UConn men’s basketball faced some adversity but otherwise coasted to a comfortable 71-52 exhibition win over regional foe Boston College at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Despite missing starters Silas Demary Jr. and Tarris Reed, the Huskies’ talent and depth were already on full display. Here are some of our biggest takeaways from UConn’s exhibition win.
Eric Reibe rises to the occasion
Dan Madigan: With Reed out with a hamstring injury, freshman Eric Reibe got the start and generally looked comfortable on the court in his collegiate debut.
The 7-footer scored eight points and added six rebounds in 21 minutes of game action, and probably left at least a few more points out there with a few missed layups. More importantly, he looked extremely comfortable on offense, establishing position down low and clearing out to the perimeter when his teammates looked to drive to the hoop. His offensive feel is already a strength to his game, and the rebounding and defensive ability seem to be solid as well.
Post game, Dan Hurley talked about how difficult it can be for freshman bigs to adjust to the college level — he alluded how Donovan Clingan’s first college action, a secret scrimmage against Virginia, was a “disaster” — so it was especially encouraging to see Reibe hold his own, look comfortable and mostly avoid foul trouble against a high major opponent.
Will creating contact be an issue?
Madigan: There is basically no reason to dive deep into a game in early October where this UConn team is missing two starters. But I am wondering if getting to the free-throw line will be an issue for this team this season. Getting to the charity stripe has never been a key pillar in Dan Hurley’s offense, but it definitely was an issue for last year’s squad when shots weren’t falling, as Liam McNeeley was one of the few players on the team who could draw fouls and get to the line. In the win on Monday against BC, the Eagles attempted 30 free throws while UConn attempted just 11.
The good news is, Demary and Reed returning should help with that tremendously. Demary attempted nearly 160 free throws last year, which would have been tops on the Huskies. Reed himself attempted over 100 as well. While Reed likely won’t see the floor in the next exhibition game against Michigan State, I am interested to see if Demary can be the guy with the ball in his hands late in the shot clock to try and make something happen if the offense stalls out.
Malachi Smith brings infectious energy
Patrick Martin: Malachi Smith is your favorite hooper’s favorite hooper. As a transposed midwesterner, I’ve watched the Brooklyn native play at Dayton for four years. His terrorizing play against UConn last year is but a taste.
Reibe and Braylon Mullins both showed flashes but also looked like freshmen, and that’s to be expected! Dwayne Koroma and Alec Millender look like they know exactly what their role is, and that’s great. But the newcomer that flashed the most was Smith. When UConn looked the most rudderless in the second half, he took the reins.
Big East Sixth Man of the Year, anyone? The Dayton grad transfer was as advertised–a menacing on-ball pest and a shifty, playmaking facilitator on offense, two things UConn desperately needed last year. If the offense breaks down, he can go make something happen. His reads out of ball screens with Reibe were excellent and bode well for Tarris Reed. The pick and pop potential with Alex Karaban is also very enticing.
Smith took the sixth-most shots on the team, but doesn’t need looks to make an impact. That’s so massive when you can pair that type of connectivity with spotup, volume shooters like Solo Ball and Karaban. And paired with Jayden Ross, their ball pressure helped UConn finally pull away in the second half.
Give me a small-ball unit of Smith, Demary, Jayden Ross, Alex Karaban and Jaylin Stewart. Switchy, ball-hawking, and spacing, modern basketball at its finest.
And that’s to say nothing of the energy and vibes he provides. Keeping him healthy — he dealt with knee issues this offseason — will be so important this year.
As Hurley dove into his offseason analysis of last year’s disappointment, a central topic was the performance of the defense. It was highly evident by the middle of the season that they didn’t have enough size or depth to be effective on that end.
Bringing Defense Back
This year, the rotation may go as deep as nine or ten, as they’ve added two strong perimeter defenders from the portal along with the versatile Dwayne Koroma. On Monday night, they showed how devastating this new collection of talent can be.
The Huskies forced 20 turnovers, leading to 27 points, and allowed just two assists on a meager 15 field goals by the Eagles. That would have been the lowest assist total by an opponent last season and tied for the fewest field goals made by any 2024-25 opponent against the Huskies.
Smith is a demon defensively. Hurley said Demary is their best perimeter defender. This defense with him and Reed healthy should be menacing.
Hurley lamented last season’s lack of defensive intensity all offseason, and even after Monday’s game as he contrasted it to what he saw in the exhibition opener. They still have lots to clean up, but it’s mid-October, they’ve got time. Hurley was rightfully pleased with the way the defense looked. This glaring weakness from last year seems to be on the road to recovery.
