The fifth-ranked UConn men will face their first test in the frontcourt this season as they open the Empire Classic on Sunday against Indiana.
Kel’el Ware, the Hoosiers’ new center and leading scorer who transferred from Oregon, is the first of six centers on the Huskies’ schedule named to the watch list for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award alongside Donovan Clingan. UConn won round one against Ware when they beat the Ducks (83-59) in the first game of last year’s Phil Knight Invitational, though the 7-footer finished with 18 points and nine rebounds off the bench.
“I definitely went back (Thursday) night and watched that game after Indiana played Wright State, just looking to see what I could’ve done better against Kel’el last year and just also watching a lot of Indiana film because it’s a whole different type of play,” Clingan said. “He’s getting the ball in the post a lot more this year rather than last year, so I’ve just been trying to watch as much as I can and see what he’s been doing well and what people have done to try to stop him.”
Ware, a sophomore, is averaging 18.3 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks through Indiana’s first three games – all single-digit wins over Florida Gulf Coast, Army and Wright State.
Adding Ware, the No. 8 recruit in ESPN’s 2022 high school rankings, to his squad, Mike Woodson’s frontcourt features three top 25 recruits from the 2022 and 2023 classes. Malik Reneau, a 6-foot-9 forward from Montverde Academy, was No. 23 in the 2022 class and Mackenzie Mgbako, a 6-foot-8 forward from New Jersey and a former UConn target, was ranked No. 9 in this year’s freshman class.
“Their four and five are as good as we’ll play against this year, they’re impressive, and they’re well-coached. They put those two guys (Ware and Reneau) in tough positions to guard them with the way that they play,” UConn head coach Dan Hurley said. “It’s one of a bunch of center matchups for Donovan and Samson (Johnson) that are going to be really, really tough and will go a long way in determining the outcome of the game.”
Clingan’s minutes have incrementally increased over the first three games, getting up to 23 in the 87-53 win over Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday when he finished with 17 points, five rebounds and three blocks. Johnson, Hurley said, took a step back in that game, specifically on the defensive glass.
“He’s gotta take the way he’s offensive rebounding to the defensive glass, I think a lot of players need to do that. Play with more force, I thought there were more athletic plays out there for him to be made, protecting the rim too,” Hurley said. “Should probably just be flying around even more with that crazy athletic ability – you’re catching dunks behind your head like that, protect the rim with that type of athleticism too. But again, this is still the first time that he’s really in the mix and a critical part of our team, so give him a little bit of time.”
Winning a trophy
Winning last year’s Phil Knight Invitational and beating teams like Oregon and Alabama, Alex Karaban said, gave the Huskies momentum for the rest of the season and an idea of how good they could be. After beating Iowa State in the final game, UConn won its next six to open the season 14-0 before its first loss.
“Around this time is when you feel like college basketball is really starting to pick up, there’s a lot of good games this weekend and within the next week, so I really look forward to this time of year,” Clingan said.
Should UConn beat Indiana, the Huskies would meet the winner of No. 19 Texas and Louisville (3:30 p.m., ESPN) in the championship Monday night.
“Listen, the guys that are new to this, minus Cam, I think you worry about the freshmen, how their nerves will be at MSG, but everyone else that returned played in front of 75,000 people and performed at their best level the whole last March or April, so there shouldn’t be nerves for us,” Hurley said. “We know it’s a great challenge and we’re going to try to advance in the tournament and have a chance to win a championship, which is what we’re all here to do in this point of the year in the ‘We Season.’”
‘Third home court’
UConn went 2-1 at Madison Square Garden last season, beating St. John’s in the regular season and Providence to open the Big East Tournament, before losing to Marquette in the semifinal. The program is 68-60 all-time in the World’s Most Famous Arena.
“MSG is the best arena in the world, so just to be able to go out there and play in one of the biggest tournaments and go against some of the best competition,” Clingan said. “(We) call that Storrs South so it’s always something that is like a third home court. We know we get the fan support there, we’ve just got to bring our game and show everyone what we can do.”
What to know
Site: Madison Square Garden, New York
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: UConn leads, 6-4
Last meeting: Dec. 10, 2019 – Indiana 57, UConn 54
TV: ESPN – Karl Ravech, Jay Williams, Myron Medcalf
Streaming: ESPN.com or ESPN app
Radio: UConn Sports Network on 97.9 ESPN – Mike Crispino, Wayne Norman
Pregame reading:
- UConn men’s basketball coach Dan Hurley updates Stephon Castle’s injury status
- Takeaways from a frustrating night for Dan Hurley and the UConn men’s basketball team against Miss. Valley State
- Former UConn star Jordan Hawkins is draining threes at a record-setting pace for an NBA rookie
- Cam Spencer leads UConn men to 87-53 win over Mississippi Valley State
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