5 takeaways from Friday’s win
STORRS — There was a time when the UConn men could treat exhibition games like workouts. Up and down the court, they could overwhelm any Division II or III opponent while Jim Calhoun or Kevin Ollie picked out things that needed work.
But this is a different time in the program's history. No longer an established national power, the Huskies couldn't afford to let Southern Connecticut look like the scrappier team on the court Friday. And exhibition game or not, new coach Dan Hurley was nervous.
“I'm super, super on edge every practice day,” Hurley said. “But game day, I'm not like that. I'm pretty relaxed, feel that a lot of my work has been done and I just manage the game plan. The only thing for me, today, I've never coached any of these guys in a game situation in front of a crowd, so I had an idea how it was going to be. So I didn't sleep that well last night because this was the first time in a game situation. I saw a lot of positive things.”
Certainly the Huskies' 96-64 victory over Southern can't be taken as a strong indicator of what is to come, but the change in tone, in style, and in the “cultural” things that Hurley was hired to instill seemed apparent. UConn was much easier to watch, and looked more cohesive, playing with conviction. When there were lapses, there was a response. It's a start, which is all an exhibition game is supposed to be.
Here are some takeaways:
Hurley’s way or highway
Jalen Adams' suspension was lifted and he was off the bench to score 16 points, so Hurley's point was driven home there. Then came Christian Vital, who often frustrated Kevin Ollie with his on-court decorum. When Vital drew a technical for barking at an official in the second half, Hurley sat him for the rest of the game. “Another symptom of what's been wrong with UConn basketball,” he said. “I'm not going to tolerate that.”
So there you go. It helps that UConn has five guards, not three, but the point is, no one is guaranteed playing time doing things their own way.
Rebounding
One thing was rather familiar, and that's difficulty in rebounding. SCSU built a big edge in rebounding in the opening minutes and also built a sixpoint lead. After that UConn trended in the right direction and finished plus-8, but that's hardly dominant against a smaller, Division II team. Josh Carlton, who finished with seven rebounds, came on later in the game, and Eric Cobb and Isaiah Whaley each got six, but Hurley is still looking for the steady, 10-per-game guy that the Huskies haven't had in a years. The coach thought UConn brought the competitive edge everywhere but on the boards.
Kwintin Williams
The Huskies' enigmatic “Jump Man” had six points, five rebounds, two steals and two fouls in eight minutes. He did have one signature dunk. As usual, when he is on the court, you notice him. The story is old now; he is an exceptional athlete who has to be taught how to play the game. But don't be surprised if Hurley breaks through and finds ways to use Williams' unique abilities to the Huskies' advantage.
Brendan Adams
The lone true incoming freshman, Brendan Adams was not as highly rated or recruited as one would expect for a UConn player. But he's a guy Hurley locked in on and landed for Rhode Island. After he decommitted, Hurley recruited and landed him again and predicted recently that he would “surprise” some people who had missed him. The younger brother of Jaylen Adams, the former St. Bonaventure star, Brendan Adams started and scored 17 points, showing a confidence and consistency in shooting the 3-pointer. A big guard, he looks like he is going to help.
General preparedness
UConn applied ball pressure, forced 17 turnovers and cashed them in for 21 points. They also scored 45 fast-break points and 42 in the paint, a number they used to talk about in the past but never achieved — even in exhibition games. They pushed the pace, played hard and just looked like a better organized, better prepared team.
Yes, it's only an exhibition game, but think about how the Huskies' free fall began: with lackluster play in exhibition games that carried over into regularseason openers against mid-majors, namely Wagner and Northeastern in 2016. The Huskies' biggest gain Friday was when Southern coach Scott Burrell said they played with “nastiness” and “harassed his team 94 feet the whole game.” It's hard to imagine the Huskies won't come out with hair afire against Morehead State next Thursday.