Vital, Adams A Lethal Combination

Jalen Adams Is An Assassin

The Story: UConn coasted to a 97-75 win over UMass-Lowell at Gampel Pavilion on Tuesday behind the hot-shooting Christian Vital, who had 19 points, including 17 in the first 10 minutes. Jalen Adams made sure there wasn’t going to be any rally with 19 points. UConn (6-1) scored more than 90 points for the third straight game.

WHAT WE LEARNED: UConn has a lot more weapons than you think and one of the better backcourts in the American, if not America, in Alterique Gilbert, Adams and Vital. The three-guard lineup is going to cause problems for many teams along the way this year, especially when the streaky Vital gets his shooting going as he did on Tuesday.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Adams. Vital essentially won the game with his first-half shooting, and Gilbert (15 points, 6 assists) was great, but Adams is playing at a level above everyone else on the court. Adams has been stunning this season with his efficiency and is making his teammates around him better.

HOW GOOD HAS ADAMS BEEN? Consider this: He is playing eight fewer minutes a game this season (38 to 30) and taking three fewer shots a game (16.1 to 13.0) but has increased his scoring average to 18.3 points per game. That comes with a stunning ability to finish in the lane as he is shooting 56.5 percent from the floor (32.1 from beyond the arc) and an insane 67.1 percent from 2-point range (43 of 64). This is a shooting guard who plays on the perimeter and is looking like the NBA prospect that many people felt he was early in his career.

The burden of the point guard duties are now with Gilbert, allowing Adams to create and score off the ball. It’s a perfect marriage of talent and system here and Adams is playing at another level.

WHAT WE REALLY LIKED: Gilbert’s shooting. He was billed as a quick point guard with excellent court vision and driving ability, but he has showcased much more consistent perimeter shooting than we expected. It’s easy to forget he was a McDonald’s All-American selection two years ago and is shooting over 42 percent from 3-point range this season. He has to be better finishing at the basket and in the paint, but from long distance, he is a surprising weapon.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: The offense was terrific with 22 assists on 37 baskets, but the defense was waning at times for the Huskies, who surrendered 41 points in the second half. The Huskies gave up 75 points and allowed UMass-Lowell to shoot 49.1 percent from the floor. That isn’t good enough going forward.

WILSON’S INAUSPICIOUS DEBUT: We waited a long time to see Sidney Wilson, and when he came in, the game had been decided. Wilson played 5 minutes. Maybe we should hold the break on the Wilson hype — something we are as guilty of as anyone. If he can’t get on the floor against UMass-Lowell, he isn’t playing on Sunday against Arizona. It’s kind of odd, though, for there to be this much attention given to a player who doesn’t appear to be in the rotation.

UP NEXT: The Huskies play Arizona (4-2) at the XL Center on Sunday. It’s another chance to get a win on the board against a likely NCAA tournament team in the non-conference schedule.

Griffin Signs Letter; Jones To Announce

The Story: The Huskies received a signed letter of intent from 6-foot-1 guard Aubrey Griffin, who is ranked the No. 33 player in the Class of 2019 by ESPN. Griffin, from Ossining, New York, is the daughter of Connecticut Pride legend Adrian Griffin.

ALL EYES OUT WEST: UConn could make it two in two days on Wednesday as Haley Jones, the top-ranked player in the class, is set to sign her own letter during a ceremony at her California high school.

Jones, also a 6-foot-1 guard, is choosing between the Huskies, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Oregon, and Stanford. If she heads elsewhere, it will be a blow for Geno Auriemma, who will have missed out on all but Griffin during this recruiting cycle as all but one other player in ESPN’s top 100 rankings is committed or has signed elsewhere. South Carolina, on the other hand, has three of the top 10 recruits in the nation coming in.

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE: The Huskies (5-0) will encounter a unique opponent tonight in what should be a conference game against No. 16 DePaul. The Blue Demons (4-2) push the pace unlike anyone else, jack up a ton of 3-pointers (41 against Savannah State on Monday, making 22) and use a large rotation, with 11 players averaging more than seven minutes a game.

“When you get a team that shoots that many, you’re kind of at their mercy,” Auriemma said.

UConn To Face Purdue In 2021

The Story: UConn has signed a home-and-home series with Purdue, with the Huskies hosting on Sept. 11, 2021, and then facing the Boilermakers on the road on Sept. 13, 2025. The teams have never played each other.

OUR TAKE: This is the kind of series the Huskies should be scheduling, and it’s smart for them to negotiate the home game first so the opponent can’t back out (we’re looking at you, Michigan, Tennessee). UConn has a history of scheduling Big Ten teams — they will play both Illinois and Indiana the next two seasons — and it’s much better than the budget-mandated one-off at Clemson, which will also happen in 2021.

The Huskies’ future schedules, including non-conference opponents, can be found here. UConn is all set through the 2021 season.

Morning Read

BETTER THAN RUTGERS: This is the worst season in UConn football history with the worst defense in college football history, yet still, in their darkest hour, the Huskies are still better than Rutgers. Don’t believe us? ESPN’s “Bottom 10” puts the perennial doormat a step below UConn. How on earth are they in the Big Ten again? (ESPN)

REMEMBERING HANSON: The basketball world lost a true champion in former UConn standout Tony Hanson, who flourished in both England and in New England. (Hartford Courant)

CAMARA INJURED: Junior forward Batouly Camara injured a knee in practice on Monday and coach Geno Auriemma said she is questionable to play against DePaul tonight and Notre Dame on Sunday. (Hartford Courant)

NOTHING BUT NETS: UConn legend Shabazz Napier has fit in nicely thus far in his first season with the Brooklyn Nets. (Nets Daily)

DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER: Several former UConn players and commits are continuing their college careers elsewhere to varying degrees of success. (The UConn Blog)