Following a dominant tournament weekend at the Empire Classic, the UConn men’s basketball team got the job done with a commanding 90-60 win over Manhattan.
It was an encouraging victory for Connecticut, as everyone had opportunities where they shined. However, the first half belonged to Donovan Clingan. The 7-foot-2 center started off strong with 12 points on 5-6 shooting, 3 boards and a block in only nine minutes of work.
His performance is a breath of relief for Husky fans, as the Bristol native never played to his potential against Texas. The sophomore big man was only on the court for 12 minutes before sitting behind Samson Johnson, who had himself a career day. Coming off of a foot injury sustained before the beginning of the season, it may be some time before we see Clingan at his best. However, he has played well during the early games of this season, continuing to look like the player that this program needs him to be. He is not missing easy dunks or putbacks, as we saw in the home opener against NAU. Instead, he is returning to full strength and gaining valuable experience by playing 19 minutes per game. Nevertheless, how he plays will be something to keep an eye on. If the program wishes to succeed in a crowded Big East conference, they will need him to play like he did last Friday.
While everyone performed well for Connecticut, it was Tristen Newton who stole the show at the XL Center. The 22-year-old passed Ray Allen to become the all-time leader in triple-doubles, thanks to a 15-point, 13-assist and 10-rebound day. Even if he doesn’t shoot the rock well, the former East Carolina transfer makes himself valuable in other facets of the game. Despite scoring 8 points on an inefficient 30% from the field, he played 39 minutes against Texas with one of the better performances of the game as a facilitator. He shined once again last Friday as a passer and a scorer, a deadly combination that makes him one of the top guards in the nation.
“He should be talked about as one of the best guards in the country,” said head coach Dan Hurley. “But, people that don’t watch the games and just watch TikTok highlights are the ones judging.”
The El Paso native was one of five UConn players to score double digits last Friday.
Cam Spencer also had an encouraging Black Friday performance for Connecticut, scoring 18 on 7-10 shooting, including a perfect 4-4 from downtown. It was the Maryland native who put the game out of Manhattan’s reach. Spencer opened the second half with a bang, hitting a three to give the Huskies a 20-point lead. This also catalyzed a 10-0 Huskies run, destroying any hope the Japsers had at winning.
UConn’s Friday win over Manhattan was the team’s 23rd straight non-conference win by double digits, tying the University of North Carolina for the all-time record. While this squad was not initially aware of the uncharted territory it was crossing into, Hurley attributed this impressive feat to the “selfless” players that his squad recruits.
“It tells a story of what our program is all about and the type of people that we pursue in recruiting,” said the Connecticut head coach. “There still are old school families out there, and kids that are old souls that are about winning and allow us to coach them and are always ready to play.”
Hurley also acknowledged that in today’s game, with NIL, the transfer portal and social media, it’s easy to lose sight of the main goal: winning. However, he believes that this latest win over the Jaspers is just one of many examples of his team’s ability to keep its eyes on the prize. Hurley and the UConn men kept the pedal to the metal — even in a 30-point blowout, he was telling the officials to “call the game and not the score.”
After a three-week hiatus, the UConn men will return to Gampel Pavilion, where they will host the 4-2 New Hampshire Wildcats. It is a game that all Huskies fans will want to mark on their calendars, as Connecticut will attempt to make history by winning more non-conference games by double digits than ever won before. The Huskies, who are 20-point favorites, may very well do so. If the Huskies play as well as they did on Friday, there is no reason to believe that they won’t take care of business.