The American Athletic Conference has seen it’s fair share of wild results, but a Tuesday night stunner where Temple beats UConn on the road has to be considered the most unexpected thus far.
Four Owls scored in double figures during the 55-53 win, but it wasn’t Temple’s offense that raised the most eyebrows. It was their defense, one that limited UConn to just 31.6-percent shooting from the field and 13 points fewer than the paltry 66 points they scored in a loss to Maryland.
Sterling Gibbs, Rodney Purvis, and Daniel Hamilton combined to shoot just seven-for-32 from the field and four-for-16 from beyond the arc. Basically, they were dreadful. Shonn Miller was the lone bright spot for Kevin Ollie’s group, scoring 18 points and bringing down seven rebounds.
UConn is known for their one-on-one ability, sure, but they’ll need their primary ball handlers to step up their assisting game if this team is truly going to make a run in March. As it stands, Hamilton is the only one averaging more than 3.2 assists per game. For a team with as much offensive talent as this one, that’s concerning.
One possible solution would be to extend the leash on Jalen Adams, the five-star freshman who was considered, by far, the best incoming recruit in the conference. He averages just around 4.5 assists per 40 minutes, but seems to have given Ollie reason not to trust him with more playing time.
The Huskies have experience in their starting five, sure, but that doesn’t mean that group has enough chemistry to withstand poor individual shooting performances. With their lack of offensive firepower on the inside, it increases the pressure that their guards are under.
Unless the Huskies figure something out, “Temple Beats UConn” won’t be the last unflattering headline they wake up to.
