When the UConn men’s basketball team entered their game at Villanova just 41 days ago, they were at the top of the world. The Huskies were ranked as the No. 9 team nationally and had just ripped off eight straight victories. In that game, preseason All-America selection Alex Karaban was gifted a pair of free throws that would have given Connecticut the win had he made them. He didn’t make the first, nor the second and the Huskies went back to Storrs empty handed.
Since that night, a lot has gone wrong. The Huskies are 5-5 since arriving in Villanova and have plummeted out of the rankings. They did manage signature road victories against No. 9 Marquette and No. 24 Creighton, but also dropped a brutal one to Seton Hall, arguably the worst loss of the Dan Hurley era.
With the Wildcats coming to Hartford, UConn had a golden chance to right the ship and shake off any bad vibes. They got down big early and weren’t able to do much to the lead–until implementing the full-court press. That same chess move helped St. John’s beat the Huskies just 11 days earlier. Tuesday, it enabled Connecticut to come back from 14 down and pull out a 7-point victory.
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“When we get down 14 in here we have them right where we want them,” joked coach Dan Hurley.
UConn has won four of five games this year when trailing by 14, clearly a place where they feel comfortable. Though likely a place they’d rather not be.
Villanova was cruising before they felt any pressure, but looked rattled once it came. It was a complete 180 for a team that badly needed a win (currently on the outskirts of the bubble), but that’s what picking up full court will do to a team.
“They came after us,” Villanova coach Kyle Neptune noted of the press. “It was a press they hadn't used as much. They did a good job being physical, taking us out of what we wanted to do.”
Hassan Diarra felt the use of the press came out of necessity of the situation.
“We had to [use the press], we had no choice,” added Diarra. “We had to create some energy and the press helped. Maybe it’s something we can use more.”
Aside from the press being the star of the game, freshman Liam McNeeley again impressed. He had a slow first half (4 points), but ultimately finished with 20, hitting big shots in the right moments and 9/9 from the stripe. McNeeley’s stroke is just the tip of the iceberg of his game. His poise, intensity and intangibles are what makes him a premier NBA prospect and allowed the Huskies emerge with a win.
“We were down 14 with 12 minutes left,” McNeeley said. “It was a do-or-die situation. You have to be desperate and we were desperate down the stretch.”
Hurley was impressed with his freshman’s resilience when things were down.
“There’s so much pressure on Liam,” Hurley said. “He wasn't playing well at first, but when he turned it up, we won by 7. He’s got more pressure on him than any other freshman in the country.”
Diarra had just 8 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, but his performance was admirable. Clearly having a good day amid his knee issues, the graduate guard did a lot of things right, especially when it came to the press. He was a true leader who kept the team together, fully demonstrating his value and why the Huskies need him.
“I felt great,” Diarra said. “I thought I was moving better.”
Even though Diarra did look and feel fresher, Hurley wasn’t as pleased with his physical condition.
“[He looked] like my grandfather looked when I was a kid,” Hurley said in jest.
Tarris Reed Jr. also had an impressive evening, notching 13 points on 8 shots, along with 9 boards. His offense was great, but like Diarra, his contributions to the press helped the team a lot. It was a complete performance for the junior transfer, adding to the team’s efforts on both ends of the floor, while ultimately scoring the game-tying and game-sealing buckets.
“That’s what we’ve been begging for from Tarris,” Hurley mentioned. “He’s been playing more of a minute line if he plays with that type of force, urgency and life-or-death approach. He doesn't always show up with that approach. It’s frustrating. He’s capable of tipping the scale. Whatever went through his mind last night and into today, he’s gotta bottle that up. He needs to be forceful this weekend, violent.”
Struggling again was Alex Karaban, who didn’t see any of his 3 attempts from deep fall. Karaban did hit a pair of threes in the loss to Seton Hall, but continued his cold streak that spans into mid January. Karaban kept the team organized as usual and did many correct things, but still hasn’t provided the scoring punch the team needs from him.
The Huskies had a rough offensive start, making just 2 of their first 12 field goal attempts. They couldn’t get anything to go, and even though Villanova took a moment to get going, they were able to jump out to a 10-point advantage.
But then came Connecticut. The Huskies marched on to make each of their next five tries from the floor, getting as close as being down by two. Instead of turning that momentum into a lead, they let the Wildcats get comfortable. Eric Dixon and Jordan Longino powered Villanova to an 8-point halftime cushion, together scoring their team’s final 14 points before the break.
Even as the Huskies used a Samson Johnson layup and Solo Ball triple to get it back to a single possession game, things again slipped away. Villanova scored the next 8 points, establishing a double-digit lead.
Connecticut did their best to cut into it, but the effort was futile. That was until they applied some full court pressure. The press forced some turnovers and allowed them to tire Villanova out.
Before long, the Huskies were down just 3 after a McNeeley trey, causing the visitors to call a timeout. A late-shot clock layup from Reed Jr. helped UConn tie it for the first time since early on and a pair of free throws from McNeeley secured the lead. Diarra drew a charge and Reed Jr. threw down a poster dunk, highlighting a 10-0 run and effectively securing the victory.
It’s also notable that the Wildcats scored just a point over the contest’s final 4:10, a testament to UConn’s lockdown defense.
Speaking from a broader view, this type of performance against a non-tournament team isn’t very impressive. They need to be better from the jump and not to get down by so much. But a win is a win, especially given how they blew Saturday’s game in such unceremonious fashion. If it builds momentum, it builds momentum, which is all the more important ahead of the Huskies’ marquee rematch against No. 10 St. John’s at the Garden.
That contest comes on Sunday, which tips at 12 p.m. ET, airing on FOX.
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