Fresh off their monumental Jimmy V Classic win over No. 9 North Carolina, the UConn men’s basketball team is in great shape. While the program suffered a loss to Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse on Dec. 1, they’ve got plenty to be happy about with an 8-1 record. The Huskies will look to add another victory in Saturday’s Gampel Pavilion battle with Arkansas Pine Bluff.
It’s no secret that this matchup will be a bye game for Dan Hurley and company. According to the latest KenPom rankings, the Golden Lions sit at No. 348, making them one of the worst teams in all of college basketball. The program is coming off a 111-71 loss to Gonzaga in Spokane and if that’s any indication of what’s to come, Arkansas Pine Bluff will be in for a long afternoon.
If you couldn’t tell by the Golden Lions’ last game, they’re not a great defensive team, and going up against a complicated Connecticut offense should only make their job more difficult. Similar to UConn’s previous bye games, this will be another opportunity for this squad to get more experience ahead of a much-anticipated Big East schedule that’s full of talent.
As for the talent on this Arkansas Pine Bluff roster, the team features four double-digit scorers, with the most impressive being Kylen Milton. The junior shooting guard is currently averaging 20.4 points per game on 58% from the field and can score all across the court. He’ll be a nice test for the Huskies. Not far behind Milton on the scouting report is Rashad Williams, the team’s starting point guard who averages 18 points per game. He may be shooting worse than Williams, but that’s because the senior shoots at a higher rate from beyond the arc. Rounding out the key starters for this team are Joe French at the small forward spot and Lonnell Martin Jr. at the power forward spot.
Hurley has always been one to welcome the opportunity for his squad and some key things for this Huskies roster will certainly make it easier for fans to tune in.
One of the primary things to focus on is Stephon Castle. Per Hurley, the projected NBA lottery pick had little preparation ahead of Tuesday’s Jimmy V Classic battle, and Saturday’s game will be another opportunity for him to showcase his talent. In the two games that Connecticut fans had the opportunity to watch Castle play before his injury, he was electric with two straight double-digit scoring performances. If the Georgia native can return to form and provide the all-around impact that this team needs from him, that provides another layer of fear for defenses across the nation.
Next, while Donovan Clingan has continued to start games for this UConn squad, a quick peak at Tuesday’s game showed that he has struggled to get back to peak form.
“Donovan’s been hobbled since the season started, so he’s a shell of himself right now,” said Hurley.
He may not be at full strength just yet, but Saturday should provide a great opportunity for the Bristol native to gain some additional confidence, as well as some additional reps in general to get more up to speed. The projected NBA lottery pick currently stands at No. 41 in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage and No. 35 in the nation in block percentage. If he’s able to regain his form with his regular minutes, that would be huge for the program.
Similar to the team’s New Hampshire matchup on Nov. 27, this bye game stands before a key test. The Huskies will travel to Seattle for a battle with Gonzaga on Dec. 15t another chance to prove themselves against a high-ranked opponent. Other than a loss to Purdue on Nov. 20 in the Maui Invitational, this squad has been electric, as shown by their No. 7 ranking in the AP poll. Connecticut needs to be on their A-game for that matchup and games like Saturday’s clash with Arkansas-Pine Bluff should add more experience for the team.
Saturday’s noon game will be televised on Fox Sports 2.