The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Hurley: ‘Success isn’t guaranteed, it’s rented’
Less than a week ago, UConn turned in one of its more disappointing efforts of the season in a loss at Providence.
Then, a funny thing happened on the way to Cincinnati. The Huskies got tougher and more energetic, thanks in no small part to the return of Akok Akok, and posted perhaps its best all-around effort of the season in a much-needed win at Xavier.
On Tuesday, UConn faces Providence again, this time at Gampel Pavilion (6:30 p.m., FS1). Which Husky team will the Friars see this time around?
“We played well on Saturday,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said, “we’re guaranteed nothing (Tuesday). Success isn’t guaranteed or owned. Success is rented. We’ve got to earn success (Tuesday) by coming out like the team we were on Saturday.”
That means playing with energy and enthusiasm. It also means playing a much more spread-out, fluid, up-tempo offense that, of course, looks even better when the shots are falling.
And it means remaining healthy — and continuing to get healthier. Akok returned to action on Saturday after missing the prior four games with a shin issue and provided seven points, boundless energy and his megawatt smile in 10 minutes. Tyrese Martin, a gametime decision, and Isaiah Whaley were both dealing with ankle injuries, but each came up huge against Xavier.
All three are a full-go for Tuesday, Hurley reported. As for leading scorer James Bouknight, who’s been out
since injuring his elbow on Jan. 5 at Marquette: a call with Bouknight’s surgeon was scheduled for Monday evening, and the team was planning to send out a press release on the sophomore guard’s status either Monday night or Tuesday morning.
Either way, as Hurley noted following Saturday’s game, the band appears close to getting back together.
“There’s a reason why we’ve been inconsistent,” Hurley said on Monday. “There’s a difference between excuses and reasons. There’s reasons.”
Part of the reason UConn (9-5, 6-5 Big East) looked so much better on Saturday was not only the return of Akok, but the impressive play of freshman Andre Jackson, who returned for the Providence game after being sidelined for six weeks by a broken wrist.
“The complexion of our team has changed,” Hurley said. “We can play a faster, more attacking, more aggressive, more possessionsstyle of game. When your talent increases on your team, when you have as much talent or more talent than your opponent, you want more possessions.”
Jackson’s numbers haven’t jumped off the stat sheet (5.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists) in the two games since his return. But he brings intangibles on both sides of the ball — deft passing, length, athleticism — that go beyond the box score.
“He’s had a big impact,” Hurley said. “He’s so easy to play with on offense, because he’s not hunting offense. It makes it easy and fun to play with him.”
Providence (11-10, 7-8) had been reeling heading into last week’s bout with the Huskies, but has now won two straight after a somewhat ugly win at lastplace DePaul on Saturday night. Currently likely on the outside looking in for the NCAA tournament, but with its best player’s return perhaps on the horizon, UConn can’t afford a slipup against the Friars.
“Losing Bouk could have been a knockout punch for a program still trying to get its footing in Year 3,” Hurley said. “But we’ve hung in there. When he does return, or if he doesn’t, we still have a shot to accomplish our main goal.”
RIM RATTLINGS
⏩ Adama Sanogo was named the Big East’s Freshman of the Week on Monday. Sanogo, a 6-foot-10 center, scored nine points and had five blocked shots in a loss at Providence, then pulled down eight rebounds in Saturday’s win at Xavier.
“He’s a special guy, a special player,” Hurley said. “I think he’s gonna be considered a guy, as you look back at the program and see the ascension back up the mountain to (UConn’s) rightful place in the world of college basketball, that Adama Sanogo is gonna have a huge hand in that.”
R.J. Cole was named to the league’s weekly honor roll after averaging 19 points and 6.5 assists in the Huskies’ two games.
⏩ It appears UConn will not reschedule any of the 10 postponed games its had this season.
“We were willing to do one,” Hurley noted. “There was a game we were looking for that just didn’t happen. So, we’ll play the games that we’ve got on the schedule.”
UConn has six regularseason games remaining.