Lucky 13: Huskies Keep the Streak Alive
The Story: The UConn women’s ridiculous, heart-stopping win over Baylor on Sunday night means they will head to the Final Four for the 13th consecutive season, which means Paige Bueckers, Aaliyah Edwards and the rest of the freshman class was just wrapping up kindergarten when it started.
HOW’S THAT FOR FEELING OLD? The Huskies have made it to the Final Four every season since 2008, and as we know, they have won six titles during that stretch. But because COVID-19 wiped out the NCAA Tournament last year, that means only three players — Christyn Williams, Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Evina Westbrook, when she was at Tennessee — had appeared in the Big Dance. This is uncharted waters for so many of them, and maybe that’s why Geno Auriemma isn’t taking it for granted.
WHAT DID GENO SAY? “It’s a lot. It’s a lot to digest, but right now, you can only think about this particular one. You aren’t necessarily thinking [about] the other 12. We have 10 kids on our team that have not been to one Final Four. And so that, to me, is what the excitement is all about. Those 10 kids have never been to one and they’re getting an opportunity to go to their very first.
“And yet Jamelle and C.D. and the other people that work here that have been to a bunch of these, we obviously feel incredibly fortunate to be in that situation. And they’re all special. That’s what I tried to tell everybody — when they say … ‘How does this one feel compared to all the rest?’ They all feel amazing. There’s never been one that felt bad. It’s like Christmas. People say, ‘How was your Christmas?’ I never had a bad one. So there’s never — it’s all amazing. They’re all amazing.”
WHAT DID BUECKERS SAY? “It’s crazy to be a part of this history. We were talking about it in the locker room. I think Coach said it was 13 straight years that they’ve been to the Final Four. And I was about 6 when that streak started. And just to be a part of that history, that’s really why I came here, just because of the unspoken success that they’ve had over the years and just all the winning that they’ve done. I watched it on TV as a young kid. I’ve always been a team player and always put winning first. So I saw that as a young kid and I was like, ‘Man, I want to be a part of that.’ I worked for it and I prayed for it. And I don’t know, it’s just surreal. I grew up watching Stefanie Dolson. She was my favorite player growing up from UConn, hoisting that trophy. And it’s crazy to be part of that history right now.”
WHAT DO THE EXPERTS SAY? Leave it to Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, who were speaking as part of a virtual Team USA press conference yesterday, to encapsulate what makes Bueckers special.
Bird: “She’s incredibly skilled. There’s really not much she doesn’t do well. So, for her, it’s just going to be about continuing to perfect those things. As a basketball player, you just always want to be great at the things you’re good at. You want to just keep improving, keep getting better. For her, it’s just always going to be about, she’s going to be the hunted. I think for the remainder of her career, and kudos to her because she’s put herself on that pedestal, everyone’s going to want to take her down. And that is where the challenge will lie.”
Taurasi: “If you watch the games, you know how good she is. She has that ‘it’ factor. She has this thing that comes to her very naturally in pressure situations, big moments. That’s when you know you have a really, really good player: when the stakes are the highest or the pressure is the highest and everyone knows you have to do it and you actually get it done. She’s been so impressive on so many fronts.”
It’s All On Sanogo’s Shoulders
The Story: The UConn men are entering a bit of an uncertain offseason, but Dan Hurley knows one thing: He’ll be able to count on Adama Sanogo when he’s a sophomore next season.
STEPPING UP: Sanogo committed to UConn late in the process and even reclassified to make his pledge happen. Players in that situation aren’t typically expected to do much, but he was a revelation this season, when he finished with 7.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17 minutes a game. He supplanted Josh Carlton as the starter early and he scored more than 10 points in four of the final five games, hinting at bigger things to come.
STAYING INVOLVED: As is usually the case with freshman centers, Sanogo battled foul trouble all season, and when he returns, he’ll need to play with better body control. (That’s easier said that done: Just ask Olivia Nelson-Ododa.) He fouled out of two games and had four fouls in five others. But perhaps his biggest challenge will be to continue to develop his game. We don’t really know what his range is, but we expect it is rather limited. He’s never going to be knocking down 3s, but for him to be more of a force, he has to develop some kind of comfort in the midrange and high post.
WHAT DID HURLEY SAY? “I think Adama’s a special kind of player. I think he’s got a chance next year to be one of the best forwards in the country. I don’t want to put numbers next to what he can do, but the hands, the feet, the touch, his commitment level is top-notch. … I think he’s a first or second-team all-conference players next year, one of the best big guys out there, potentially. I think he’s that good.”
Morning Reads
EAGLES IMPLODE: The baseball team took advantage of Boston College’s bullpen struggles and scored all of its runs after the starter exited in a 12-0 home win yesterday afternoon. (UConnHuskies.com)
KUZNETSOV MOVES ON: Defenseman Yan Kuznetsov has signed a three-year contract with the Calgary Flames, ending his time in Storrs after two seasons. (The UConn Blog)
HUSKIES STEP IN: After Providence was forced to withdraw from the four-team women’s volleyball tournament because of COVID-19 issues, UConn will quality as the team with the next-best record. (UConnHuskies.com)
ALL CLEAR: Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes was able to return to spring training after it was determined his COVID-19 test was a false positive. (MLB.com)
AHMED UNCERTAIN: Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed might not be ready for opening day because of patellar tendinitis in his right knee. (Arizona Republic)
SOCCER PLAYER ARRESTED: Ziyad Fekri, a senior defender on the men’s soccer team who is from Morocco, is facing charges as a fugitive from justice after an investigation found he sexually assaulted a fellow student. (Hartford Courant)
