Cam Spencer – HUSKY NATION

UConn Punctuates Nonconference Schedule With Road Win at Gonzaga

Another UConn basketball nonconference season is done, and it was again a dominate start for the Huskies. A year after going 11-0 in nonconference play, the program is 10-1 after a 76-63 win over Gonzaga in Seattle Friday night. UConn, which is ranked No. 5 in the AP poll that came out Monday, relied on its balanced and intricate offense and intense defense in the paint to get out to a decisive lead in the first half and hold the Bulldogs at bay throughout, even as the game turned into a slog in the second half. While the win wasn’t the most visually pleasant experience, it showed the Huskies could win a grind-it-out game in (basically) a road environment.

The offense was outstanding to start the game. They easily got the ball to Donavon Clinigan to start the game, and he bullied the Gonzaga big men to score 8 easy points in the first four minutes. UConn was also outstanding from the perimeter in the first half, shooting 7-9 from the 3-point line. Cam spencer got frequent open looks off the Huskies ball movement and made three treys, and Tristen Newton added a pair of threes. However, UConn could not open a large lead against the Bulldogs for most of the half. Old friend Ryan Nembhard, who transferred from Creighton, and Anton Watson gave UConn fits, and it was a five-point game with under three minutes remaining. Nembhard was especially able to beat the Husky guards off the dribble for layups and open jumpers, scoring 13 points in the half.

UConn ended the first half on an 8-2 run to go into the locker room up 8-2 , setting up a similarly strong start after the break. Spencer and Solomon ball each hit a 3-pointer in the run, with Newton and Stephen Castle picking up assists.

The Huskies began the second half on a 7-2 run thanks to five quick points from Clinigan, and eventually pushed their lead to 18. They led 61-44 with 11 minutes to go. UConn’s defense was excellent in this opening portion of the half, with Clinigan and Samson Johnson shutting down Gonzaga in the paint and Castle and his fellow guards hounding Nembhard and not allowing him to get open or facilitate.

The Bulldogs finally got going from this point, showing the game down and ending dreams of a blowout. Their increased ball pressure led to a handful of layups and free throws, and the Huskies perimeter attack dried up (they were 0-8 from deep in the second half). With just over four minutes left, Gonzaga cut the deficit to 10 on two Nolan Hickman free throws. UConn responded with an alley-oop to Clinigan and a fastbreak layup by Hassan Diarra to cement the 13-point victory.

Clinigan was the star of the night, finishing with 21 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks. Spencer scored 15 and had 3 steals. Karaban added 11 points and Diarra was outstanding in 19 minutes, finishing with 9 points and 4 rebounds. UConn shot 63% in the first half, and was still comfortably over 50% for the game, and had 16 assists. Gonzaga shot 39% and committed 11 turnovers. While Nembhard and Watson scored 35 points, no other Bulldog had more than 8.

UConn is absolutely one of the top two or three teams in America right now. While the Big East schedule is a different animal, they have all the skills and mental toughness to continue to be dominant going forward. Below, I discuss a few of the most satisfying takeaways from the Gonzaga win, as well as a few nitpicks.

Donavon Clinigan Silences the Haters

During Clinigan’s inconsistent start to the season, a lot of people have been jumping on him. How long will it take for his foot to recover and get back in full shape after injury issues stretching back to the preseason? How limited is Clinigan’s offensive game, and can he play 25-30 minutes every game? Is he that much better than Samson Johnson? The chatter was becoming deafening, and it wasn’t really far to Clinigan.

The Bristol native answered every question against Gonzaga. After a week’s break between games, he was moving quicker and getting more lift off the floor, and it was reflected in Clinigan’s stats. He established great post position against their offense and was highly efficient, shooting 8-11 and making a few tough baskets. Clinigan was great at the free throw line for the first time all season-making 5-7 to reach 21 points. He did a great job of rebounding, grabbing four offensive boards and finishing with eight, and continued to do an excellent job of finding open teammates for baskets. Clinigan’s defense has been strong all season, and it was no different against the Bulldogs. He shut down their leading scorer Graham Ike, limiting him to just 5 points, and altered many shots. Finally, Clinigan seemed to have no issues with his stamina and played 27 minutes.

It was just one game, but it was important to see Clinigan have a strong offseason season against a premier team before Big East play. He will benefit from the rest provided by the lighter December schedule due to the holidays. If Clinigan can avoid further injury and continue to play himself into shape, he has the ability to be both one of the best players in the Big East and big men in the country, especially offensively. I am rooting hard for him.

Come on Down, Hassan Diarra

Diarra has been a pleasant surprise throughout this season, showing much more offensive efficiency than his first year at UConn to go along with the same defensive intensity. The win on Friday was arguably his best performance of the season, and the best of any player not named Clinigan. Diarra’s 9 points were his second highest of the season, and he was 3-4 from both the field and line. He was strong on both the boards and in handling the ball. Finally, Diarra’s in-your-face defense helped UConn shut down Nembhard and slow down Watson in the second half.

Diarra’s game, however, was defined by the number of big plays he made in the second half on both ends. First, he helped end Gonzaga’s first run of the half by blocking a shot and then stealing the ball with just under eight minutes remaining. This was followed by consecutive baskets by Karaban that extinguished their momentum. Diarra had another block roughly a minute later, and quickly followed with a putback basket. Finally, Diarra had the aforementioned fastbreak layup after the Bulldogs cut it to 10 to help seal the win.

Diarra is clearly one of UConn’s leaders and the heart and soul of the team. I expect him to be more up-and-down during the rigors of Big East play, but his defense and outstanding defense makes Diara a perfect backup guard for the Huskies.

UConn Takes Control of Games and Doesn’t Let Them Go

In all the wins UConn had had against strong teams so far, they have generally been given a lot of competition in first halves and had to endure runs in second halves. And yet, the team has been able to grab solid leads going into halftime and then maintain them the rest of the game. Even as teams like North Carolina and Gonzaga went on runs late in the game to try and rattle the Huskies, they have made a couple of clutch plays to ice things. Dan Hurley and his team will not continue winning every game by double digits, but that toughness and confidence should sustain thaste team going forward.

Stephen Castle Continues to Make an Impact in Limited Minutes

The heralded freshman, who is still on a minute’s restriction, again contributed against the Bulldogs in 19 minutes despite not shooting very effectively. Castle shot 3-9 to finish with 6 points, but his excellent passing led to 3 assists. Meanwhile, his defense flustered the Gonzaga guards and made it extremely hard for them to get easy shots. At the same time, he has looked completely confident on the floor and shown leadership when running the offense. As Castle’s restrictions get loosened and he can play freely, I believe he will have a breakout game in the next week or two. He should be a star.

UConn Will Need to Defend Opponents Better off the Dribble in the Big East

Clinigan is an elite interior defender, and Johnson frequently is as well when he can avoid foul trouble. However, Spencer has been a poor defender so far, Newton is good but not great, and Karaban can be bullied by bigger and more athletic opponents. While Solomon Ball has shown promise, he is inconsistent on defense like most freshman. The Huskies were burned by RJ Davis and Nembhard at different points this month, and they will face similarly skilled guards in most conference games. It cannot become a pattern, as it was for much of January and February last season. The guards need to be able to help teammates without giving up open shots to their own man. Dan Hurley will have to find a way to get his team more effective on defense going forward, or the team will not reach its ceiling.

UConn Shows Full Recovery in Week With Signature Win

In my last article for this site, I expressed frustration after UConn’s loss at Kansas and said the team would have to address essential issues to defeat North Carolina and ultimately end its nonconference schedule with momentum. Immediately the Husky players shut me up and then some. They were impressive in a double-digit win against UNC and for a majority of Saturday’s blowout of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. UConn is now 9-1 and remains in the top five of the national polls, and can earn a final signature win in Seattle against Gonzaga on Friday night.

UConn was impressive in their 87-76 win against North Carolina, particularly offensively, and led nearly the entire game. After struggling at times against Kansas’s switch-heavy defense a few days before, the Huskies burned the Tar Heels defense consistently on switches for layups and open perimeter shots. They averaged 1.23 points per possession and made nearly 69% of their 2-pointers. Cam Spencer and Alex Karaban, who were hobbled against Kansas and had poor performances, bounced back and scored a combined 41 points while shooting 16-31 (I discuss the importance of the pair’s performances last week more below). Tristen Newton had a typically well-rounded performance, recording 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, and freshman Solomon Ball had a breakout performance, scoring 13 and draining three 3-pointers. Ultimately, UConn had 25 assists against just 8 turnovers.

North Carolina scored effectively against the defense, with R.J. Davis (26 points) and Harrison Ingram (20) burning Husky defenders consistently in the first half and early in the second. The defense struggled to help and close out on the perimeter at times, but the Huskies upped their pressure and intensity as the game wore on. After the Tar Heels cut the deficit to 65-60 with 11 minutes remaining, UConn went on a 18-6 run. During this stretch, the defense consistently forced UNC into tough shots and forced multiple turnovers and blocks. Newton, Diarra, and Clinigan and Johnson played strong defense up top and in the paint to shut UNC down, and Stephen Castle played excellent D in his first game back from energy.

While UConn slept walk through the first few minutes of Saturday’s game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the offense woke up in a big way. With 3:54 left in the first half, the Huskies led the Golden Eagles just 31-29. After that point, they outscored Arkansas-Pine Bluff 70-34. After his 3-point shot had deserted him for a few games, Karaban had much better touch, draining six threes and finishing with a career-high 26 points and 7 assists. Newton had 16 points and 6 assists, and Spencer hit five treys and earned 4 assists. Clinigan was very effective on both ends, putting up 11 and 7 and blocking three shots in just 21 minutes. Finally, Castle looked very good in his second game back, scoring 7 points and recording 4 blocks and rebounds. UConn shot 56% and went 13-28 from deep, and got to the free throw line 31 times, making 22. It had 21 assists and outrebounded the Golden Eagles 42-28. On defense, the Huskies blocked nine shots and stole the ball five times. They held Arkansas-Pine Bluff to 35.6% shooting overall and 31% inside the arc.

UConn is now 9-1, and these two wins solidified its place as one of the best teams in the country and at the top of the Big East pecking order, along with Creighton and Marquette. Defeating Gonzaga in Seattle Friday will further demonstrate to observers that UConn can win against elite nonconference opponents in hostile environments. Below, I further discuss my thoughts on the UNC and Arkansas-Pine Bluff wins and the positives and negatives I drew from them.

Karaban and Spencer Come Back to Life

Against Kansas, it looked like injuries were heavily limiting Karaban and Spencer on both ends. Karaban’s shot was ineffective against the Jayhawks due to a finger injury, as he was just 2-7 from behind the arc. Meanwhile, Spencer had hurt toes on both of his feet, making it difficult for him to get good lift on his shots and move effectively on both ends. Spencer scored just 6 points while shooting 2-12, and both he and Karaban struggled to keep up on the defensive end. Prior to the North Carolina game, both men were a game time decision, and it was thought they would have minutes restriction. Because of this, it was easy to understand the skepticism myself and others shared about UConn being able to beat UNC at less than full strength.

Among the pair, Spencer was the first one to break out offensively against the Tar Heels. The senior scored 16 of his 23 points in the first half of the win, getting on the board via a series of layups, free throws, and 3-pointers. Spencer did not look stiff or slow in any shape or form. Rather, he showed off his ability to find open shots from anywhere on the floor, while still creating scoring opportunities for others. Against Kansas, Spencer had looked frustrated and angry at himself throughout. Against North Carolina, he played with that same intensity but instead fed off of it and showed their players he wouldn’t back down, even earning a technical after a little too much trash talking. While a lot of players had solid games against UNC, Spencer, who also earned 7 rebounds and 6 assists, was their MVP. After again playing well against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, my worries about Spencer have subsided.

Karaban found ways to contribute against UNC around the basket and by moving the ball. He ultimately shot 6-8 inside the arc (mostly on cuts to the basket and on putbacks) to finish with 18 points, and had 9 rebounds and 5 assists. As discussed somewhat earlier however, the win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff was the first time Karaban’s shot has looked 100 percent for a while. Karaban was 6-9 from deep and did an excellent job of moving without the ball and off screens to get open 3-point attempts in the corner. He was also successful again at getting to the rim for baskets and rebounded and passed the ball well, finishing with 3 assists. Finally, while the competition wasn’t high level, Karaban was strong on the defensive end against the Golden Eagles. It will be important to see if Karaban can keep his offense going against another strong defense in Gonzaga. What Karaban needs to remember is to not fall into a pattern of just taking3-pointers against the Bulldogs if his outside shots aren’t falling, and to be aggressive going to the basket when appropriate to create plays for himself and others.

Freshman Continue to Contribute the More They Play

After difficulty acclimating to the speed of the college game or just finding minutes at all in such a talented rotation, Ball and fellow frosh Jaylin Stewart made a big case for themselves against UNC and Arkansas-Pine Bluff. With Castle making valuable contributions in both wins in limited movements, it seems like UConn and Dan Hurley is getting closer to deciding that Castle, Ball and Stewart will get the large majority of minutes played among the freshman, barring more injury.

Ball averaged 11 points between the two wins, shooting 7-15 overall and 4-11 from deep. The shooting guard is showing a strong ability to finish around the rim using his athleticism and has demonstrated a nice touch on floaters. While Ball’s shooting from deep is inconsistent and he has a tendency to rush 3-pointers, I’ll give him praise for not being afraid of the big shot and forcing defenders to challenge him beyond the arc. Ball certainly came up big against North Carolina from there, making a trio of 3-pointers that gave UConn momentum at essential times. He also has done a good job of handling the ball well and playing with high energy on both ends during his starting stint with Castle injured and then on minute restrictions. Hopefully, Ball’s improvement during this stretch increased his confidence and will allow him to make an immediate impact off the bench when Castle moves back to the starting guard spot in the next game or two.

Prior to the game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Jaylin Stewart had played intermittently this season. Against the Golden Eagles however, the forward was aggressive on the offensive end and rewarded with a season-high 15 minutes. Stewart scored 7 points, making all three of his 2-pointers, and had 2 rebounds and an assist. Stewart also got to the line for three shots, though he only made one. He demonstrated the ability to beat defenders off the dribble and shoot over them, as well as strong athleticism. Stewart will have to keep his defensive effort up and shoot better at the charity stripe to consistently get more playing time, but I believe that he can be a solid member of the rotation by the second half of the season.

While I can’t imagine being worried about Castle’s ability to contribute either way, he demonstrated that he could make an impact in multiple ways in limited minutes against the Tar Heels and Golden Eagles. The acclaimed freshman had 3 points, 4 rebounds, and both an assist and steal in just 11 minutes against UNC, and then put up 7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in 18 minutes in the second win. It’s clear that Castle can beat defenders in the paint and create offense even when not fully healthy. His strength and reflexes allowed him to rebound well in the wins, and his passing was solid. What was most impressive against the two teams was Castle’s defense. His ability and length can allow him to hassle defenders and create turnovers. As long as he gets fully healthy, I expect Castle to start having a few breakout games in the next few weeks and show why he is one of the best freshmen in the country.

UConn’s Ball Movement and Rebounding is Elite

The Huskies ability to share the ball and get assists, which helps create the team’s depth, and it’s rebounding were big areas of strength last year, and have remained so throughout this nonconference schedule. UConn is running an intricate offense that is great at confusing defenses and finding players for high-percentage shots. Through 10 games, the Huskies percentage of assists on made field goals is 60.8%, which ranks 29^th in the country. They recorded 24 assists on 35 field goals against North Carolina, and 33 assists on 69 field goals against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. UConn’s passing is a thing of beauty, and it has helped lead to the balance the team has throughout its lineup. Four players (Newton, Spencer, Karaban and Clinigan) are averaging double figures, led by Newton’s 17 points per game. Castle is just under that at 9.8 points in less than 20 minutes of play.

Rebounding, especially on the offensive end, has been a huge emphasis of all of Hurley’s teams, and it unsurprisingly a huge strength again this season. UConn has consistently outrebounded its opponents, usually significantly so, and is grabbing roughly 42 per game. It is grabbing 38.9% of its offensive rebounds, which ranks seventh in the country. The biggest difference this season is that the Huskies guards are some of its best rebounders, with Newton grabbing 7.2 per game.

UConn Needs to Improve Significantly at Guarding Teams From Deep

The Huskies still have a very strong defense despite losing important talent and athleticism from last year’s roster. Opponents are making just 47% of their 2-point shots, which ranks sixth in the country, and the team is blocking a bunch of shots again. However, their opponents have been getting hot on 3-pointers, making 37% .4% of them, which is one of the highest percentages allowed by any team. While that mark may be a little inflated due to a few opponents shooting significantly better than their normal rates beyond the arc, the UConn players have consistently allowed guys to get free for wide-open 3-pointers, and been burned as a result. There could be a few reasons for this, including miscommunication by defenders, poor decision making, and the Huskies deliberately leaving a lesser perimeter shooter open to guard the paint. I know Hurley puts an emphasis on guarding the rim, but if opponents can stay in games by getting hot from three UConn will be susceptible to upsets, especially in March. Hurley has been emphasizing the need for the team to stop allowing so many 3-pointers, and hopefully they will have made changes to defending from there in practice during this long break that will pay off in games.

Donavon Clinigan Still a Question Mark

Even with the injury issues to his foot and having to play his way back into shape because of a lack of live practice in the preseason, Clinigan has still been an excellent defender. He is constantly altering or blocking shots and limiting opposing big men’s freedom of movement. The sophomore slowed down Bacot against North Carolina and shut down the Arkansas-Pine Bluff bigs, and no opposing center has been completely successful against Clinigan so far this season. On offense however, it is clear Clinigan is more limited than expected. His ability to finish around the rim is inconsistent, partially due to a lack of lift caused by the foot injury. This is also holding Clinigan back from showing the same explosiveness he had as a rookie. In addition, Clinigan’s foul shooting has still not improved, as he is making just over half of his shots there. I am holding out hope that the Bristol native will start living up to preseason expectations in a month or so. The current version of Clinigan, however, is holding back UConn from reaching its full potential as a team.

There’s No Such Thing as a Good Loss

To all UConn fans, I say don’t believe what you here. While the team showed a lot of toughness coming back and almost winning in a hostile environment in Friday’s 69-65 loss at Kansas, there is ultimately no such thing as a “good loss”. UConn did not play well against the Jayhawks, with no player having a strong all-around game besides Tristen Newton. In fact, if it wasn’t for an amazing performance by Newton, the team would have been blown out. The Huskies did a putrid job with penetrating the defense and creating easy scoring opportunities for much of the game, looked significantly less athletic than Kansas, and continued to have defensive lapses that ultimately allowed the Jayhawks to go on a decisive rally to end the game. Throw in a lousy performance at the free throw line (8-15) and Cam Stewart injuring both his toes and having it badly affect his shooting performance, and it was all too much for UConn to overcome. While this issues may have been for just one game, they are definitely ones that could affect the team’s performances against North Carolina and Gonzaga.

The Huskies are in a very vulnerable position heading into their game with the Tar Heels at MSG Tuesday night. With Spencer hobbled (the pain in his feet clearly affected his shooting accuracy against Kansas), Donovan Clinigan still dealing with a foot that continues to hurt him and affect his athleticism, and Alex Karaban ‘s injured finger possibly affecting his shooting accuracy as well, it isn’t an ideal time for the team to be facing such tough back-to-back opponents. Dan Hurley even admitted on Monday that Spencer, Clinigan and Karaban have been limited in practice, and that it is not a guarantee that Spencer will play. While Stephen Castle is likely to return against UNC, I am sure he will be on a minutes restriction. Considering that North Carolina has an elite offense that likes to push the ball, you have to hope that one or two of those aforementioned guys as well as Castle can keep up on both ends and be effective. Otherwise, there is a very good chance the Huskies will lose. It would help if Hurley was willing to play any freshman besides Solomon Ball if those players are struggling, even if he is reluctant to. The group did not play one minute against Kansas.

Below, I provide a brief analysis of the areas UConn struggled in against Kansas, and the possible steps they can take to get back on track against UNC. I still believe that the Huskies can be an elite team and beat anyone at their best. Now, it’s time to prove it against the Tar Heels and then Gonzaga.

UConn’s Offense Was Ineffective Against Kansas

There are ugly offenses, and then there was the Huskies offense against Kansas. While the team was ultimately able to get to 65 points and average 1.08 points per possession, those numbers do not tell the whole story. UConn started very cold, allowing Kansas to get out to a 16-5 start, and it remained very inconsistent from there. While a lot of the struggles can be attributed to the Jayhawks suffocating defense and the intensity of the crowd, the Huskies still could have done a lot of things better. Players did not try hard enough to move the ball on the perimeter or help Newton and Spencer by coming to the ball. UConn rarely pushed the ball off rebounds, and took to long to get into offensive sets, leading to low-percentage shots. While players were forced to take a lot of challenging perimeter shots because of Kansas’s ability to pressure the ball, they were still able to get enough open shots that everyone besides Newton should have been a little more effective from beyond the arc. The remainder of the roster shot 5-19 from three, with Karaban and Spencer combining to go 3-14. As tough as it may have been, the Huskies should have tried to attack the basket more and get more opportunities for offensive rebounds and free throws. Only three players reached the line. Finally, UConn had Clinigan setting too many screens instead of focusing on him playing in the low post. The sophomore took just seven 2-pointers and was unable to get enough easy shots, ultimately going just 3-7. UConn should have an easier time scoring against North Carolina. The Tar Heels have allowed every power conference team to score 70 points, struggle at defending the 3-point line and foul frequently.

The Defense Was Poor at the Worst Times

Like its overpowering defense, the Kansas offense was surprisingly efficient, especially at the beginning and end of the game. The Jayhawks jumped out to a 16-5 lead, making everything, and leaving the UConn players gob smacked. While they cooled off somewhat from there, they still went into halftime shooting over 50%. After shooting hot and cold for much of the second half, allowing the Huskies to briefly take the lead, Kansas seized it back by going on an 11-0 run starting with 6:53 remaining that featured three consecutive treys by Kevin McCullar, a subpar 3-point shooter, and Hunter Dickinson. McCullar hit one more backbreaking three to seal the game as UConn furiously tried to come back. Kansas, which had been inconsistent offensively against the best teams on its schedule and does not have great depth and shooters, definitely played its A game offensively at times. Shooting 9-14 from three is an obscene percentage, for instance. Still, the Huskies could have done a lot more to try and slow down Kansas.

My biggest frustration with the defense was that it just didn’t throw in enough wrinkles to try and slow down Kansas. Hurley didn’t have his players ramp up the ball pressure significantly and did not try and trap the Jayhawks until the final two minutes of the game. With the Huskies struggling so much to get good shots and allowing regular fastbreak opportunities off their poor shots, trying to play a defense that could hopefully lead to turnovers and easy baskets would have been a godsend. UConn also never played zone defense when Kansas was hot, and the one time it experimented on D by playing Clinigan and Sampon Johnson together, it blew up in the team’s faces, as the Jayhawks picked the moment to go on the 11-0 run that sealed their win.

While the Huskies decision to focus on guarding the paint instead of the 3-point line made sense at the beginning of the game because Kansas does not take many treys and the defense wanted to slow down Hunter Dickenson, UConn should have began playing the perimeter tighter earlier in the game. Even when they began doing so, players were consistently late on closing out. The defense had a habit of losing guys they were assigned to guard, leading to open jumpers, and were beaten off the dribble way too frequently, especially in the first half. The injury to Spencer did not help, as he is not particularly athletic or a good-on-ball defender even at full strength.

However, Karaban was by far the worst defender. He was abused off the dribble by the bigger and stronger KJ Adams, who finished with 18 points and was probably Kansas’s best all-around player. Once again, Karaban showed that he can be burned defensively by bigger guys, and his inability to keep his hands up while guarding ultimately led to Karaban fouling out. The one player I will give kudos for his defense is Clinigan, who did a great job of denying Dickinson the ball and altering his shots, holding the All-American to 3-8 shooting in the paint while blocking three shots. Hopefully, Hurley came up with some wrinkles to slow down North Carolina in practice while still protecting his hobbled players.

The Injuries Held Back UConn on Both Ends, and Stephen Castle is not Going to be an Immediate Solution

UConn was blessed to not have any long-term injury issues outside of the loss of Johnson, who would have played very little anyway. Maybe the gods are cursing them for their good fortune right now, as the current starting lineup looks like a MASH unit. The most concerning injury is to Spencer. As we saw against Kansas, his injured toes were a big factor in the senior’s 3-pointers constantly being short, affected his ability to play defense and drive to the basket, and even hindered his free throw shooting, as Spencer missed his first two attempts of the season. Spencer is a gamer and I expect him to play at least a little bit against North Carolina, but if his shots aren’t falling and his mobility is limited, I can’t expect Spencer to give UConn much on Tuesday.

While Clinigan has done a valiant job of playing through a foot injury that his still not fully healed, it is still limiting his athleticism and ability to grab rebounds and finish around the rim. Clinigan will again have to face an elite big man Tuesday in UNC’s Armando Bacot, and hopefully UConn’s guards will do a better job of getting him quality shots in the paint. Karban’s hurt finger is seemingly hurting his shot more than expected, as he has been terrible from beyond the arc in the last three games, including 2-7 against Kansas. Hopefully, it will recover quickly and Karaban will be smart by trying to score more at the rim and on free throws instead of 3-pointers. Finally, while I have high expectations for Castle and am glad his knee healed quickly, I don’t expect him to play a ton against North Carolina or to even be highly effective, at least as reflected in the box score. Castle has not yet faced a high-quality opponent, and it is going to take him a little while to get adjusted and get back up to game speed. Hopefully, all these injuries won’t be long term. In the meantime however, UConn will demonstrate their mettle if they can overcome them to beat North Carolina and then Gonzaga.

Extend the Rotation, Coach

This is more of a general issue I have with Hurley than just being focused on the Kansas game. I am never going to understand his reluctance to play most freshman extended minutes, even when it makes sense. UConn had one of the best recruiting classes in the country. With Spencer hobbling around, Karaban struggling on both ends and Solomon Ball mostly invisible against the Jayhawks, why didn’t he bring in Jaylin Stewart and possibly Jayden Ross, even if it had only been for three or four minutes at most. There wasn’t anything to lose, and Stewart has shown promise so far this season and Ross is a quality 3-point shooter. Yes, the freshman might not have been able to handle the intense environment of Allen Fieldhouse. But you don’t know until you try, and Stewart possibly could have made an impact at all against North Carolina and possibly Gonzaga, and will be unprepared for the rigors of conference play when it starts late this month. Hurley has to be willing to give a little rope, especially when the situation calls for it, and the Husky freshman deserve the opportunity to prove themselves. This is not a particularly deep team. Give the freshman consistent minutes as the season goes along, or Hurley may have most of them transfer.

Despite how frustrated I was after the Kansas loss, I believe UConn will beat North Carolina Tuesday. They match up with the Tar Heels better, and I cannot imagine the team will perform so poorly offensively outside of Newton for the second consecutive game. No matter what though, it will be a close game, and the Huskies still must prove they can win those. UConn has a lot of talent on both ends and is an elite offensive team and solid defensive one. It definitely lacks the depth or defensive ability last year’s squad had right now however and is not as good as that group was at this time last year. Against UNC, the Huskies have the chance to prove me wrong.