The Dayton Flyers picked apart UConn basketball in a decisive 85-67 win.
Dayton was in complete control of this contest from the opening tip to the final buzzer with UConn basketball leading for just over two and a half minutes total, all in the first half.
The Flyers were able to get whatever type of shot they wanted whether it was driving to the rim or kicking it out for a wide open three and capitalized on the systemic issues that plague this Huskies team.
Dayton deserves the credit for the intensity that they played with tonight on both sides of the ball. They had four players finish with 15 or more points, went 27-30 from the free throw line, and outrebounded UConn basketball 41 to 25.
On the other side, UConn basketball’s Alex Karaban finished the game with 21 points and went 4 for 8 from three. Samson Johnson started to look the part as he stayed out of foul trouble and found his mojo on offense with multiple dunks. After those two bright(ish) takeaways, there’s a lot of mess for Dan Hurley to sift through.
Final from Lahaina pic.twitter.com/6W9my8sRNW
— UConn Men’s Basketball (@UConnMBB) November 28, 2024
Takeaway #1: UConn basketball’s defense is abysmal
A staple of Dan Hurley’s teams is intensity and rock-solid defense, neither of which was on display in this contest. Specifically on defense, there was a multitude of missed rotations, over-helping, and lack of effort. In the past, when the Huskies struggled on offense they were always able to hang their hat on their defense to keep them in games. This was certainly not the case against Dayton. If Dayton wanted to drive to the basket then they’d blow by the defender. If Dayton wanted an open three, they were able to find it. If Dayton wanted to draw contact and go to the line, they did it.
There was always going to be growing pains this season considering how most of the players getting valuable minutes had no consistent role last season, if any role at all. Hopefully, more focused practices on these weakness will prepare the Huskies to turn things around defensively because moving forward teams are not going to be afraid to attack them on that side of the floor.
After losing their third straight game for the first time since the 2014-15 season, UConn basketball now ranks 84th in the country in defensive rating, per Kenpom.
Takeaway #2: Dayton finally gets their Maui win
After playing incredibly close games with North Carolina and Iowa State, the Flyers get over the hump in the final game of the Maui Invitational. Their last win against an AP Top 2 team came on March 4, 1974 so it’s clear what this win means for the program. While it’s hard to call UConn basketball the AP #2 team right now, Dayton still had to go out there and perform so hats off to them for taking care of business.
Despite going 1-2 in Maui, the Flyers are playing great basketball and will look to take this experience with them through the rest of their tough non-conference schedule which includes road games against Marquette and Cincinnati. Time will tell if Dayton is NCAA Tournament-worthy, but they certainly looked the part of a tournament team this week in Maui.
Takeaway #3: Get back to Storrs ASAP
While on paper UConn basketball went 0-3 on their Hawaii road trip, it feels as though the Maui Invitational was one big loss. Three games in three days is especially tough for a team with these serious of issues as there is next to no time between games to make the level of adjustments that are needed. Following the Memphis loss in the opening round, the Huskies continued to regress against Colorado and ultimately fell completely flat in their final game.
The Huskies need to return home, get back in the gym, and prepare to put a better product on the floor as their non-conference gauntlet continues with upcoming games against Baylor, Texas, and Gonzaga. With that level of competition on the way, it’s important to leave what happened in Maui in the past and focus on bettering themselves. It is only Thanksgiving and March is far far away so don’t give up on UConn basketball just yet, but Husky fans have every right to feel embarrassed with how things are currently going.
Nextn up for UConn (4-3): vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore (2-8) – Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. EST
Next up for Dayton (6-2): vs. Western Michigan (3-4) – Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. EST
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