STORRS – Guarding the 3-point line has been one of the few obvious weaknesses for the fifth-ranked UConn men’s basketball team to start the year. Through nine games, and an 8-1 record, the Huskies rank No. 317 in Division I in allowing opponents to shoot 36.9% from beyond the arc, according to NCAA.com stats.
Saturday’s game against Arkansas Pine Bluff, a bit of a drop off in competition compared to UConn’s stretch of top-10 matchups against Kansas, North Carolina and Gonzaga, will provide plenty of opportunities to work on defending the perimeter.
The Golden Lions, the second HBCU program testing itself against the Huskies this year (UConn beat Mississippi Valley State, 87-53, on Nov. 14), are ranked No. 348 in the nation by KenPom. They average 85.6 points per game, 20th-best in the country, and rank 10th in 3-pointers attempted per game (29.6) and fifth in made 3s (11.2).
“We haven’t guarded the 3-point line well, 80% of it’s been tied to ball-screen defense, not being as aggressive as ours has been in the past which has kept people away from the 3-point line because of our aggression and our athleticism,” head coach Dan Hurley said Friday. “So things have changed in terms of our team dynamic and we’ve got to be more technical, more aware in scouting, and we’ve got to guard the 3-point line, we’ve got to guard the ball.”
UConn had a test against a similar offensive mindset against New Hampshire, which is 25th in 3-pointers attempted per game, on Nov. 27. The Wildcats made 13 of their 27 attempts, 48.1%, in what ended up being an 84-64 UConn win despite its own challenges shooting the ball.
“(Saturday’s) a big-time matchup for the 3-point line,” center Donovan Clingan said. “We’ve been struggling guarding the 3-point line so (Saturday) we just want to prove that we can guard the 3-point line, we can guard all three levels and that we just have a great defense.”
UConn’s defense, even with the 3-point struggles, is ranked 16th by KenPom’s efficiency metric. The Huskies have allowed opponents to score 63.2 points per game, good for No. 32 in the nation. The Golden Lions’ defense is ranked No. 350 of 351 D-I programs in allowing 88.1 points per game and is No. 341 in opponent field goal percentage (49.1%).
“Every time we take the court, there’s a standard that you’ve got to play to and I think we’ve done that the whole year,” Hurley said. “In every game that we’ve played I don’t think that we’ve taken (away) the identity of what we’ve become here at UConn in terms of the offense, the defense, the rebounding, the relentlessness, the preparation, the way we go about things that stands out and makes us who we are right now. We’ve got to be all about that at Noon (on Saturday) so we’re gonna get everybody up early and make sure everyone’s ready to go.”
Castle update
The UConn offense, ranked No. 3 on KenPom, will receive a boost for the second straight game as touted freshman guard Stephon Castle continues his return to action following the knee injury. Castle played just 10 minutes off the bench in Tuesday’s game against North Carolina and scored three points with four rebounds, an assist and a block. Saturday will be another opportunity for him to ease back.
“It’s like starting over again for him,” Hurley said. “He was playing really well, he played great in the closed scrimmages and then he played well to start the year so he’s got that confidence there but he’s just catching up. He’ll catch up quickly because he’s a great guy and a great talent.”
Karaban, Clingan getting back to full health:
Redshirt sophomore Alex Karaban had the middle finger on his (right) shooting hand caught in someone’s jersey during a practice prior to the game against North Carolina. It dislocated and bent “in a weird, freaky way,” Karaban said, and trainers popped it back into place. Karaban played the UNC game with the middle and ring fingers on his right hand taped together.
“It’s good right now,” he said after Friday’s practice.
Clingan, dealing with a nagging foot injury he suffered about a month before the season, is starting to feel better more consistently.
“I feel like I’m right there. Some days are more sore than others, but I’m right there. Just being able to practice at a full level, at 100% speed, today was definitely a good day, today definitely felt great,” he said. “I just want to be able to push through and hopefully I’m (close to getting to) every day being a great day.”
What to know
Site: Gampel Pavilion, Storrs
Time: Noon
Records: No. 5 UConn: 8-1, Arkansas Pine Bluff: 4-6
Series history: First meeting
TV: FS2 – Dave Sims, Vin Parise
Radio: UConn Sports Network on 97.9 ESPN – Mike Crispino, Wayne Norman
Pregame reading:
- No. 5 UConn men beat No. 9 North Carolina, 87-76, in Jimmy V Classic battle of blue bloods
- Social media reacts after UConn men’s basketball dismantles North Carolina at MSG
- UConn men give a glimpse at potential in bounce-back win over North Carolina; Shots start to fall for Solo Ball
- 2004 national champion UConn men’s basketball team to be inducted into Huskies of Honor
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