It took Shabazz Napier a while to warm up. It felt like an eternity. For the second consecutive game, Napier was held scoreless in the first half, only to come alive when his team needed him most. Napier led a strong finish for the Huskies – who had lost their early lead – and sank the key free throws that cemented their 77-71 win over Wake Forest.
Despite the tropical locale, the first round of the Paradise Jam in the US Virgin Islands, the game strongly resembled UConn’s home opener against Vermont in Storrs on Tuesday. The Huskies were plagued by poor rebounding – losing the battle on the boards for the 3rd consecutive game (27-28) – only this time their defense wasn’t strongest enough to compensate. Wake Forest shot an impressive 49% for the game, although UConn did force 16 turnovers. The key to victory was offensive execution when it mattered the most.
Tyler Olander, arguably UConn’s best player against Vermont, was hampered by foul trouble and ineffectiveness. Luckily, Enosch Wolf decided to have the game of his life. The Wolf played the role of facilitator at the top of the key and rewarded coach Kevin Ollie’s trust in him by hitting 6 of 7 shots for 12 points, adding 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 assists. Napier and Ryan Boatright were the team’s leading scorers (16 points each) but The Wolf was undoubtedly the player of the game.
Random notes:
- Both Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright recovered from a rough first half to have a really respectable game. Shabazz couldn’t find (and wasn’t looking for) his shot and Boatright’s usually reliable ball-handling skills seemingly evaporated, leading to a team-high 4 turnovers. The fact that the tandem was able to recover and lead the team to a tough victory is a testament to their talent and resiliency, as well as Ollie’s coaching abilities.
- RJ Evans is the best. I am head-over-heels in love with him. Per usual, he spent most of his evening under the rim, making tough layups and generally being a badass. He really is the guard version of a Jeff Adrien or a Kevin Freeman; a tough guy who isn’t immensely talented but just loves to pound the hell out of his opponents. It’s a shame UConn fans didn’t get to experience his first 4 collegiate years.
- Like Evans, Niels Giffey will never be the most talented guy on the court but his effort is consistent and laudable. He is arguably UConn’s most steadfast defender and his offensive game is greatly improved from last season. When Giffey is on the court, good things tend to happen.
- UConn’s margin of victory could have been 15-20 if they could shoot 3’s. They were 3-18 (16.7%) for the game. That’s pathetic. Shabazz alone was 1-7. Ouch.
- DeAndre Daniels is very good. I’m not sure how it happened, but it happened. He finished the game with 12 points, but more importantly was his aggressiveness at key points when the offense stagnated. I’m willing to put this out there now: he is going to be a star next season. I’m talking first-team Big East star.
- UConn recruit Terrance Samuel, a PG from Brooklyn (WHERE BROOKLYN AT?] officially signed his commitment letter yesterday. It’s important in that Samuel is Ollie’s first signing. Samuel is lauded as being a pass-first traditional point guard – UConn has certainly had its share of success with NYC guards – and judging by his twitter feed, he is very excited to come to Storrs.
- Check out friend-of-the-blog Dom Amore’s twitter feed for post-game quotes and links to his column after the game.
Next Up: UConn will take on the winner of Iona/Quinnipiac Sunday night at 9pm (EST) on CBS Sports Network.
