Karaban Dazzles in Opener

The Story: Alex Karaban looked like he’s ready for March as he scored a career-high 22 points as No 6 UConn dispatched Northen Arizona 9-52 before a Gampel Pavilion-record crowd of 10,299.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Karaban, only a Big East honorable mention preseason pick, was an efficient 8-of-12, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range, and showcased his entire game with seven rebounds and no turnovers. He was a plus-33 on the floor in 28 minutes and got the blessing on the broadcast from the godfather, Jim Calhoun, who said he may the Huskies’ best player.

• Donovan Clingan started, played 15 minutes, scored 12 points, and had eight rebounds and three blocks. Dan Hurley is going to ease Clingan back into minutes as he returns from a foot injury that kept him out a month. Clingan was impactful, but rushed his shots at times. He shot 4-for-8 and was a less-than-optimal 4-for-9 from the free throw line.

• Samson Johnson took the majority of the other minutes at center, except for some cameos from Karaban in a small lineup, and we have a revelation. The athletic junior waited patiently for a chance to play at UConn and had a career-high 11 points, including four dunks, as well as five rebounds and three blocks.

• Tristen Newton played 30 minutes and scored 14 points on seven shots, and added seven rebounds and three assists. His ability to play on and off the ball will be key for the Huskies as they integrate young guards into the rotation.

• Speaking of freshmen, after a rough start and foul trouble, Stephon Castle finished with 12 points in 19 minutes. Solomon Ball struggled in his debut with just two points and Jaylin Stewart had five points.

WHAT WE LIKED: The offensive efficiency. The Huskies won by 43 and didn’t have a particularly explosive game. It was good basketball and ball movement. They got the ball in the paint, and we really liked how Johnson and Clingan handled the inside.

• Sure, NAU is a far cry from a Big East team, but we liked to see the offense, ball movement and purpose. UConn didn’t struggle to create a good shot, as evidenced by its outrageous 1.397 points per possession.

WHAT WE DIDN’T LIKE: The shooting wasn’t great. The Huskies shot 7-of-25 from 3-point range and weren’t good from the foul line either at 24-for-37. It’s nitpicking, but they put up those poor shooting numbers and still had 92 points. We expect the Huskies to be a prolific 3-point shooting team, so perhaps this was a one-off. We’ll see.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: UConn physically dominated. It scored 50 points in the paint and held a 50-27 edge on the boards. After some early tough shot-making by NAU, the Lumberjacks finished at 34 percent and went the final 5:38 without a field goal. UConn had 15 assists on 32 baskets.

WHAT DID HURLEY SAY? “It’s tough enough when you play at a place like UConn and you’re a freshman in Gampel and the place is rocking, but then add on top of that the emotion [of the] banner, it just added to the electricity and kind of the moment. But I thought second half those [freshmen] settled in better, but it was good they got one under their belt. I liked what Stew did there. He made some plays, and I think Solo getting one under his belt now, he’s gonna play offensively much better. And then Steph flashed in the second half.”

UP NEXT: UConn hosts Stonehill on Saturday afternoon at the XL Center.

— John Silver

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Morning Reads

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• Former UConn standout Tage Thompson is adding to his repertoire this season by stepping in on the Sabres’ penalty kill.

Top photo: Alex Karaban spots up from 3-point range in the Huskies’ season-opening win over Northern Arizona. (Ian Bethune for The UConn Daily)