The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Cross examination
Fast five questions facing the Huskies entering this season
While Wednesday marked the first day that college basketball teams could officially begin practice, UConn decided its first practice would be on Friday.
No real reason, just how the Huskies mapped out the 30 practices they can have before the games can begin on Nov. 25.
The biggest question surrounding UConn — and every team — is what kind of season will there be in college basketball? When will the games be played? Where? How?
Assuming those questions get answered (and it seems a good bet they will, even if there will be a lot of bumps in the road), here are five questions about UConn as practice officially begins:
CAN THE HUSKIES STAY HEALTHY?
Injuries have taken a toll on UConn in recent years, to the point where last season, walk-ons were taking last-second shots and just seven scholarship players dressed for key, late-season games. The Huskies lost two starters (6-foot-9 forwards Akok
Akok and Tyler Polley) to season-ending injuries last winter.
Polley just resumed live action late last week after finishing his rehab from a torn ACL. Akok is making excellent progress after sustaining what at first appeared a career-threatening torn Achilles tendon in February. Coach Dan Hurley expressed hope that Akok could resume live action, at least in practice, by late-November or earlyDecember.
Still, uber-talented freshman forward Andre Jackson underwent minor knee surgery a few months ago, and junior guard Brendan Adams (foot) hasn’t been participating in off-season practices, either. It appears Jackson should be good to go once the season starts, but Adams might be more of a question mark. And even if Akok is ready to go at some point, can the Huskies still expect the shotblocking force he was as a freshman?
WHO’S GOING TO START, AND DOES IT REALLY MATTER?
There are battles for starting for starting positions just about all over the floor. We know James Bouknight will start at one wing. Hurley also mentioned on Wednesday that Isaiah Whaley appears to be in line to start at center, though he should have strong competition from incumbent starter Josh Carlton and talented freshman Adama Sanogo.
Jackson, Polley, Rhode Island transfer Tyrese Martin and Adams will battle for minutes at wing. Polley could start the season as a stretch four, but what about when Akok’s ready?
Then there’s the point guard battle between sophomore Jalen Gaffney, who provided a steady hand after taking over the starting spot from Alterique Gilbert midway through last season, and R.J. Cole, who sat out as a Howard transfer a year ago. Cole is a high-scorer who can distribute. Gaffney is even more athletic than he showed a season ago. He can also play off the ball, while Cole is more a classic point guard, so the two could spend plenty of time on the court together.
Either way, it’s good, healthy competition.
“We’re definitely competing for minutes with each other, but me and him are the best of friends,” Gaffney said on Thursday. “Off the court and on the court, we compete with each other every single day. I’m glad to have R.J. as a teammate.”
Of course, it really doesn’t matter who starts. It matters who finishes games. Hearing your name called out among the starting five is nice (though maybe not as important if few or no fans are allowed at games), but what matters most is playing time. It will be tricky to figure out minutes for a team with this much depth, but Hurley has a knack for making it work. He has admitted he prefers a rotation of about eight or nine. It may be a challenge to whittle this roster down to a shorter rotation.
CAN THEY SHOOT?
The Huskies shot just 32.4 percent from 3-point land last season, 224th in the nation, and their second-best shooter (Christian Vital) has graduated. Polley is the team’s best shooter, which is why Hurley envisions him as a deep-threat four-man. Bouknight has a sweet stroke and could improve upon last year’s 34.7 percent average from beyond the arc. Hurley says Adams shoots in practice a lot better than the 27.8percent rate he shot from 3 last season, and the Huskies need better long-distance shooting from Gaffney, too.
Jackson begins his college career more known as a slasher and finisher than a shooter. Cole shot 37 percent from 3 in two seasons at Howard, but the competition level is much higher now.
HOW GOOD ARE THEY DEFENSIVELY?
For all his faults, Gilbert was probably the Huskies’ best on-the-ball defender last season, and Vital was a defensive nuisance, as well. Akok was one of the top shot-blockers in the nation before his injury.
With Gilbert and Vital gone, UConn’s backcourt must step up on the defensive end of the floor. Defense was perhaps Bouknight’s lone weakness last season and he too often found himself picking up bad fouls. Martin, a long, 6-foot-6 jack-of-all-trades, could be a big help in this department.
Up front, again, it remains to be seen how soon (or how much) Akok can contribute. Whaley picked up much of his shot-blocking slack a year ago, and no one hedges against ball screens better. Carlton has also been an effective rimprotector in the past.
WHO’S NO. 2?
We all know that Bouknight, a potential 2021 NBA lottery pick, will be “The Man.” But who’ll be his wing man? Who’ll be Pippen to Bouknight’s Jordan, or perhaps more aptly, Jeremy Lamb to Bouknight’s Kemba Walker?
Is it fair to expect Jackson to be that guy as a freshman? Can Cole fill that role while playing point? Is Gaffney ready to jump from just 3.9 points per game to double digits? Can Martin, who averaged 12.8 points per game last season at URI, continue that production in Big East play? Will Akok be healthy enough? Polley? Whaley?
Or maybe there doesn’t have to be a defined No. 2. Maybe it will be a bunch of different guys. Just ask Bouknight.
“I don’t think it’s just gonna be like a 1-2 punch,” he said. “I think this year, it’s gonna be a team thing. We have so much talent on this team, everyone’s fighting for a spot. Any given night, a different player can go off. It’s gonna be fun.”