Losing Donovan Clingan to Injury, Can a Shorthanded UConn Recover From Their Problems?

The University of Connecticut Huskies locked horns with the St. John’s Red Storm on Saturday. Everything went as it should have been. The Huskies won the match, their guards Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer performed remarkably well, potting 15 points each. However, there was one thing that didn’t sit right.

The UConn center Donovan Clingan could not play the match due to an injury to his right foot. He had injured his ankle during their lost contest against the Seton Hall and had to be supported out of the hardwood in the second half. This made space for their forward Samson Johnson who slammed a game-high of 16 points, making the UConn’s way to victory easier.

The Problem with Clingan’s absence

Johnson at no point appeared to be intimidated when going against the St. John’s forward Joel Soriano who smashed 14 points with 11 rebounds. Soriano possesses the caliber of a Big East player and the UConn are infamous for slipping away during the Big East competitions. Thus, winning last night’s game was a reassurance of their exemplary skills. 

A question that looms over the UConn is whether they would have won the match in a more one-sided affair had Clingan been present. But still brownie points to them but emerging victorious in the game which was just before the Christmas break. Though, Newton has notched up his game a level above his usual, the UConn still don’t have a dominating alpha who can help them taste triumph by bearing the onus singularly. The UConn are one of the deepest teams but still lack in going beyond 7-8 players.

This can not take credit away from Johnson who adjusted quickly to the situation and put his best foot forward. The UConn last year too didn’t play against many big teams during the knockouts and this season too they have surprised all with their wins. They already lost their key player Adam Sanogo, the final four’s most outstanding player, to the NBA. Hence, they should be given credit for playing with Johnson and displaying a good depth per se college standards.

They played better defensively than they had done in their other conference game. Although they lacked in perimeter shooting, they still found a way to win the game which speaks volumes about them as a team. They need to continue with their tactics since they are not the most perfect team after Clingan has been sidelined. And they would want to implement more strategies to win games in his absence and cover up their weaknesses.

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The UConn should be applauded for winning the game despite having just one block in the absence of Clingan and shooting 5-for-18 three-pointers. They somehow found their way in the game whereas the St. John’s would have been high in spirits while competing against a shorthanded side that has not been the best in the Big East. But their issues don’t end here.

The Shooting Problem

One of the major issues plaguing the UConn is their poor performance in shooting. This as per some critics is fixable since the UConn’s opponents plan in a way such that they hug up the UConn’s shooters. And if they throw in a slip or post then it is quite acceptable by the other teams. Since their forward Alex Karaban is in the five, their rivals need to guard all five spots. This way they have nil rim protection and hence if we take it in a hilarious way, then the opponents would have to do a fainting goat defense. 

One of the major factors that can be attributed to their low shooting in the game against the St. John’s is having two freshman Solomon Ball and Stephon Castle. Usually, freshmen don’t shoot much since they are not accustomed to the college basketball level. They would get better with time as the season progresses. 

Their head coach Dan Hurley is well aware of the fact that it’s the UConn’s defense that would help them win the game. The offense can help them rake in points but it’s the defense that will ultimately make them come out as winners. Hurley might not want to concentrate on shooting for now since it might hurt them on defense considering it isn’t as dynamic as it was last year. 

Part of the poor three-pointer performance from the UCoon can be attributed to the St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino who made sure the Hurley team didn’t get many chances with three-pointers. Therefore, one should not be very concerned about the UConn’s shooting since they make it up for it in the coming matches. And with Clingan out most of the teams are going to take away their threes.

Can the UConn recover?

Going by their current performances, the UConn will have to make sure that they follow their defensive tactics since Clingan is not there. And stick to their lack of shooting that can be increased once they start concentrating on offense. Johnson will have to continue his spree and the UConn have proved to be quite a deep team when comparing it with college basketball standards.

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As for their other issue, it solely relies on their strategies. If they are sure to guard defensively, then they can improve their shooting which definitely will considering they have two freshmen who will evolve with time. Hopefully, the UConn will make up for the loss of Clingan and continue their strong string of performances in the NCAA.