Vital Signs For Guards
The Story: UConn dispatched Cornell just as you would expect, 91-74, at the XL Center on Tuesday night. Jalen Adams led the way with 21 points and Christian Vital scored 19.
WHAT WE LEARNED: The Huskies (4-1) have that thing that CBS analyst Clark Kellogg calls “spurt-ability.” They trailed 10 minutes in but ended the half on a 28-10 run to put the game away. The Huskies forced 19 turnovers and ran the floor and scored 90 points for the second time this season. In five games, UConn has been above 80 points in all four wins. That frenetic style, especially with superior athletes, will keep the Huskies from suffering some fluke loss as we have seen in the past several years.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Vital broke out like we have been waiting to see. He had 19 points, a couple of dunks on the fastbreak and was active on defense — and explosive and under control on offense. Vital is a slashing and athletic scorer with range. He isn’t a knockdown shooter and has to keep attacking the basket and not settle for the long 3. Tuesday was the kind of production the Huskies have been longing for from their senior guard.
WHAT WE REALLY LIKED: The guard play, as it has in the four wins, was extraordinary. Adams was efficient, sixth man Tarin Smith had 12 points and Alterique Gilbert had 11 and was flawless running the transition game. The Huskies have four guards who can play and score, and that could be a matchup nightmare if Dan Hurley goes small at some point this season.
“If we’re going to be successful and surprise people this year in terms of our success, the guards are going to have to, across the board, be consistently really, really good,” Hurley said.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: Hurley’s no-turnover message was delivered loud and clear. UConn had only 12 turnovers and forced 19, scoring 25 points off those Cornell turnovers.
Will Freshmen Reign On Senior Day?
The Story: The UConn football team will say goodbye to its seniors on Saturday in its final game of the season, including quarterback David Pindell, but it could be Pindell’s backup, Steve Krajewski, who has the more notable afternoon.
Krajewski, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound true freshman from Moultrie, Georgia, was listed ahead of junior Brandon Bisack on the depth chart on Tuesday ahead of the game against Temple.
What Does It Mean? Public depth charts are usually meaningless and only loosely reflect what the coaches actually think of their players — especially when it comes to Randy Edsall and quarterbacks. UConn could have easily kept Bisack’s name under Pindell’s, but that Krajewski was given that distinction may hint to Edsall’s plan for Saturday.
What’s the Risk? In essence, there is none. Why not trot out Krajewski and see what he can do? In the best-case scenario, the quarterback learns enough from the experience that he has something to build on as he fights to claim the starting role next season. In the worst-case scenario, he commits a ton of turnovers and looks lost — and he wouldn’t be the only true freshman on the team feeling that way this season. Give Pindell the start, if you wish, in order to give him a proper goodbye for his meritorious service, but have him hand the keys to the Fiat to Krajewski early on and let him settle in.
Senior Day? UConn’s final two-deep includes 39 underclassmen in the 56 roster slots, including 18 occupied by freshmen (11 true, nine redshirting) and four true freshmen starting on defense.
Pay Per Pummeling?
The Story: The UConn women will be in the Paradise Jam this week, starting on Thanksgiving Day against Ole Miss. Those three games will be streamed only on some service called FloHoops for $29.99. That’s the only way to watch UConn’s island games.
OUR VIEW: The late, great UConn journalism professor John Breen used to hold an ethics in media class (I know, I know) for us wanna-be journos. One of the final projects was to take an indefensible position and argue for it. Mine, of course, was the public display of executions, where we would charge a pay-per-view fee for the honor of seeing the state dispense justice. Of course, it was indefensible, and a complete violation of ethics and morals. We feel the same way about FloHoops.
THE REMEDY: Now is the time for you to go old school and turn on 97.9 ESPN Radio and listen to our man Bob Joyce on the play-by-play on the UConn/IMG Radio Network. He will give you everything you want to know and is a pro’s pro. Mr. Joyce is a great listen. Save your $29.99 for the needy.
Morning Read
TRIO NAMED TO WADE TROPHY LIST: UConn’s trio of Katie Lou Samuelson, Napheesa Collier and Crystal Dangerfield are all on the Wade Trophy watch list, which goes to the nation’s top player. (Hartford Courant)
WNBA FUTURES FOR UCONN PAIR: Samuelson and Collier are expected to be among the top picks in the next WNBA draft, according to a poll of league executives. (The Associated Press)
A LOST 4 YEARS FOR UCONN SENIORS: It’s been a lost four years for many of the seniors on the football team, who have had to deal with a slew of coaching changes and tumult. (Hartford Courant)
CALHOUN CAN’T STAY AWAY: The gyms are smaller, but Jim Calhoun remains the same coach he was with the Huskies even though he’s now coaching in Division III. (Boston Globe)
KARDIAC KEMBA A JOY TO WATCH: It was nice to see Kemba Walker toasting a pair of Dukies in Jayson Tatum and Kyrie Irving when the Hornets beat the Celtics on Monday. Is there a more underrated star in the NBA? UConn fans always knew he was great. (The Ringer)
WISEMAN PICKS AAC: James Wiseman, a 7-foot center and the No. 1-ranked prospect in the 2019 class, will ply his wares in the indomitable AAC for at least one year after he committed to Memphis over Kentucky on Tuesday. (ESPN)
