UConn Guard Believes Return to Glory Starts on Defense
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The UConn Huskies men’s basketball program had a rollercoaster of a season last year, and unfortunately, not the good kind. Under head coach Dan Hurley, the Huskies’ defensive numbers hit a rare low. They averaged just 2.8 blocks per game and 5.6 steals per game. They even struggled on the boards, giving up 29.7 rebounds per contest.
Last season, UConn struggled to contain opponents and hit its worst defensive mark under Hurley since 2018-19. The lapses were costly, leaving the team vulnerable in tight games and forcing them to lean heavily on their offense to stay in the game.
Recognizing the problem, Hurley made defense the central focus of the offseason, and junior guard Solo Ball has taken that message to heart.
“I’ve been watching a lot of film, I’ve been studying, and we’ve been going through a lot of different concepts and things in practice, which is helping me get the hang of everything, too. I have a better grip of the defensive scheme, so it’s gonna be really exciting this year,” Ball said.
Last season’s struggles were particularly blatant at the point of attack. Opponents often penetrated the paint too easily, and turnovers allowed fast-break opportunities that UConn couldn’t consistently stop. This offseason, Hurley and the Huskies have prepared.
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The Huskies added players like Georgia transfer Silas Demary Jr. and Dayton transfer Malachi Smith to reinforce that area, pairing them with returning defenders like Tarris Reed Jr.
As Ball puts it, “Really our focus this year is defense. Defense has been at the pinnacle since we started this summer, and even just practices in general, defense has literally been the focus of our practices.” And it shows.
If the first glimpse in practice and exhibitions holds, the Huskies could be looking at a championship-level defense that Hurley has always demanded.
Has UConn’s Defense Already Found Its Groove?
The Huskies saw that potential in their first exhibition against Boston College. UConn won 71-52, and the real story was definitely the defense. They forced 20 turnovers, held BC to 31.9 percent shooting, and dominated in points off turnovers, outscoring the Eagles 27-2 in that category.
Even with cold shooting from beyond the arc, the Huskies’ defensive aggression kept them in control, turning a brief second-half deficit into a 13-0 run that sealed the game. Alex Karaban led the way with a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double, while Ball and Braylon Mullins each added 12 points.
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Meanwhile, Malachi Smith, whom Ball claims has, “New York grit, that every single guard that's come from like New York just has,” dished out five assists. New names like Eric Reibe and Dwayne Koroma also made immediate impacts on both ends.
The team’s 14-point turnover margin and 36-20 edge in points in the paint showed that Hurley’s defensive blueprint was in action. If last year’s defensive struggles were the wake-up call, then the exhibition match was proof of concept.
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Shivani Menon is a sports journalist with a background in Mass Communication and a passion for storytelling. She has written for EssentiallySports, College Sports Network, and PFSN, covering Olympic sports like track and field, gymnastics, and alpine skiing, as well as college football, basketball, March Madness, and the NBL Draft. When she's not reporting, she's either on the road chasing sunsets or getting lost in the rhythms of electronic soundscapes.