Rising to the occasion
Challenged Carlton comes through in the clutch for UConn
UNCASVILLE — Although Josh Carlton has lost more than 20 pounds since last season, he still stands 6-foot-11, 240 pounds, and it’s nearly impossible to disappear when you’re that big.
Carlton certainly tried in the first two games of the UConn season.
First, his team-high 66-game starting streak ended with the opener against Central Connecticut. Then his team-high streak of 96 consecutive games played disappeared against Hartford.
Except for the two minutes, 41 seconds he played and the two free throws he sank against Central, if you were going to find Carlton it would have to be among all those scattered chairs that pass as a team’s bench during the Season of COVID.
That’s when freshman Adama Sanogo picked up his second foul with 14:38 remaining in the first half of UConn’s spunky 61-58 victory over USC on Thursday night in the Mohegan Sun’s Bubbleville.
Coach Dan Hurley had called the three practices before this game a “cauldron of intensity.” Sweat starts pouring down my face every time I read that quote. You had to figure the Huskies would have plenty of fight. Isaiah Whaley certainly did; James Bouknight said the team fed off Pork Chop’s energy. Yet who knew the UCOI (Unexpected Cauldron of Intensity) award would go to Carlton?
Nine points, 11 rebounds, including six on the offensive glass. This was the kind of game — with neither team shooting better than 35 percent — where 15 offensive boards and plus-11 overall in rebounding certainly played a major role. Eight of Carlton’s points came in the first. He had tip-ins, putbacks, kept plays alive for his teammates.
“Josh played with the kind of desperation that older players play with when they are seniors,” Hurley said. “He looked like a senior that understands how important every possession is, every game is.
“We don’t win that game today without Josh.”
This was high praise for a coach who just a day earlier said, “There were reasons for where Josh was at in the rotation … coach’s decision, or just things that he needed to address.”
You really had to wonder how
badly Carlton would be pinned to the bench. The Trojans, however, had the kind of talented length that Central and Hartford didn’t. Hurley, who had spitting criticism of his team through Games 1 and 2, turned to a bigger, stronger lineup with Sanogo alongside Whaley and Tyrese Martin. He said it was all hands on deck for his bigs.
“Just staying prepared and being ready to do whatever I can to help my team,” Carlton said. “Coach pushed us in practice. Bring that intensity we had in practice this week onto the court. Just staying locked in.”
The big guy didn’t say a lot else.
“I talked to Josh after the game,” said Bouknight, who led the Huskies with 18 points. “He wasn’t happy he wasn’t playing. I’m just going to say it just like that. He got his chance today. He turned up. He was a dog out there. He fought for his minutes. He played a great game.”
Sanogo, the 6-9 freshman from Mali, showed unmistakable proof of what’s ahead with eight points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes in the opener, eight more points against Hartford in 11 minutes.
Against USC, he showed unmistakable proof he’s a freshman.
“Adama was overwhelmed,” Hurley said. “It was a fairly complicated game-plan against the frontcourt guys with a lot of trapping that went on. He didn’t really understand, he hasn’t had enough time to understand rotations and what we were trying to do against the Mobleys (Evan and Isaiah) and (Chevez) Goodwin.
“This is a great learning experience for him. I think he is going to have a huge year. He’s going to have some monster games.” Not Thursday. Before the game, Hurley said the coaches and players talked about how there was no one on the team that had played in the NCAA Tournament and if they wanted to play in March, they needed to win games like this one. A potential top 50 KenPom opponent, maybe NCAA Tournament-worthy.
With their best one-onone perimeter defender Ethan Anderson out, the Trojans played lots of zone. And it worked. What killed them on this night was 3-for-19 3-point shooting. The Trojans had a number of kick-out open looks down the stretch and missed.
Still, give UConn credit. When offensive rotations aren’t in sync early in the
year, a team can still win with toughness, defense and togetherness. Hurley called this the kind of nonconference game like against Xavier and Indiana the Huskies lost last year. Winning teams find ways to win. UConn did.
Some of that started with that cauldron back at Werth Family Center.
Bouknight called Hurley’s practices chaos.
“The blue team is our starters, the gray team is basically players seven through 13 trying to get on the blue team,” Hurley said. “Since the debacle of the last 23 minutes against Hartford, the last three practices we’ve literally flipped every player back
and forth like some type of fire drill. Blue to gray, after one defensive lapse or one play that wasn’t all about toughness.
“Coming off that Hartford game, we sent the message to Josh. We knew we were playing USC. We knew we’re playing high majors. With a freshman there, there’s going to be opportunities. Adama is going to be a great player, but he’s going to have a lot of nights like that. We got Josh ready to go. Josh kept himself ready. He knew he was going to get a chance to play today and he took advantage of it.”
Whaley came on big-time last year. Carlton did not, but still he averaged 21.2 minutes and averaged 7.8 points and 6.1 rebounds in 31 starts. He said he dropped weight to get leaner, quicker, get more explosive off the ground and to move and react quicker on defense.
The weight of expectations for the Huskies didn’t drop. That weight is only growing. And on this night, when a freshman showed he wasn’t ready yet, a senior showed up in an impressive way.
“Josh got himself in great shape,” Hurley said. “He has got a tremendous freshman in Sanogo who’s like breathing down his neck and trying to win that job at starting center. He’s got Javonte Brown, Richie Springs, Akok Akok returning. He has a lot of competition.
“Instead of caving in and turtling up, he is fighting back. I’m so proud of him. It speaks a lot about his character.”