UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The UConn Huskies men's basketball team began its exhibition season on Tuesday night at Mohegan Sun Arena, beating the Syracuse Orange 72-52.
Playing without star guard Braylon Mullins, the Huskies still looked mostly solid, but there are obviously things to clean up before the regular season opener on Nov. 2.
Here's what you need to know. The takeaways are in no particular order.
1) Illegal screens were a big problem
It seems like illegal screens are going to be a point of emphasis this year from NCAA officials. There were three illegal screens called against the Huskies within the first five minutes of the game, and Jayden Ross had two of them. No team wants to be in foul trouble because of screening problems, so this is something that Dan Hurley's group will have to go back, watch, and work on.
2) UConn's defense caused issues in the half court
Syracuse lost starting shooting guard Aiden Tobiason, also one of its main ballhandlers, just four minutes into the game with an apparent leg injury, so that had an impact as well, but UConn's defense was stifling in the half-court.
Syracuse's only real offensive success came when it got out in transition, otherwise, Silas Demary Jr. was hawking the ball whenever he could. After the game, Hurley had high praise for his ability to pressure the ball. The Huskies forced 16 turnovers in total and held the Orange to 31 percent shooting. Syracuse was only 4-of-19 from three-point range.
3) Silas Demary Jr. got to the bucket easily
Speaking of Demary, it wasn't just his defense that stood out. He also initiated the offense well, and he got to the lane with ease. Though he was just 3-of-12 from the floor, he had 13 points and two assists. It honestly felt like he had a bigger offensive contribution than the numbers show, but his ability to slither into the lane will create lots of chances for this team all season.
4) Khamenia makes presence felt from deep
Nik Khamenia, who transferred in from Duke, scored 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting, but he was 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. With Mullins not playing, the Huskies needed someone that could stretch the defense, and he did. His shot looked crisp and he was able to get it off without much separation. And oh yeah, he had eight rebounds too, which tied for the team lead.
5) Na'jai Hines is a force down low
I've said all offseason that the frontcourt is the biggest question for this team after losing Tarris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban to the NBA Draft. Well, Hines, the transfer from Seton Hall, did his best to help answer that question. Though he didn't start the game, he had 17 points and eight rebounds, and he was 5-of-7 from the floor. He did all that in 20 minutes. Imagine what he could do in 30 minutes or so?
6) County gets going in the second half
Talented freshmen Junior County (17) and Colben Landrew (28) played solid minutes, and both made contributions by the time the game ended. Landrew started, scoring seven points and pulling down four rebounds. County had nine points, hitting three 3's, and he also had seven rebounds.
Up next
UConn will play Michigan State on Tuesday night (Oct. 20) at 7 p.m. ET.