It’s difficult to draw conclusions from UConn’s early season victories. Sure, they’ve averaged a robust 89 points per game, but they’ve done so against three teams — Maine, New Hampshire and Furman — that are a few sprinkles short of a cupcake-only diet.
Still, in the Huskies’ easy wins, we’ve seen enough to make some educated determinations of where the team stands as it heads to the Bahamas to begin a challenging stretch that will feature games against legitimate, non-pastry-related opponents.
First, as Peter noted in this article, the main concern about leadership and team chemistry seems to be a non-issue. Not only are Rodney Purvis and Sterling Gibbs functioning well together in the UConn backcourt, but the entire roster has developed a familial bond that the players attribute to spending so much time together over the summer.
Issues that could arise due to a crowded roster have largely not surfaced. Coach Kevin Ollie has employed an 11-man rotation and has found enough balance so that 10 of those players are averaging 13 minutes or more. The even spread of available minutes has kept the bench involved in the action and they have responded by averaging 31.8 points per game in a variety of defined roles.
To that point, the UConn offense looks vastly improved from a season ago. Early returns suggest the Huskies have addressed several of the issues that slowed them to a 64 point average last year. For one, the scoring is more evenly distributed. Instead of opponents keying in on Ryan Boatright and effectively neutralizing the offense, UConn has a multitude of options. Gibbs has topped 20 points twice. Purvis has been in double-figures in each of the first three games. Shonn Miller, twice; Amida Brimah, Daniel Hamilton and Jalen Adams once each. The Huskies have proven capable of spreading the wealth, rendering them difficult to defend.
As proof of that, UConn in currently second in the nation in offensive efficiency.
While an influx of talent has rejuvenated the UConn offense, the improvement in three-point shooting has been another positive development. While only moderately better in raw percentages — mostly thanks to Omar Calhoun’s 4-14 start — Purvis and Gibbs are each hitting threes at over 40 percent. Purvis is currently at 47.4 percent on 19 attempts. While that success rate is likely unsustainable, it does appear that Purvis has dramatically improved his outside shooting from a year ago in which he shot just 36 percent from three.
Adams, a freshman, has also shown to be an outside weapon, although in limited minutes and with only seven in-game attempts.
The offensive improvements add an element of excitement to this team but make no mistake, their bread and butter remains their defense. Amida Brimah is still the conference’s best defender. He has 13 blocks in three games and looks as imposing as ever in the paint. The biggest difference this year is having Miller behind him to rebound. Hamilton has also expanding on his efforts on the glass and currently leads the team at 8.3 rebounds per game. Behind them, Kentan Facey and Phil Nolan have shown improvement over the offseason. Nolan has a reputation in the locker room for his post defense and is averaging 5.5 points and 3.5 rebounds thus far. Facey has excelled off the bench because of his great rebounding instincts. He has matched Brimah with 5.3 rebounds per game and has shown improved footwork and positioning on defense.
The picture will begin to crystalize this week as UConn puts their new skills to the test against some big name opponents. But through the first three games, all signs point to an improved UConn team that should be up to the challenge.
