The UConn men’s basketball team started their 2024-2025 campaign last Wednesday, hosting the Sacred Heart Pioneers for Banner Night. The Huskies cruised to victory 92-56. This is the second season in a row that the program has celebrated a dominant national championship run, and the program hopes to make this an annual gala. For the festivities to occur for a historic third year in a row, the program has to replace some critical vacancies left by four of last year’s starters who are now in the NBA. One player that the program is looking at taking a giant sophomore leap is Solo Ball. Taking some inspiration from James L. Edwards III’s piece published in the Athletic, I decided to follow the 6-foot-3 guard from afar in this contest and take note of all the ways that he contributed to UConn’s win, as he will undoubtedly play a significant part in how this season shakes out for Connecticut.
First Half
Ball started the contest along with Aidan Mahaney, Liam McNeeley, Alex Karaban and Samson Johnson. Today’s starters may not be the exact first unit two or three weeks from now. These athletes are all embedded in a competitive position battle, yet Ball didn’t let that deter him and brought his A-game for the first 20 minutes.
The offense flowed through Ball for the first 16 minutes, as he was doing it all. Whether it was leading breaks in transition, draining deep threes or moving the ball around, he got it done. Not to mention that the sophomore embraced the Dan Hurley defensive mindset. Now, we will highlight some key plays from the first 20 minutes that the 20-year-old was a part of.
19:17: While this play won’t show in the box score unless you’re Johnson, Ball set the tone early for the night. He nailed a deep three a few steps in from the Madison Reed logo, although it did not count as Johnson picked up an off-ball foul. This is an encouraging early look for Ball, considering that Connecticut expects him to be a big shot-maker.
18:27: Defensively, Ball started very active, pickpocketing Aidan Carpenter and finding Johnson down low for a baby hook, although the big man missed. This play was the byproduct of embracing Hurley’s defensive mindset and not allowing his man to breathe. Knowing how the program functioned last year, don’t be surprised if he or any of the other guards catch a ball handler napping for an easy steal.
17:41: Ball misses a midrange jump shot after shredding his man in the corner. As great as he has been shooting the basketball, everyone eventually misses, but he got a great look, and that was all Connecticut could ask for.
16:45 Tristen Newton was a big-time shooter for the Huskies last season, routinely knocking down threes from way beyond the arc and near the logo. Ball showed off his range here, knocking down a transition three nearly at halfcourt.
At this point in the game, it became easy to see the incredible pace Ball kept on both sides of the floor. The guard was rarely seen walking and always moved with a purpose on and off the ball, helping set up himself and his teammates for looks.
12:53: All night long, a big part of the UConn offense involving Ball has him sprinting from corner to corner. Typically, he will receive the ball off the screen at the end of this and has a plethora of options to choose from. However, when the shot falls like it was tonight, shooting the three makes the most sense, and that’s what he did here: nailing it at the top of the key.
12:35: Again, his defense has been excellent all night, and it hasn’t only benefited him. At this point in the game, Amiri Stewart was on a break and had a look at the rim, although Ball got up high and contested a clear lane for the senior guard, forcing him to the side on a layup that Tarris Reed Jr. easily blocked.
5:19: Ball continuously highlighted his ability to score and find teammates as a driver, making this play reminiscent of Stephon Castle’s a year ago. The Virginia native weaved through traffic like a man on a mission as three Sacred Heart players could not stop him, with Ball finding Karaban in the corner, although a foul stopped the possession.
4:31: The bucket that impressed me the most in his performance was at this point. Reminiscent of Newton, Ball shifted his body in a difficult manner and finished a tough look at the rack. This highlights his ability to finish athletically, no matter who competed at the rim.
0:47: To close out the half, Ball nailed a corner three. This marked the end of his dominant first half, with 11 points on 4-7 shooting.
Second Half
Considering that UConn was up 15 points at the half, they were spreading the wealth offensively early, and Ball did not take a shot for over five minutes on the floor, although he was still moving the rock around, which set his teammates up for easy scoring.
14:49: First bucket of the half from beyond the arc after running around and being set up nicely with a screen at the top of the key. Again, this blend of offensive will likely be a focal point for this season’s team, and it will be interesting to see how teams try and adjust to this, although with all the options Ball does have off the screen, it may be hard for teams to adjust.
13:17: Missed a three. However, hustle seems to be built into Ball’s game, as he sprinted for his rebound but didn’t get it. Yet he got a pass from Reed Jr. and quickly found an open man. While the program never scored, the offensive intensity they kept on this possession and throughout the game was palpable, and Ball was at the center of it.
4:51: Ball got a defensive rebound and immediately took off up the court. He was explosive from coast to coast, drawing a shooting foul and nailing both free throws for his troubles.
When it was all said and done, Ball finished with 16 points on 5-9 shooting, including 4-7 from downtown. This was an encouraging performance that UConn fans should be excited for. While this was a blowout win, many long-term trends took place, and fans should be excited about Ball’s progression as a player. Hurley has raved for nearly two years about his shot-making ability, and for good reason. Ball’s ability as a scorer was on display tonight, and there’s no reason to believe that this is going anywhere anytime soon, considering his deep offensive arsenal.