UConn basketball overcomes slow start to crush UNH 92-53.
UConn basketball came out looking sloppy and wound up trailing 12-13 midway through the first half. Bad fouls and several turnovers were the main culprits to the early deficit. Then everything began to click for the remainder of the game and the team responded how champions should.
The Huskies found their shot and locked in on defense, ending the second half on a 45-20 run to comfortably walk away with the win in their first game of the season at the XL Center. Last season UConn struggled against New Hampshire, only beating them by 20 so UConn basketball fans should sleep comfortably after upping the total margin of victory to 39 this season.
With the second game of the season in the books, here are three takeaways.
First W of the season in Hartford ✅ pic.twitter.com/AAzKsT2h1E
— UConn Men’s Basketball (@UConnMBB) November 10, 2024
Takeaway #1: Welcome to the party Jayden Ross!
Dan Hurley has been raving to UConn basketball fans about Jayden Ross, even stating that he would have started opening night if it wasn’t for his ankle injury. Ross didn’t take long to get back up to speed after missing one game, contributing 14 points off the bench in 23 minutes.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Ross does end up finding his way into the starting lineup at some point as he showed the world what everyone has been saying behind closed doors in Storrs this summer. He looks very comfortable shooting the ball, going 2-5 from beyond the arc which should help him carve out more future minutes.
He also flashed his extreme athleticism several times, punctuated by a highlight reel layup towards the end of the game. With his length and speed, he should be able to be a versatile defender and be able to switch onto several positions.
Takeaway #2: Why doesn’t Youssouf Singare get more minutes?
If there was ever a time for Singare to get minutes, it would have been tonight. Starting center Samson Johnson had 2 quick fouls in the opening minutes, and Tarris Reed followed suit shortly after. Instead of playing the 6’ 10” sophomore, Hurley elected to play small-ball and put Alex Karaban at the center spot.
Although the small-ball lineup was effective because of how much floor spacing it provided, it may have been more beneficial to give Singare some meaningful run time. Both centers for UConn basketball seem to be magnets for foul calls early in the season and there may be times later in the season against tougher opponents where Singare may have to step in.
It’s hard to imagine the small-ball lineup working against the likes of Ryan Kalkbrenner of Creighton, who scored 49 points in their opening game. Youssouf Singare has looked more than capable in his limited minutes by altering shots and grabbing rebounds. With UConn’s roster looking to be as deep as ever, it is tough to find minutes for every player but it may be wise for UConn to bolster Singare’s confidence during their “buy games” instead of throwing him into games later in the year without having a ton of experience.
Takeaway #3: Will there be any alterations to the starting five?
As previously mentioned in the last takeaway, this may be the deepest team Dan Hurley has ever had at UConn. And with that, difficult decisions need to be made while divvying out minutes and for spots in the rotation. McNeeley, Karaban, Johnson, Ball, and Mahaney have been the starters for the first two games, but it would not be shocking to see this change at times this season.
Two players that could realistically find their way starting would be Tarris Reed and Jayden Ross. Ross was a standout player in his first game of the season as stated earlier, and if he keeps up this level of play it would be hard to keep him out of the starting rotation. And Tarris Reed has been one of the more consistent players for UConn basketball so far, adding 11 points and 8 rebounds tonight, just days after his double-double against UNH.
Having so many players deserving of minutes is a good problem to have, and the coaching staff may have their work cut out for them this season managing this dilemma. It sure is good to be a UConn basketball fan!
Next up for UConn (2-0): vs. Le Moyne (1-2) on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. EST
Next up for UNH (1-2): vs. Fairfield (0-2) on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. EST