Player Profile: Tyler Olander

Looking Back:  Olander was coming into the season with a lot of momentum from UConn’s championship season where he was a pivotal role player, providing much needed depth on the frontcourt, but things didn’t go as planned for the local sophomore.  He struggled to remain in the ballgame in consistent stretches, only averaging 17.6 minutes and he found himself getting yanked after picking up a foul or two.  Calhoun didn’t have to lean heavily on him, because of Drummond and Oriakhi, and Olander’s game suffered.  He only averaged 3.9 rebounds a game and only chipped in 4.2 points a game in his 17.6 minutes of action.  It wasn't the season that he would've hoped for, but it was a valuable learning experience and one that he can hopefully build on.

The Good:  Olander has the best jumper in the front court and can knock down the elbow jumper that will be there when teams go zone and they will.  He also shoots free throws well but needs to get there more than 44 times.  He is a Calhoun type of player that might not have NBA athleticism but gives you his all when he is on the court.  He’ll hustle for loose balls, bang inside for rebounds, and do the little stuff that doesn’t always get recognized.  He is that glue type of player that all good teams need to succeed.

The Bad: He doesn’t have the size to create space inside and bigger players can get a deep position on him.  He needs to position rebound much better and finds himself being pushed out of the way for rebounds.  He rarely plays through contact and either kicks the ball out or takes an off balance shot around the basket.  He fouls way too much on defense and needs to stop reaching which is the major cause of his quick yanks in ballgames.

Looking Ahead: Like many of the other Huskies, this is a big year for Tyler.  He needs to take advantage of this opportunity of playing time and put together some consistency, especially in the rebounding department.  There are some fresh faces that are looking for his minutes and if he doesn’t produce, he could be relegated to a role player off the bench.  He’ll have a leg up on the new comers and should solidify a starting role on this team by the beginning of the season.  From there the rest is up to him.