The Huskies have taken care of business so far this season
It’s been one cupcake after another for UConn basketball as it starts its quest for a three-peat, but the Huskies have taken care of business to cruise out to a 3-0 start. UConn has not faced a team ranked higher than No. 336 in KenPom (Sacred Heart) this season, but has used this stretch to get a relatively inexperienced group a chance to gel together before a brutal stretch of non conference games, beginning with the Maui Invitational next week. Our staff takes a look at some of the biggest takeaways from UConn’s 3-0 start to the season.
Alex Karaban is a legitimate First-Team All-American candidate
Ryan Goodman: The true junior has been unstoppable on both ends of the floor through the first three games of the season, leading the team with 18 points per game on downright absurd shooting splits, shooting 64.3 percent from the field and 55 percent from three. He’s also turned into a formidable defender, already accumulating 12 blocks through three games. I don’t want to overreact to the four blocks per game because UConn did just play three teams outside the top 330 in KenPom, but he really seems to be not moving much better on defense, showing quick recovery ability that was never there before. One of the biggest questions coming into the season was whether Karaban had the ability to really step into that Alpha role on offense and be counted on as the go-to guy. Through three games, the answer to that question is a resounding yes.
Karaban has played his spot-scoring, stretch-four role to perfection the past two seasons but was never a featured guy because of the embarrassment of riches Dan Hurley had on that end of the floor. This year, it’s completely his team and he looks more than ready to lead this team in their quest for the three-peat. It’s unlikely that he’ll score enough to be considered for First Team All-America because of how deep this team is, but if the rotation tightens in conference play, it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
Sophomores stepping up
Dan Madigan: Sophomore Jayden Ross didn’t play in the season opener against Sacred Heart due to an ankle injury, but Dan Hurley told the media that Ross was a “rocketship” the last two weeks and would have started against the Pioneers. While he hasn’t cracked the starting lineup since getting cleared to play, Ross looks like a player primed for a second-year leap that has happened so often in Hurley’s tenure. Ross’ athleticism and energy is apparent on both ends, and appears to be a real stat sheet stuffer – he has 22 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks across two games so far this year, and can defend multiple positions with ease. That’s a surefire way to break into Hurley’s rotation, and shows why Ross was such a heralded member of the vaunted “Fab Five” recruiting class last year.
Solo Ball has been incredibly impressive too, reaching double figures in all thee matchups, showcasing insane athleticism of his own, and shooting 7-16 from deep. He’s firmly entrenched himself in the starting lineup and clearly looks to be one of the Huskies’ best players. Jaylin Stewart has struggled out of the gate, but is a versatile player who can play the five at times and stretch the floor offensively. He figures to be an incredibly steady contributor off the bench in a variety of different ways this season.
Clean up the slow starts
Shawn McGrath: At the end of the day, this is fairly nitpicky. UConn has looked exceptional and has been consistently beating the KenPom spread even though it’s exceeded 30 in the three games so far. However, particularly against New Hampshire and Le Moyne, the Huskies have sputtered to begin the game. After 10 minutes, the Huskies were up just one over the Wildcats and four over the Dolphins. That’s not going to cut it in Maui, against Baylor, Gonzaga and Texas, or when Big East play begins. There have been plenty of successes, but this is one area for UConn to clean up as the competition gets better.
Foul trouble down low
McGrath: This was much better against Le Moyne, as Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed combined for 40 minutes on Wednesday and Reed didn’t have any fouls, while Johnson was whistled twice in 23 minutes, though one of those sent head coach Dan Hurley into a tailspin. Previously, he had been called nine times in 27 minutes against Sacred Heart and New Hampshire. However, these two had a pretty big size advantage and still were committing fouls against smaller, less athletic competition. Wednesday represented a great improvement and is something to watch as Johnson gets used to carrying the load and Reed, who had an exceptional game against Le Moyne, gets more used to his new surroundings.
Goodman: Johnson has taken over the starting center spot for Dan Hurley after playing crucial minutes last season as a backup to Donovan Clingan. The senior from Togo has always been plagued with foul issues, averaging 3.0 fouls per 16 minutes played last year. To be fair, that is part of what he is in there to do — defend the rim with reckless abandon and not worry too much about foul trouble because one of the nation’s best shot blockers will come right back in and be the enforcer that he is. Now that Johnson has stepped into Clingan’s position, he must be more conscious of racking up fouls, which we have not seen thus far. Through the three buy-games, Johnson is averaging 3.7 fouls per 17 minutes and was disqualified in the opener against Sacred Heart. He looks every bit as active and will once again be a premier lob threat for this team, but his back-to-the-basket game is still virtually non-existent, and he is committing way too many fouls. Once the games get more competitive, don’t be surprised if Michigan transfer Tarris Reed takes his job. He’s looked great to start the season, scoring in double figures each game and posting two double doubles while mostly avoiding foul trouble.
The offense again has the potential to dominate
Russell Steinberg: No, the Huskies have not looked as crisp offensively as they did in the second half of last year. Nor should they. They’re replacing a ton of NBA talent and just starting playing together. It’ll come. But even through the slow starts, there have been signs that this offense can be silly good. Hurley called out one of them after the game: UConn sputtered out of the gate but was still getting good shots. They just weren’t going down. Now take a closer look at the numbers. UConn assisted on 24 of 35 made field goals. Against New Hampshire, it was 20 assists on 32 baskets and 25 out of 32 against Sacred Heart. Additionally, the team is getting almost every shot that it wants. Virtually every field goal attempt this season has been in the paint or from beyond the arc — precisely how Hurley wants it. Their sets aren’t quite as dizzying as they were in February and March, but things have run so much more smoothly with Hassan Diarra on the court. Diarra is not just a fifth-year senior, but his basketball IQ is off the charts. The staff can count on him to bring everyone up to his level. In the meantime, players like Karaban and McNeeley should simply continue playing at an All-American level.
Mahaney’s struggles
Madigan: Aidan Mahaney’s UConn debut has gotten off to a rocky start. After scoring 17 points in the exhibition against URI, Mahaney has jumped into the starting lineup in the first three games of the year but has been unable to capitalize. He went scoreless in the season opener, and has just 13 points in the last two games, playing just 15 minutes against Le Moyne. It is going to take time for Mahaney to adjust — Saint Mary’s plays a very different style of basketball compared to UConn — and these inconsequential games give Mahaney some extra time to get his feet wet. He still has plenty of time to turn things around, and his contributions will be needed dearly as the Huskies get closer to the tougher portion of the non conference slate.