UConn's Three Keys to Victory Over BYU
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Head coach Dan Hurley and his UConn Huskies are about to face their toughest opponent yet this season, the number seven ranked BYU Cougars. The contest between the Huskies and Cougars will be a neutral site game at TD Garden in Boston, MA. The last time Hurley's Huskies played at TD Garden was in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, when they defeated the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Every Husky fan remembers that tournament game and how big of a run the Huskies went on towards the end of the first half and into the second half. But for the Huskies, this is a new contest. This is one of the league's best teams who also boasts one of the league's best players in AJ Dybantsa.
There are things that the Huskies need to do to come away with the victory. The Huskies need to game plan the right way and show the world that they are deserving to be ranked number 3.
1. Do everything you can to shut down Dybantsa
Projected to be a top 3 pick in next year's NBA Draft, Dybantsa is one of the most dynamic players in all of college basketball. The Huskies need to make sure they have a gameplan for him and do everything they can to make life tough for him on the court.
Throw double teams at him, make him take tough shots, whatever it takes. In the first three games of the year Dybantsa has tallied 21, 17, and 18 points respectively. The Huskies need to do what they can to get that number to 10 or fewer.
Sure, the Cougars have other weapons they can turn to outside of Dybantsa, but they need to make him a focus.
2. Keep letting Solo Ball shoot
One of the Huskies best weapons as of late has been Solo Ball. Every time he has the ball in his hands, Huskies fans just know that he is going to make a play and or make a bucket.
In the Huskies first three games of the year, Ball has scored 18, 14 and 23 points respectively. And in 2 of the 3 games, Ball has put up at least 14 shots. He needs to keep shooting because they will go into the basket the more that he does.
Against a team like BYU, the Huskies are going to need offense from Ball. They are going to need him to have a good night and be on his A game.
3. Watch out for Richie Saunders
Another player for BYU that is dynamic like Dybantsa is Richie Saunders. He's another player that the Huskies need to keep a close eye on because he can burn you on the scoreboard as well.
Saunders has scored 15, 20, and 26 points respectively for the Cougars in the first three games of their season. The Huskies are going to have their hands full defending Dybantsa but Saunders is also a handful to deal with.
This is going to be a tough contest for the Huskies, but they usually play well at TD Garden and have the squad to come away with the win. Look for this one to be super close and come down to the wire.
Tyler is a 25 year old Journalism graduate from Georgia Southern University. Tyler is a big fan of hockey, baseball, basketball, and football, and also is a staff writer for Fansided.