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Todays read:
The Story: The men's basketball team lost 80-73 to Seton Hall on Saturday, but don't fret. Help is on the way as James Bouknight's return is imminent and the Huskies may have found something in Andre Jackson and Jalen Gaffney.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: We aren't going to dwell too much on the loss to Seton Hall. Gaffney scored a career-high 20 points and Jackson made an impact in his return from a broken wrist. UConn lost, but we are more interested in the future and there were some good things to take away. Moral victory? Of course not. There is no such thing, and this is UConn, after all. But you are either moving in the right direction or the wrong direction. There is no staying put, and we think when Bouknight returns, he is the answer to what ails the Huskies. So what happened? UConn couldn't score in the first 16 minutes and trailed by 18. It had plenty of chances to pull off another big comeback win but Seton Hall was too good offensively. Trailing by 18 puts a team in such a poor position that even getting the game in balance in the last five minutes requires almost perfect play.
WHAT WE LIKED: We've been clamoring for weeks for Gaffney to get more minutes at the point.
(NEWS FLASH ---THIS ! )---- UConn is better with R.J. Cole off the ball. Cole is a fine ballhandler, but he is better when he is a shooter and scorer and not really worried about running the team. Once Gaffney got confident, he was driving into the lane and scoring or creating for others. The offense ran better when he was at the point and he hits his free throws. -----His points were scored on deep 3s and on slashes to the basket. Cole scored just seven points, but we liked his looks and the spots where he got the ball. The goal should be to get him in positions where he can score. Let Gaffney or Bouknight, when he returns, worry about creating for others. Cole can be the primary point guard. That doesn't mean he should, and Gaffney showed for the first time this year he could run the team. (plus- Gaf showed it last year we he ran the team at the end instead of AG - when Uconn was winning !.... Cole might be a scorer but he doesn't have the physical ability or speed to put pressure on the opponents defense/ have break down ability.....off the dribble)
WOW ON JACKSON: We got our first real look at Jackson and were stunned by his impact. Dan Hurley did an excellent job integrating the prized freshman into the game. Jackson made an impact defensively as his ability to guard and pressure on the perimeter caused Seton Hall problems. He is a good passer, though he showed a little too much flair on some passes for our liking. He also showcased his incredible athleticism with a thunderous putback dunk. We also liked that he made a 3-pointer off the catch. The shot has a long ways to go, but he has athleticism, size and skill to be a terrific player. His energy and athleticism is something the Huskies haven't had since Bouknight was hurt. Jackson had seven points in his first real action of his career.
SANOGO LOOKS LIKE A VET: Adama Sanogo's inside play makes him look like a 15-year pro. He has tremendous footwork, touch and size and showed a nice 15-foot jumper that will become a staple. He's going to be a terrific player. He's probably UConn's most consistent offensive player until Bouknight returns. He needs more shots and looks, and those are going to come with time.
BOUKNIGHT INCOMING! OK, we buried the lede intentionally. Bouknight might be back as early as tomorrow's game against Providence, when he will be a game-time decision. Bouknight could just as easily opt out of playing the rest of the season and declare for the NBA Draft. Right now, he is looking like a first-round lock, and with it comes a pretty hefty salary. Bouknight's absence has cost the Huskies some games, but in the long run, we think it is going to benefit them. Bouknight's is on borrowed time and getting Gaffney, Sanogo and Jackson playing impactful minutes is going to be good for the program next year and beyond. UConn was going to go through growing pains like it has had this year with its young players. Now? We know the Huskies can defend and score a bit without Bouknight. Now they can add him in and maybe prevent those awful offensive lulls that happen every game.
CONCERNS WITH THE ELDERS: That said, we are concerned about the on and off play of Tyler Polley, who scored points, the inability to get Cole going and very low production from Isaiah Whaley, who has to score more than the two points he had on Saturday. UConn was really hurt on the defensive boards, where Sanogo and Whaley, surprisingly, couldn't control the glass. The Huskies were outrebounded 28-23 and gave up eight second-chance points. Also, Josh Carlton can't get on the court with Sanogo's play and he seems to be the odd man out as there is only room for two centers in the rotation because Hurley likes to play small. Carlton and junior Brendan Adams, who had five points, are better than their production. We are hoping once the Huskies get into a rhythm and cadence for playing games we will see better production.
WHAT ABOUT THE NCAA TOURNAMENT? UConn is 8-4, but we think the committee is going to like what it has seen from the Huskies. UConn is holding its own without a top player and we think getting Bouknight back will push UConn over the top in some of the tougher Big East games coming up. Team Rankings gives the Huskies a 67% chance at a bid following the loss. We think that's fair and it means the Huskies are in a good position, but they still have a lot of work to do.
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Feeling Cocky? Huskies Ready For SC
The Story: The No. 3-ranked women's basketball team is about to face its stiffest test of the season as it hosts No. 2 South Carolina tonight at Gampel Pavilion (7 p.m., FS1).
PLENTY OF CHANCES: The Huskies should have had a good idea of what to expect at this point in the season had they played Mississippi State, Louisville, Baylor and Tennessee earlier this season. Instead, the first three games were wiped out because of the pandemic, the Huskies came from behind to beat the Lady Vols and a hastily scheduled game against then-No. 15 Arkansas led to their first loss this season. South Carolina (15-1, 10-0 SEC) has not yet played Tennessee but it beat the Razorbacks 104-82 three weeks ago, so that's a heck of a warning shot.
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Men's Hockey Waxes NU; Top 20 Next?
The Story: The men's hockey team continued to flex its muscles on Friday with a 4-1 win over No. 14 Northeastern, with the Good Huskies scoring all four goals after their opponents struck first.
Delivered early each morning to your email inbox !
Todays read:
The Story: The men's basketball team lost 80-73 to Seton Hall on Saturday, but don't fret. Help is on the way as James Bouknight's return is imminent and the Huskies may have found something in Andre Jackson and Jalen Gaffney.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: We aren't going to dwell too much on the loss to Seton Hall. Gaffney scored a career-high 20 points and Jackson made an impact in his return from a broken wrist. UConn lost, but we are more interested in the future and there were some good things to take away. Moral victory? Of course not. There is no such thing, and this is UConn, after all. But you are either moving in the right direction or the wrong direction. There is no staying put, and we think when Bouknight returns, he is the answer to what ails the Huskies. So what happened? UConn couldn't score in the first 16 minutes and trailed by 18. It had plenty of chances to pull off another big comeback win but Seton Hall was too good offensively. Trailing by 18 puts a team in such a poor position that even getting the game in balance in the last five minutes requires almost perfect play.
WHAT WE LIKED: We've been clamoring for weeks for Gaffney to get more minutes at the point.
(NEWS FLASH ---THIS ! )---- UConn is better with R.J. Cole off the ball. Cole is a fine ballhandler, but he is better when he is a shooter and scorer and not really worried about running the team. Once Gaffney got confident, he was driving into the lane and scoring or creating for others. The offense ran better when he was at the point and he hits his free throws. -----His points were scored on deep 3s and on slashes to the basket. Cole scored just seven points, but we liked his looks and the spots where he got the ball. The goal should be to get him in positions where he can score. Let Gaffney or Bouknight, when he returns, worry about creating for others. Cole can be the primary point guard. That doesn't mean he should, and Gaffney showed for the first time this year he could run the team. (plus- Gaf showed it last year we he ran the team at the end instead of AG - when Uconn was winning !.... Cole might be a scorer but he doesn't have the physical ability or speed to put pressure on the opponents defense/ have break down ability.....off the dribble)
WOW ON JACKSON: We got our first real look at Jackson and were stunned by his impact. Dan Hurley did an excellent job integrating the prized freshman into the game. Jackson made an impact defensively as his ability to guard and pressure on the perimeter caused Seton Hall problems. He is a good passer, though he showed a little too much flair on some passes for our liking. He also showcased his incredible athleticism with a thunderous putback dunk. We also liked that he made a 3-pointer off the catch. The shot has a long ways to go, but he has athleticism, size and skill to be a terrific player. His energy and athleticism is something the Huskies haven't had since Bouknight was hurt. Jackson had seven points in his first real action of his career.
SANOGO LOOKS LIKE A VET: Adama Sanogo's inside play makes him look like a 15-year pro. He has tremendous footwork, touch and size and showed a nice 15-foot jumper that will become a staple. He's going to be a terrific player. He's probably UConn's most consistent offensive player until Bouknight returns. He needs more shots and looks, and those are going to come with time.
BOUKNIGHT INCOMING! OK, we buried the lede intentionally. Bouknight might be back as early as tomorrow's game against Providence, when he will be a game-time decision. Bouknight could just as easily opt out of playing the rest of the season and declare for the NBA Draft. Right now, he is looking like a first-round lock, and with it comes a pretty hefty salary. Bouknight's absence has cost the Huskies some games, but in the long run, we think it is going to benefit them. Bouknight's is on borrowed time and getting Gaffney, Sanogo and Jackson playing impactful minutes is going to be good for the program next year and beyond. UConn was going to go through growing pains like it has had this year with its young players. Now? We know the Huskies can defend and score a bit without Bouknight. Now they can add him in and maybe prevent those awful offensive lulls that happen every game.
CONCERNS WITH THE ELDERS: That said, we are concerned about the on and off play of Tyler Polley, who scored points, the inability to get Cole going and very low production from Isaiah Whaley, who has to score more than the two points he had on Saturday. UConn was really hurt on the defensive boards, where Sanogo and Whaley, surprisingly, couldn't control the glass. The Huskies were outrebounded 28-23 and gave up eight second-chance points. Also, Josh Carlton can't get on the court with Sanogo's play and he seems to be the odd man out as there is only room for two centers in the rotation because Hurley likes to play small. Carlton and junior Brendan Adams, who had five points, are better than their production. We are hoping once the Huskies get into a rhythm and cadence for playing games we will see better production.
WHAT ABOUT THE NCAA TOURNAMENT? UConn is 8-4, but we think the committee is going to like what it has seen from the Huskies. UConn is holding its own without a top player and we think getting Bouknight back will push UConn over the top in some of the tougher Big East games coming up. Team Rankings gives the Huskies a 67% chance at a bid following the loss. We think that's fair and it means the Huskies are in a good position, but they still have a lot of work to do.
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Feeling Cocky? Huskies Ready For SC
The Story: The No. 3-ranked women's basketball team is about to face its stiffest test of the season as it hosts No. 2 South Carolina tonight at Gampel Pavilion (7 p.m., FS1).
PLENTY OF CHANCES: The Huskies should have had a good idea of what to expect at this point in the season had they played Mississippi State, Louisville, Baylor and Tennessee earlier this season. Instead, the first three games were wiped out because of the pandemic, the Huskies came from behind to beat the Lady Vols and a hastily scheduled game against then-No. 15 Arkansas led to their first loss this season. South Carolina (15-1, 10-0 SEC) has not yet played Tennessee but it beat the Razorbacks 104-82 three weeks ago, so that's a heck of a warning shot.
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Men's Hockey Waxes NU; Top 20 Next?
The Story: The men's hockey team continued to flex its muscles on Friday with a 4-1 win over No. 14 Northeastern, with the Good Huskies scoring all four goals after their opponents struck first.
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