UConn Hoops starts 2022-23 campaign against Stonehill
UConn Hoops is getting their season back up and running Monday as they host newly Division I Stonehill to the XL Center in Downtown Hartford.
The Huskies have high hopes going into the season and this game should set the tone for that, as they should be able to overmatch the formerly D-III squad, even starting without star point guard Andre Jackson. If it's competitive, things have gone seriously wrong for Dan Hurley and Co., so expect a big blowout.
SPREAD/WHEN/WHERE...
SPREAD: UConn -28.5 || Over/Under at 139.5
WHEN: Monday at 7:30 p.m. EST
WHERE: XL Center -- Hartford, CT
RANKINGS COMPARISON...
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN...
RECORD/SERIES HISTORY...
RECORD/SERIES HISTORY.....
STONEHILL RECORD: 0-0 (0-0)
SERIES HISTORY: This will be first matchup between the two schools, as it will be Stonehill's first contest as a Division I school.
PROJECTED STARTERS AS RECRUITS AND A FEW WORDS ON EACH...
Newton is set to take the primary point guard reins in the absence of Jackson and has a ton of experience doing so in his time at Eastern Carolina. He was phenomenal in the American, averaging 17, five and five last year, but the biggest key will be seeing how his talent translates at the next level. His scoring ability should stay, but distributing abilities will be interesting to watch.
Jordan Hawkins is the key to this UConn roster. He's expected to make a huge leap this year after averaging just under six points per game during an injury-ridden freshman campaign. He has a sweet shot and great athleticism, so having the confidence and putting all the pieces together will be the difference as the Huskies look to make it past game one of the NCAA tournament, but first past Stonehill.
Nahiem Alleyne is a transfer from Virginia Tech who will mainly need to just keep doing what he did in Blacksburg. He consistently posted around 10 points per game through his career as a sharpshooting wing. He fits the tall guard mold that Hurley loves and should find a spot as the sixth man once Jackson's pinky heals.
Right up there next to Hawkins, Samson Johnson is another player with a ton to prove. He did next to nothing in his first year in Storrs, but there's a lot of positive buzz around him going into year two. He has a jumper with potential and is hyper-athletic, but really needs to find his footing and confidence at the college level. He looked a bit lost when he did play last year but he has all the tools to succeed if he can get past that--and there's buzz that he can.
Not too much needs to be said about the Big East Preseason POTY, mainly since he's the only known, consistent scorer to return. Adama Sanogo was a force last year, being named to the final Jabarr Watch List that honored him as a top five center in all of CBB. He'll need to not run out of gas this year, and hopefully his conditioning can help with that and take him to his potential.
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