Bueckers, UConn Open Season
The Story: The season has finally arrived for the No. 2-ranked UConn women, who host Dayton at the XL Center with an opportunity to play for the No. 1 ranking. (7 p.m., SNY)
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: With No. 20 Colorado’s upset of defending champion LSU on Monday, the Huskies will be voted the No. 1 team in next week’s AP Top 25 if they beat the visiting Flyers tonight and then N.C. State in Raleigh, N.C., on Sunday.
WELCOME BACK, PAIGE: The official return of Paige Bueckers is among the biggest storylines in women’s college basketball this season, and the star guard will take the court tonight for the first time in 584 days.
• Her last appearance came in the national championship game on April 3, 2022, when she scored a team-high 14 points against South Carolina, who beat the Huskies 64-49 in Minneapolis.
• Judging by her 12-minute effort during Saturday’s exhibition, Bueckers looks sound physically and is poised to impact UConn like only she can.
THE STARTERS: If Geno Auriemma sticks with the same lineup he used Saturday, the starting lineup will include Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, Nika Muhl, Caroline Ducharme and Aaliyah Edwards.
• The lineup compensates for a lack of size with versatility and playmaking ability. Bueckers and Muhl are among the nation’s best at running an offense and setting up teammates for open looks. Fudd has few equals in the college game as a shot maker, especially from long distance.
• Ducharme might have the most diverse skills among the group. Edwards is a daunting matchup problem down low and possesses a strong perimeter game.
THE RESERVES: Beyond that, it will be interesting to see how Geno employs his bench. Aubrey Griffin, whose athleticism is immediately apparent, should be the first player to enter the game.
• Following Griffin would likely be redshirt freshman Ice Brady — making her long-awaited college debut — along with true freshman point guard KK Arnold, whom Geno calls “a difference-maker.”
• At times last season, Geno barely had eight available players due to injuries and other ailments. Now, he could use a rotation that runs 10 players deep if he uses freshmen Ashlynn Shade and Qadence Samuel.
THE REST: Ayanna Patterson, who should contribute inside along with Edwards and Brady, didn’t play in Saturday’s exhibition as she continues to work her way back from a knee procedure.
• Sophomore Ines Bettencourt appears to be behind Arnold in the point guard pecking order. Amari DeBerry gives Geno more depth inside, but the 6-foot-6 sophomore had a back procedure in the offseason and only saw seven minutes of action Saturday.
WHAT ABOUT DAYTON? The visiting Flyers, coming off a 7-21 season, were picked to finish ninth in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll.
• One player, forward Mariah Perez, was picked for the all-conference third team, and she, along with guard Destiny Bohanon, were the top two scorers last season.
OUR TAKE: On paper, the only obstacle standing in the way of this team advancing to the Final Four this season is health. UConn might have its best depth since 2016, but as Geno said Saturday, the Huskies have begun other seasons with similar depth and then lost players to injury along the way.
• All eyes will be on Bueckers, as they should be. When she is healthy and on her game, she has only one peer — Caitlin Clark. But aside from Bueckers, there is so much more to enjoy about this team — from Fudd’s shooting ability to Edwards’ inside dominance to Brady’s impact to Arnold’s on-court electricity.
• Not only is the No. 1 ranking well within UConn’s grasp next week, but the Huskies have the roster to hold onto it for the rest of the season.
— David Kull
Johnson’s Time to Shine
The Story: Samson Johnson hasn’t played a meaningful role for two years, but in his first game as a rotational player, we finally saw what Dan Hurley once touted as “wall potential.”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Johnson scored 11 points and had five dunks in Monday’s opener. Those points equaled his total of a year ago.
• Johnson hasn’t been able to break into the rotation despite his 6-foot-9 frame and super athletic ability, and with Donovan Clingan now the unquestioned starting center, the backup big man will be Johnson two years after he came to Storrs as a top-50 recruit from The Patrick School in New Jersey.
• Johnson added five rebounds and three blocks. He’s a threat at the rim on lob dunks and a shot-blocking and rebounding presence on a team that needs to replace Adama Sanogo.
• Johnson’s role is to do what Clingan did last year: Enter the game and not allow a letdown. The Huskies also have a project 7-footer in freshman Youssouf Singare, but no other player has the size to play extended minutes at center.
• We expect to see Johnson continually pressure the defense at the rim. Look for him to help create driving lanes by diving to the rim on pick-and-rolls and when Tristen Newton, Stephon Castle and others are engaged by the center, a lob pass is heading Johnson’s way.
WHAT DID HURLEY SAY? “He could have done what a lot of players do right now, which is just run to something easier. He stayed because he loves the program, he loves UConn and he believes in himself.”
— John Silver
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Morning Reads
• Jordan Hawkins received his championship ring, and UConn great and Pelicans executive Swin Cash was there to give it to him to raucous applause from his teammates.
• UConn’s struggles in football are in stark contrast to No. 21 James Madison, which is 9-0 in its second year in the FBS. Can the Huskies copy what JMU has done? It’s not that easy.
Top photo: Caroline Ducharme shoots during the “First Night” event at Gampel Pavilion. (Ian Bethune for The UConn Daily)
