The UConn men’s basketball team came into this season fresh off their sixth national championship in program history, and while expectations were high, the Huskies still had their naysayers. The program lost three of last year’s starters: Adama Sanogo, Andre Jackson Jr., and Jordan Hawkins. There were questions about how new addition Cam Spencer would fit into the squad and what the bench would look like with the loss of Joey Calcaterra and Nahiem Alleyne. However, Connecticut has maintained its championship level of play all season long, finishing with an excellent 18-2 in-conference record. The Huskies kept the momentum rolling on Saturday, sweeping the Providence Friars 74-60.
While the 74-60 final scoreline indicates complete domination on the part of Connecticut, it didn’t come without drama. The Friars put the Huskies on the ropes early on, opening Saturday night on a 15-2 run, with Devin Carter having 12 of those points. Head coach Dan Hurley is no stranger to letting the officiating crew know what is on his mind. However, this time, his fiery personality got him in trouble, resulting in a technical foul and putting the team in a double-digit deficit. After the commercial break, Connecticut finally woke up, took control and never looked back.
Out of all the big-time performances, the first half belonged to Stephon Castle. While his 7-point-scoring flurry won’t break any NCAA record, the manner in which he did it got the Huskies going. The Georgia native was a step ahead defensively the entire night, intercepting two passes, drawing a foul and taking another one coast to coast. He also got it done shooting-wise, adding a big-time transition three to his total. From there, the entire floor opened up with his teammates contributing at an incredibly high level on both sides of the ball.
The performance from these squads on the defensive end was the difference maker for the first half and the entire game. UConn relentlessly forced tough shots out of the Friars and contributed to why they finished an abysmal 8-28 from the field.
Conversely, the team’s ball movement was spectacular. Whether it was an off-ball screen or a simple pick-and-roll from Donovan Clingan, the program tested Providence’s defense, finishing with an absurd 16-34 slash from the field, including 7-17 from downtown.
Unlike the Friars, Connecticut’s success stemmed from more than one player. A good example of this came from Hassan Diarra closing out the first half with a buzzer-beater three to finish off the first half on an unreal 33-5 run.
The second half was more of the same story, with the Huskies keeping the pedal to the metal. The Friars had their moments, most notably a 10-0 run, yet it was no match for the offensive performance of Alex Karaban.
The Southborough native has been enjoying a solid stretch of basketball, and he kept the momentum rolling Saturday night, putting up 16 points on 6-14 shooting. Considering the adversity he has faced lately, his performance is all the more impressive. Hurley let it known how appreciative he is of all that the Massachusetts native does for the program.
“He’s one of the best players.” Hurley said. “He’s a perfect player for the modern game with the shooting and the passing. This time of year, he really turns it up.”
Another player who has been on fire lately is Clingan. The Bristol native was a menace down low, putting up 11 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting, including hitting a dagger three. The former Preseason All-Big East member’s contributions extended beyond the scoreboard. He finished with 7 rebounds and a nice pair of blocks, which set a tone down low.
The Robin to Clingan’s Batman, Samson Johnson, had a nice bounceback performance. The junior big man has struggled with fouls lately, although he seemed to put that all behind him on Saturday with some much-improved defense. The Togo native had eight points on numerous putbacks, six rebounds and a pair of blocks in only 12 minutes of work. Giving Clingan necessary rest in the grind of March is invaluable, and some consistent play from Johnson helps give the Huskies a leg up against any school in the country.
A bright spot for the Friars came from big man Josh Oduro, who accumulated 13 points and 11 rebounds, albeit on an inefficient 5-16 slash. Despite the impressive scoring performances from Connecticut, the night belonged to Carter. The junior guard was the top scorer of the night, putting up an absurd 25 points and 15 rebounds in 38 minutes of work, and was a major reason why this game was not more of a blowout than it was.
Saturday’s 74-60 win not only serves as an excellent confidence boost heading into the Big East tournament but also sets a new Big East single-season win record with 18 conference wins. This season has been one to remember for Connecticut fans. Despite significant roster turnover, the Huskies have picked up right where they left off and look as dominant as ever. An annual tradition of the NCAA Tournament is for “Final Four locks” to be bounced early on every year, and it usually boils down to “who can get hot when it matters.” Considering how the Huskies have faced adversity early on against multiple teams, yet continue to find a way to persevere, shouldn’t be scoffed at. Hurley and the Huskies have that championship DNA, and fans should not doubt that the program will showcase that at “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” for the Big East Tournament.