NEW YORK — The UConn men’s basketball team pulled away from North Carolina in the final 10 minutes of Tuesday night’s Jimmy V Classic for an 87-76 win over the ninth-ranked Tar Heels at Madison Square Garden, the Huskies’ second top-15 win of the year.
UConn did it with freshman Stephon Castle playing just 11 minutes off the bench and Cam Spencer dealing with turf toe injuries on both feet. Also with Donovan Clingan dealing with foot soreness and Alex Karaban having just dislocated a finger on his shooting hand in practice, Jay Bilas reported on the ESPN broadcast.
Learning from the way they were defended by Kansas, which switched on almost every screen and didn’t allow sets to be run, denying the ball in the paint, the Huskies shot 51.5% from the field in the game (34 of 66) and 54.8% in the second half, when they shot 40% (6 of 15) from beyond the arc.
Defensively, the Huskies held North Carolina, one of the better offensive teams in the nation, to its lowest point total of the season shooting 44.4% from the field and 35% (7 of 20) from deep.
“We learned a lot, how to handle that type of defense,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “And I think we just had a really good balance of running our stuff and executing, but then I thought our guys also attacked and made plays off script. And to go 25 assists with the eight turnovers on 34 made baskets, and again, 10-for-31 from 3, I felt like we probably could’ve made three or four more.”
A handful of those that looked like they were going in came from the taped right hand of Karaban, who came in with a different approach during what has turned into a bit of a shooting slump from 3 over the last four games.
“It wasn’t towards the shot, it was just trying to make winning plays and really just trying to affect the game rather than just shooting,” he said. “I think going in with that approach really helped me gain my confidence back and really just started to open up new things in the game.”
Karaban finished with 18 points, 12 from inside the arc, five assists, two steals and a team-high nine rebounds. He was second on the day in scoring behind Spencer, who wore a different pair of shoes and had 23 points, seven rebounds and a game-high six assists.
Clingan, who Hurley said has been “hobbled since the season started,” got into foul trouble early and was never able to get into a flow. “He’s a shell of himself right now,” Hurley said, after Clingan finished with eight points and four rebounds, two assists and two blocks, in 19 minutes.
Castle had one day of individual drills, playing offense and defense on air, then two with about 35 minutes of live work on a running clock leading into his return from a knee injury. He found himself up against a quick, top 10 team on one of the sport’s biggest stages in MSG.
“I told (associate head coach Kimani Young) before the game, ‘This could go bad for him,’ getting dumped in a game like this,” Hurley said. “When we get him the reps, a couple more games under his belt, with the shooting he’s gonna have around him and the center play, he’s gonna be awesome this year.”
With three points, four rebounds (two offensive) an assist and a block, plus a handful of hustle plays in just 11 minutes of action, the return of Castle provided a glimpse of just how good the reigning national champions could become.
“I don’t think we’re as good as we were last year at this time, obviously, but I think we have a chance to get maybe close to as good as last year’s team by the end,” Hurley said. “When we get Steph up to speed and get Donovan healthy and feeling good, this is a formidable team, as like last year’s.”
Ball’s shots start to fall
Hurley got his “I told you” moment after freshman Solo Ball made three 3-pointers on six attempts and finished with a career-high 13 points. Ball was slotted into the starting lineup after Castle’s injury against Stonehill and, in six games as a starter entering Tuesday, was just 6 of 26 (23%) from 3.
In the starting lineup again on Tuesday, Ball’s shooting had been something Hurley and the team were extremely high on throughout the preseason and even in practices throughout the year. Wait until he gets comfortable, Hurley insisted, and what he’d been doing in practice would show itself in a game.
“Just special makeup that kid,” Hurley said. “Just huge shots. When we recruited him we knew he was a special guy and we see him every day and the way he shoots the ball, it’s a beautiful looking shot. And he’s lefty so it looks even better.”
Ball’s first two career starts were at MSG in the Empire Classic and he put together some good halves, but nothing like the impact he had Tuesday. Two of his 3-pointers, two minutes apart, came during a run that put UConn up 13, 60-47, with about 15 minutes left in the second half.
“It’s been a great experience,” Ball said. “We go into these other games, the Big East games, and I just feel like we’re gonna all be prepared to kick everybody in the throat, really.”
Ball’s game experience will only grow in value once Castle is ready to return to the starting lineup. He will likely return to being one of the first players off the bench and an offensive piece, who doesn’t make many mistakes on either end, that compliments defensive-minded Hassan Diarra and the other freshmen who continue to develop in the wings.
Social media reacts after UConn men’s basketball dismantles North Carolina at MSG