Get the hell out of the U.S. Virgin Islands. After three poorly played games in four days in the tropical locale, UConn finally lost to New Mexico in the Paradise Jam finals last night. The defeat stings, especially since it was UConn’s last chance to win a tournament this season, but the 4-1 start that coach Kevin Ollie has accomplished so far is impressive and worthy of praise.
This specific game was marred by, what else, poor rebounding. For the 5th consecutive game, the Huskies were outrebounded – this time by a 30-24 margin. The funny thing; that’s remarkably close considering UConn’s three “big” men – Tyler Olander, Enosch Wolf and Phil Nolan – combined for 2 (yes, two!) rebounds the entire game. DeAndre Daniels and Omar Calhoun each battled valiantly on the boards, but it was not enough.
Rebounding struggles are obviously nothing new for UConn, but they have been able to persevere mainly through defensive intensity. In this case, that intensity manifested itself in the form of fouls. Lots of them. One day after UConn and Quinnipiac combined for 55 fouls in their double-overtime thriller, UConn committed another 21 against New Mexico (who only had 13 themselves). Making matters worse, New Mexico hit all 21 of their free throws, making a tough game completely unwinnable down the stretch.
The bright spot for UConn was Shabazz Napier. As he has done all season, Napier led the offensive charge for the Huskies. He managed to avoid a disastrous first half and used improved shot selection to hit 9-16 from the floor, including 4-7 from three. Earlier in the day, Napier was named the Big East Player of the Week and he certainly showed why on Monday night.
The swingman duo of DeAndre Daniels and Omar Calhoun also played reasonably well. Calhoun especially hit some key shots and the two were UConn’s most effective rebounders all night.
Overall, the Paradise Jam was a success for UConn. They battled in each game, faced tough competition, and hopefully learned a bit about themselves, as the grueling Big East portion of the schedule grows closer. It’s important to remember while watching UConn this year that every game – every play – is an exercise in process leading to the hopeful return to glory of next year’s squad. Despite the loss on Monday night, Kevin Ollie has proven he can coach at the collegiate level. Shabazz Napier has proven he can be one of the best guards in the country. And UConn has proven to its fans – and college basketball audiences nationwide – that they can compete, and they can win, even with the NCAA’s tournament bans hanging over their heads.
Notes:
- Tyler Olander must be anxious to leave the Caribbean. After stealing the show against Vermont in Storrs last week, Olander had a brutal 3 games at the Paradise Jam – culminating in a dismal 2 points | 0 rebounds | 0 assists performance.
- UConn should really stop shooting threes or get better at it. After shooting 16% from deep against Quinnipiac, they shot 7-18 from long range against New Mexico. Now 39% isn’t terrible, but if you take out Napier’s 4-7, the rest of the team went 3-11 (27%). New rule: only Shabazz shoots threes.
- Ryan Boatright had a tough tournament. He managed to get his points (12 against New Mexico) but had a really tough time handling the ball, made some ill-advised passes, and generally seemed lost on both defense and offense. Hopefully some chilly Connecticut air will snap him out of his funk and get him back to being UConn’s deadliest weapon.
- The entire rest of the lineup was really ineffective. UConn’s early season success has been predicated on someone unexpected stepping up every game but no one was able to on Monday. RJ Evans and Neils Giffey both failed to score a point and the bench only contributed 4 total – all from Enosch Wolf.
- On the bright side, this was UConn’s last game of the year on CBS Sports Network! Yes, no more ignorant announcers calling every player by the wrong name. No more in-game infomercials for the host resort. No more bizarre HD feed on a striped court that should come with a seizure warning. No more game delays while they finish airing a truck race. No more 20 minute lapses in coverage when they lose their entire broadcast signal. Rejoice.
Up Next:
- UConn mercifully returns to Storrs on Sunday (Nov. 25th) to battle Stony Brook at Gampel. Game time is 4pm and will be televised on the suddenly glorious SNY.
