After an utterly mediocre win over UMass-Lowell over the weekend, UConn needed to come out strong against CCSU. Not because they might lose the game otherwise, but because they needed to show that they were still a good team even without Amida Brimah.
Well, it worked. The Huskies did everything but steal CCSU’s lunch money in a 99-52 drubbing in which the Blue Devils (1-9) looked completely overmatched throughout. Daniel Hamilton led the way with 11 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds, the 11th triple-double in school history, and yes, I’m aware of the weirdness of that line in that situation.
With Brimah out, Phil Nolan started in his stead, but failed to distinguish himself, committing three fouls in only five minutes. Kentan Facey started the second half, and got a double-double of his own (10 points, 12 rebounds) in only 21 minutes. I’d expect to see more of Facey at center in the near-term, though in the upcoming matchup with 285-pound Texas big man Cameron Ridley, the Huskies might need a bit more bulk than Facey can offer. Shonn Miller, who dominated the Blue Devils inside to the tune of 25 points on 10-12 shooting, figures to spend some time at the pivot as well.
Rodney Purvis had another strong game, scoring 16 points on only nine shots, and continuing his blistering pace from behind the arc by going 3-of-4. He also had his second straight game of going 3-of-4 from the free throw line, as his free throw conversion rate continues to creep upwards. Sterling Gibbs chipped in with 12 points of his own, and was a steady hand in the offensive, with only one turnover in 26 minutes.
If Purvis can continue his hot shooting, and Gibbs can recapture his, this could be a productive enough backcourt to shoot them through the defensive issues they’re bound to have with Brimah out until February or March. Hopefully Ollie has them prepared to play in Arlington without their shot-eraser, because they’re running out of chances for signature wins. After dropping games to Syracuse, Gonzaga, and Maryland, the Huskies will probably need to beat Texas and Georgetown, as well as put in a very strong showing in the AAC, in order to have a quality seed in the NCAA tournament.
