UConn puts national title in rearview mirror, starts anew
— UConn’s first official team workout Monday since winning a national championship represented a turning of the page.
The celebrations are over.
And the hard work has begun to try to write another memorable chapter in the basketball program’s history.
“Today is the end of last year,” said Donovan Clingan, who’s entering an important sophomore season. “If it wasn’t already over a couple weeks ago, today it definitely ended. We’re on to the next. Today starts a new season, today starts a new year.
“Now we’re trying to achieve the same goal just with a whole new different team. It’s going to be difficult.
Last year wasn’t easy. We’re all willing to put the work in.”
The roster has undergone massive changes, with only six returning scholarship players.
UConn’s big three of Jordan Hawkins, Andre Jackson and Adama Sanogo are pursuing NBA careers. Key reserves Nahiem Alleyne and Joey Calcaterra are gone.
Clingan, Alex Karaban and Tristen Newton are the new big three. Five freshmen, part of a top three nationally-ranked recruiting class, will be expected to contribute right away. It’s a different team.
“It feels weird, but It’s a fresh start,” Karaban said. “We’ve just got to relearn everything”
Judging from his hoarse voice on
Monday, coach Dan Hurley is ready to start up again.
Monday was the first time in a while that Hurley had a chance to “get after some people, correct some things and coach, man.”
“I’ve appreciated every part of all the experiences,” Hurley said. “It was a hell of an accomplishment. To be able to have a lot of your parts of your team and to start with a new group and strive for big goals, it’s an awesome starting point.”
Hurley started gearing up for the upcoming season shortly after the national championship game victory over San Diego State on April 3.
“(Last season) ended for me back at the hotel the night of the game versus San Diego State,” Hurley said. “You had the agents waiting. I think we had (transfer) portal entries within 36 hours. We kind of got smacked back into reality quickly.
“Now, you can get on the court, you meet with your team and your messaging of what you need.”
Hurley’s message is basically the same every year — returning players need to make big jumps in improvement and freshmen be prepared to help the team.
Count Karaban, Clingan, Newton, Samson Johnson and Hassan Diarra in the big jump category.
“Big jumps for those three guys to all-conference level play,” said Hurley, referring to Karaban, Clingan and Newton, “and then Hassan and Samson have got to become really productive rotation pieces that we really like when they’re on the court a lot. Both have got to take those types of steps in their career that way.”
The Huskies didn’t have their entire team available for Monday’s workout at the Werth Center facility.
Jaylin Stewart is expected to arrive later this month after finishing up his senior year in high school in Seattle. Fellow incoming freshman Solomon Ball is on campus but dealing with an ankle/lower leg injury. He’s at least two weeks away from participating in live drills, according to Hurley.
The Huskies will be dealing with the pressure of being the defending champion, so the freshmen will have to get up to speed quickly and learn
how to play the Hurley way.
“Today was a typical first day,” Hurley said. “They were lost.” Labeled as UConn’s version of the Fab Five, McDonald’s All-American Stephon Castle, Jayden Ross, Youssouf Singare, Ball and Stewart all have something to live up to.
“Obviously that was pretty audacious,” Hurley said of adopting the Fab Five label. “But they don’t have to do anything besides just really understand how hard you have to play every single possession and limit the amount of mistakes they’re going to make on the court because they’re all very talented.
“With the five returners and the flexibility to add the right piece, we feel like they’re going to be surrounded by enough older players that they’ll be able to thrive.”
Hurley is hoping to add at least one more player — a perimeter weapon. The coaching staff has targeted Rutgers transfer Cam Spencer, who was on campus for an official visit and watched Monday’s workout. A 6-foot-4 guard, he averaged 13.2 points last season and shot 43.4 percent from 3-point range.
The Huskies have two scholarships available but will likely only fill one, according to Hurley.
“I don’t see a way we don’t add at least one, but I don’t feel the pressure to get to 13 (scholarship players),” Hurley said. “It might not work great. It may just be one more person that goes in the portal.”