In the first half of Monday’s game vs. top ranked Louisville, everything was going his way. The star guard scored 10 points in the game’s first 8 minutes. The team leader had his Huskies firing on all cylinders.
But as the half wore on, UConn’s Shabazz Napier slowed down. By the time the second half started, Napier was a non-factor and his Huskies got run out of the gym. The cause of the sharp decline was a hard foul four minutes into the game. Louisville’s Peyton Siva reached in as Napier drove in for a layup, followed by Wayne Blackshear crashing into the smaller guard and driving him shoulder-first into the court beneath the basket.
After the game, Napier arrived to speak to the press with a giant bag of ice strapped to his wounded shoulder. He claims to have felt a pop, followed by pain that grew by the moment, rendering him ineffective and frustrated. The official diagnosis is a left shoulder contusion.
UConn will travel to Pittsburgh for another Big East matchup against a tough, physical opponent on Saturday. Napier is a game-time decision. Head coach Kevin Ollie has taken every opportunity to rest Napier, avoiding a team practice until the team arrived at Pitt earlier today. Napier says he hopes to play, but the question is: should he?
In this, the season of process over results, UConn has played with an abundance of heart and admirable effort. Much of that stems from Napier who has emerged as the team’s leader and most reliable player. Playing without him against Pitt would greatly decrease the Huskies’ chances of victory. But does that matter? Will a win against Pitt help land recruits? Will it have any impact at all on next year’s Husky squad when wins and losses will be all that is measured for success and failure?
The answer is almost certainly no. Running a wounded Napier out there, against a bruising team, risking further injury has no significant upside – at least not in a vacuum. If you have watched the year’s Huskies, however, you know that the realities of this lost season are not manifested in their play, their effort, their coach, or their point guard.
Napier is playing this season with something to prove. After the loss to Louisville, he was furious with himself that he let his teammates down. He treats every game as a referendum on his own leadership. You could make a strong argument that the long-term success of the UConn franchise is dependent upon a healthy, productive Napier. Sitting him against Pitt – resting him for a week until the Huskies meet Rutgers – would be prudent. Hell, it might even be smart. But it would also be an easy way out – a convenient excuse for a potential loss – and Napier has proven that neither of those are acceptable.
