UConn hosts NJIT before AAC play starts
This is the time of the year when UConn shifts its focus toward conference play.
The American Athletic Conference season is on the horizon, beginning with a twogame road trip this week.
Today's non-conference game against New Jersey Institute of Technology at the XL Center in Hartford (1 p.m., SNY) will serve as a final tune-up.
NJIT AT UCONN 1 p.m. XL Center, SNY Coach Dan Hurley has a long checklist of things the Huskies (8-3) need to work on.
It's not a shocker that the defensive-minded Hurley mentioned protecting the basket first.
"Continue to tweak what we're doing defensively, get better at that end," Hurley said. "We're doing a good job with our field goal defense. ... We want to continue to be able to be disruptive at times. Then at other times be able to protect the paint. You have to be able to play defense both ways, not just pressure people into mistakes but also be able to protect driving lanes when you're playing a team that is really good at putting their head down."
The Huskies must polish some rough edges on the offensive end, especially in the area of execution. Hurley wants them to become a better screening and passing team.
There's been some encouraging signs recently. The Huskies set season bests for shooting percentage in each of the last two games, sinking 53.5 and 54.5 percent. They topped the 50 percent mark only once in the first nine games.
On the downside, junior
Josh Carlton's production has tailed off. Carlton, UConn's biggest inside presence, has scored only six points in the last two games. He's still the team's second leading scorer.
Over the break, the coaching staff did a "self-study" with Carlton to try to help him get back on a positive track. "Obviously, we have to get Josh going," Hurley said. "He's going to be big for us going into conference play."
Consistent bench production also will become vital. The Huskies are 8-1 when their reserves outscore their counterparts. Freshmen guards James Bouknight and Jalen Gaffney, as well as sophomore Brendan Adams, have provided much-needed lifts at times. Frontcourt backups Isaiah Whaley and Sidney Wilson will also be needed.
A nine or 10 man rotation would be ideal for Hurley.
"I don't think anyone on this team should probably play north of (3032 minutes)," Hurley said. "That keeps you fresh where you can close games, fresh defensively. I like where James' minutes are going. I like what Jalen is doing. I want to get Brendan in the 20s."
A win over NJIT would give the Huskies momentum entering their AAC opener at Cincinnati on Wednesday.
The Highlanders (3-9) have lost seven of their last eight games. Hurley called guard Zach Cooks, the sixth leading scorer in the nation at 23.1 points per game, a really exciting player.
"They're not off to a great start obviously this year but coming into the season, I think they were a top 150 team," Hurley said. "They return a number of guys who led them to a 20-plus win season, most wins in school history. We'll be preparing for the best version of them."