University of Connecticut Athletics
Health Issues Abound As Huskies Meet North Carolina
12/5/2023 2:17:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By PHIL CHARDIS
Special to uconnhuskies.com
NEW YORK – There are few feelings more frustrating for a coach than heading into a game against a top-level opponent with a team that's less than 100 percent healthy. All the smart game-planning in the world can't make up for a team that is sub-par physically.
That's the situation in which UConn men's basketball coach Dan Hurley finds himself as his No. 5 Huskies (7-1) challenge No. 9 North Carolina (7-1) in the Jimmy V Classic Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden (9 p.m., ESPN). Not one, not two, not three, but four of his five starters head into the game uncertain of their health status.
The most healthy of the four might actually be freshman Stephon Castle (Covington, Ga.), who played in UConn's first two games, but has missed the last six after having a minor medical procedure performed on his left knee.
"As long as he comes out of today and into tomorrow feeling good after finally getting a couple of practices under his belt, he'll be available, but with a minutes restriction," Hurley said. "It's a tough one to come back for, but I know he'd like to be out there."
As for the remainder of UConn's walking wounded, graduate guard Cam Spencer (Davidsonville, Md.) is nursing injuries to the big toe on each foot, one which he had heading into UConn's last game at Kansas, the other hurt during that game; sophomore center Donovan Clingan (Bristol, Conn.) has been hobbled by a sore left foot; and redshirt sophomore Alex Karaban (Southborough, Mass.) injured a finger on his shooting hand.
Hurley labeled all as gametime decisions, although he admitted, "it's going to take a lot for them not to give it a go."
"But I want to see what they all look like tomorrow," Hurley said. "Because it's a long season and this isn't the type of opponent you want to play against if you can't run at full speed, because they really run fast."
Perhaps fortunately for UConn, the one starter without any physical problems happens to be the team leader in scoring, rebounding and assists. Graduate guard Tristen Newton (El Paso, Texas), fresh off a brilliant 31-point effort at Kansas on Friday in UConn's narrow 69-65 defeat, is averaging 17.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. Spencer (15.0), Castle (14.5), Clingan (14.1) and Karaban (14.0) are all averaging 14 or more points per game.
To complicate matters even more, after playing No. 5 Kansas last Friday and No. 9 North Carolina on Tuesday, the Huskies, who will meet Arkansas-Pine Bluff at home on Saturday, then jump right back into the Top 10 fire, facing No. 7 Gonzaga in Seattle on Dec. 15.
"These are great games, we're getting a chance to play truly the best teams in the country in our big nonconference games," Hurley said. "Indiana, Texas, Carolina, Kansas, Gonzaga – that's going to prepare you for your Big East Conference play. Those are as tough tests as you could face. Obviously, we wish we could be playing these games healthier because they will impact potentially NCAA seeding and some things. These games are hard enough to win at full strength."
