Just What The Doctor Ordered

No one knew that the pups would come out of the gates, after their worst game of the year, and play the most solid 40 minutes of basketball so far in this short season. They attacked the basket, tormented shooters, dominated the paint, and made their free throws. The Achilles heal of this team, shooting, was their catalyst. Wiggins, Robinson and Price combined for 6 for 11 from three and Adrien and Thabeet pulled down 13 boards.

Notch this one as the first legitimate win and a solid step towards the NCAA tournament. Marquette is a reeling team right now and Dominic James was playing hurt, but UConn shut down the three and Thabeet and company took care of the rest.

Price is everything you want in a point guard. He runs the offense and knows when to push it or slow it down. He is in his element when he drives to the basket and breaks down the defense. He never forces a shot and was reliable from three, going 2 for 3. Wiggins had a solid game but needs to keep his play consistent. He has an unstoppable motor and makes it hard for defenders to turn the corner on him. He shot the ball well, 2 for 6, but needs to work on scoring in transition. What can you say about Austrie? Here is a guy who is relegated to fourth in the depth chart and when Dyson gets his second foul, he comes in and gives you 15 points, 4 boards, and 3 steals. He is the player you want on the line at the end of the game.

What happened to Dyson? He is only shooting 5 to 6 shots a game. He is the most offensively gifted player on the team but if he isn’t getting points in transition or from the three ball, then he passes the ball. He did sit most of the first half after getting his second foul, but shooting the ball once every 5 minutes for a super star is disconcerting. The Huskies are going to need him to be more of a leader if they want to take their game up a notch.

It seems that if Robinson has a good game, UConn wins. It was evident from the start that Robinson was into the game. He soared for rebounds and hit an early three. From there UConn was off to the races. Its good to see him bounce back from his poor performance against the Friars.

Adrien is so consistent that its easy to overlook what he means to this team. He is a powerful rebounder and UConn’s only post threat. He gives you an elbow jumper and runs the break. His 15 points and 6 boards are expected but his 5 for 6 from the line aren’t. Thabeet is a monster. He hit 9 for 13 from the line, blocked 6 shots, and pulled down 7 boards. His defensive energy feeds the offense. Its also good to see Kelly have a solid game. He came in and played hard. He had a spectacular block that set the tempo on defense.

All year this team has lacked the killer instinct but found it today. They put their foot on Marquette’s throat and didn’t let up until the buzzer sounded. They dominated all phases of the game and should put to rest the notions that set in with the Providence loss. That loss was just a freak poor shooting game and this team is much improved over last years. They might not be considered a top tier team yet but they are nipping on their heals.