After a tough two-game stretch that featured two top-10 showdowns and the end of a six-year home non-conference winning streak, No. 3 UConn men’s basketball returns to Hartford on Sunday night looking to recalibrate against Bryant.
This will be the third time the Huskies (4-1) had faced off with the Bulldogs (1-4) since 2008. UConn came out on top in both meetings, with the most recent being in 2014 in a 66-53 final. While most would write it off as a lopsided matchup, it comes at a critical point in the midst of the Huskies’ rigorous non-conference schedule.
UConn is reeling off a heart breaking 71-67 loss to No. 4 Arizona on Wednesday. The loss marked the end of a 36-game winning streak at home against con-conference opponents.
The Huskies were short their starting center Tarris Reed Jr. The team announced prior to the tip off that the Preseason All-Big East First Team selection would miss the game with an ankle injury, who will likely miss the game with Bryant as well. UConn also remainswithout five-star freshman Braylon Mullins, who has yet to make his regular season debut.
Freshman Eric Reibe was handed the toughest test of his young playing career, having to go up against Arizona’s front court featuring 7-foot-2 Motiejus Krivas and freshman sensation Koa Peat in Reed’s place.
Reibe rose to the occasion, finishing the game with 15 points and two blocks. He knocked down two big three pointers that helped turn the tide in the second half.
“I don’t think I could be prouder of Big Eric. Eric’s going to be an awesome player. Obviously, the development moment tonight is going to do so much for his confidence,” UConn Head Coach Dan Hurley said. “When Tarris gets back, we’re going to have that two-tandem center that’s potentially going to be as good as we had it in the championship years.”
Reed’s absence was still obvious, even with Reibe’s breakout performance. The Huskies were abused on the glass, losing the rebounding battle by 20. This led to 16 second chance points for the Wildcats, against the Huskies five.
“With Tarris [Reed] being out, we should have been minus-10 on the glass tonight,” Hurley said. “Tarris is one of the best rebounders in the country. There’s a lot of things that would not have went on in the game, paint defense, defensive rebounding, offensive rebounding.”
In that same breath, Hurley thinks that there was a lack of urgency to crash on the rebounds, even in the absence of his starting center.
The Bulldogs pose an opportunity for the Huskies to work out their rebounding issues. Bryant boasts the tallest lineup in the country, with its starting lineups average height being 6’7.
While that height hasn’t translated to rebounding dominance for the Bulldogs this season, only out rebounding opponents in one of its five games so far, their size will force the Huskies to get physical down low.
“When there is a street fight going on in the paint, men can’t watch fights.” Hurley said. “You can’t stand on the outside, when your buddies are in a fight, you get in the fight, you don’t stand on the periphery.”
He had a quiet night against Arizona. He entered the contest as the Huskies’ most consistent scorer coming off of back-to-back 20-point games. He only came away with eight points in Wednesday night’s loss, with three of them coming from the free throw line.
The two-time national champion was named to every major national award watch list coming into the season and is still shooting an astounding 61.9% from three.
“AK is a tremendous player. I know it doesn’t even matter if he has a bad game,” Solo Ball said. “He’ll always bounce back, I’ll always believe in him, the whole team does. That’s why his name is Captain America.”
Ball has been dealing with some struggles of his own. Last year, he was one of the biggest perimeter threats in the country with a 41.4% three-point average. Ball has struggled to start the year, shooting just 26.5% from beyond the arc.
With Bryant’s inexperienced back court group, Solo Ball should have an easier time getting open off the ball. He will have the chance to rekindle his hot hand from three before the non-conference slate hears up again.
Sunday’s game will tip off at 6:00 p.m., fans can tune in on truTV.