At long last, the No. 25 UConn men’s basketball team looked like themselves. They didn’t look so different from the 2024 championship team early last season, flashing potential of an elite team. There was no 30-0 run, nor was there a lopsided score, but their performance was reassuring in numerous ways.
On Sunday evening, the Huskies faced off against barely unranked Texas in Austin, TX, emerging with a 76-65 victory. Their main adversary was Star freshman Tre Johnson, a potential top-10 NBA draft pick. Johnson was incredible from a shooting perspective, looking like a senior. But it wasn’t enough.
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The Huskies enjoyed a great day all around, with impressive play on both ends of the floor. On offense, their playbook seemed to be working much better than it had against higher level competition. The ball flew around the court to the tune of 21 assists on 28 made baskets.
On defense, things were much tighter. Even as Johnson lit the Huskies up, they were defending well. He did need 17 shots to get to his point total of 24 as Connecticut rotated well.
The rebounding was also a welcome sight, with the visitors announcing their presence. UConn commanded a 39-25 advantage on the glass, something that they struggled with as the Maui Invitational wore on.
The contest was special for freshman Liam McNeeley, a native of Texas who had several family members attending. His 7 points were fine, but his defense and rebounding really helped the team out, doing the little things.
UConn got off to a great start, fueled by a Solo Ball triple and a bevy of free throws. The Huskies were aggressive, which helped draw those fouls, though Tarris Reed Jr. and Samson Johnson picked up a few early.
The center duo was interesting, combining for 12-15 from the field. Their fouling wasn’t terrible especially in the second half, largely thanks to sophomore Youssouf Singare. Singare was in for 8 minutes, picking up 4 fouls. The fouls didn’t hurt the team and him giving the other two big men rest was a huge lift.
Connecticut was up double digits by the time the 10 minute mark hit, but then Texas stormed back with a handful of slams to close the gap. A barrage from deep ensued though, with Ball and Alex Karaban drilling threes.
Karaban missed the past two games with a mild concussion, but did everything in his return. He notched 21 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals, returning to his All-America form. Maui took a toll on the forward, so having the two game break might have been a positive thing, since he looked fresher. If UConn hopes to hit their potential, this is how Karaban will need to play.
Ball continued his excellence, with a handful of layups and more threes, especially off ball fakes. His shooting made the fakes tough not to go for, which only improved his ability to go into the teeth of the defense.
Ball was fantastic on the day, particularly in the first half, with 16 points. His shooting from beyond the arc has been admirable this year, boasting 46% accuracy from that range. The sophomore’s defense was also improved on Sunday, looking like less of a liability.
Before long, the Huskies were ahead by 20, with the offense flowing as freely as ever. On the other side, Texas was relying on isolation offense, with limited success and just one assist to show for it in the first half. The margin halfway through was 18, with much to be desired from the perspective of the home side.
Texas found their offense, but UConn’s wasn’t stopping either. Karaban’s threes kept falling and Samson Johnson enjoyed a nice spurt. He had a few slams, looking much more like his last year self.
Many of those dunks came via a feed from Hassan Diarra, who had a fantastic day as a playmaker. His 11 assists were a great demonstration of his ability to find his teammates, a number that surpassed the Longhorns on his own.
As the Huskies slowed down a touch, Texas just kept on hitting threes. Tre Johnson was automatic, single-handedly bringing his team back into striking distance. It wasn’t for a lack of defensive effort either, the Longhorns were not going to be denied regardless of what the Huskies threw at them.
Ball hit a very timely triple and Reed Jr. had a fantastic and-one layup to stretch the advantage to 15. A gradual 7-0 Texas run helped them get it to 8, but that was all they had left in the tank, with the Huskies winning by 11.
The Baylor win was a great start and the offensive dynamite in this game was an indication that UConn has the quality to do big things. As Maui gets further and further in the rearview mirror, performances like this are key for instilling confidence in the team. They’ve shown ample resilience so far, and things won’t get any easier from here.
Connecticut returns to Storrs South for a bout against No. 7 Gonzaga, an important resume-booster. The contest is this Saturday at 8 p.m. and can be viewed on FOX.
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