UConn shows positive signs in exhibition victory over URI
Mohegan — Sophomore Solo Ball received a loud ovation from the Mohegan Sun Arena crowd while heading to the bench after contributing to a UConn surge.
Another enthusiastic cheer went up when transfer Aidan Mahaney finished off a strong drive to the basket to extend the lead to 15 seven minutes into the second half of the Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Exhibition Game.
The two-time defending national champion Huskies looked like the lethal Huskies at times and looked like a new team trying to gain their footing at other times in a 102-75 win over Rhode Island.
That’s to be expected given UConn played its first exhibition game of the season on Monday, losing four starters from last year’s 37-3 team and bringing in five newcomers.
“This was fun, getting a chance to play at Mohegan and then get some of the jitters out and see what the team looks like,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “The stuff that we did well, we knew we would come in and do well, particularly offensively. Some of the things that are concerning about the team — the rebounding and fouling — we’ll clean that up.
“For the most part, I like what we looked like with the exception of the rebounding which is not typical of who we are. And we will not look like that moving forward, I promise you that.”
The play of Ball and Mahaney were two encouraging signs.
Ball is expected to make a big leap from last season when he played a small supporting role as a freshman.
Monday was a good first step for Ball, who averaged only 3.3 points in 11.5 minutes per game last season. He finished with a team-high 18 points and added five rebounds in 20 minutes. He showed off an improved jumper, going 7-for-10 from the field, including 3-for-6 from 3-point range.
“What you saw from Solo, we’ve been seeing every day,” Hurley said. “We’re not surprised.”
Mahaney, who previously played at Saint Mary’s in California before coming to UConn, also turned some heads. He came off the bench and contributed 17 points.
The Huskies had two other players finish in double figures — redshirt junior Alex Karaban (13 points, 8 rebounds) and freshman Liam McNeeley (10 points). They shot 55.4% overall and forced 19 turnovers and held the Rams to 37.3% from the field. A crowd of 7,953 fans turned out for the game.
Hurley had some nervous moments in the hours leading up to the game. Coaching against his former program with his new-look Huskies, he had no idea what to expect.
“You never know, especially when you lose as many players,” Hurley said. “Every team is different and they’ve got to show you who you are when you play against someone else the first time.
“Yesterday, I was really nervous. Probably as nervous as I’ve ever been the night before the first exhibition or first scrimmage. I just wanted to throw up the whole day because I had no idea what these guys were going to do. I thought we were going to lose today by 15.”
That wasn’t going to happen, not considering UConn’s talent advantage and superior depth.
Hurley’s starting lineup featured three returning players in Karaban, senior center Samson Johnson and graduate Hassan Diarra along with McNeeley and Ball.
Hurley went deep into his bench after UConn finally pulled away early in the second half, having led just 44-40 at the break. The Huskies led by as many as 29 points against a Rhode Island team picked to finish 11th in the Atlantic 10.
Rhode Island did UConn a big favor by keeping the game close for the first 25 minutes. The Huskies didn’t take their first double-digit lead until Ball stole the ball and fed Mahaney for a layup to push the lead to 57-47 with 15:39 left.
Mahaney scored nine of his team’s 11 points during one stretch to push the gap to 66-49.
He admits that he’s still adjusting to playing for Hurley and at a program with national championship aspirations.
“First of all, you can tell it’s different here from the moment you walk into the arena to being around the coaches and guys every day,” Mahaney said. “This has been a great experience for me. … Just credit to the coaches and the guys for instilling confidence in me. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs through this. But I’ve stayed confident in myself and thankfully they’ve stayed confident in me and what my abilities are. Tonight, I was able to show it a little bit.
“Happy but it’s an exhibition game so I’ve just got to keep growing.”
Tougher days are ahead for Mahaney and the Huskies, who’ll get every opponent’s best shot this season.
Earlier Monday, the Associated Press released its preseason top 25 men’s basketball poll, placing UConn at No. 3 behind No. 2 Alabama and No. 1 Kansas.
The Huskies still have time to polish some rough edges before the season opener on Nov. 6 against Sacred Heart.
g.keefe@theday.com
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