Kevin Ollie’s Huskies wasted no time in showing their mettle. In the first half of their first official game, against 14th ranked Michigan State, UConn launched themselves to a 15 point lead by playing relentless defense and utilizing their speed to race from end-to-end for easy baskets.
Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright led the charge early. Michigan State’s guards couldn’t stay in front of Boatright, leading to penetration and some open mid-range jumpers. Michigan State’s bigger lineup, especially Adreian Payne and Derrick Nix, were pestered by the smaller, faster Huskies and were forced into numerous first half turnovers (Mich. St. had 15 turnovers in the game).
Michigan State closed the gap in the second half. UConn’s shot selection and execution on offense suffered and the Spartans took advantage, taking a one-point lead during a run of their own.
At this point, last year’s Huskies might have folded. This year’s squad did not. Led by Napier, the defense tightened. DeAndre Daniels and Tyler Olander were especially aggressive on the defensive end – the pair finished with a combined 14 rebounds and 7 blocks – and Napier took care of the rest. Shabazz finished with a game-high 25 points and wrapped up a UConn win with some clutch free throws.
Some other thoughts:
- Congrats to Kevin Ollie on his first (official) win as Head Coach. He certainly made it memorable – against a ranked team, on national television, with his bosses Athletic Director Warde Manuel and University President Susan Herbst in attendance.
- UConn’s effort throughout the game was tremendous. Whether that’s a reflection on Ollie – or just the big stage – I don’t know. But it’s laudable and exceptionally fun to watch.
- You saw the incredible potential of the Napier/Boatright combination last night. At their best, Boatright is destroying defenders with his cross-over and kicking out to Napier for open jumpers. There aren’t many players who can stay in front of Boatright.
- The Huskies only played 8 players on Friday and went almost exclusively with a very small lineup. Freshman Phil Nolan did not play.
- I love RJ Evans. There was a play in the first half where Evans found himself on the low block with a smaller guard on his back. He posted up and dropped a little jump-hook over him. With Evans’s size, they should try that more often.
- The game was the first college basketball game ever played in Europe – before a crowd of 3,086 at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
Next up: Vermont on Tuesday (Nov. 13th) at Gampel. SNY.
Suggested Reading:
Courant: UConn Upsets Michigan State, 66-62
ESPN: UConn pulls off upset in Ollie’s debut
