Going through UConn basketball withdrawals is not fun, even if it’s a situation where the team just has a week between games. With that the case, the team’s 15-day and counting break between games, which is supposed to end Saturday at Seton Hall has been miserable. The Huskies had nine players either test positive or show mild symptoms of COVID-19 as well as Dan Hurley and its games against Xavier and Butler were cancelled (Xavier has been rescheduled for February 11th). At this time, we have no idea if multiple players caught the virus at an event or something similar or if it just spread from player to player. The team did not have enough healthy scholarship players to face either Xavier or Butler on New Year’s Day. Finally, they will still be missing players at Seton Hall Saturday and likely St. John’s next Wednesday as well. It’s not surprising that the team had issues with COVID-19 and games cancelled despite all players being vaccinated and a majority boostered. It has happened with a bunch of programs throughout the country. It is disheartening however, especially after the number of games the team has already had to play shorthanded.
There are a number of storylines around how UConn will be affected by the COVID-19 layoff going into Saturday and then further into January, most negative. However, there are a few small positives, especially involving Adama Sanogo. It is hard to look at things a few days out and examine where UConn stands when we don’t know who is definitely available against Seton Hall (I cannot imagine we will until Friday morning at the earliest). I still feel it is interesting to reflect on these storylines and dig into them. I have done so below, and will update the article as necessary. Let’s hope things break positive for the Huskies as much as possible!
Negatives of Stoppage and Layoff
- I’m actually going to start with an issue that might not immediately come to the mind of fans. For the afflicted players who are able to compete against Seton Hall and St. John’s because they are healthy and cleared and had enough practice time, how rusty will they be and what will their stamina level be on the court? We all know that guys can be rusty even if they have been practicing in their first on-court action after a long layoff. Add on the fact that individuals who get Covid-19 can have lingering effects such as shortness of breath and various heart issues even if they are young and in great shape, and we just have to pray that these players and Hurley are fully healthy for the remainder of the season.
- Hurley said to reporters last week that the timing of people getting symptoms and positive tests was staggered and we obviously do not know how many players have been at the level of being able to fully practice and work out this week. It’s easy to imagine that the players may not have their regular chemistry in practice and against Seton Hall, especially based on who will be able to play against the Pirates (more on that below). What has the team been able to work on during the last few practices while being shorthanded? Will it be prepared to specifically handle the strengths and weaknesses of a very strong Pirates team, and can they maintain composure when back in game action? Those questions cannot be answered until Saturday, but I am both excited and worried about how the chemistry issue plays out.
- My personal hope is that the absence of certain players and the way Hurley has handled practices and training has allowed the freshman and others who normally are backups to get a chance to practice more in the last week, and that this group will ultimately get a solid amount of playing time against Seton Hall and St. John’s. This is a double-edged sword in certain ways. We cannot know whether certain guys who have played less be able to rise to the occasion against the Pirates and execute well on both ends. At the same time, we cannot know how many of the team’s best players and leaders (in my mind Cole, Martin, Sanogo and Whaley) will be available and if the Huskies can rely on them in a close game, although it seems like Sanogo did not test positive and should be close to fully recovered from his injury by Saturday. More than anything else, I want to know how many members of this quartet will play on Saturday, as I believe it will make the difference between a win and loss.
- If the situation is the reverse and a majority of the players out on Saturday are backups, how much of a burden could that place on guys like Cole, Martin, Whaley, Tyler Polley and Sanogo in his first game without full minute restrictions? Those guys were already averaging a lot of minutes, especially Cole, who is playing roughly 35 minutes a game recently as the Huskies main scorer and ball-handler. It would be tough for them to have the same consistency and stamina after no games for so long.
- Seton Hall has had its issues with having players out due to COVID-19 as well, and lost to Providence and Villanova at the end of December and on New Year’s Day shorthanded, dropping its record to 10-3. The Pirates had a nice 71-56 win at Butler yesterday however, and should have all their players available against UConn. With their full team Seton Hall is absolutely one of the best teams in the Big East, and defeating them on the road shorthanded would be up there with UConn’s defeat of Auburn as its best of the season. I think the game will be close no matter what, but there would be no shame in the Huskies losing.
- Finally, it will be interesting to see how the Covid-19 layoff affects Tyrese Martin. If Martin was one of the players who tested positive and experienced symptoms, not being able to play would be a tough pill to swallow after missing four games and playing just twice in December due to injury. While Martin was solid against Providence and great against Marquette inb his first two games back before the break, it’s possible he wouldn’t follow the same pattern the second time. Even if Martin did not get Covid-19 or has fully recovered, he could certainly be rusty against Seton Hall. Either way, I feel bad for my favorite UConn player.
Positives of Stoppage and Layoff
- The biggest positive of UConn’s layoff so far is that it gives Adama Sanogo more time off to recover from his abdominal injury. Hurley said that this long of a layoff should guarantee that Sanago would be declared injury-free without minute restrictions. Sanago was solid on offense in the 12 minutes he played against Marquette (six points, two rebounds and a block), but it would be great to see him on full strength and being a big force on both ends of the court. Sanago is a good matchup against Seton Hall because of his size and I could see him carrying UConn to a win against the Pirates.
- As discussed earlier, the lineup against Seton Hall could rely on multiple players who are backups depending on the health of players and the days they were found positive. For some backups, being able to play more could be a huge step in their development, even if it results in a UConn loss. I am thinking specifically of Jordan Hawkins, Polley and Jalen Gaffney and possibly even Samson Johnson and Rashool Diggins. Hawkins has been struggling mightily, and having the opportunity to get more touches and play without the risk of immediately being sent to the bench could help mightily with his confidence. Polley would benefit from playing a game where he does more than just take threes and is forced to be creative on offense. Finally, having Gaffney face the challenge of being the Huskies main ball-handler could force him to step up on both ends and show more efficiency as a player (it could also be a disaster, but either way would be interesting to watch). Finally, Diggins and Johnson deserve the opportunity to play more and prove themselves. I would accept a loss to Seton Hall if it meant these guys played more and were forced to lead the team, as it could help the Huskies down the line when they are needed.
- As great as the 10-3 Huskies have looked at times, their season has been a bit of a mess, from the injuries and the close losses to the questions surrounding Hurley’s offense and team management late in close games. No matter who is able to play against Seton Hall and St. John’s, the layoff could be a blessing in disguise. It will allow the team to reset, get fully healthy and hopefully develop more chemistry. UConn has a long way to go towards fulfilling their potential, and the next week or two could be the start of them doing so.
HUSKY NATION 