When the UConn Huskies started this season, they had one major concern: their center Samson Johnson committing a lot of fouls. Even HC Dan Hurley was doubtful of his playing abilities at that time. However, now that Johnson has gotten over his tendencies, the Huskies have fallen prey to another issue, and it remains to be seen if they will be able to get over that.

On Saturday’s episode of Locked On UConn, Mark Zanetto and Dan Meehan shared their take on Johnson’s revival into the NCAA, while also expressing another major concern surrounding the consecutive NCAA Championship winners.

“Samson was perfect from the field… So we would like to see Tarris starting, but if this is the Samson Johnson we get for the rest of the year, I can live with it. He had 2 blocks, 2 steals, did not have a ton of fouls which is a very good sign. As a will of the matter who Samson Johnson plays, is he fouls a ton,” Zanetto expressed.

Though Johnson could only score 7 points in the 20 minutes he played, he did not commit even a single personal foul which proved that he wasn’t trying too hard. Other than that he had 3-of-3 from beyond the arc and a cent percent from the charity line. Adding to that he performed 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals which showed that he was putting in the needed efforts in defense.

Previously, Hurley had stated that “it’s dumbfounding,” that Johnson commits a lot of fouls. However, he also rationalized for his mistakes, saying,  “I just don’t know how he put him. Why he keeps putting himself in these situations? I think he’s such a great guy… And he wants to do well so badly that he’s… you know he’s pressing, and he’s fighting for every inch. And he’s playing with a level of desperation that’s admirable.”

Johnson had committed four personal fouls against the New Hampshire Wildcats in a span of 11 minutes that he played. Similarly, when the Storss-based team had opened their season against the Sacred Heart Pioneers, Johnson had committed 5 personal fouls in the 16 minutes that he played. While this issue was resolved, they had another problem waiting for them.

Meanwhile, Meehan spoke of the issues the Huskies might face in the absence of Karaban. “Noted the line of change, Tarris still comes off the bench. But with Karaban out, I am not sure how much weight we can throw into the roster. Changes tonight will see into what happens going into Baylor next week. Another tough shooting night for Liam, I think he was 1 of 8 or around there from three, so that’s two games in a row.”

While Tarris Reed came off the bench, plying his trade for 17 minutes and scoring 10 points, a major setback to the Huskies was that their main star Alex Karaban wasn’t on the floor. Karaban averages the highest for the Huskies this season with 15.9 points per game. He unfortunately hit his head on the floor during the last game of the Maui Invitational and therefore did not play in this one, though he was present at XL Center.

While the Huskies did manage it in this matchup winning the game by a 99-45 margin, Meehan was concerned if they could get going in the upcoming games without Karaban. However, the game did have other positives for the Huskies.

Analysts praise the Huskies’ performance

Meanwhile, Zanetto praised Solo Ball for scoring 12 points and having 2-out-5 from the three-pointer line. Although, he opined that “he should have little improved on defense,” and being beaten by the guards was concerning. Nonetheless, he was happy that other players too contributed their best. Meehan on the other hand, compared Ball to Jordan Hawkins and was also satisfied with Isaiah Abraham’s 10-minute, 6 points performance.

Zanetto lauded Jaden Ross and Tarris Reed for scoring double-doubles. While Ross hit 10 points with 10 rebounds, Reed scored 10 points with 12 rebounds. Plus he also noticed Aiden Mahaney’s efforts of 11 points with 4 assists, calling it “his best game,” while concluding that “I still wanna see him be more aggressive but there was a little bit more of that today.”

As for Meehan, he was sure that “their depth just trains the other team on offense and that opens up something for UConn.” Meanwhile, he also looked impressed with the Huskies scoring 10-27 threes (37%), with 48 rebounds, and 23 assists, while wanting to look forward to how they tackle Baylor. Hopefully, the Huskies will continue this performance and make sure don’t feel the absence of Karaban.