Better, But Not Good Enough
The Story: The UConn men’s basketball team is better this year, but it is still coming up short against the stronger team on its schedule, including a crushing 79-71 loss to No. 11 Florida State on Saturday.
Alterique Gilbert led the Huskies with 24 points, but it was another frustrating and perplexing night on the hardwood.
WHAT GIVES? The Huskies are 7-3 on the season — a middling record that should be better. They have played four games against what we would consider good teams (Syracuse, Iowa, Arizona and Florida State) and are 1-3 in those games. The last two weekends were frustrating. UConn gave up the game against Arizona at home and, once again, was lackadaisical on offense against FSU in a game that was ripe for the taking.
BRUTAL SPLITS: There are common themes in the losses — poor offense and turnovers. We knew the offense was going to come and go. UConn doesn’t have great perimeter shooters with Jalen Adams and Christian Vital streaky. The splits, still, are horrendous.
In its three losses, UConn has committed 53 turnovers (17.7 per game) and is shooting an abysmal 19-for-71 (26.8 percent) from 3-point range. Those are issues related to offensive execution and attention to detail — not talent. There were seven assists on 23 baskets with 19 turnovers.
The Huskies are sloppy. When you can overwhelm a team, it doesn’t matter. Against the better teams, they need to value possession more.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: The Huskies shot 37.7 percent from the floor, 69.2 percent from the foul line and committed 19 turnovers. That just is not going to get it done against good teams. UConn played even with Florida State. It was an evenly matched game. The Seminoles are headed into the top 10. The Huskies are headed into their final exams at 7-3.
TOO MUCH ‘RIQUE: We loved Gilbert’s two-point, 11-assist game against UMass-Lowell. We hated his 24-point, three-assist performance against Florida State. Why? Gilbert led the team in shots and the ball stuck to his hands way too much on Saturday. Part of that was FSU’s defense and length.
Vital had only two points on four shots. Adams had to struggle to get up 13 shots and only got the ball in one-on-one situations. There was a lack of ball movement and Gilbert had tunnel vision on the drive. Tyler Polley, who only shoots when he gets the ball off a drive and kick, attempted only five shots. Shot distribution was uneven as Adams (4-of-13), Gilbert (8-of-15) and Tarin Smith (4-of-10) combined for 38 of 61 shots.
A LACK OF PHYSICALITY: A big concern we have seen against the better teams is size and strength continue to play a role. Josh Carlton played five minutes and was non-existent against Florida State. Eric Cobb was ineffective (they could have used Big-Game Eric) with three points and four boards in 14 minutes. That left Hurley to go with his third-string big, Kassoum Yakwe, who did a nice job with four points and six rebounds in 20 minutes. Carlton has to be better against the more physical teams. He had two points in five minutes.
DOES A CLOSE LOSS HELP? My middle school principal, Sister Linda, used to tell us that close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Well, we can add KenPom to that mix. Apparently, the Huskies moved up three spots with the loss in KenPom’s standings to No. 79 with the quality of their loss. Still, they need a lot of work and maybe some wins to get into the top 40 and on the NCAA bubble. Too soon?
A WORD ON THE OFFICIALS: There were 58 free throws, 51 fouls called, 41 turnovers, four reviews, three flagrant 1s, a technical foul and a partridge in a pear tree on Saturday.
NEXT GAME: Nothing like sitting in your dorm studying for your finals all week after this loss. That’s what the Huskies will do as they’re out of action until Saturday against Manhattan in Storrs.
Samuelson Shines in Seton Hall Smothering
The Story: The UConn women’s basketball team scrubbed the decks with Seton Hall on Saturday, winning 99-61 behind 26 points and a career-high 16 rebounds from Katie Lou Samuelson.
KATIE LOU WHO? Samuelson’s scoring was expected, but she showed a different side of her game with her rebounding. She nearly doubled her previous career high — nine, set most recently against Tulane last season — and it was needed with Megan Walker out yet again with an illness.
She also made four 3-pointers, giving her 320 for her career and passing Diana Taurasi for second all-time behind Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis.
“I thought I needed to step up a little more,” she said after the game. “[Rebounding] gives a different look to teams, so if I can rebound like that, I think we’ll be successful.”
UP NEXT: After emerging from dreary, uninspiring Schenker Hall, the Huskies (9-0) hit the road for a trip that includes games at Oklahoma on Dec. 19 and at California on Dec. 22.
Morning Read
BIG EAST EXPANSION? After announcing an agreement to keep the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden for another 10 years, commissioner Val Ackerman suggested the conference could expand. (John Fanta on Twitter)
ALLEN, LOBO HONORED: UConn will retire the numbers of legends Ray Allen and Rebecca Lobo during a ceremony in March. It’s a new tradition that will be reserved for Hall of Famers. (Hearst Connecticut Media)
SPENDING WISELY: Mike DiMauro argues that a recent proposal to earmark $100 million for a renovation of the XL Center is something the incoming government must at least consider. (The Day)
CHESTNUT CHILL: The men’s hockey team lost its seventh consecutive game, falling 3-2 at Boston College on Friday despite goals from Karl El-Mir and Max Kalter. (UConnHuskies.com)
SCHNEIDER GETS CALL: The New York Rangers called up former UConn captain Cole Schneider from the Hartford Wolf Pack. Schneider has played in six NHL games, all with the Buffalo Sabres and last in 2016-17. (Blueshirt Banter)
