Happy Thanksgiving!
Before we get on with the news, we at The UConn Daily wanted to express our gratitude and thanks this morning for the success you, the subscribers, have made this venture out to be.
In only our third week of bringing you all the news and analysis from the Huskies each morning, we have been astonished by the reaction from all corners of the community. Our reception has been far beyond our wildest dreams and already surpassed our loftiest goals and we’re thankful that each of you have enjoyed and supported us thus far.
So, as we carve into our turkeys, let us be thankful for Dan Hurley’s enthusiasm, Geno Auriemma’s success, the end of the football season, George Springer, an actual #IceBus, Rutgers, Red Panda at halftime, Tyler Olander having won more national championships than Jim Boeheim and, most importantly, passionate and devoted fans.
Huskies Ready For Fun In the Sun
The story: The No. 2 UConn women (2-0) will begin a run of three games in three days when face Ole Miss (3-1) in the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas tonight. Also on deck is a Big East tilt against St. John’s (2-0) on Friday and the finale against Purdue (4-0) on Saturday.
INTO THE CAULDRON: The Huskies rely heavily upon their starting five, all of whom are averaging no fewer than 28 minutes a game, and with three games in three days, they’ll have to expand the rotation and give larger roles to some of their bench players in order to make it through the event intact.
That should mean more time for players such as junior Kyla Irwin, sophomore Mikayla Coombs and freshman Olivia Nelson-Ododa, who played bit roles in wins over Ohio State and Vanderbilt.
“We’re going to have tired legs, and the fact that we’re going to be in an area where it’s hot and we’re going to be at the beach and the pool and enjoying ourselves [makes you] more susceptible to being tired, so it’s going to be everyone playing down there” Crystal Dangerfield told reporters with remarkable candor.
KEEP AN EYE ON: Nelson-Ododa. Fellow freshman Christyn Williams has started both games and figures to hold that role all season, but Nelson-Ododa, who had 16 points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes of an exhibition win against Southern Connecticut State last week, could prove to be an X factor down the road for UConn.
ABOUT OLE MISS: First-year coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, with eight newcomers, has the Rebels focused on defense in the early going. They have held opponents to 33.3 percent shooting from the field, 22.0 percent from 3-point range and 57.2 points per game. Those are adorable figures, but of course they’ll get shattered against the Huskies.
IS ANYONE THERE? UConn fans will be unlikely to watch the game because the broadcast rights were sold to an online streaming service known as FloHoops, but if you do happen to subscribe for $29.99 a month, make sure to get your money’s worth. Baunach Young Pikes. Chemnitz Niners. It’s minor-league German basketball and it’s live on FloHoops!
Hurley Wants Dunks a Million
Let us all take a second to appreciate Jalen Adams — not necessarily for anything he did for UConn in the win over Cornell on Tuesday, but for what he said afterward about Dan Hurley‘s coaching style.
“He doesn’t want to call plays,” Adams told reporters, according to the Hartford Courant. “He wants us to get out and get dunks.”
Adams threw one down on Tuesday, as did Christian Vital and Tevin Smith. But since it’s Thanksgiving and, by nature, a slow news day, so let’s reminisce about some of UConn’s best dunkers.
There was, of course, Stanley Robinson, who never knew a dunk he didn’t like. Nobody dunked with more authority than Jeff Adrien, who channeled his inner Darryl Dawkins every time he threw one down. Kemba Walker always insisted he could dunk, but you don’t need to do that when you’re lethal from the floor.
Rudy Gay had ups, as did Ben Gordon and Donyell Marshall. Hasheem Thabeet always made a dunk look more awkward than it needed to, and Jerome Dyson brought flair and style to the rim.
Now, we just need Kwintin Williams to get a chance to show off some of his excellence at some point this season and end the debate once and for all.
Morning Read
BOSTON IN COLUMBIA: Aliyah Boston, the No. 3 recruit in the country, announced her commitment to South Carolina on Wednesday, spurning the Huskies. “[Geno Auriemma] wished me good luck and I wished him good luck,” Boston said. “It was kind of just like that.” (Hearst Connecticut Media)
PROPS TO PINDELL: Quarterback David Pindell has been a bright spot in the UConn football team’s gloomy season. “You’d love to have 85 David Pindells,” coach Randy Edsall said. “He gives everything he has and you wish he had two more years.” (The Day)
STOP, DROP AND ROLL OVER: UConn’s defense ranks last in many categories, including something called “stop rate,” a figure created to determine defensive success. The Huskies are at 40.8 percent. Clemson is the leader at 85.2 percent, the average is 66 percent, Oregon State is second to last at 48.5 percent — and Clemson could give up a touchdown on 171 consecutive drives and still have a better stop rate than the Huskies. (The Athletic)
