Queens of the Road Wrap Up Final Stretch
The Story: After spending much of the month playing on the road, the women’s basketball team will play its final regular-season games away from home in the coming days, beginning with tonight’s tilt at Creighton (5 p.m., SNY) and ending Saturday at Butler.
AROUND THE CONFERENCE IN 18 DAYS: The Huskies, who last played at Gampel Pavilion on Feb. 10, are finally wrapping up a stretch of five road games. It’s the longest stretch without a home game since 1980 and a product of rescheduling games due to the pandemic. One of UConn’s hopes for leaving the AAC was that it would never have to visit flyover country again, but hey, at least they’re not stuck in Kansas.
WHAT DID GENO SAY? “That’s been one of the fun things about playing in [the Big East]. One day you’ll be playing in a high school gym, like the old days, like when you’re at Seton Hall or at Georgetown. And another day, you will be playing at a beautiful, amazing facility. You get a little bit of everything, and these next two, I think, will be great trips.”
BUILDING MOMENTUM: The Huskies have been racking up the airline miles and emphatic wins. They should be in good position entering the Big East tournament, which begins … (checks notes) … next weekend! The Huskies have won their first three road games by an average of 40 points. They’re shooting better after a mini rough stretch (though they’re not as hot from 3-point range), they’re getting 20.6 points per game from Christyn Williams and they’re getting healthier. By and large, it’s been a good run.
‘TOUGH LOVE’: We addressed the ways Aaliyah Edwards has given the Huskies a steadying presence in the paint earlier this week, but the reasons why she’s motivated to succeed go just beyond a competitive spirit. That’s according to Mike Anthony, who had a poignant account of Edwards’ relationship with her late brother, Jermaine. Give it a click. Tell ’em we sent you.
TITLE TIME: Since Marquette beat DePaul last night, UConn will be the sole conference regular-season champs tonight with a victory over Creighton. It’ll be the Huskies’ 20th Big East regular-season title.
ABOUT CREIGHTON: It doesn’t matter. As Lee Corso would say, “Huskies win … big! Now give me that dog head!”
A Lump of Cole Is What Huskies Need
The Story: Secondary scoring has been a primary issue for the men’s basketball team all season, and while some have been able to state their case for being James Bouknight‘s sidekick — Adama Sanogo, Tyler Polley, Tyrese Martin — the latest is R.J. Cole, who bailed the Huskies out Tuesday night in their tough-to-watch 70-57 win over Georgetown.
FAMILIAR TERRITORY: Beating the Hoyas was nothing new for Cole, who finished with 17 points, seven assists, six steals and five rebounds in the victory. He also had big games against Georgetown in 2017 and in 2018 while playing for Howard. Cole has yet to find a real fit with the Huskies, drifting between running the point and playing off the ball this season, but he brings a scrappiness and electricity that we haven’t always seen in Storrs.
WHAT DID COLE SAY? “No matter what level you play at, you’ve got to bring a level of toughness and tenacity. You’ve got to be a dog out there, basically. Especially in the Big East. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out here. You’ve got your work cut out for you every night. Just knowing that the competition level is much higher over here, I’ve got to make sure I’m on my A game every night.”
WHAT DID HURLEY SAY? “He was just more determined. It’s a mindset. It’s the separator with athletes, or really any successful people. It’s determination. It’s the will to succeed. He did not have a good first half. He put it behind him and really led the way. I’m really proud of the way he played.”
… WHAT DO WE SAY? It’s pretty clear the Huskies will need some kind of help offensively if they hope to have a chance at making it to the NCAA Tournament, let alone making a run. Tuesday was brutal, but we know we haven’t seen their best (or if they’ll ever reach it). With Bouknight out for so long, and so many interruptions due to the pandemic, we just don’t know exactly how they’ll measure up. If they play like they did in the first half against Georgetown, they might be one and done in the Big East tournament. If they play like we all know they can, they could open our eyes (and not make us want to gouge them out!) and accelerate the timetable for what Dan Hurley is trying to build. Cole, of course, is a crucial part of that, which is what Hurley saw years ago. Marquette looms on Saturday. That game will be a test, followed by revenge against Seton Hall and, we hope, not another slog against Georgetown to close it all. As R.J. said, it’s a dog-eat-dog world, though that’s a pun we weren’t willing to make … at least on Tuesday night.
Morning Reads
REMEMBER FOOTBALL? IT’S BACK. IN POG FORM: The football team is getting ready to open spring practice next week. Randy Edsall said all the obvious things yesterday, including that there’s a “glaring difference” in the players from a year ago and that “the sky is the limit.” (Hartford Courant)
IT’S ALMOST SPRINGER TIME: After joining the Blue Jays on a team-record $150 million contract, hard-hittin’ George Springer spouted pleasantries about how he’s ready to lead a team of budding phenoms into the playoffs. (MLB.com)
EVERYBODY GETTING THEIR SHOTS IN: It’s been a rough few months for Kemba Walker, as Kendrick Perkins, who had few redeeming qualities on a basketball court, said he doesn’t see the pride of UConn fitting in on the Celtics anymore. (Boston.com)
