Fresh off their fifth win in a row, the UConn men’s basketball team will look to continue its reign of Big East dominance with its tallest in-conference task yet: the No. 18 Creighton Bluejays.
A significant question mark heading into Wednesday night’s showdown is the status of Donovan Clingan. The Huskies have missed the 7-foot-2 big man since he went down with a foot injury on Dec. 20 at Seton Hall. As head coach Dan Hurley put it, we will be “on Cling Kong watch,” as the Bristol native is a game-time decision. Even if he does come back, he will more than likely come off the bench with a reduced workload.
While Clingan’s backup, Samson Johnson, has done an excellent job taking over the reins in the Huskies’ starting five, it hasn’t always been pretty. Johnson has had his struggles asserting himself as a driving force on the boards. Take his Jan. 2 performance against DePaul. Despite playing 23 minutes, the Togo native only came away with one rebound, with Hurley noting postgame that “[Johnson] needs to grow and become smarter when people are being physical with him.”
Even when Johnson is on his A-game, foul trouble has been a massive issue for him throughout his extended time on the court. It’s prevented him from making a bigger impact for this Huskies roster and if the redshirt junior looks to take the next huge step in his game, that’s certainly an essential problem to fix.
When neither Clingan nor Johnson are at the five, there is a real question mark as to what head coach Dan Hurley’s best move is. One option is to put in freshman Youssouf Singare, but he’ll need some more development before seeing extended minutes with the Huskies. We have also seen variations of a “small ball lineup” with 6-foot-8 power forward Alex Karaban trying his luck as a center, and it has been a quality solution. The team’s current lineup without Clingan will face its toughest challenge yet in the paint on Wednesday.
That challenge comes in the form of Ryan Kalkbrenner. The veteran college big man stands at 7-foot-1 and is amidst an excellent offensive season, averaging 16 points on 64% shooting and over seven rebounds per game. How Connecticut’s big men game plan for the Missouri native will ultimately be the deciding factor.
Another Bluejay player for Husky fans to look out for is Baylor Scheierman. The Nebraska native can torch opponents from all over the floor, averaging 18 points per game on an excellent 43.6% from the field, including 37% from deep. Not only can he shoot, but Scheierman is also a creative passer. This could spell trouble for the Huskies, who have occasionally been vulnerable against the pick-and-roll. Especially with Kalkbrenner’s presence, this facet of the game could present a sizable challenge for the Huskies.
Another headline for Wednesday night is that fans 21 years old and over at Gampel Pavilion can partake in $2 Beer Night, which could spell trouble for Creighton. In last season’s Feb. 22 matchup against Providence, UConn ran the same promotion, and the effects were palpable. The extra rowdy Storrs crowd acted as a sixth man on the court for the Huskies, and Friars head coach Ed Cooley admitted postgame that the liquored-up fans played a role in his side’s 87-69 loss.
Wednesday has massive implications for both programs. UConn and Seton Hall sit atop the Big East conference, with Creighton trailing the two programs by one game apiece. In a conference as loaded as the Big East, looking ahead to the in-conference tournament is never too early. Every game matters and a top placement will make a difference on the path to being crowned Big East champions.
The Huskies are college basketball’s No. 1 for the first time in 13 years, and this is a chance for them to extend their lead over everyone else. Inversely, the Bluejays are trying to continue their four-game winning streak and play up to their preseason expectations, when they were ranked eighth in the nation. The action will ensue this Wednesday at 7 p.m., and with the extra rowdy crowd sure to pack Gampel Pavilion, you won’t want to miss it.