Last year, the UConn men’s basketball team opened their national championship campaign against the Stonehill Skyhawks at the XL Center. The contest was Stonehill’s first at the Division-I level and it ended in an 85-54 whomping. 361 days later, the Huskies emulated that performance with even less doubt, winning 107-67.
Connecticut absolutely hammered their visitors from the jump, though sustaining a poor stretch towards the end of the first half. They outrebounded the Skyhawks 42-26 and turned them over 21 times. After struggling in their opener from the stripe, the Huskies really bounced back, going 21-23. All stats aside, it was not much of a game.
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“I thought we played segments,” Coach Dan Hurley said. “Not a full 40-minute game. At times the defense was really good, and the offense was really sharp. We started the game as good as you could, and human nature set in, which I’m not happy about. I’m happy to get the win, but we need to play a full 40.”
Another interesting note in the matchup was the Huskies’ mix of defensive looks. Hurley has historically been devoted to his high intensity man-defense but tested out the zone Saturday. The Huskies’ use of these different looks will be interesting to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
“We played more 1-3-1 [zone] than we normally do,” Hurley said of the defensive combinations. “It’s hard to pressure [Stonehill]. They’re very unconventional and hard to guard.”
Donovan Clingan opened UConn’s scoring on a second-chance basket. Freshman Stephon Castle followed with a pair of dishes to Tristen Newton, who cashed in on both attempts. Clingan added another four points and all of a sudden it was 12-0 Connecticut.
The center had a solid outing, even with poorer efficiency than he likely would have wanted. Clingan scored 16 points and grabbed seven boards but needed 15 shots to do so. He also tried a pair of threes but didn’t convert on either. Clingan has historically been much more efficient, especially when playing a team as undersized as the Skyhawks.
“I got a couple more practices under my belt this week,” noted Clingan, who is still improving his stamina after missing time with a foot injury. “Today I felt a lot cleaner, a lot smoother on the floor. I felt more like myself today.”
Aside from feeling better, Clingan wasn’t pleased with his level of rebounding.
“I feel like I wasn’t aggressive enough on the glass” Clingan mentioned. “Those guys weren’t really that tall, so I should’ve had more rebounds.”
Stonehill finally hit a three, but they were then met with a vicious block from Castle. Newton and Cam Spencer each found nylon – and then came Samson Johnson. The junior did his best impression of Castle on a fastbreak block, then slamming the ball home on the other end. And then another jam.
Weathering the occasional Skyhawk three, the Huskies continued their dominance throughout the half. Solomon Ball and Castle each contributed with a basket and Alex Karaban got himself going, hitting a few shots.
In his second game at the collegiate level, Castle showed everyone exactly why he’s a consensus projected lottery lock. The freshman was excellent, doing everything for the team. Along with his 17 points, Castle added eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. It’ll be difficult to replicate this performance every time on the floor, but it’d be incredible if he could come close. Games like these make it increasingly difficult to take Castle off the court, a bad omen for senior Hassan Diarra’s minutes.
Clingan scored six straight against the undersized Stonehill frontcourt and Newton improved his total to 14 before the first half even finished. Johnson and Karaban each found themselves open for dunks and the Huskies were up 22 at the break.
It took the Huskies until two minutes into the second half to take the lid off the basket, with Clingan making his way into the paint for a layup. The floodgates burst open at that point with UConn rattling off 13 straight, led by Castle and Newton.
The El Paso native was on a completely different level Saturday, notching 22 points, seven boards, four assists and five swipes. It seemed like he was everywhere, finding his shot and his teammates early and often. Last year saw Newton fade in and out of excellent play, but he often failed to maintain his confidence. If this opener is any indication of a more consistent Newton, that would put the Huskies in excellent position moving forward. He has all the skills to play at an all-conference level but needs to stay reliable to get there.
“That’s what he should do for us,” said Hurley of Newton’s performance. “I was really pleased with that. I thought he made some real good defensive efforts…The confidence level should be through the roof. He played his best game last season in front of 75,000 people [in the national championship]. He works hard and we’re pushing him. He needs to continue to grow as a leader. For us to reach our potential, he needs to play at an All-Big East level.”
The Huskies continued to make the Skyhawks look overmatched with incredible ball movement. After a ferocious breakaway slam, Castle had the chance to take a good shot, but made the extra pass. Karaban didn’t waste the open space, netting his first triple of the day to push the lead over 40. That effectively ended the game, even though there were all of 12 minutes left.
Their next opportunity will come against Mississippi Valley State, this Tuesday in Hartford, CT.
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