UConn and Stony Brook will tip off at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the XL Center in Hartford. (Olivia Stenger/The Daily Campus)
After a 70-58 win in their opener Friday night against Colgate, the UConn men’s basketball team is back in action on Tuesday to face Stony Brook at the XL Center in Hartford. Tuesday’s game is one of the non-bracketed games of the PK80 mid-season tournament, which UConn will resume in Portland, Oregon on Nov. 23.
Guard Jalen Adams will return to action on Tuesday. He was suspended from Friday’s game by UConn head coach Kevin Ollie following a misdemeanor summons charge for leaving the scene of a scooter accident the previous night.
“Jalen practiced today. His suspension is lifted and he’ll play tomorrow,” Ollie said after Monday’s practice at the Werth Center. “We talked to him, his parents came in and we had a good talk and everybody sat down. Hopefully, like he said, he’s learned his lesson and hopefully he’s able to make better decisions. And I think he will going forward.”
Adams is ready to get back and contribute after what he called “a good learning experience” Friday.
“Definitely excited to get back out there with my teammates. Just looking forward to it,” Adams said.
The Huskies could be at full strength on Tuesday, as graduate transfer David Onuorah may return from injury to join a crowded UConn frontcourt. Onuorah practiced Monday.
“He brings that physical presence,” Adams said of the 6-foot-9, 249-pound Onuorah. “It’s hard to guard someone like that. He has a high motor, and plus, with his physical frame, it’s hard to keep him out the lane, keep him off the glass.”
Forward Terry Larrier picked up the offensive slack in his first game back from an ACL tear last season, scoring a career-high 27 points to help beat Colgate. He scored inside and outside and had much better success with his jump shot than he had in preseason action.
In support of Larrier, a couple of newcomers made their presence felt on Friday. That will be a recurring theme this season with so many rostered players who were not contributors to last year’s team.
Antwoine Anderson was the second-leading scorer behind Larrier with 12 points, and hit a crucial shot late in the game. Eric Cobb led the team with eight rebounds. Tyler Polley started for the Huskies, scoring nine points and grabbing four boards, while Isaiah Whaley came off the bench to add eight points and four boards.
Stony Brook started its season with a 76-61 loss to Maryland on a neutral court at Nassau Coliseum. Forwards Tyler Sturdivant led the Seawolves with 17 points in the loss, while forward Akwasi Yeboah added 15 points and six boards.
Stony Brook finished 12-4 in America East play last season, and this year’s team features three starters in the starting lineup. The Seawolves were picked to finish fourth in the America East Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
“They are a mismatch nightmare,” Ollie said of Stony Brook. “They don’t have a lot of size but they have some great players out on the perimeter and they can be versatile. We gotta really be on our game. We gotta come in and play from the first five minutes.”
UConn and Stony Brook will tip off at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the XL Center in Hartford.
Tyler Keating is the sports editor for The Daily Campus, covering men’s basketball. He can be reached via email at tyler.keating@uconn.edu. He tweets @tylerskeating.