UConn Basketball: 3 keys to taking down Kansas Jayhawks
By John Makuch
1. Make up for the loss of Stephon Castle
The Huskies will indeed be without star guard Stephon Castle for this game, which is a huge blow considering the matchup and the circumstances. It was reported that he was targeting this game as a return, but this will not be the case. This is where Cam Spencer and Tristian Newton need to continue to play well, especially against Kansas.
Spencer leads the team in scoring with 16.3 points per game, and his shooting has been lights out so far this season. From three, he is shooting a ridiculous 47.8 percent and they will need all of that against Kansas.
Newton is doing just about everything else as a guard, leading the team in rebounds and assists with 8.1 rebounds per game, and 6.9 assists per game while also adding in 1.7 steals every night. These are the players that are going to need to have great nights if they want to win.
While even with Castle, these are players that would need to have great games, it just adds a ton more pressure onto these guys. Donovan Clingan will also need to get some good minutes in, and we will see how long he gets in there for as the team’s block leader.
Again, history is looking to repeat itself with the 1999 team taking down an opponent like this without a star guard, but that means those players have to step up and make an impact.