Late in UConn’s debut blowout of Maine on Friday night, A Dime Back writer Peter Bard chimed in that every member of the Huskies roster had played great for at least one solid stretch each. And that was before walk-on Mike “Bring The” Noyes sank a mid-range jumper to close the scoring. In lieu of a traditional, chronological recap, let’s reluctantly acknowledge that Peter was right, and break down what each player did well.
Sterling Gibbs: UConn’s starting point guard dominated for long stretches in his official debut with the program. He scored a team-high 20 points and just bullied Maine’s guards, getting to the rim with ease. His three-point shot has yet to fully surface (1-4 in this game), but when they start falling, look out. Gibbs was also 7-7 from the free throw line.
Daniel Hamilton: Jean Claude Dan Ham flirted with a triple-double. He recorded seven points, nine rebounds and nine assists. It’s becoming clear that Hamilton is the team’s best passer, and he proved that on Friday with some spectacular assists, often while playing the point forward spot.
Shonn Miller: Miller is a model of efficiency. He scored 17 points on eight of ten shooting, while also leading the team with ten rebounds. Miller will be a double-double machine for the Huskies. Consider this step one.
Amida Brimah: UConn’s center made his impression felt immediately. Brimah had three blocked shots in the first two minutes of the game and continued to fill the stat sheet from that point on. Brimah also came close to a triple-double with 18 points, seven rebounds and nine blocks. His final basket gives him an even 500 points in his UConn career.
Rodney Purvis: Purvis let the game run through Gibbs and Hamilton on Friday but still found enough shots to net ten points. He had one highlight reel dunk and another no-look pass as UConn notched 16 fastbreak points.
Jalen Adams: Adams had a bit of a rough adjustment in his official debut. He was whistled for four fouls and only played 17 minutes. Yet, when on the floor, Adams buried a nice three, recorded a steal, a rebound and an assist and was part of the Huskies’ perimeter rotation that communicated well and formed a dynamic unit on defense with rapid-fire on-ball switching that disrupted the Maine offense.
Sam Cassell Jr.: Only 1-6 from the floor, Cassell’s main impact came on the defensive end. He took two charges, channeling his inner Phil Nolan who sat out the game with an injured foot. Cassell played 18 minutes and also recorded two steals.
Kentan Facey: We know Facey can rebound, and he did on Friday, grabbing six boards in 13 minutes, but he also showed off some nice interior offense in this game, scoring six points.
Omar Calhoun: Similar to Cassell, Calhoun’s shot was fighting him on Friday but he found other ways to contribute. He played stout defense, blocked a shot, and got a steal. He also got to the free throw line, hitting five of his six attempts. The Huskies were 23-32 from the stripe.
Steve Enoch: The big man didn’t get a shot up in his eight minutes of playing time but did grab three rebounds. Enoch also struggled with the quick whistle of the officials (three fouls), but demonstrated in limited time how physically imposing he can be on both ends of the court.
Mike Noyes: The aforementioned Noyes, a walk-on from Granby, sank a nice mid-range jumper on the Huskies’ penultimate possession to hit the 100 point mark and send a sold-out Gampel Pavilion into a frenzy.
Nnamdi Amilo: Grabbed a rebound, fouled a dude. Still is a genius. Still has gigantic muscles.
Christian Foxen: Missed a three-point attempt but looked damn good doing it.
All things considered, there’s not a lot for UConn to be upset about. They played a complete, cohesive game and showcased all of the weapons in their arsenal. When the three-point shots start to fall, look out.
Next Up: Believe it or not, the last weeknight Gampel game of the season is on Tuesday night. UConn will take on New Hampshire on the 17th at 7pm. The game will be on SNY.
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