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Larrier, Jackson Lead an Impressive Slate of Husky Newcomers

HARTFORD—Alterique Gilbert was named AAC Preseason Rookie of the Year—his stiffest competition for the honor at season’s end might come from his own teammates.

In UConn’s exhibition opener at the XL Center on Sunday afternoon, it was fellow newcomers Terry Larrier and Vance Jackson, not Gilbert, who combined to score 19 points and grab 11 rebounds, shining the brightest in an 83-68 win over the University of New Haven.

Praising Larrier and Jackson is not a knock on Gilbert (who looked fine in his first official collegiate action) more a testament to head coach Kevin Ollie’s recruiting and the Huskies’ vaunted class of newcomers.

Larrier, a 6-foot-8, long and athletic redshirt sophomore transfer from VCU, played a game-high 31 minutes for Ollie, displaying a skill set that should help the Huskies make up for the lost production of Daniel Hamilton. The one word that stuck out after watching Larrier in person: versatile. Larrier battled in the paint, finished through contact, fought for rebounds (he had seven against the Chargers), looking comfortable handling and penetrating from the perimeter while leading a fast break and giving New Haven fits with his length on the defensive end.

“I think Terry is a better stretch four than Daniel,” Ollie said. “… We are going to miss Daniel but I think Terry did a lot of great things out there…He runs the court—I think he will probably be one of the best guys in American from baseline to baseline.

"We got to really, really challenge him to do that on every possession because it will be hard for a four to stay up with him and then he is going to bring them out to the three-point line. And then on the defensive end he is going to have to rebound for us kind of like Daniel did.”

Matching Hamilton’s production on the boards (Hamilton averaged 8.9 rebounds per game last season) will be tough but, granted it was against Division II New Haven, Larrier looked a more natural offensive player than Hamilton. Though it's far too early to make any broad judgments, Larrier could have a higher ceiling than Hamilton.

“I’m just going to try to do a little bit of everything—helping the bigs rebound, guarding bigs and guards to help the guards out, running the floor, making shots and getting my other teammates involved,” said Larrier. “Just doing a little bit over everything.”

Ollie has already shown he is comfortable putting Larrier at the four in a small-ball lineup with Jalen Adams on Gilbert in the backcourt. Against the Chargers Larrier showed the aforementioned ability to run the floor, throwing down a pretty dunk in transition off a Gilbert feed.

“It was great [playing with Adams and Gilbert together] because I like to get out and run and I know those guys do to,” he said. “When we are on the break—that is a scary sight. We just get out and running and I know those guys will find me and I’ll find them as well.”

Larrier was second on the team in scoring on Sunday with 14 points and will give opposing bigs fits with his perimeter skills while holding his own defensively (though I worry about post defense on bigger forwards).

“I think I did okay [against UNH], I think my energy peaked at certain times and sometimes it was pretty low,” he said. “I think I just need to stay consistent throughout the game and I’ll be fine.”

It was Larrier and Jackson who sparked a second-half 13-0 run that helped UConn separate from the Charges and cruise to a double-digit victory. Jackson knocked down his only shot attempt of the first half, a three but filled it up after the break. The 6-foot-8 wing from Los Angeles scored 12 of his game-high 15 in the second half, hitting 3-of-5 (4-6 overall) from distance.

“I like when the young fella can step up and knock down those threes, he is a shooter,” said Ollie. “He can do a lot more of those things like taking it off the dribble—he just knows how to play on the offensive end and now we have to get his defense up to par. But all-in-all I thought he had a great game coming out exhibition-wise, really spreading the court and making opponents really think about him when he comes in the game.”

None of the Huskies shot 40 percent from three in 2015-16 making Jackson a huge addition. His stroke against New Haven looked pure with great rotation. He did well to find open spots along the three-point line in transition, setting up easy looks.

“It felt good that the first [three] went in—it was a confidence builder,” Jackson said.

Jackson wasn’t just a spot-up shooter either. He showed a good understanding of how to attack a defender closing out too hard and certainly can handle the basketball in his own right. Defensively he is like everyone on the roster at this point of the season: not quite there yet.

“I can go down the line, all our guys have to get better defensively but [Jackson] is one of the freshman who has to get our principals but he’ll get better,” said Ollie. “He is coachable, that’s the great thing I love. He just has to get his feet quicker and anticipate a little better on the defensive end, all-in-all I thought he had a decent game.”

The Huskies finish their exhibition schedule on Saturday against Southern Connecticut State University unsure which of their newcomers will impress. It could be Gilbert, Larrier, Jackson or someone else—and that’s a good problem to have.

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