A memo to everyone pushing the panic button a week ago: Teams improve. And teams with national championship coaches improve a lot.
The No. 25 UConn men’s basketball team still has a long way to go before it reaches the potential many thought it had in the preseason, but the last eight days have represented a quantum leap forward. For their third straight win, UConn led Texas wire to wire on Sunday and by double digits almost the entire second half in their first true road game of the year.
The final score was 76-65 and it wasn’t really that close.
The biggest noticeable difference between the Huskies today and the Huskies that lost three straight in Maui has been their defense. Texas tried time and again to take the UConn guards one-on-one, but Hassan Diarra and Solo Ball stepped up. So did Liam McNeeley when he had to.
The Huskies struggled finishing possessions against Baylor during the week, defending the Bears for 30 seconds only to give up an offensive rebound. That reared its ugly head a couple times against the Longhorns, but UConn was much better, allowing only seven offensive rebounds, compared to 13 on Wednesday.
UConn is also learning how to live with its flaws. Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed Jr. have been foul prone all year and while that can improve, it’s likely to be an issue throughout. But when they both picked up two in the first half, UConn added to its lead while Youssouf Singare held his own for eight minutes (and you live with his four fouls in that time).
When the second half came, both were instrumental to UConn holding off Texas. Longhorn freshman Tre Johnson played out of his mind in the second frame, scoring 18 points on 6-9 shooting in that time. UConn even defended him well, but it did not matter. He hit shots that would have built momentum in a Moody Center looking for a reason to cheer, but the Huskies answered. Johnson scored 10 in the second half alone, rattling the rim and benefitting from his chemistry with Hassan Diarra — probably the best player-to-player connection on the team right now.
Reed had 12 points and five rebounds himself, showing his array of post moves and elite instincts. He’s the better offensive player, while Johnson’s length and ability to help when guards get beat benefit UConn more on defense. This isn’t the same combination that fans have gotten used to the last two years with a pair of well-balanced bigs, but it can be effective. Hurley pushed the right buttons on Sunday.
Oh, and Alex Karaban was back. After missing two games with a concussion, the Huskies’ leader made his presence known immediately with 14 first-half points. His final line: 21 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals in 39 minutes.
He and Diarra also did their jobs as the veterans on the team, steadying their teammates when Tre Johnson was making shots with a hand in his face or when the UConn lead dipped under double-digits briefly in the final minutes.
The result is UConn’s second win over a power conference opponent in as many games. The Longhorns weren’t ranked, but they were 7-1 and undefeated all-time at the Moody Center in non-conference games. By the end of the season, Baylor and Texas might both be better than any team the Huskies lost to in Maui.
There’s a long way to go, but the Huskies are figuring it out.
