Oriakhi may be starting to come around

Outside of Kemba Walker, perhaps no one played a more vital role in last year's magical postseason run than Alex Oriakhi.

Oriakhi delivered down low and provided valuable leadership, helping spark the Huskies to the national championship.

But Oriakhi has battled bouts of inconsistency this season and - not so coincidentally - the Huskies have struggled, too.

Recent signs point to a turnaround for the junior forward/center and the team.

Oriakhi had just his second double-double this season in Wednesday's rout of DePaul, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds. He recorded 11 double-doubles last season.

A similar effort today against No. 12 Marquette will improve the odds of UConn securing a win. The Big East game starts at noon at the XL Center in Hartford.

"I love the way he played the other night," associate coach George Blaney said. "I think when he plays with confidence like that and with that kind of exuberance and energy level, it's really good for us.

"He's the real one veteran that we have, so he's been through a lot of wars. He's put up some incredible numbers against some really, really good basketball teams over the years. That's what we need from him."

The Huskies (16-9, 6-7), who reside in 10th place with five regular season games to go, still need some wins to be worthy of an NCAA tournament berth. Sizzling-hot Marquette (21-5, 10-3), which has won nine of its last 10 games, sits in a tie for second place.

Any UConn resurgence starts with effort and energy, according to Blaney who uncharacteristically blasted his team for deficiencies in that area during halftime against DePaul.

The players got the message.

"I love the effort that we're getting now," Blaney said. "I still think of all of the things that we need, it's the effort for the entire possession and the entire game. When we get that, then we're pretty hard to play. Obviously, we've been a good defensive team all year.

"… I don't know if I yelled like I did at halftime in quite a long time. I think they have a sense of urgency. I'm hoping that we can maintain it."

Marquette is the ultimate high-energy, high-effort team. Frontcourt injuries force the Golden Eagles to play small with their biggest regular checking in at 6-foot-7, but it didn't rob them of their heart and desire.

The Golden Eagles have rallied from a double-digit deficit to win five conference games this season. Senior guard Darius Johnson-Odom is an All-Big East first team candidate and junior forward Jae Crowder is one of the top all-around players.

Through all the in-season adjustments, Marquette has managed to stay on a winning track.

"Our guys have been superb in their response," Marquette coach Buzz Williams said. "I don't know if we can win another game or not. But I think our guys compete, our guys play really hard."

Marquette has had success playing at UConn, winning the last two trips here.

Oriakhi knows what the Huskies are up against.

"This is definitely going to be one of the hardest teams that we play as far as the effort that they give," Oriakhi said. "So I feel if we can match their energy and their effort on the court, it definitely will be a signature win for us. It could be the beginning of a turnaround for the season."

Oriakhi is experiencing his own turnaround, especially in the attitude department.

Two weeks ago, he decided to stop worrying about his playing time and start to fully embrace the team-first mentality. He spread his message to his teammates during an emotional meeting on Feb. 3, the day coach Jim Calhoun went on an indefinite medical leave of absence with a bad back.

Since then, he's backed up his words. He wants to continue that recent trend.

"I always like to build off games," Oriakhi said.

g.keefe@theday.com