UConn’s exhibition slate already delivered a jolt, and it wasn’t the kind the Huskies wanted.
According to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, UConn and Charlotte met in a secret scrimmage on Thursday, and the 49ers walked away with a 68-61 win. The details of the scrimmage weren’t made public, so there’s no reason to overstate what it means. Still, a loss to a Charlotte team that finished 17-17 last season is enough to catch attention.
The bigger takeaway is about UConn itself. This is not the same group that reached the national championship game a year ago, and the Huskies have real questions to sort through before the season gets rolling.
The frontcourt is one of the first places those questions start. How will UConn function without big man Tarris Reed Jr.?
Is Na'jai Hines ready to step in and handle that role? Then there’s Alex Karaban, who has to shoulder more both as a scorer and as a leader.
The backcourt picture has its own uncertainty, especially with Solo Ball expected to miss the entire season because of injury. That leaves Silas Demary Jr. and Braylon Mullins as the main known pieces, and the depth behind them is something UConn still has to figure out.
None of that changes the fact that this is still early. Dan Hurley has built around the process before, and this group looks like it will need time to become what UConn wants it to be.
The Huskies will get another exhibition test on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET against Syracuse at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The Orange went 15-17 last season and missed the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight year.
Syracuse also has a new coach in Gerry McNamara, who takes over after Adrian Autry. UConn fans know McNamara well from his days at Syracuse in the Big East.
The women’s teams from UConn and Syracuse will also be part of the exhibition showcase, with that game set for Monday at 6:30 p.m. ET. UConn beat Syracuse in last year’s NCAA Tournament, eliminating the Orange in the Round of 32.
In Other News...
UConn Finally Found The Formula Fans Have Been Waiting For
UConns road win at Temple had the feel of the kind of game the program has been trying to find all season, one where the Huskies played with control, took advantage of momentum swings and left with a 34-20 victory. A late first-half touchdown and field goal helped change the tone before the break, and the offense got steady work from quarterback Kalieb Osborne along with running backs Trey Cornist and Cyncir Bowers, while the defense forced two fumbles to keep Temple from settling in.
The result pushed UConn to 3-3 under head coach Jason Candle and gave the Huskies something more valuable than a single conference road win: a sense that the pieces can fit when they play cleanly on both sides of the ball. Now comes a bye week before UMass, which gives Candle and his staff a chance to build on what worked in Philadelphia and sort out whether this was a one-game spark or the start of a more reliable formula. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Just Showed It Can Control A Game On The Road
UConns trip to Lincoln Financial Field turned into a steady road win, the kind that can tell a team plenty about itself in October. The Huskies handled Temple 34-20 and stayed in control from start to finish, getting balanced production on offense while the defense kept the Owls from ever fully flipping the games momentum.
Kalieb Osborne threw for 257 yards and added a rushing touchdown, while Trey Cornist kept the ground game moving and found the end zone as UConn built and protected its lead. By the time the Huskies closed it out, the performance looked less like a lucky escape and more like a team learning how to dictate terms away from home. [Read more 🡒]
Former UConn QB Is Suddenly One Snap From His NFL Debut
Joe Fagnanos NFL journey has taken a quick turn, and now the former UConn quarterback is on the verge of his first regular-season game-day role. Baltimore is getting ready to face the Atlanta Falcons with Lamar Jackson sidelined by an ankle injury, which moves Tyler Huntley into the starting job and puts Fagnano in line for backup duties.
For a player who came into the league as an undrafted free agent, the opportunity is a meaningful one, especially after he turned heads in the preseason following his signing with the Ravens. He has already done enough to put himself on the radar, and now he is one snap away from his NFL debut if Baltimore needs him against Atlanta. [Read more 🡒]