Role Players

With the incoming class of freshmen, it is now or never for these two experienced role players to show that they deserve the right to minutes on the court. Unlike last year, where the bench was only three deep, UConn will have a depth not seen in some time and if that doesn’t put some fire into the backside of these two players then far end of the bench will.

Donnell Beverly: Beverly has shown that he can handle the rock and play solid defense in his limited time off the bench. He hasn’t displayed anything offensively and looked tentative in jacking up shots. He has the potential to fill in the role that Austrie had, but with younger guards nipping at his playing time, he needs to show that he can remain a reliable ball handler and also contribute on the offensive end, especially from beyond the arch. UConn will need to find scorers right away and the guard that can contribute at that end will find the playing time.

Jonathan Mandeldove: He has the height to play the part of a legitimate center but he hasn’t shown Calhoun that he deserves the minutes. If he bulks up and shows something in practice, then he could possibly end up in the box score, but he hasn’t done it so far and he’s about out of time. There is so much talent coming in that his best opportunity to get minutes was last year.