NCAAM teams
Jordan Brenner, ESPN The Magazine contributing writer 9y

Deep UConn team should be threat

Insider Men's College Basketball, Connecticut Huskies

Connecticut Huskies

2013-14: 32-8 (12-6 American)
In-conference offense: 1.07 points per possession (third)
In-conference defense: 0.96 points allowed per possession (fourth)

During UConn's quest for a repeat NCAA title, you're going to hear a lot about lineage. The narrative will go something like this: In 2011, UConn emerged as a surprise national champion as a veteran point guard (Kemba Walker) carried the team while playing next to his future replacement (Shabazz Napier). Then last season, UConn again captured a surprising title behind another dominant veteran point guard (Napier), who was paired with a younger model (Ryan Boatright).

Now, Boatright is the senior, so you can figure out the rest of the story arc. And while it's obviously unfair to expect Boatright to match the transformative tourney performances authored by his predecessors, he is poised for a big final season. As a junior, his numbers (12.1 PPG, 3.4 APG, 39.1 FG percentage) actually dipped a fair amount from what he produced as a sophomore (15.4 PPG, 4.4 APG, 42.9 FG percentage). But he was almost a different man in the NCAA tourney, as he finally seemed to embrace a supporting role next to Napier, one characterized by energy and efficiency. His stats jumped to 13.7 PPG, 46.3 percent shooting and 40 percent 3-point shooting. Boatright was even more impressive on defense, swarming opposing guards with intense pressure and forcing nearly two steals per game.

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