When the University of Connecticut men’s basketball team stepped onto the hardwood for the first time this season, it was with immense expectation that they’d be one of the most feared teams in the nation.
Yet, following this team’s 77-52 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini at TD Garden, they’ve stepped up to a whole new level.
What makes this win so special, other than the fact that the program is advancing to its second straight Final Four, is how this team looked in the first half. Sure, Donovan Clingan looked like a man amongst boys early on, securing plenty of big buckets in the paint including an and-one layup that caused TD Garden to erupt.
But the team wasn’t playing up to the standard that its elite offense is known for. Other than the dominance of the Great Wall of Bristol, the Huskies shot just 6/23 from the field and a poor 1/11 from the 3-point line. Meanwhile, Illinois wasn’t shooting the ball well and were getting some crucial points despite Connecticut’s hard-nosed defensive mentality.
A big story surrounding this matchup was the defensive battle between Terrence Shannon Jr. and Stephon Castle. With how the dynamic Illini guard can score the basketball, the No. 1 team in the nation had quite the challenge in how they would contain their opponent’s star player.
But, Castle answered that call to action by playing a level of defense that has made him one of the talks of the town as an NBA Draft prospect. Shannon Jr. had just 2 points on 1/7 shooting, and when you combine the strong play of Clingan on that end of the court in the paint, it ended up being just what the doctor ordered for coach Dan Hurley and this squad.
“I mean, Steph just made it really, really tough on him. He chased him off the line. We did a great job in transition. One of his two buckets was a flash in transition, he got there so fast. Then whenever he did get the edge, we had rim protection there. You had Donovan there, you had Samson there. But Steph, there’s a reason why, in the basketball world, people are as high on Steph as they are. He’s a winning player, and obviously, he’s got an incredible career in the NBA ahead of him. He’s been the anti-five star freshman. He does whatever the team needs for us to win,” said the Huskies coach following the win.
Although the Huskies did their job on that end of the floor, one player that gave Connecticut trouble was Marcus Domask, who scored 15 points on 6/9 shooting. Illinois’ second-leading scorer ended up being an integral piece in keeping the game close in the first half. His triple with 11:27 to go would keep the game close in the first half, but his biggest moment would come with 1:49 to go on a jumper to tie the game.
Going into halftime, UConn had a five-point lead, but it was clear that the team was not playing up to the level of basketball that many fans have come to expect out of this Huskies squad. While Hurley may not have known what his team was thinking at that moment during the halftime huddle, he knew they had the talent to get the job done.
We’ve got NBA-level players who are just willing to share and have created an unbelievable culture. We’re going to be tough to beat.
Dan Hurley, UConn Men’s Basketball Coach
“I don’t know what they were thinking, but we just had tremendous respect for Illinois. Brad and their program and the team, I obviously would have been thrilled just to get out of here with a win. Our defense is elite. Our offense is elite. We rebound the ball. These guys play every possession like it’s the end of the world. Kimani and Luke prepare these guys with scouts at a quality level that any head coach in the country would be proud to put forth. Those two guys are amazing. We’ve got NBA-level players who are just willing to share and have created an unbelievable culture. We’re going to be tough to beat,” said Hurley.
In the second half, the Huskies certainly looked tough to beat, maybe even impossible with the level they were playing at. Connecticut had the entire nation in awe as the program went on an improbable 30-0 run to take the energy out of a hopeful Fighting Illini squad that looked to grab the edge in the second half. Yet, UConn did everything right.
Their offense looked second to none. After a 33.3% shooting performance in the first half, that number jumped up to 70% and once again, it was Clingan who was the biggest culprit in helping out his team. The Bristol native dazzled the crowd with 13 second-half points, and his size was simply too much for Illinois.
Other than Clingan, UConn had more of their offensive weapons step up big time in the final 20 minutes, especially Alex Karaban.
Karaban’s 10 points for the Huskies were massive, but his and-one slam with 13:43 to go may have been even bigger. As the Southborough native drove down the lane, a nearby Shannon Jr. looked to stop the Connecticut forward from scoring. Yet, that defensive attempt would be too little, too late as Karaban dunked the ball home to bring his team’s run up to a 27-0 scoring outburst.
“It was a special level of basketball that we were playing,” said Hurley.
From there, the Fighting Illini simply had no chance despite their effort. UConn’s 30-0 run combined with some stupendous defense would simply be the difference maker in what was one of the most complete offensive performances by the team this season.
Connecticut certainly isn’t done just yet. They’re motivated to grab these last two wins in Phoenix and play for the members of this team that have yet to taste the success of a National Championship such as Cam Spencer or Castle. If you know this team, they’re not going to stop until they seize every possible winning opportunity.
“We just motivate each other, playing for one another. This is a group of guys that love to play together and be on the floor together,” said Clingan.