At long last, after a season of dominance, excitement and even a little bit of history, the UConn men’s basketball team returns to action tonight to take on the Sacred Heart Pioneers for banner night at Gampel Pavilion.
While the AP No. 3 Huskies are expected to blow by the Pioneers, there are still many facets of this contest that fans will want to keep an eye out for. For one, it will be interesting to see what the minutes distribution looks like tonight. How will players like Ahmad Nowell or Jayden Ross perform in front of the amped-up UConn crowd, considering both athletes are in competitive battles for rotation minutes and could fill crucial roles down the stretch. Last season, head coach Dan Hurley played the entire bench for their 95-52 banner night win over NAU, so if this game gets out of hand, we could see something similar to last year.
Another player fans need to be on the lookout for is Solo Ball. Early on last season, Ball played over 25 minutes a night, filling in for the injured Stephon Castle. However, as the season progressed, the 6-foot-3 slowly fell out of the rotation, coming in only at the end of games when they were out of hand. However, for the past two years, Hurley has spoken highly of the sophomore guard, noting that his shot is real and he has the potential for a giant sophomore leap. This isn’t just coaches talk from the two-time national championship coach, as Ball shot the lights out in the team’s 107-75 exhibition win over URI. While some may point out that the Rams are not as elite of a program as the Huskies will face come March, Ball looked comfortable, and he did all of the right things and should only grow from here.
Turing over to the Pioneers’ side of things, Tanner Thomas is a player that Connecticut will want to make sure they watch film on. Not only is the Stamford native coming off a solid 22-point performance against Temple, but he did it from everywhere, whether it was beyond the arc, in the perimeter or at the charity stripe. Considering that the Huskies will have many new faces lacing up on Wednesday, how they play Hurley’s brand of defense will be especially important to watch, as this is typically the most significant adjustment that recruits undergo when they come to Storrs.
Of course, this will also be the first time that the Gampel crowd gets a look at freshman Liam McNeeley and St. Mary’s transfer Aidan Mahaney. McNeeley is expected to be an immediate contributor to the program and has the potential to follow a “one-and-done ” career path, similar to Castle. McNeeley has shown the potential to score from all areas on the floor, whether for a tough finish at the rim or a shot from the perimeter and beyond. This is even more crucial, considering the program lost its two best shooters to the NBA Draft last year: Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer. Of course, Mahaney could be that guy for Connecticut. Not only is he coming off an excellent 17-point performance against URI, but he is a 37.5% career shooter from beyond the arc. Considering that he is surrounded by immense talent, the UConn coaching staff will do an excellent job at game planning his shooting abilities, allowing Mahaney to get good looks and move that career total ever closer to 40%.
A more general point of focus that fans will want to keep an eye on is how the Huskies perform rebounding the basketball. Last season it was not uncommon to see the players exert a double-digit advantage over their opponents in this department. This limited what the Huskies’ opponents could do, and unless they shot the lights out, they would not come close to Connecticut in the end. Of course, getting a one-to-one replacement for Donovan Clingan and what he did for Connecticut is impossible. However, the Huskies can still dominate on the glass thanks to the pair of talented centers they will have.
Samson Johnson will step into a more prominent role for his senior year and looks to build off a solid 2023-2024 campaign as Clingan’s understudy. Johnson is as physically gifted as anyone out on the court and is an efficient scorer inside, making his tries 73% of the time. However, he only averaged less than three boards a night a year ago, and it will be interesting to see if this is a part of his game he can improve upon for his fourth year in Storrs. The big man also needs to limit how much he is fouling, as he not only got into trouble in this department for much of last season but also, against the Rams, he was whistled four times. Johnson is also expected to split his time with Michigan transfer Tarris Reed Jr., an excellent rebounder, snagging over seven boards a night for the Wolverines. Reed Jr.’s aptitude in this part of his game makes him especially valuable.
It is also impossible to forget about Alex Karaban and Hassan Diarra. All preseason long, the pair taking on more significant roles, offensively and as leaders, have been the talk of the town for some time now, and this is something that Connecticut fans should keep an eye on. Karaban is no longer the fifth scoring option for Hurley’s squad; he will be relied upon to generate consistent scoring and hold the team accountable as a leader. Diarra will emerge as a starter after being one of the most valuable sixth men in all of college basketball, even if he is not lighting up the scoreboard. Considering that the program has many talented heads to feed, Diarra’s ability as a facilitator will play perfectly into this and could spell trouble for the Pioneers tonight.
Like last season, around 30 minutes before tip-off, the Huskies will unveil their sixth national championship banner for all to see. Again, while the Huskies are expected to cruise to victory, there will be much to discuss. As it is only November, there will be things for the program to improve upon. How long will these issues persist? Will it be a two-week issue, or will it linger into January and beyond? No matter what happens on Wednesday, the back-to-back national champions are finally back in action, and this game signifies the start of the Huskies’ campaign for history. Fans should tune in in person or on TV at 7:00pm to witness the action live from the Basketball Capital of the World.