UConn Men Impress With Rout of Maine In Opener
The 20th ranked UConn Huskies blew out Maine 100-56 in their season opener on Friday night at Gampel Pavilion. UConn dominated throughout but Maine was able to cut the lead to 12 at halftime with a late first-half run. The Huskies came out after the intermission and blew the game wide open, with the lead ballooning to 51 at one point. UConn reached the century mark on its last possession when walk-on Mike Noyes hit a jumper, exciting the Huskies’ bench.
The Huskies were impressive in virtually all areas. Offensively, they shot 54% from the field and got to the charity stripe 32 times. They assisted on 20 of their 36 field goals, while turning the ball over just eight times. UConn also came up with 14 offensive rebounds and out-rebounded their opponents overall by double digits. Areas to work on include three-point shooting (just 5/22) and free throw shooting (72%).
Defensively, the Huskies held the Black Bears to just 30% shooting overall, including 26% from behind the arc. UConn also came up with 15 blocks and 8 steals, while turning Maine over 14 times. Areas to work on defensively include boxing out (Maine had 17 offensive rebounds) and not committing as many fouls (24). The former was less of an issue in the second half. The latter is going to be a work in progress for UConn and every other team, as the players get used to the NCAA’s new freedom-of-movement rules.
Head Coach Kevin Ollie has said he is looking for someone to step up and be the lead dog. While one didn’t emerge during this game, there were plenty of candidates throwing their names into the hat. Seton Hall transfer Sterling Gibbs was the top scorer with 20 points and hit all seven of his free throws. UConn’s other transfer- Shonn Miller, formerly of the Cornell Big Red- was impressive as well, finishing with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds, including a highlight-reel put-back slam on which he started from above the three-point line and soared high into the air to grab the rebound before dunking it home. He may not be Stanley Robinson but Miller certainly has some ups and looked like he belonged on the court, something that was nice to see considering he had previously played in the Ivy League. Super sophomore Daniel Hamilton nearly had a triple-double with 7 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists, many of which went to Amidah Brimah who had 18 points and 9 blocks himself.
UConn showed off its impressive depth, playing a ten-man rotation which may even expand to 11 when senior big-man Philip Nolan returns from injury. Rodney Purvis was in double-figures with 10 points and returning players Omar Calhoun, Sam Cassell Jr, and Kentan Facey also played significant minutes. Highly-touted freshman guard Jalen Adams showed off a smooth stroke from the outside while fellow freshman Steven Enoch used his sturdy frame to draw fouls, though he hit just two of his six free throw attempts.
The Huskies displayed a surprisingly strong chemistry considering it was the first game of a season in which four of their players are new to the program. There was a lot of ball movement and it is clear that UConn will not have trouble scoring this year, something that was an issue last year. To ensure continued success, the Huskies will need shooters Omar Calhoun and Sam Cassell Jr. to get on track. They will also need to make a continued effort to box out. While power forwards Kentan Facey and Shonn Miller are good rebounders, centers Amidah Brimah and Philip Nolan are not, in Amidah’s case partially because he has the green light to use his length to swat and influence as many shots as possible. In the Ollie coaching era, UConn has gotten major rebounding contributions from guards, including small point guards like Ryan Boatright and Shabazz Napier. We will see if Adams and Gibbs can continue that trend.
Overall, this was a thoroughly impressive outing by the Huskies. Their ranking should go up though it’s unlikely too many of the voters tuned in to see UConn play a team coming off a 3-27 season. The Huskies have the talent to play with any team in the country. If Coach Ollie’s group can keep improving and keep their eye on more than just the teams in the American, there is a chance this could be a special season for UConn basketball.
by 
