While it hasn’t been perfect, the UConn men’s basketball team has dominated the out-of-conference competition so far, winning a pair of games in convincing fashion at home. Just like last season, the Huskies seem to be a second-half team, as it has taken some time for the program to gel together and play their brand of basketball. This includes second-half lights-out shooting and offensive runs that other teams cannot sustain. Connecticut has a chance to play its most complete basketball all year long when they host Le Moyne in Hartford, Conn.
A significant storyline that fans will want to follow is how Aidan Mahaney performs. The junior from Lafayette, Calif, has started both games for the defending national champions, though he has yet to find his mark offensively. Mahaney failed to record a basket in the program’s home opener versus Sacred Heart. However, he did generate some momentum against UNH, scoring nine points in 22 minutes of work. Look for the Connecticut coaching staff to try to gameplan to get Mahaney involved offensively. It’s a long season, and how Mahaney performs is a storyline to be watched, as he projects to be a significant contributor this season.
One of many bright spots for UConn has surrounded Alex Karaban. Despite not being named a preseason All-American by the AP, he has played the part. The redshirt junior has started the 2024-2025 campaign on a scoring tear as one of the program’s first offensive options, a somewhat new role for Karaban. As good as a scorer as he has been, his defense has been just as good, if not better. Karaban has been the best defender on the program and averages an absurd 5.5 blocks per night so far. While this number is inflated for the short term and will go down as the season progresses, it still tells a story. Karaban has shown an aptitude for defending anywhere and everywhere. Whether at the rim, on the fast break or beyond the arc, he has been an effective defender, even when he isn’t filling up the box score with blocks. This is even more impressive when considering the growth that the Massachusetts native has exhibited in this department since his freshman year. Fans should be on the lookout for Karaban to cause a headache for the Dolphins on both ends of the floor.
Another player that UConn fans want to look out for is Jayden Ross. The 6-foot-7 forward broke out in his first game off the bench, dropping 14 points on 6-10 shooting in 23 minutes of work. Head coach Dan Hurley has been raving about how talented a scorer Ross is. After what he put on display against UNH, Ross is clearly a significant part of this season’s team. Look for another big performance from the sophomore as he is one more game back from an ankle injury, and it’s likely we have yet to see his best version, which may spell trouble for Le Moyne.
UConn fans will want to keep tabs on the Dolphins backcourt. The duo of Will Amica and Zek Tekin have been at the center of the Le Moyne offensive attack, and there is no reason to believe this will change. Both guards lead the program in scoring per game. Both athletes are also new to Le Moyne this season and have immediately taken on more prominent roles for the Dolphins. Amica transferred in from UAlbany, and Tekin from Siena. If Le Moyne wishes to have any success on Wednesday, this duo will be at the center of it.
While Wednesday is chalked up to be another UConn blowout win, there are still many things that Connecticut fans will want to look out for. The program comes off the heels of a “below brand game,” as Hurley calls it, and this is another chance for Connecticut to play its most complete game yet, as the road to a three-peat only gets more treacherous from here.