Sanogo’s Dominant Start
The Story: Dan Hurley has had to deal with injuries to two of his top players and is working with a new backcourt and figuring out a couple of freshmen. Fortunately, Adama Sanogo solves a lot of issues for the Huskies, who are up to No. 20 in the AP poll.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Sanogo, the Preseason Big East Player of the Year, is living up to that hype and then some as he has looked like one of the best players in America against a creampuff schedule.
• Sanogo, who scored 26 points in a win over Delaware State on Sunday, is the leading scorer in the Big East with 21.1 points per game (and 26th nationally) and has eight rebounds per game. He’s shooting 67.6 percent.
• We have seen Sanogo hit 3s and the last element of his game is passing. He is averaging 0.7 assists per game, and we think being able to pass out of the post when he gets the double teams — and they will come — is the last evolution of his game.
UP TO NO. 20: The Huskies moved up five spots to No. 20. Creighton is No. 10 and is the only other Big East team ranked. Villanova and Xavier are receiving votes.
PK85 NEXT: UConn isn’t going to have many chances this season for top nonconference wins and Oregon offers the first on Thanksgiving in the PK85 Classic. Oregon, which lost to No. 3 Houston on Sunday, will be followed by Alabama or Michigan State on Friday. No. 1 North Carolina is also in the field.
Fudd Scorches the Nets
The Story: Azzi Fudd is averaging 30 points a game as she is beginning to live up to advance billing as one of the great shooters and scorers of her generation.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Fudd is second in the nation to DePaul’s Aneesha Morrow, who is scoring 31.5 points per game, and is looking very much like the Stephen Curry prodigy that she has been touted to be.
• Fudd is shooting 54.6 percent, including 37.9 percent from 3-point range. Most importantly, Fudd’s consecutive 32-point games came against the No. 3 and No. 10 teams in the country in Texas and N.C. State.
• The Big East has the top three scorers in Morrow, Fudd and Villanova’s Maddie Siegrist, who is scoring 29 points per game.
• Speaking of national, Nika Muhl is leading the country with 10.3 assists per game. She set a school record with 15 against N.C. State on Sunday.
GRIFFIN’S BIG RETURN: Aubrey Griffin was missed last season and her return has been a godsend for the injury-ravaged Huskies.
• Griffin, who missed most of last season after back surgery, is averaging 14.3 points and 2.7 steals per game. She scored a season-high 16 points on Sunday against N.C. State.
Top photo: UConn’s Adama Sanogo is introduced prior to the start of the “First Night” event at Gampel Pavilion. (Ian Bethune for The UConn Daily)
