YearoftheHusky
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College hoops mailbag: No virus or G League talk allowed. Just basketball!
Seth Davis answers your questions on Purdue, Wisconsin, Arizona and more.
theathletic.com
How do you see UConn performing in their return to the Big East? They’re obviously not on Villanova’s level, but is finishing in the top half of the conference and making the tournament a reasonable expectation? — Greg S.
Based on my conversation with Danny Hurley on Friday, I’m just hoping the man makes it to next season. He returned my phone call while standing outside his home in Connecticut. “The animals have been coming out because there aren’t as many humans around,” he said. “I’m looking at three coyotes right now strolling through the back of my lawn. There’s a brown bear in the neighborhood too. I haven’t seen him, but the neighbors have been sending pictures.”
It’s not exactly what Hurley faced while growing up in Jersey City, N.J., but there’s plenty of good news around his program. He got a piece of good news — albeit not that surprising — when 6-4 guard James Bouknight announced he was returning for his sophomore season. Bouknight is a dynamic athlete who was UConn’s second-leading scorer this season (13.0 points per game). He wasn’t projected high enough in the draft to leave, but he’s good enough to at least take a look if he wanted. “The good thing about James is that he’s a real grounded kid,” Hurley said. “I didn’t think his success would change him, although when he’s dropping 20 three games in a row it was something I had to think about.”
As a former point guard at Seton Hall, Hurley is looking forward to his array of choices at that position for next season. Jalen Gaffney, a 6-2 sophomore, was promoted to the starting lineup late this season, and he helped the team to win nine of its last 12 games. R.J. Cole is a 6-1 junior transfer from Howard who played at Hurley’s old high school, St. Anthony. And Bouknight will play some minutes there as well, because he excels with the ball in his hands.
Hurley is especially amped about his top recruit, Andre Jackson, a 6-6 wing from Albany, N.Y., whom 247Sports ranks No. 70 in the senior class. “The freak of all freaks,” Hurley said. “His quickness, speed and athletic ability is off the charts. He’s an elite level finisher and defender and a tremendous playmaker. You put him and Bouknight out there together, they’ll be pretty dynamic.”
UConn will be solid but unspectacular in the paint with 6-11 senior Josh Carlton, 6-9 senior Tyler Polley and 6-8 senior Isaiah Whaley sharing time. Hurley has another potential future pro in 6-9 sophomore Akok Akok, but he tore his Achilles tendon midway through the season. It’s not clear whether Akok will play next season, but even if he does, it’s hard to imagine he will have a huge impact after such a long layoff. At any rate, Hurley will clearly have his best team heading into his third season at UConn, and given the move to the Big East, the timing couldn’t be better. The new league is gonna be a bear, but the Huskies won’t get devoured.
