While the games don't count on paper, Tuesday’s college basketball preseason slate offered a couple of top-10 matchups based on the AP preseason top-25 poll. One of them was Michigan State hosting UConn, in a battle of two of the top head coaches in the country.
Scoring was slow at first, with UConn up 30-22 at the half. But the Huskies’ offense got going in the final 20 minutes, spreading the lead out to as many as 15, before going on to win 78-70 on the road. While it doesn’t count, it’s still a nice sign for a team that was still without Braylon Mullins.
Here are some other takeaways from the game on UConn’s side.
1. Nikolas Khamenia’s big outing
The former five-star prospect and Duke transfer had a solid first game versus Syracuse, going for 12 points on 5/12 FG shooting. After a slow start, Khamenia had a great final 25 minutes, leading the Huskies with 19 points and six rebounds on 6/11 FG. With Mullins still out, UConn needed someone to become the go-to option for the night on the road. Khamenia was able to be that, showing why he’s a legit sophomore season long breakout candidate to watch.
2. Nils Machowski’s lift off the bench
The Wofford transfer put up 17 ppg last season and shot nearly 40% from deep. But his role with the Huskies isn’t as clear, since they have a pair of top-50 perimeter prospects joining while Mullins is out. Machowski impressed as a reserve, producing nine points and three assists in 13 minutes off the bench. His overall role may be more limited once UConn is fully equipped but Coach Hurley should be able to find minutes for this sharpshooter whenever they need a scoring boost.
3. Najai Hines limited minutes
Hines had eight points in 17 minutes before fouling out. When on the floor, he looked like the best big man on the court. But staying on the court has been the issue for him, playing fewer than 20 minutes in the prior game against Syracuse. As with Khamenia, Hines is another sophomore breakout candidate who can lift the Huskies to a potential Final Four. But for that to happen, he needs to find a way to stay on the court.
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