By Pete Janny
In Saturday’s Big East Championship Game, Dan Hurley’s UConn squad was dominated in a way that no one is accustomed to seeing. It was shades of last season, but to an even worse degree. The night started with so much hope, only to end with a 72-52 loss, which was the worst since the 18-point defeat to Dayton last season in UConn’s disastrous Maui experience.
Eleven first-half turnovers against a Zuby Ejiofor-led St. John’s team could have easily been a death sentence right then and there. However, St. John’s only led 40-27 at halftime thanks to a late cold stretch for the Johnnies. That offensive funk carried over into the second half until St. John’s eventually knocked UConn off their horse for good, sending Dan Hurley and the Huskies home with a dreadful 33.9 percent shooting night to boot.
On Saturday night, a couple of recurring themes resurfaced for UConn, which they will look to iron out against No. 15 Furman on Friday night in Philadelphia. Turnovers (17) and cold three-point shooting (3-19 3FG) came back to bite. Lazy transition defense and poor guard play were on display at the worst time, doing very little to assuage the pressure Tarris Reed Jr. felt down low by Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins. There were early foul woes, which led to 11 first-half free throws for a Johnnies team that has heavily relied on getting to the line all year. And lastly, Braylon Mullins, Silas Demary Jr., and Solo Ball combining for 4-22 (18.1%) from the field was the prototypical death knell in this one.
The trio of Ejiofor, Dylan Darling, and Bryce Hopkins closed this game with a bang for St. John’s, without any final rebuttals down the stretch from UConn.
Reed was clearly outplayed, but didn’t have much help. As good as Eric Reibe is offensively, and as good as he will be in Storrs going forward, he is a liability right now defensively, especially up against a lethal frontcourt. For now, that reality limits his usage in high-stakes NCAA Tournament games.
Instead of making adjustments accordingly, the Huskies struggled to adjust to the physicality inside and had no three-point attack to solve St. John’s defense. The defensive switches, especially in the first half, overwhelmed UConn. Moreover, every St. John’s starter had a positive plus-minus, and every UConn starter had a negative one.
THE DRAW
Hurley talked about starting anew as the pressure builds to avoid another letdown in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies, if things turn right for them, still look like a Sweet 16 team at the minimum. If they could get further, a potential rematch with No. 4 St. John’s looms in the Elite 8 if a couple of breaks occur along the way, including No. 1 Duke losing. The Bracketeer’s Rocco Miller successfully projected the Huskies as a worthy two-seed ahead of the Selection Show.
UConn was assigned the 2-Seed in the East as expected, beginning the dance in Philadelphia. UConn will face a surging Furman team out of the SoCon in the opener. The Huskies are looking at a potential 2nd Round matchup vs. Mick Cronin’s improved UCLA squad or a tenacious UCF team, which plays scrappily around the rim.
HURLEY ON ST. JOHN’S
In tipping his cap to the opponent, Hurley praised Ejiofor, the player and leader, who he watched drop 18 points, nine rebounds, and seven blocks in the biggest game of his career to date. That jaw-dropping block total is a program record in Big East Tournament play.
“I have no idea how he’s not mocking as a first-rounder,” Hurley said of the Big East Player of the Year. “He can guard 1-5…he’s like Al Horford when he was at Florida.”
Deep down, Hurley knows certain things will need to change if the Huskies want to have another chance at Ejiofor and St. John’s. Or, if not, whoever else they would meet with a Final Four berth on the line.