scoring 21 points on 9-14 shooting and 3-6 from three and recording three assists. Cole has now scored 38 points in the last two games and totaled 10 assists against just two turnovers. Bouknight has averaged just under 21 points in four games since returning.

UConn struggled in the first five minutes, committing five turnovers and falling behind 11-6. The defense quickly got on track however, holding Marquette scoreless for 8:05 and causing it to commit five turnovers during this stretch. The Huskies did an outsanding job of pressuring the Golden Eagles players and making it difficult for them to score in the paint while consistently altering or blocking shots at the rim. They would miss their first 10 layups. Marquette was unable to adjust to their struggles in the paint by making shots from the outside, and would ultimately go 4-16 from beyond the arc in the game.

On offense, UConn began to get going midway through the half before exploding in the final 7:30, during which it scored 20 points to take a 38-21 halftime lead. Bouknight gave the team its first lead on a jumper at the 12:34 mark, and Tyrese Martin and Jalen Gaffney combined for the next eight points, with six coming on layups.

Cole and Tyler Polley led the aforementioned offensive spurt. The pair each hit two 3-pointers during it, and Cole would score eight points in the final 5:13. The offense did an excellent job of moving and handling the ball in the final minutes of the half, and took advantage of Marquette’s turnovers and quick shots to push the ball and score fastbreak points. The Huskies were effective both in the paint and on jumpers. They scored 20 points in the paint during the first half and ended it on a 26-10 run.

At the beginning of the second half, UConn’s bigs as well as Martin struggled with foul trouble. Isiah Whaley and Sanogo each picked up their third fouls before the first TV timeout and Marquette would quickly be put in the bonus. In addition, Josh Carlton rolled his ankle 3:04 in and did not return, limiting the Huskies frontcourt even more.

While UConn’s foul trouble and improved offensive play by the Golden Eagles put pressure on the Huskies offense, Cole and Bouknight were able to carry it in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, scoring 17 consecutive points for the Huskies. The pair killed Marquette in the halfcourt, consistently making jumpers and keeping defenders off balance.

The Golden Eagles were able to get as close as 11 points in the second half, but UConn always responded as other players eventually got going on offense. The Huskies did an outstanding job of handling the ball and commited just two turnovers after the game’s opening five minutes. Even as the Marquette offense executed better on offense in the second half, UConn’s defense continued to pressure them and force turnovers.

UConn shot 51.6% for the game despite going just 6-21 from three (it made up for this by shooting 62.8% inside the arc). It scored 40 points in the paint and 17 fastbreak points. The 18-point win was the Huskies largest in the calander year and third-largest of the season. It was the fourth time they have scored 80 or more points.

In addition to Bouknight’s 24 points and Cole’s 21, three other players scored over five points. Polley shot 3-6 from behid the arc to finish with nine points. Andre Jackson had one of his best overall games. The freshman earned eight points and rebounds and added two assists in 27 minutes while playing strong defense. Martin scored six and was again great on the boards, grabbing eight (three offensive). Sanogo had seven rebounds in 15 minutes, and Gaffney earned four assists and did not commit a turnover. UConn had 12 assists.

UConn held Marquette to 39.3% shooting from the field and 25% from three, and it went 14-21 at the line. The Golden Eagles committed 15 turnovers against just eight assists. After the Huskies struggled with foul trouble at the beginning of the second half, they did a better job of avoiding them for the remainder of the game. The UConn guards did a strong job of pressuring Marquette’s ball handlers throughout the game, with Jackson especially using his wingspain to limit player’s passing and shooting abilities. The Huskies bigs did a strong job of defending when they were on the floor. Dawson Garcia led the Golden Eagles with 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Justin Lewis shot 5-9 and finished with 14.

The win helped UConn move up six spots to 28th in the KenPom standings, where they still are as of Monday night. It is also now ranked 25th in BPI and 28th in the Sagarin ratings, and is 36th in the NET rankings. The Huskies look to be in pretty good shape for an NCAA tournament berth, and can probably ensure it by winning at Seton Hall on Wednesday or a game or two in the Big East tournament.

Here are my observations on the win against Marequette:

R.J. Cole centerpiece of a great offensive performance

The epitome of a quality point guard is a player who can run an offense efficiently and put teammates in a position to succeed, score effectively when necessary, play strong defense, and most importantly, act as one of the team’s leaders. Over the course of the season, Cole has become a quality point guard for UConn, and he is peaking at the right time.

Cole was very good against Marquette in all facets of the game. After a sloppy start by the Huskies, the redshirt junior did a very good job of running the offense. He helped push the tempo, leading to great fastbreak opportunities, and made sure to get teammates consistently involved and in position to score. Cole helped kickstart UConn’s offensive run in the final eight minutes of the first half and made two key 3-pointers. When the team got in foul trouble at the beginning of the second half, he and Bouknight stepped up and led the offense. Cole did an excellent job of pulling up to hit open jumpers and beating defenders off the dribble. Throughout the game, he played strong defense and limited the Golden Eagles ability to shoot from the outside.

In addition to scoring when needed, Cole also visibly provided leadership on the floor. He was consistently communicating with teammates on the floor and in the huddle, and the joy he expressed clearly rubbed off on the Huskies other players. In recent games, Cole has become more vocal both in games and practices, and UConn clearly needed vocal leaders. I am confident he will continue to grow as a leader in the remainder of the season.

Cole has now averaged 17 points on 46.2% shooting AND 43.2% from three and just under five assists in the Huskies last five games, recording a 4-1 assist to turnover ratio. He and Bouknight are a great duo together now that Cole’s improved so much, and they are establishing themselves as one of the best backcourts in the Big East. If Cole can help lead UConn to a win at Seton Hall tomorrow, it will be a great indication of how much he’s grown.

UConn demonstrates their impressive depth on offense

I’ve already gone into Cole’s great game, and Bouknight improved as the game went on and scored successfully in the midrange and at the rim to make up for his struggles behind the arc. After inconsistent offensive performances as a team against Villanova and Georgetown, UConn again showed how effective their offense can be when it gets solid contributions on that end from multiple players.

Thanks to the Huskies depth, they were able to suceed on offense both in the paint and from midrange and behind the arc. Polley joined Cole in providing scoring from 3-point range, making three triples in 21 minutes. The senior knocked down open opportunities and did a good job of getting himself in quality shooting position, even shot faking on one of his makes. Polley scored nine or more points for the third time in five games, and is shooting 39.1% on threes in that stretch. Jackson (who I discuss more below) was able to score at the rim effectively and on fastbreak opportunities (going 3-4 on 2-pointers) and again had a spectacular dunk, and he also again passed the ball well. Martin did not make a three for the third consecutive game and fouled out, but again finished well at the rim. His offensive rebounding continues to be outstanding, as he has grabbed multiple offensive boards in six consecutive games. Finally, Gaffney made two nice jumpers and his four assists were the most in a game this season.

The excellent offensive performances by UConn;s guards and forwards offset the struggles of Whaley, Sanogo and Carlton, whom were all limited by foul trouble or injury and scored just eight combiend points on 4-10 shooting in 43 minutes. The Huskies will need this group (depending on the health of Carlton) to improve their play against Seton Hall’s big frontline. With their depth, however, the offense should be able to consistently make up for struggles in certain areas and perform well in each game going forward. UConn is more than just Bouknight and ColIn e.

The Huskies defense is playing at a high level again

During UConn’s struggles in the middle of the season, its defense was nearly as central to the struggles as the offense, despite a large portion of the attention going to that side of the ball. The defense allowed at least 70 points in each of the losses the team suffered without Bouknight, and players did a poor job of playing help defense and regularly limiting layups or foul trouble. Since Bouknight returned however, the Huskies have played much better team defense as a whole and held opponents under 70 points in four straight games. It is defending the rim better and playing stronger help defense while continuing to limit teams from beyond the arc. UConn has returned to being a strong defensive rebounding team after being inconsistent in that area during the middle of the season.

Against Marquette, the UConn defense played one of its best halfs of the season in the opening 20 minutes, holding the Golden Eagles to 21 points. The defense completely shut down the paint and challenged jumpers and threes, and its pressure made it difficult for Marquette to find open shooters and caused costly turnovers the Huskies offense took advantage of. Even when foul trouble early in the second half limited the effectiveness of the defense, UConn forced enough turnovers and limited the Golden Eagles ability to score outside of the paint, squashing any hope of a Marquette comeback.

The Huskies are now first in conference play in points allowed per game (64.9)and blocks (2.8), second in opponent field goal percentage (41.6%)and third in assists allowed per game (11.6). They need to do a better job of avoiding foul trouble, especially against Seton Hall, but at their best UConn can be an elite defensive team. This will allow them to beat any opponent.

Andre Jackson shows off his versatility

After an exciting showing in his first three games back from injury, Jackson hit a little bit of a wall in the three games prior to Saturday’s contest, scoring just four points and grabbing nine rebounds while dealing with foul trouble. The freshman was excellent against Marquette however, recording eight points eight pints and rebounds with two assists in 27 minutes, his second highest total of the season. On offense, Jackson used his speed and athleticism to score effectively at the rim, and handled the ball well after committing three turnovers against Georgetown. Jackson demonstrated his toughness when rebounding in traffic, and used his wingspan to harras ball defenders while doing a better job of avoiding ticky-tack fouls. Overall, Jackson provided much needed defense and rebounding with the bigs being limited.

Saturday’s win did a great job of demonstrating what Jackson can bring to UConn. Yes, he is very raw and a limited shooter, and is prone to lapses on defense. However, it is clear at this point that Jackson will always bring a lot of energy and much-neededd athleticm to the Huskies and can be an effective passer, rebounder and defender. If Jackson is able to stay on the floor, he will be a Swiss Army knife for the team and can make a positive impact even if he is not scoring.

UConn is again hurt by foul trouble

The Huskies defensive approach leaves them vulnerable to foul trouble. They consistently use the hard hedge and focus heavily on limiting the ability for opponents to make threes, and their bigs regularly defend players at the top of the key. While UConn is usually effective on defense overall, this style of play makes it hard for big men to get back and guard the rim, especially slower bigs like Sanogo and Carlton. In addition, Whaley’s physical style of play and habit of constantly trying to block shots regularly puts him in foul trouble even as he makes it hard for players to score. While it seems like Hurley is going to play this style of defense no matter what, the bigs need to be more disciplined, especially in a league like the Big East where the officials call a lot of fouls. Saturday is a great place to start, as Seton Hall has an excellent frontcourt which burned UConn in the team’s first meeting. More than probably any other factor, the defensive play of the big men will decide who wins that game.

Observations on win against Georgetown: RJ Cole has signature game, UConn dominates boards, and team has great second half

During the halftime break in Tuesday’s game against Georgetown, I joined many other Husky fans in eviscirating the team. After watching the team play an ugly 15 minutes of basketball after a great start and go into halftime down one, I attacked the team’s lack of discipline and asked where the player’s passion was. Little did I know that UConn was going to play one of its best halves of the season.

After going into halftime down 26-25, the Huskies got it together on offense early in the second half. In the last 13:51, they outscored the Hoyas 30-16 and went on to win 70-57. The win improved UConn to 11-6 and 8-6 in the Big East, and insured the team would firmly stay on the bubble for the NCAA tournament. Georgetown dropped to 7-11 and 5-8 in conference.

After inconsistent first halfs, the duo of Cole and James Bouknight were outstanding in the second half. The pair each scored 14 points in the half, with Cole shooting 7-9. The redshort junior had his best all-around game of the season, scoring 17 points and disching out steven assists to go with six steals. Cole did not commit a turnover. Bouknight finished with 20 points on 8-17 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double. UConn shot 56.3% in the second half.

The Huskies had an outstanding start to the game and went into the first TV timeout leading 12-2. After that, everything changed. UConn went into a shooting funk for the remainder of the first half and went scoreless for seven minutes at one point. It missed a number of open shots and second-chance opportunities, while also rushing contested shots. The Huskies were reckless with the ball and ultimatelly committed 11 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.

While UConn rebounded and defended very well, Georgetown was able to get the ball inside and reach the free throw line, making nine of 11 shots at the charity shots. Timothy Ighoefe made a 3-pointer on the Hoyas last shot of the half to put them up 26-25 going into the locker room.

After their poor offensive play in the second half, both teams started the second half playing well on that end. Led by Cole and Bouknight, UConn began to move the ball and shoot well and attacked the rim. Georgetown did the same, with the Huskies defenders out of position on multiple posssessions. With 10:54 remaining, the squads were tied at 44.

From then on, it was all UConn. While the Huskies struggled from behind the arc, they hit shots from everywhere else. Cole was the catalyst, knocking down jumpers and tough shots in the paint while also creating good scoring opportunities for teammates. After being quiet for most of the first half, Bouknight was much more aggressive in the second half and made some spectacular plays, including a dunk off an alley-oop pass from Cole. Almost everyone else got in on the action at points, and UConn continued to dominate the boards and handled the ball better, committing just three turnovers in the second half.

The Huskies were much more disciplined on defense in the second half. They continued to challenge shots behind the arc and defended the paint better while mostly avoiding fouling. UConn also benefited from Georgetown missing a lot of open shots. The Hoyas would ultimately finishing the game having shot just 35.8% and 4-19 from three.

UConn finished the game shooting 45.5% despite going just 2-11 from three. In addition to the 37 combined points from Bouknight and Cole, Sanogo and Whaley had strong all-around games. Sanogo had eight points and seven rebounds (three offensive) along with two blocks in 21 minutes, and Whaley had seven points and rebounds (six offensive) and two blocks in 21 minutes. Martin had eight points and five rebounds. Andre Jackson and Jalen Gaffney continued to struggle. Jackson went scoreless in 13 minutes and committed three turnovers, while Gaffney scored just three points and did not have an assist in 10 minutes. Qudus Wahab had an excellent game for Georgetown, earning a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

The Huskies ability to win 50-50 balls and impressive effort when going after loose balls is reflected in the game’s rebounding and turnover numbers. Despite Georgetown having the best rebounding numbers in the Big East entering the game, UConn won the rebounding battle 46-30 and recorded 18 offensive rebounds to the Hoyas nine. Five players grabbed at least five rebounds for the Huskies. They had eight steals and helped force Georgetown to commit 15 turnovers, with five of its players recording multiple turnovers.

The win moved UConn up to 35th in the KenPom rankings, and they are now 32nd in the rankings as of Thursday night. If the team can win all its four remaining games this should gurantee them a berth in the NCAA tournament, and three wins should be enough, especially if the Huskies can win one or two games in the Big East tournament.

Here are my observations on the win against Georgetown:

Cole takes on a aleadership role

While Cole avoided the ball-handling and sloppiness issues that many of his teammates experienced in the first half, he still struggled to shoot the ball, going 1-7. Cole missed open shots frommidrange and also rushed shots. It looked like he could be on the way to having a similar performance to his showing against Villanova, where Cole went 2-10 and had just two assists.

The R.J. Cole that appeared in the second half was a completely different player. Cole went 6-8 from the field for 14 points and dished out four assists. He used his pull-up jumper to catch defenders off guard and beat defenders at the rim despite the height disaprity between him and the Hoya guards. Cole was able to find teammates inside and on the perimeter for good scoring opportunities, and avoided waiting until late in the shot clock to start running the offense. Most importantly, Cole clearly took on a leadership role on the floor, helping to lead conversations in the huddle and constantly communicating with teammates on offense. Hurley said after the game that he was proud of Cole’s play, and it was clear his teammates were as well.

A few weeks ago, Dan Hurley pulled Cole out of the starting lineup to insert the message that ne needed to improve his play and effort level. Since then, he has been a different player. Cole has averaged 16 points and recorded a 21-4 assist to turnover ratio over the last four games while adding nine steals, and seized the starting role back from Gaffney. He has run the offense at a quicker pace and helped to take advantage of fastbreak opportunities, and it’s clear that he and Bouknight play very well off of one another. Cole established himself as the team leader by holding a player’s only meeting after the loss to Providence in which the team discussed how each player could fill their roles better, and he has only built on that leadership role since. It took a while, but Cole is finally meeting the expectations for him coming into the season.

UConn returns to controlling the boards

The Huskies have been a very strong rebounding team over the course of the season, and are currently second in the Big East in offensive rebounds per game (12.5) and third in total rebounds (36.9). However, they had not been quite as effective on the boards recently, and had not won the rebounding battle in most losses. With Georgetown as the best rebounding team in the Big East, it was essential that UConn beat the Hoyas on the boards to gurantee a win.

The Huskies didn;t just outrebound Georgetown: it obliterated them. They had 46 rebounds to the Hoyas 30 and snatched 18 offensive boards. The players did an excellent job of boxing out and outhusted Georgetown’s players to many long rebounds, especially on the offensive end. Even if UConn’s rebounding prowess did not lead to many second-chance points (nine), it allowed them to control the tempo and get great fastbreak opportunities. The guards got in on the action as well as the bigs, earning 21 boards. The team’s rebounding numbers reflected their hustle and aggressiveness throughout the game. UConn will need to continue to control the boards to go undefeated the rest of the regular season.

UConn has their best defensive performance in a long time

Georgetown is not a great offensive team, far from it. However, the Hoyas entered the game playing much better defense than early in the season. They scored 78 and 81 points in their wins against Butler and Seton Hall, and had put up more then 70 in four of their five previous games. UConn quickly ended the team’s offensive resurgence. The defense did an excellent job of challenging 3-point shots and altering ones around the rin, and frequently got back on defense even after committing turnovers. By doing so and then avoiding silly fouls in the second half, the Huskies eventually wore down Georgetown. While they struggled to stop Wahab, they did an excellent job on the team’s other top players. Jhavon Blair shot just 1-5 from three and finished with just nine points, and Jhamorko Pickett went just 3-12 from the field. The Hoyas missed a lot of open shots, but UConn still deserves praise for its defensive effort.

Sanogo and Whaley return to owning the paint

At times this season, Sanogo and Whaley have been a very effective duo. In the three games leading up to the matchup with Georgetown, however, they each had played very inconsistently. When UConn needed them to step up against Georgetown, they met the challenge.

Sanogo had not played up to the level they established in late January and early February in the aftorementioned games, scoring a combined 14 points and averaging four rebounds while dealing with foul trouble. Against the Hoyas, UConn fed him the ball more and Sanogo took advantage, working around multiple defenders on his way to eight points on 4-7 shooting. The freshman did an excellent job on the boards in 21 minutes, grabbing three offensive boards and seven in total. He was able to anticipate rebound opportunities well and consistently beat Georgetown players to balls. Sanogo also earned two blocks, and did a better job of avoiding foul trouble than normal, picking up just three. If Sanogo is able to stay on the floor, he is capable of having strong games against the remaining schedule. Sanogo played well in the Huskies first game against Seton Hall.

Whaley was still blocking shots at a great rate before Tuesday’s game, but the senior had only scored five or more points against one opponent (Xavier) and recently had not had big rebounding games outside of the win against the Musketeers. Like Sanogo, Whaley had also struggled with foul trouble. Against Georgetown, he was extremely effective on both ends of the floor. Whaley was outstanding on the offensive boards, recording six, and had seven total. While he missed multiple putbacks, Whaley still finished with stevn points on 3-6 shooting. He also finished with two blocks, and helped alter many shots. Whaley was all over the place and played with a ton of energy every moment he was on the floor, and it was clear his teammates were feeding of of this. If Whaley continues to play with that some level of passion, he will have a big impact on the team even if he doesn’t score a ton of points.

Observations on loss to Villanova: Bouknight is held in check, offense struggles to execute, and UConn overpowered in the paint

UConn’s game at Villanova on Saturday was the biggest it has played in a long time. The No. 10 Wildcats were the best opponent the Huskies have played this season and the class of the Big East. A win against Villanova would have a been a huge accomplishment and an indication that the program can compete with the best that the program has to offer. Alas, it was not to be.

Behind an outstanding start from James Bouknight, UConn stuck with Villanova for the entire first half and early portion of the second. However, Bouknight was completely locked up by the Wildcats in the second half and got no help from his teammates on offense. Meanwhile, an experienced Villanova squad demonstrated its talent and composure down the stretch and took control of the game, ultimately winning 68-60.

UConn’s (10-6, 7-6 Big East) two-game winning streak came to an end, while the Wildcats (14-3, 9-2) got back on track after a loss to St. John’s. The Huskies shot just 29.6% in the second half against a defense that has been inconsistent,with Bouknight going 1-8. Villanova finished with four players in double figures, with senior Colin Gillipsie dominating UConn’s defenders inside to the tune of 20 points and six rebounds.

As Bouknight has done in multiple other games, he came out firing, scoring 10 of the team’s first 12 points. However, he took a hard fall on his previously injured left elbow midway through the half, and made only two more shots after coming back in. While the Huskies weren’t exactly lighting it up on offense otherwise, Tyrese Martin and Jalen Gaffney combined for 11 points, and UConn trailed Villanova by just two at halftime, 32-30. Its defense played strong in the first half, especially in defending the 3-pointer, and the Huskies benefited from some unusually poor free throw shooting by Villanova.

Both teams continued to struggle on offense early in the second half and traded baskets. Adama Sanogo, who started the half off strong, hit a hook shot with roughly 14 minutes to give UConn its final lead at 42-41. From there, Villanova went on a 14-5 to help decide the game. Star forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl scored six points during this spurt, and the Wildcats repeatedly scored on either layups or free throws. The Huskies struggled to guard Villanova and especially Robinson-Earl and Gillipsee around the rim. The Wildcat players distributed the ball well and used their strength and some crafty low-post moves against UConn’s guards to get some easy baskets. The Huskies were also hurt by tight officiating and out-of bounds calls that didn’t go their way.

Meanwhile, on offense, UConn’s shooting dried up and they were unable to hit any shots for a long stretch. After Sanogo made a jumper at the 10:51 to cut the deficit to one, the offense went 7:05 without making a field goal. A visably fatigued and frustrated Bouknight was constanty double and triple-teamed during this stretch and tried to do too much, taking off-balance shots and turning the ball over multiple times. His teammated did not fare much better, as they often settled for contested jumpers and 3-pointers and were unable to take advantage of the few looks they got inside. The Huskies would fall behind 57-47 with 4:25 remaining.

After Villanova took their 10-point lead, UConn finally started showing some signs of life. Martin earned a 3-point play, and R.J. Cole and Sanogo followed with a 3-pointer and layup to cut the deficit to 60-55 with 2:13 remaining. Gillipsee hit his second consecutive three to put the Wildcats by eight, and then Villanova closed it out from the line.

The Huskies ended the game shooting just 36.4% and 25.9% from three. They also only shot 13-19 at the line. Bouknight finished with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds, but had just the one 3-pointer in the second half and committed five turnovers. Cole, who played just four minutes in the first half due to his foul trouble, was the only other Husky who scored in double figures with 10 points but shot just 2-10 (2-8 on threes) and had only two assists. Martin grabbed 11 rebounds but scored just nine points and went 0-4 from three. This was the first game in which Martin scored in single figures since January 5th against Marqueete. Sanogo was the only player besides Bouknight who had a decent offensive game, scoring eight points on 4-6 shooting in 20 minutes. Tyler Polley hit just a single three in 25 minutes, and Whaley had a poor offensive game, scoring just two points and missing multiple quality shots. The Huskies had just eight assists and only made 11 layups. While the team committed just 10 turnovers, seven of them came on steals. UConn’s 60 points were the fewest an opponent has scored against Villanova since Jan. 23rd.

The Wildcats shot just 41.5% and 5-22 from behind the arc, and this was only the third time this season they scored under 70 points. However, Villanova received the balanced scoring they are known for, with four players (Gillipsie, Robinson-Earl, Jermaine Samuels, and Justin Moore) scoring in double figures. Robinson-Earl grabbed 11 reobunds and Samuels recorded three steals. The Wildcats committed just eight turnovers, and UConn recorded only eight points off them. As has been the pattern in the Huskies losses, they were outrebounded 38-36 and did not win on the offensive boards (both teams had 10).

Even with the loss to Villanova, UConn is still in solid shape to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament. As of Monday morning, it is fifth in the Big East. Among the ranking systems, the Huskies are 36th in KenPom, 31st in ESPN’s BPI rankings, and 54th in the NET rankings. While they are just 3-6 in either Quad 1 or Quad 2 games, they are 7-0 in Quad 3 and 4 games. If the team can run the table or go 4-1 in their final five games starting tomorrow against Georgetown, then I am confident they will make it, especially with a solid run in the Big East tournament. However, if UConn struggles and loses at Seton Hall, then it will need a deep tournament run.

Here are my observations on Saturday’s loss at Villanova:

James Bouknight is Brought Down to Earth

In the opening 11 minutes, Bouknight looked unstoppable in his second game back from injury. He showcased all facets of his game, knocking down 3-pointers, weaving his way for the defense for layups, and regularly getting to the free throw line. Bouknight appeared too athletic for Villanova’s defenders to contain, and myself and all other UConn fans probably started imagining him having a similar performance to his 40-point outing against Creighton.

In the last 30 minutes, everything changed. After returning to the game following the fall on his inured elbow, Bouknight’s shooting was poor and he went scoreless the remainder of the first half. His second half performance was ugly. Villanova upped its pressure on Bouknight as his teammates struggled, double and triple-teaming the sophomore and not allowing him to get any open shots. Bouknight responded to the pressure poorly. He dribbled into pressure, failed to share the ball and tried to do too much, leading to poor shots and turnovers and stagnation on offense. Bouknight definitely became fatigued and wore down, and his frustration was evident in the poor body language he showed.

In no way do I hold Bouknight’s offensive struggles against him. Villanova’s defense did a great job against him as the game went on, and it’s understandable that he got frustrated and tired playing 36 minutes. I expect his cardio and conditioning with each game he plays. What Bouknight can control when he is struggling shooting the ball is finding other ways to contribute, whether its creating scoring opportunities for teammates and sharing the ball or playing strong defense (Bouknight got burned regularly on defense by the Wildcat players). He can also maintain good body language and act as a floor leader, which UConn consistently needs. I expect the Villanova performance to be a blip and that Bouknight will continue to improve and mature down the stretch.

UConn’s guard play was very disappointing overall

Outside of Bouknight, the Huskies guard play has been frustrating all season and especially at the point. It seems like the team doesn’t know what they are going to get from game to game, especially when UConn plays a quality team. Against Villanova, R.J. Cole and company were bad on both ends. On offense, Cole, Gaffney, and Andre Jackson shot 4-16 overall and 4-12 from three, combining for just 17 points and five assists .On defense, the trio had a lot of difficulty containing Gillipsie and the other Wildcats guards inside. The loss did a perfect job illustrating the gulf in guard talent as a whole between Villanova and UConn.

On Saturday, all the worst defencicies of the Husky guards showed up at the worst time. That includes Cole’s inconsistent shooting and tendancies to hog the ball at times and the difficulties he has guarding bigger and stronger opponents, Gaffney’s reluctance to shoot the ball or push tempo, and Jackson’s lack of discipline on defense (he fouled out in 16 minutes). The point guards deferred too much to Bouknight even when he was getting locked up, and did not push the tempo or try to find the Husky bigs enough in the paint. It would have been nice to see Brendan Adams play to provide help on defense and a possible spark on offense, but Hurley surprisingly chose not to use him.

Cole, Gaffney, and to a lesser extent Jackson, need to be more efficient the remainder of the regular season and in the conference tournament, and Hurley needs to find a way to put them in the best position for success. Bouknight cannot carry everyone on his back.

The Huskies did not get enough from their bigs

Adama Sanogo and especially Isiah Whaley had checkered days on both ends in a game where UConn really needed reliable paint presences, while Akok Akok again could not provide the Huskies any support. Sanogo scored efficiently but was able to play just 20 minutes because of foul trouble, while Whaley gave the team absolutely nothing on offense, shooting 1-5 and again failing to get to the free throw line. The senior continues to struggle on offense and miss shots around the rim, and is not showing the same energy or aggressiveness he exhibited on that side of the floor late last season. Meanwhile, Akok played just four minutes and again went scoreless.

Whaley and Sanogo’s surprising struggles with rebounding were also key to Villanova winning. The duo combined for just five rebounds, only one offensive, and did a poor job of boxing out. Even though UConn was a better rebounding team then the Wildcats, Villanova was able to win the boards and offset their struggles on the premiter. While Whaley had three blocks, he and Sanogo struggled at times to defend players. As part of the Huskies defensive game plan, they and the other bigs also rarely double-teamed players to protect against outlet passes, a decision that ended up backfiring for Hurley and the team.

Tomorrow’s matchup with Georgetown is the ideal opportunity for Whaley and Sanogo to rebound and have strong games, with Akok and Carlton ideally contributing as well. The Hoyas have a strong frontcourt and are excellent on the boards, averaging 41 rebounds as well. The UConn bigs must compete hard on the boards, play smart defense, and be aggressive on offense to ensure a win. Against Georgetown and going forward, the Huskies must be more effective in the frontcourt and give Martin and the backcourt the support it needs.

Villanova demonstrated much more compusre then UConn

The Wildcats have a winning mentality as a program, and their core is mainly made up of juniors and seniors (although Robinson-Earl and Justin Moore are sophomores). The Huskies are primarily made up of freshman and sophomores or first-year players, and can still lack chemistry due to injuries and paused due to COVID-19. Villanova has extensive experience playing high-pressure games, including in the NCAA tournament, while UConn is in its first year back in the Big East and has no one on its roster with tournament experience. These factors partially help to explain why the Wildcat players seemed so much calmer then the Huskies players down the stretch on Saturday.

UConn looked rattled and upset with their offensive struggles and inability to shut down Villanova in the paint. The Wildcats, in contrast, kept their cool and took it to the Huskies, and shook it off when players made mistakes or things didn’t go their way. While UConn competed hard throughout the game, players needs to be able to handle aeversity better in close games against high-end teams, especially the less experienced team members. If they can find strategies for keeping composure and energy in these games, then the Huskies will end the season well.

Observations on win against Providence: James BOUKNIGHT!, defense shuts down Friars, and depth is on display

Well that was fun, wasn’t it?

UConn has been waiting for baited breath for James Bouknight to come back for nearly two weeks know, with that urgency going into overdrive after the team’s first loss to Providence last week. With last Saturday’s win against Xavier however, the Huskies showed that they could beat a strong opponent without their star. They carried that momentum over to Tuesday night, and played a more complete game with Bouknight back, not looking like he missed a day at all.

UConn defeated Providence 73-61 to improve to 10-5 (7-5 Big East).In just 24 minutes, Bouknight scored 24 points against the Friar defenders, who looked helpless to stop him. The Huskies led for nearly the entire game and by double dights for most of the second half.

The first half was the Bouknight and Tyrese Martin show, as the pair combined for 28 of the team’s 37 points. After not scoring in the first 3:06, UConn went on an 11-0 run to go up by seven. The final basket in this run was a Martin layup off a pass from Bouknight, who had just come in the game moments before. Both teams started off strong on offense, with the Huskies mainly scoring on laups and off turnovers and Providence on 3-pointers. A three by A.J. Reeves tied the game at 19 with 9:51 to go.

After the Friars tied the score, Bouknight gave UConn the lead for good on a 3-point play. This was talready he sophomore’s fourth basket, with the first being a spectacular dunk off an offensive rebound. Bouknight displayed great athleticism and shot-making ability from the moment he stepped on the court. He made multiple difficult layups, passed the ball well and played solid defense.

After their hot start, Providence cooled off and the Huskies defense executed much better. They forced key turnovers and consistently challenged shots at the rim, with Whaley, Bouknight and Jackson (defending star David Duke) in particular stepping up. The Friars hit just three field goals in the last six minutes. UConn did an excellent job rebounding on both ends throughout the first half, setting a tone that would last the whole game.

In the second half, other players carried the load, as Bouknight and Martin scored “only” eight combined points. With Sanogo fighting foul trouble, Josh Carlton stepped up and scored seven points. Tyler Polley hit two 3-pointers as well as a jumper, scoring nine points. Bouknight continued to impress on both ends before sitting out the last few minutes due to a cramp. Following a dunk by Whaley off a pass by Cole 4:48 into the half, UConn led by double digits the rest of the way and pushed their lead to 18 multiple times. The defense continued to play well, limiting Providence to very few 3-point opportunities and holding them scoreless for long stretches. The Friars did not break the 50-point mark until there was just over seven minutes left.

After the Huskies coming-out party on offense against Xavier, they were even more efficient against Providence with Bouknight in the fold. UConn shot 46.8% overall (the team’s highest percentage since its second win against Butler) and 5-12 from three. Bouknight was 7-13 from the field and 4-5 at the line and added two steals, while Martin shot 8-16 to finish with 18 points and seven rebounds, four offensive. Cole struggled to make shots late in the game, but still finished with 13 points and five assists. Carlton had seven points and rebounds (four offensive) and two blocks, and Whaley grabbed six rebounds and added three blocks. The Huskies outrebounded Providence 42-32 and had 12 assists.

The Friars shot just 36.2% from the field and made only four threes, and had 11 turnovers to nine assists. Duke finished with 11 points but shot just 3-16 from the field, and a week after scoring 20 points against UConn, Nate Watson was held to six points. The only Providence player who had a strong offensive game was Alyn Breed, who scored 14 points on 5-11 shooting.

The Huskies had an extremely encouraging night all around against Providence. The excitement and offensive firepower Bouknight brought was awesome, and UConn’s defense had its best performance in a while. It is going into Saturday’s game at Villanova with a lot of momentum, and its setting up to be one of the best Big East matchups of the season.

Here are my game observations for the encouraging win against Providence:

James Bouknight is good, you guys:

While I believed that Bouknight could have a good performance and provide UConn the necessary energy to earn a decisive win, he frankly exceded my expectations. Bouknight was extremely efficient on offense, not displaying any rustiness with his shot. He demonstrated a ton of confidence and did not hesitate from going inside or taking difficult shots despite the injury. Bouknight also passed and rebounded the ball well, grabbing four. I was also really impressed with his tenacious defense which resulted in two steals. Bouknight has improved on that end throughout the season.

With Bouknight back, UConn will be a much better offensive team, and improve on defense as well. Bouknight is not only capable of scoring roughly 20 points per game, his average for the season. He will open up the offense and provide better scoring opportunities to his fellow guards as as Martin and Polley, who can get higher-quality looks from three, and allow the Huskies to play in the uptempo style that has been successful the last two games. Bouknight needs to build up his stamina, but he makes the team capable of beating anyone. It’s nice to have a full-blown star again.

UConn’s defense and rebounding has become its greatest strength again

The Huskies were an excellent defensive team in the first half of the season, allowing only two opponents (Central Connecticut and Creighton) to score over 70 points in a game. However, they had a mid-season swoon, allowing 70 or more points as they lost four of five). At the same time, UConn rebounded less effectively, and has lost or tied the rebounding margin in four of the five losses. Against Xavier and Providence however, the team reestablished its superiority in these areas.

In the last two games, the Huskies have executed very well on defense. They made it difficult to score in the paint and in traffic, and have switched and hedged more efficiently then they were doing in the losses. Playing at a faster pace also made Xavier and Providence susceptible to turnovers. Whaley has been outstanding and blocked eight shots, and Carlton and Amada Sanogo have both defended well at times. Meanwhile, Martin and Cole continue to be mostly reliable on that end, while Jackson has shown a ton of growth as a defender with each game. Add Bouknight and Akok Akok to the mix, and the defense can shut down anyone.

UConn outrebounded Xavier by four and Providence by 10, and it hasn’t just been the bigs who have been grabbing boards. Six Huskies grabbed four or more rebounds against Providence, and that gang rebounding mentality can allow the team to tire out and overwhem opponents, especially on the offensive end. Uconn is now sixth in the country in offensive rebounding rate according to KenPom (36.8), and are second in the Big East in offensive rebounds per game and fifth in total rebounds. If it can use its size and athleticism to continue maintaining their rebounding advantage against the remaining regular season opponents (particularly Villanova and Setion Hall, which both have excellent offenses), then the Huskies offense should be effective enough to win all these games.

Huskies get contributions from everywhere for the second straight game

I have already exposed on the impressive depth UConn showed in Tuesday’s game, but I wanted to focus on it more here. At guard, the team had the theatrics of Bouknight as well as the steady play of Cole and key plays on both ends by Jackson. Cole looks more comfortable running an uptempo offense and has passed the ball well recently. While he is still an inconsistent shooter, the redshirt junior has demonstrated a better ability to finish at the rim the last few games and knock down pull-ups. Cole has averaged just over 14 points in the last eight games and scored in double figures in each contest, and he’ll get more open shots with Bouknight back. Jackson still needs to be more consistent on defense and avoid foul trouble (he had four in 21 minutes against the Friars), but he again provied himself a solid rebounder and excellent passer, and his athleticism and speed makes him a perfect compliment to Bouknight. If Gaffney can be even slightly more consistent, then UConn can have one of the best backcourts in the Big East going forward.

At the forward spots, Martin and Polley both have played well the last two games. Martin has scored 33 points in the last two games and proven himself to be UConn’s second-best player over the last few weeks. The junior transfer can score inside as well as shoot over the defense, and still contribute on the boards and on the defensive end even when he’s not shooting well. I expect him to keep up the strong play. Polley seems to have found his shooting stroke the last two games, and its been nice to see him not just focus on shooting threes. With Bouknight back, he should get even more open looks.

Whaley has played excellent defense the last two games both as a power forward and at center, and he demonstrated against Xavier what he is capable of on offense as well. I discuss Carlton’s performance more below, and I am sure Sanogo will continue to show growth in some of the remaining games. If Akok can consistently get on the floor, the Huskies frontcourt will be a force to be reckoned with on both ends.

Josh Carlton reminds fan of his skills

With the emergence of Sanogo, Carlton has received little playing time recently. Akok may take away from his opportunities to get on the floor as well. Nevertheless, the senior center demonstrated he can still be a valuable piece of the bench. Carlton did a great job of beating out Providence players for reobunds and flashed his ability to score in the low post, even adding a few foul shots for good measure. Add the blocks, and Carlton showed he can be a force in short bursts when he matches up well against fellow bigs. If Carlton continues utilizing his skills well and play with energy off the bench, he can make the Huskies better on both ends and help the team out when teammates are in foul trouble.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The UConn offense was enjoyable to watch again

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

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

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

R.J. Cole takes on the leadership mantle

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

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

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

Akok Akok Demonstrates the Impact he Can Make

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

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

UConn again looked happy on the floor

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

Game observations on Providence loss: UConn looks disjointed, offense goes cold, and Sanogo continues hot streak

UConn entered Wednesday’s game at rival Providence desperately needing a win to keep their NCAA tournament hopes on track after a tough loss to Seton Hall. Their need to win only increased more when it was announced just before the game that James Bouknight would not play. Providence was similarily in a must-win mode after having lost four of five to fall to 9-10 and 5-8 in the Big East. The game would come down to who showed more toughness and efficiency.

UConn did not rise up to the challenge. Instead, they seemed to lack energy for all 40 minutes and performed poorly on both ends, especially in the second half. Meanwhile, Providence executed well and controlled the pace, getting contributions from throughout the roster. This resulted in a 70-59 loss, the Huskies (8-5,5-5 in Big East) fourth in five games.

While the absence of Bouknight and uncertainty over his return is obviously taking a toll, it cannot be used as an excuse, especially when the Friars were also missing top players due to injury issues. It’s time for the UConn players as well as Dan Hurley to not make excuses and play better as a team. As of Friday afternoon, they are currently sixth in the Big East and off the bubble for the tournament.

After leading by one at halftime, UConn and Providence briefly traded baskets to open the second half before the Friars star point guard David Duke made a layup to give them a 40-38 2:45 in. This kicked off a 17-6 Providence run that put it up 55-44 with 9:49 remaining. During this, the Friars pushed the tempo and got multiple easy layups, with the Husky defenders either beaten off the drible or out of position. Providence also regularly got fouled going to the rim, as UConn kept being called for touch fouls. Nate Wilson and Noah Horchler scored six and five points, respectively during the run. Meanwhile, the UConn point guards struggled to bring the ball up against the Providence press and generally wasted a lot of time just throwing the ball from side to side, leaving players having to rush shots in the final seconds of the clock. The Huskies went cold even on open shots, missing five three-pointers.

After falling behind by 11, UConn finally got ont rack for a short time. It went on an 11-3 run, which was ignited by tighter defense by UConn (it had both three steals and blocks during this stretch), quicker and easier shots, and offensive rebounding, as well as missed free throws by the Friars. Whaley and Sanogo each had dunks during the run. However, Polley again missed a 3-pointer when he had an opportunity to tie the game at 58 with 3:15 remaining, and Providence closed it out from there, hitting eight free throws in the final three minutes to win by 11.

Sanogo had one of his best all-around games despite foul trouble, scoring nine points and grabbing eight rebounds while making five blocks. Cole led the Huskies with 14 points on 5-12 shooting and earned six assists, but had five turnovers. He again slowed down in the second half, scoring just five points. Martin had 13 points and nine rebounds. Whaley again struggled, scoring just four points in 29 minutes before fouling out, and Jalen Gaffney had a disappointing game after earning the start at point guard, recording four points and an assist in just 16 minutes due to foul trouble. Tyler Polley had his worst shooting game of the year, going 2-12 overall and 1-8 on 3-pointers despite a number of open looks. Wilson and Duke led the way for Providence, as the former had 17 points on 6-8 shooting and six rebounds, and the latter 17 points, six assists and three steals. Horchler had nine points and 10 rebounds, and A.J. Reeves had 10 points and six assists.

As a team, UConn shot just 36.5% in the second half and 40% for the game. Polley was not the only player who struggled from behind the arc, as the team went 4-20. The Huskies were beat in nearly every statistical category. Providence controlled the boards, grabbing 39 to UConn’s 34, and the Friars lohad 14 assists to UConn’s nine. Providence also had a big advantage at the foul line, making 18 free throws to UConn’s five. The lone bright spot was in blocks, as the Huskies had eight.

Any way you look at it, this was a very disappointing game and probably the most frustrating loss UConn and its fans had had in some time. The team seemingly lacks confidence right now and isn’t playing well in any facet of the game, and Hurley doesn’t seem to necessarily have answers. The whole James Bouknight saga and the question of if and when he will return had seemingly cast a cloud over the program. I don’t know what the answers to these problems are, but suffice to say Saturday’s matchup with Xavier is a must-win game.

Here are my observations on the loss to Providence and UConn’s play:

The Huskies offense never gets going

This applies to every element of the game, but especially on the offensive end. Providence head coach Ed Cooley was very smart to play the press knowing that UConn generally doesn’t run and play uptempo, and the offense played right into Providence’s hands. The Huskies rarely tried to run and quickly break the press, typically taking nearly 10 seconds to get the ball within 20 feet of the basket. After that, it seemed like it generally took at least 10 seconds for a shot to be taken, and many of this were covered or came lot in the shot clock. Even with UConn struggling from the outside, the players did not try and feed the post or drive and either shoot it or get to the foul line nearly enough. Both when the team went cold in the middle of the second half or tried to come back late, the Huskies did not try to play more quickly or run unique offensive sets to generate points and momentum.

After the game, Hurley clearly expressed his frustration with the pace of play and the offense not being more agressive. That’s all well and good to hear, but what changes are he and the players going to make to get the offense playing more efficiently. I understand Hurley’s desire to try and play more slowly without Bouknight so that it keeps scores lower and makes it more likely UConn can win games, but that is currently not working, and the defense isn’t playing well enough to hold opponents in the 50s or low 60s anyway. What’s the arm in running different offensive sets that catch opponents off guard, or playing more uptempo and try to generate easier baskets and opponent turnovers. The Huskies need to worry less about Bouknight coming into save the offense and instead get the offense to work even without him.

UConn lacks energy and focus

While the offense was certaintly the biggest issue against Providence, the defense didn’t execute well either. Players were regularly unable to close out on shooters in time, especially on 3-point shots. While the big men protected the rim well and got some key blocks, the guards were beaten off the dribble at key times, especially in the second half. It seemed like the defenders did a poor job communicating with one another, especially in plays such as the pick and roll. While some guys already struggling on defense (like Polley) continued to have tough days, others like Martin did not perform up to their standard. UConn’s defense has been on a slide for a while now, as it has allowed at least 70 points to four of their last five opponents, the exception being the Butler win on Jan. 26th. In the adjusted efficiency ratings on kenpom.com, the Huskies are now 45th in the country at 94.3 points, which is more than 20 points higher than two weeks ago.

The lack of energy is also being reflected in UConn’s rebounding numbers. It has not won the rebounding battle in the last three losses, and had fewer offensive rebounds against both Seton Hall and Providence, despite that being the Huskies biggest strength. While they still have excellent offensive rebounding numbers (third in Big East play with 11.9 per game and sixth in the country in KenPom in averaging offensive rebounds on 15.3% of misses), UConn is 10th in Big East play in defensive rebounding with 23.3 per game, and its average of 35.2 per game is now sixth out of 11 teams. Against the Friars, the Huskies lost the rebounding batte 28-23, and its 10 offensive rebounds were two fewer than Providence’s. They were again beaten to long rebounds and loose balls and allowed costly second chances, while being one-and-done when shooting. Whether that’s a matter of UConn players not giving enough effort or more likely just misjudging rebound opportunities and being outworked, the Huskies need to reestablish their rebounding as a huge strength to be successful.

Finally, the UConn players and Hurley aren’t demonstrating enthusiasm and excitement when playing. Watching the bench against Providence, you did not see the players cheering on one another and celebrating big plays, and Hurley definitely looked displeased a lot. Hopefully against Xavier, the team will make a conscious choice to come out with as much energy as possible and maintain an air of positivity, one that can help lead to a win.

Sanogo and Andre Jackson are again huge bright spots

While fans were definitely frustrated with the play of UConn’s older players, Sanogo and Jackson each had very strong afternoons. Sanogo did an excellent job on the boards and made some tough shots, again demonstrating strong footwork. He also continues to improve on defense by altering and blocking shots more effectively and bodying up on defenders, although he still needs to improve on keeping his hands up and avoiding costly touch fouls. The growth that Sanogo has shown as a player over just a few weeks is amazing, and I am sure he will continue to improve the rest of the season.

Jackson has displayed exciting offensive abilities and athleticism since returning against Seton Hall. He had six points, four rebounds and two assists against Providence in 28 minutes. Jackson made a number of highlight-reel plays, including another memorable dunk and a few difficult passes. He is an inconsistent shooter and still pretty raw on defense, but I think Jackson is arguably the most athletic UConn player besides Bouknight and will be essential to any success the team has the remainder of this season.

The James Bouknight Experience

After it was announced Bouknight was not playing, Hurley said in the post-game interviews that an outside surgeon had operated on Bouknight to take out his bone spurs, and that he wasn’t close to returning. Suffice to say, it was frustrating to hear Hurley only reveal this information about the surgeon now, and have his statement contradict the previous ones that Bouknight would be a game-time decision for each game before his return. Now we cannot know when exactly Bouknight will get clearance to play this season if at all (I would guess it will beanother week at the earliest), and have to speculate on how the question of when Bouknight returns is affecting his teammates. I have to imagine that they are frustrated about how to approach games and prepare with his status up in the air, and that their struggles without him are only eroding confidence. Hurley needs to help his team cultivate the idea that the rest of the season is their oppurtunity to prove how good they can be without Bouknight, and that this will result in UConn elevating its play and beating tough opponents. That way, it will again be prepared to again be one of the best teams in the Big East when Bouknight returns.