UConn heads into opener confident, ‘vulnerable’
Perhaps it was due to pent-up excitement after sitting out last year. Perhaps it was a bit of wide-eyed, freshman optimism.
Either way, Alex Karaban didn’t mince words after the UConn men’s basketball team’s practice on Saturday.
“I think we can be a national championship team,” the 6-foot-8 forward proclaimed. “We have the talent level, we have the great coaching staff. The only thing that can stop us is ourselves. If we don’t come in every day with it, I think we’ll fall short of expectations. But I really think we’re a national championship team.”
Appraised of Karaban’s statement, coach Dan Hurley — never known to lack confidence himself — seemed a bit surprised.
“He said that?,” the coach asked rhetorically. “Maybe he’s been out the last several days, (not) watching this (stuff ).”
Ultimately, Hurley appreciates Karaban’s confidence.
“My expectation is that his class will win a national championship here. That’s the goal, that’s what we’re all here for. I’m thrilled to hear that, that that’s what he’s talking about and not an individual award or selfobsessed, which unfortunately has crept into the college game.”
That path to a national championship, whether this season or in ensuing years, begins on Monday at 7:30 p.m. at XL Center. UConn hosts Stonehill, a program in the first season of a transition to the Division 1 level, in its season-opener. The game can be seen on the Fox Sports app or at foxsports.com.
“I’m ready to go, I’m excited,” Karaban said. “I’ve been waiting for this for a really, really long time. Just can’t wait to get out there and play
someone else that isn’t in a UConn jersey.”
Karaban is one of numerous players who have yet to play for the Huskies. UConn brought in four transfers, a true freshman and a pair of international players this season. Sophomore Samson Johnson and junior Richie Springs have only played limited minutes thus far.
Couple that with a broken pinky finger for junior Andre Jackson Jr. that will keep him out for at least another week or two, and that leaves only junior Adama Sanogo and sophomore Jordan Hawkins as players with significant minutes at UConn who’ll suit up on Monday.
“It’s probably the most vulnerable that you feel about a group, going into an opening night,” Hurley mused. “But, I guess you find some sleep because of your scrimmages, you felt pretty good about how those went. Now, the lights come on and there’s a different level of pressure, excitement and juice when you put on a UConn uniform and you’ve got to carry that history with you onto the court.”
Hurley loves his team’s depth and its offensive potential. He’s praised the play of Sanogo, Hawkins and Johnson and Karaban at the four.
He hasn’t been happy with his team’s defensive play. And he’s still looking for a lot of other answers, not the least of which: toughness.
Asked if he’d seen any increased toughness out of his team over the past few practices, Hurley was matter-of-fact.
“Not really, no,” he said, before a long pause. “No. I’m hopeful, obviously. We have so many new people.”
He’s wondering who’ll run the team’s huddle during timeouts, now that leaders like R.J. Cole, Tyrese Martin and Isaiah Whaley have graduated. It’s hard to ask Hawkins to do so, the coach theorized, since the team will be leaning on him so much to be a high-level perimeter scorer.
Jackson is the obvious candidate. But he won’t be playing on Monday night.
Instead, a bunch of guys who have yet to share a floor in a real game will be doing so for the first time. The talent and depth is there. So is the confidence. Now, it’s all about putting it all together.
“All the legacy, all the big names that came in and out of the program,” said Tristen Newton, a senior transfer from ECU, “just very excited to put the jersey on, get out there and get a lot of wins.”