He's not a slouch at the defensive end either. He just needs to get even stronger so guys can't push him off and discard him as easily.
I think some people who don't watch UConn much (especially with his absence making it tougher don't realize is how hard he plays defensively. I think his low key style sometimes masks his effort. When he and Jackson are on the floor together, they could really get under the skin of some of the team's future opponents. Throw Whaley behind them and a really good defensive team could be even better.