The NCAAB season is well underway, and the UConn Huskies have been taking the court by storm.
Since November 7th, this speedy team has only lost 2 games out of 17. Yes, some of the matches were close calls, but with a glistening record like this, you cannot deny the power these dogs have.
With March Madness on the horizon, UConn has to keep this momentum going. We suggest placing your bets now, as the NCAAB odds have dipped slightly due to the recent losses. We predict that the Huskies will bounce back, creating massive March Madness news.
So who are the stars of the show?
The Best UConn Scorer
Adama Sanogo (Forward) has scored the most points per game so far this season. His current total is 17.9 on average which is almost 3 points higher than second place Jordan Hawkins (Guard).
Sometimes a high average like this suggests that the player had one good game and didn’t play again that season. However, Sanogo has played in all 17 matches so far.
For example, Samson Johnson (Forward) has a field goal percentage of 100%, however, he has only played in one game and attempted this move 2 times.
Donovan Clingan (Center) however, has a decent field goal percentage of 73.5% and has played in all 17 games.
Tristen Newton has attempted the most free throws, with 79 shots to his name and 82.3% of these shots succeeded.
From these figures alone, we can see why the UConn Huskies are doing so well this season. They are a high-scoring team and don’t need to rely on one player to pull the team along.
That being said, we have to award the title of Best UConn Scorer to Adama Sanogo. He has scored the most points on average per game, he has a free throw average of 74.5% and a field goal average of 59.4%
Although those last figures are overshadowed by his teammates, Sanogo is the most consistent of this talented team.
The Best UConn Defensive Player
From scoring points to blocking them. The best blocker by far is Donovan Clingan (Center). This wall of a man has a blocks-per-game average of 2, while the second-best average falls far behind with a 0.7 score. This stat comes from Andre Jackson Jr (Guard) who has the joint third total blocks figure of 10.
Jackson shares that title with Alex Karaban (Forward), but second place goes to Adama Sanogo (Forward) with 11 blocks total. First place, by a long shot, is Donovan Clingan. He has blocked 34 times so far this season making him a force to be reckoned with.
Still being a defensive player means more than just blocking the ball. The player with the most steals per game is Andre Jackson Jr with 1.4. He also has the most steals total earning 20 to his name.
Rebounds shouldn’t be discounted either. Adama Sango has the most rebounds this season, earning 117 total. He also has the most rebounds per game at 6.9.
Andrew Jackson, however, is just a tad shy of that high number reaching 6.3 per game, while Donovan Clingan is close behind with 6.2.
Picking the best defensive player is tricky, as both Jackson and Clingan are neck and neck. When it comes to it, the largest difference between the two amazing players is in their blocking abilities. Donovan Clingan is a wall that his opponents cannot climb. That’s why we’re calling him the best Defensive Player in UConn.
The Best UConn Assisting Player
The Player with the most assists this season is Tristen Newton (Guard). He has assisted 75 times total, with an average of 4.4 per game.
In second place is Andre Jackson Jr (Guard), with 67 this season and 4.8 per game. Seeing as Jackson has only played in 14 matches so far, we suspect more play time could result in more assists later on in the season.
However, with assists come turnovers. Turnovers are when the players lose possession of the ball, essentially “turning it over” to the opposing team.
Unfortunately, the player with the most turnovers so far is Tristen Newton with a whopping 40 (2.4 per game). In second place is surprisingly Adama Sanogo (Forward) with 30 turnovers to his name (1.8 per game).
Calculating the difference between assists and turnovers, we cannot say that Tristen Newton is the best assisting player. His turnovers are simply too high.
Instead, that title will have to go to Andrew Jackson Jr. This budding guard only allowed 22 turnovers so far (1.6 per game) creating an average of 3 assists per turnover.
Summary
The UConn Huskies are doing an amazing job so far this season, and looking at the stats we can see just how diverse the talent is.
Some players seem to be top-quality all-rounders, such as Andrew Jackson Jr (Guard) and Adama Sanogo (Forward). Others are exceptional players, focusing on their single job on the court – such as Donovan Clingan (Center).
Watch out for these names in the upcoming games and see their skills in action.