Storrs - UConn's Daniel Hamilton admits being a bit hyper sometimes playing basketball, and it shows on the court.

He's in constant motion.

"My energy level has always been like that," Hamilton said after practice Friday. "I just want to play hard and just win. That's what my brothers told me, just to compete each and every night. That's what helped me out in the backyard playing against them. That's why I play so hard out there."

He comes from a basketball family that includes three brothers - Gary, a former University of Miami player; Jordan, a former Texas standout who was waived by the NBA's Utah Jazz this week; and Isaac, a redshirt freshman at UCLA.

Coach Kevin Ollie loves the freshman's energy level, but just at a notch lower so he's more under control.

"He's so active," Ollie said. "Instead of trying to wind somebody up and tell him to go harder and play harder, I have to tell him to calm down just a little bit, because we want him to make the right plays, because he's all over the place, which is great.

"I'm loving his effort and I'm loving his attitude, and he's so coachable. And he's doing well off the court, too."

An athletic 6-foot-7 forward, Hamilton displayed his all-around skills in Tuesday's 70-62 exhibition win over Southern Connecticut. He finished with four points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.

He went 2-for-7 from the field, but passed up some shots. He's still trying to figure out his role and working on his conditioning.

He plans to make the necessary adjustments for Sunday's exhibition finale against Assumption College at the XL Center in Hartford.

"I just have to let the game come to me," Hamilton said. "Sometimes, I try to force it. Once I get settled and get a couple more games in, I'll be good."

Hamilton, who's from Los Angeles, also is adjusting to life off the court, especially when it comes to the Storrs weather.

"He's just got a little jacket … so he's got to get himself a heavier coat," Ollie said. "I think he doesn't understand the winters out here. So we're trying to get him ready and prepared for that."

Missed opportunities

The Huskies learned from mistakes made in the exhibition opener, according to Ollie.

"That's a successful day when you can learn and grow," Ollie said. "And I think they grew in the last two days. Hopefully, we can come out (Sunday) and shoot a little bit better."

Poor finishing contributed to UConn's shooting woes in the exhibition opener. The Huskies converted 37 percent from the field.

"We missed 15 layups, and we showed them all 15," Ollie said. "We missed a ton of opportunities. You make 10 of those layups, you shoot 52 percent. These are the different things that we're correcting.

"It wasn't like the world came to an end. We learned and we move on."

Calhoun still out

Junior guard Omar Calhoun is making progress in recovery from a sprained MCL in his right knee. But he's yet to return to practice.

"Omar is coming along," Ollie said. "He's shooting now. ... We need him to just keep working on his rehab."

Ollie hopes Calhoun, who's competing for a spot in a crowded back-court rotation, will be ready for the regular-season opener Friday against Bryant.

g.keefe@theday.com

Twitter: @GavinKeefe