UConn took the floor on Sunday to unofficially begin the 2015-2016 season. Their 88-72 exhibition win over Tampa showcased several of UConn’s new faces and left a lot of room for improvement as the Huskies prepare for opening day on November 13.
The star of the day on Sunday was fifth-year senior Shonn Miller who impressed on both ends of the floor. He led the team with 18 points, pulled down six rebounds and added two steals and two blocks — one of the highlight variety, sending a layup attempt flying out of bounds towards half court.
Also impressive was freshman Jalen Adams, who was the first man off the bench for Kevin Ollie, and provided a fast-paced spark on offense. He scored 14 points and hit two big threes. Adams also had three assists and six rebounds.
The rest of the game was a mixed bag for the Huskies. Ollie played 14 players, 11 in regular rotation, though no post player other than Miller really stood out. Amida Brimah struggled to find a rhythm, Phil Nolan battled some early foul trouble, and freshman Steve Enoch looked like, well a freshman, often finding himself out of position.
Daniel Hamilton and Rodney Purvis each got into double-figures scoring but were also subject to lulls in the offense where they looked tentative. Sterling Gibbs showcased a nice jump shot but had some trouble containing Tampa’s Pat Bacon on defense.
The moral of the story: It was an exhibition game. Don’t read too far into it.
The Good:
- Omar Calhoun not only looked healthy (great sign) but was assertive on offense. He finished with 11 points on 4-8 shooting.
- UConn had no problem adjusting to the 30-second shot clock.
- UConn’s nine blocked shots earned the crowd free wings from Wing Stop and Purvis’s three-pointer late in the second half helped UConn surpass the 82-point mark, meaning free Buffalo Wild Wings for the fans. Fun fact: UConn fans like chicken.
- The Huskies had 32 bench points.
- The team was 9-20 from three-point range (45%). Gibbs, Adams, Purvis and Calhoun each hit a pair.
- The team is super likable. Nice group of guys.
The Bad:
- UConn struggled on the glass. The final margin was 46-41 in the Huskies’ favor, but giving up 13 offensive rebounds to a DII team is not a good look.
- Free throw shooting. Dear God, the free throw shooting. UConn was 13-24 from the stripe. It’s a good bet the boys will be spending a lot of practice time shooting from 15 feet this week.
- While an 11 man rotation is a good way to test different lineup combinations, Ollie will have to thin the herd as the season gets going. It’s difficult for good players to get into a rhythm with so many substitutions.
- The NCAA’s new emphasis on fouls resulted in a lot of stoppage of play. The teams combined for 47 fouls, many of the mundane variety. More offense is great — and the shot clock will help — but the adjustment period for teams will be interesting to observe as the season begins.
- Gampel Pavilion looks terrible. It’s really disheartening as we hear so much about plans for a new XL Center in Hartford that the university’s once-gleaming on-campus arena seems to be neglected. The new lighting system dims the crowd, but not enough to invoke a theatric atmosphere. Instead it makes the building feel cold, and casts a yellow glow over the tattered and tearing roof. Hopefully the university will get serious about large-scale upgrades in the near future — included beer sales for the poor students struggling to recover from Halloween shenanigans.
Up Next:
The Huskies wrap up their exhibition season when they host New Haven in Hartford next Saturday. The game is at 1PM but not televised. Buy a ticket you monster.
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