Four years ago, Shabazz Napier led his seventh seeded UConn Huskies to a national title win over Kentucky. The run was something magical, with certainly nobody expecting them to go all the way. Coach Kevin Ollie shared a very special moment with his team as the confetti rained down in Arlington, as the Huskies shocked the sporting world.
Since then, the University of Connecticut has not fared as well in men's basketball, and Coach Ollie has finally gotten the boot after two consecutive seasons with a winning percentage under .500. A new era has formed, led by the new head coach Dan Hurley. Hurley has found much success in his recent years, leading the University of Rhode Island to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. In 2017, Rhode Island made it to the Round of 32 after upsetting the six seed Creighton, before losing to the Final Four bound Oregon Ducks. Last year, the Rams defeated Trae Young and Oklahoma, before losing once again in the Round of 32 to the esteemed Duke Blue Devils that reached the Elite Eight.
Hurley comes to UConn this year with a highly talented group of players, and another cinderella story isn't far from impossible. The Huskies return senior star, Jalen Adams, who led the team in scoring last year with 18.1ppg. Joining Adams in the backcourt is junior Christian Vital, who averaged 14.9 points as a sophomore, second on the team behind Adams. The two could be a deadly backcourt not only in the AAC but in the NCAA, with the pair already being the top scoring backcourt in the conference last season. Adams is averaging 18 points per game this season, dropping 20 in their win over UMKC. He stroked four of eight deep balls in the win, showing off his skilled shooting.
Connecticut's big man, Josh Carlton, can also provide depth to Hurley's team. The 6'10" sophomore averaged a mere 4.4 points a game in his freshman year, but has been off to a great start this year scoring 13.0ppg, tacking on an extra six rebounds a game. Another player off to an impressive start is redshirt sophomore Alterique Gilbert, whose college career has been plagued by repeated shoulder injuries. Gilbert has played in a total of nine games in his first two seasons at UConn after coming to the school as a McDonald's All-American in 2016. Gilbert has 27 points through their first two wins and has potential to be a major key to UConn's success if he's able to stay healthy. His quickness and three-point shooting (5/8 this year) are his best attributes, while also creating points on the fast break.
Speaking of the fast break, UConn has been running up the floor exceptionally well in their 2-0 start, and it will be interesting to see if they can maintain that play style. They look to get it up the court as fast as they can after defensive rebounds and turnovers, relying on the fastbreak for a majority of their points. This mentality seems to have been brought by Coach Hurley, and it's been paying off for them.
Their next matchup is tomorrow, November 15th against the AP No. 15 Syracuse Orange. This is a huge matchup for UConn, and a great time to show the nation what they are capable of. If the Huskies can make threes and keep a high tempo offense, utilizing a quick secondary break, they are more than capable of upsetting the Orange. The only question is if they can maintain good defense by limiting offensive rebounds and creating turnovers. A win tomorrow would be a signature win when the selection committee assembles come March, and could lead to raised confidence for the team for the rest of the season.
From Kemba Walker buzzer beaters to National Championships, UConn has had a history of cinderella runs. Of all the years, this one is gearing up to be the best chance for another one. Connecticut is obviously not comparable to powerhouses like Duke, Kansas and North Carolina, but come March- anything can happen.
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