Time to Focus as Huskies Host Drexel
The Story: UConn’s men’s basketball team will try to snap out of its post-finals funk tonight when it hosts Drexel at the XL Center.
It’s an important tune-up for the Huskies (8-3), who begin Big East play wrap up the non-conference portion of their schedule on Saturday against Villanova. The defending champions fell out of the Associated Press poll after a pair of losses.
ALL EYES ON ADAMS: Guard Jalen Adams wasn’t the player he’s expected to be for the Huskies in the 61-46 win over Manhattan. He made just one shot and finished with two points.
Dan Hurley was particularly critical of Adams’ effort, and although it’s unlikely he has a repeat performance, how he responds is worth watching. Was there a particular reason for his struggles? (No, it wasn’t the headband.) Has it been corrected in practice? As UConn’s primary scoring threat, Adams will need to be locked in against Drexel, especially with another marquee opponent on deck.
DEEP TROUBLE: UConn went just 4-for-23 from 3-point range against Manhattan — not a season low in terms of percentage, as they went 4-for-26 against Iowa — but they had made at least 33 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc in five of their last six games. It’s no coincidence that two of their worst shooting games were two of their worst games, period.
And, with a guard-heavy rotation, especially one with so many quality perimeter shooters, UConn can’t consistently afford to have an off night from deep. Drexel ranks in the bottom quarter of all Division I teams in allowing opponents to make 36.3 percent of their 3-point attempts, so this could be a chance to shimmy a bit of that rust off.
“If we’re going to be a guard-oriented attack, we’re going have to shoot the ball much better from the 3-point line,” Hurley said. “In order to do that, guys are going have to live in the gym and shoot more.”
SLAYING THE DRAGONS: Is there a better way to prepare for one Philadelphia opponent than by playing another? Well, yes — find a team that plays a more similar style as Villanova — but don’t you dare challenge a Philadelphian on grittiness. It flows through the Schuylkill River.
Drexel (6-5) isn’t likely to play more than seven players against the Huskies, and all five regular starters average double figures in scoring. Alihan Demir, a 6-foot-9 junior forward from Turkey, has scored 15.4 points a night. Camren Wynter, a 6-foot-2 freshman guard, had 16 points and seven rebounds in the win over Quinnipiac on Sunday and was named the CAA’s Rookie of the Week.
This is, amazingly, the first time the two teams will have met.
Walker Eyes Return vs. Oklahoma
The Story: UConn women’s basketball guard Megan Walker, who missed the Huskies’ last two victories after a battle with strep throat, expects to be back on the floor on Wednesday when the Huskies play at Oklahoma.
EASY DOES IT: Walker, who stayed away from her teammates to avoid having the illness spread, said she had been battling symptoms since the Huskies’ win at Notre Dame on Dec. 2.
“I feel like since taking 10 days off, it’s still going to be a process to get back to where I was,” Walker told reporters on Monday. “But I’m starting to feel better leg-wise, getting up and down [the court], getting used to that again.”
IRWIN IMPRESSES: Junior Kyla Irwin stepped into Walker’s spot in the starting lineup for wins at Saint Louis and against Seton Hall. She had a career-high 10 rebounds in the first start and then scored six points in the second.
Geno Auriemma has frequently praised Irwin’s preparedness and effort, and Irwin may have earned herself additional minutes — perhaps only a few, if the rotation holds — because of her performance.
Morning Read
STILL NO. 1: UConn’s women’s basketball team remained a unanimous No. 1 in the Associated Press poll, with Baylor dropping to sixth after a loss to Stanford. (Associated Press)
DOING HIS PART: Guard Christian Vital said that the “toughness and aggression” that Dan Hurley praised is just part of what he brings to the Huskies. (Hearst Connecticut Media)
SLOW AND STEADY: As Alterique Gilbert continues to regain confidence in his surgically repaired shoulder, his shooting touch is showing signs it’s coming back as well. (The UConn Blog)
FINDING A FIT: The challenge for coaches of basketball players such as UConn target Qudus Wahab is whether they should fit them into traditional molds or embrace the trend of positionless basketball. (Washington Post)
NO CAGE FOR BIRD: Despite being hired as a basketball operations executive by the Denver Nuggets, Sue Bird said she’s not ready to end her playing career just yet. (Denver Post)
MAKING HISTORY: While Bird’s appointment is noteworthy, Geno Auriemma believes real history will be made when a woman is hired as a coach or general manager in the NBA. (Hearst Connecticut Media)
FEOLE HONORED: Junior Mason Feole, a left-handed pitcher, was named to the preseason All-America team by Collegiate Baseball. (UConnHuskies.com)
A BRIGHT FUTURE: The nation’s top-ranked high school girls’ soccer player, Jessica Mazo from Bridgeport, is eager to make her mark at UConn. “She is a player that you can build a program around,” coach Margaret Rodriguez said. (Hartford Courant)
