Describing complicated things in one word can be a difficult exercise. The nonconference slate for UConn’s men’s basketball was anything but simple. But in one word? It has to be “convincing.”
They finished that slate off Friday night into Saturday morning with a big semi-away win over No. 10 Gonzaga in a game that never felt in-question. A lot was clicking for the Huskies in their, but it was just another demonstration of how deep this team is.
Connecticut has continually been challenged throughout the first third of the year, playing three games against top 10 opposition and another ranked one in Texas. Emerging from this brutal stretch, there’s little doubt about the team’s ability to make a deep run. Each time, it seems someone new steps up in a different way and this time it was Donovan Clingan’s night.
The projected lottery pick has had his beginning of the season hampered by injuries, but Friday was an indication that he’s coming into his own. Sporting the highest plus/minus (+15) on the team, he made an impact on winning every time down the floor, scoring 21 points, grabbing eight boards and swatting two shots. His flat-footed start to the year was concerning to some, as he was regularly outperformed by backup Samson Johnson. A game like this should quiet those worries for now, as his first great outing against a quality foe.
The rest of the Huskies followed suit, especially with their three-point defense. After last year’s national championship squad was in the top 15 nationally in defending shots from beyond the arc, this year’s group sputtered into the bottom 40, per KenPom. UConn finally caught a break against Gonzaga, who made just two of their dozen tries from deep. On the other end, UConn found the nylon on 7/17, a difference that had an effect on the game’s outcome.
Three of those came from Cam Spencer, who is increasingly becoming known as the three-point di-Spenser. The grad student used his sharp shooting as a part of his 15 point performance, while adding three steals. His 46% mark from three nears the top of the country, but his holistic and intelligent skillset has been giving the Huskies a boost in every game.
Clingan completely jumped the Zags from the jump, scoring eight points himself before the under four timeout. On the other side, former Creighton PG Ryan Nembhard kept Gonzaga afloat. Freshman G Stephon Castle made a layup but missed his next few shots as the Bulldogs narrowed their deficit to just two.
Samson Johnson connected with Tristen Newton for a thunderous alley oop, one of a number of plays the junior made to energize his squad. After the fast start, things really started to slow down, with free throws coming much more frequently.
Spencer drew a high-IQ foul and Clingan did the same. The pair of fouls may have been no-calls in other situations, but they nonetheless led to points for the Huskies. Spencer proceeded to nail triples on consecutive possessions, extending his squad’s advantage to eight.
Spencer and Newton and Nembhard went back and forth, with the pace of the game ratcheting up to a feverish pace. As the half wound down, Castle and Solo Ball hit a few shots to give Connecticut a double-digit lead.
Clingan got off to another fast start to the next half, converting on three points the old fashioned way and draining another pair from the stripe. His defense provided as much impact, largely neutralizing opposing C Graham Ike.
After using that effort to extend their advantage to 18, the Zags began to claw back. Dusty Stromer and Nolan Hickman converted on shots, but their inability to hit threes kept them from cutting it to single digits. It was also Hassan Diarra’s defensive hustle that lit a fire in the Huskies, with the senior guard on the ground for loose balls and blocking shots.
Diarra has been on and off all year for UConn, but is a massive impact player when things are clicking. He’s able to add a unique energy as an on-ball defender, putting pressure on the other team’s best player and by extension the rest of the team. With that comes some questionable shots and some crazy makes. His banked-in runner accounted for two of his nine points on a night where he contributed much more to the scoring effort than he typically does.
Five straight from the Bulldogs cut it to a 10 point ballgame, but Diarra found Clingan on the lob and Clingan returned the favor for a touchdown pass that ended in a Diarra layup. With the clock running down, that just about closed things as the Huskies won by 13.
After running through their opening portion of the schedule with little difficulty, up comes the Big East, which gave them trouble last year. Connecticut shouldn’t lack for confidence, with their only blemish coming against No. 4 Kansas in one of the toughest atmospheres in college basketball. This team has heart and a lot of depth, so it will take a lot for them to find struggles–though it is possible.
Their chance to get started on the right foot comes in their first conference game against Seton Hall this Wednesday.
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