UConn Basketball: 3 takeaways from Huskies Big East victory against Xavier

2. Hassan Diarra is a crucial piece going forward

When it comes to missing your star player, you need those glue guys, those bench pieces that are getting more minutes to step up in huge ways to play a lot better. The UConn Huskies are getting Exactly that out of Hassan Diarra, who is proving to be a huge part of this program.

Diarra helped UConn pull away with a layup and a three late in the game to give the Huskies a 10-point lead the Musketeers almost came back from. He would go on to finish with 11 points and three rebounds with a perfect shooting percentage, and while his numbers do not jump out, they are exactly what UConn needs as a good spark offensively,

His defense has also been outstanding, the Huskies have looked to him on that side of the ball when a big play is needed, and he made many defensive stands throughout this tough matchup with Xavier. He has been able to knock down big-time shots, get stops, and just bring an overall positive contribution to a team that so desperately needs it from a guy like him.

Diarra is a bench piece that this team has needed during these wins that have been tough to come by. Every team has those role players that make major contributions, and for him to be one of the five players that finished in double digits, that was major in this matchup for them.