Notes & Quotes: UConn's vets lead the way in comeback win over Butler

The UConn Huskies escaped Hinkle Fieldhouse with a win, but it was far from easy.

Butler appeared to be in control early but UConn came out inspired in the second half. The Huskies flipped the script in the low post after being dominated there in the first half, and in a one-possession game with eight minutes left, UConn’s veteran leaders paved the way to victory.

Hassan Diarra pushed the tempo and defended with intensity. Alex Karaban was hitting threes and putting in rebounds, Tristen Newton was drawing fouls, and Cam Spencer was opportunistic and sharp.

The Huskies needed every bit of it, as Spencer grabbed an offensive rebound with just over a minute left in the game and UConn up four. After a time-out, he nailed a contested three that sealed the win.

“It was a big-time game,” Dan Hurley said afterward. “I imagine it was a great Big East game to watch. There was a lot of intensity out there.”

The first ten minutes were evenly played before the Bulldogs pulled away thanks to a 9-0 run that ended with six minutes left in the opening half. The home team took a seven-point lead into the break but UConn closed the gap five minutes into the second half with a 7-0 run.

Hurley said his team demonstrated “that championship DNA that we now have… It doesn’t happen overnight.”

Here’s a closer look at what went down:

What Went Well

Castle on the Rise. The star freshman is looking like a star freshman. He was finishing in the paint, using his length defensively, and making advanced reads on the break, posting 14 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and only two turnovers. He can post up, he can rebound, he can lead a fast break, and also appears to be a comfortable mid-range shooter.

Dan Hurley: “These games aren’t easy on a freshman. 36 minutes of physical defense on the block corner and then to play all over the court because of the foul trouble. He's a humble kid. He loves to get coached and he's got great parents, he’s going to be a lottery pick at some point.”

Cam Spencer: “He was all over the place, making plays, he hit a big three down the stretch, rebounding, and playing good defense. Just doing a lot of winning things out there on the court as a freshman is very impressive, especially in environments like this.”

Stephon Castle: “I’m just zoning the crowd out, and then we’re able to get stops that get the crowd out of the game, and we’re able to just play our game. I play with a lot of great players and they take a lot of that pressure off of me already.”

Castle (continued): “We're gonna have guys in foul trouble again so I need to be able to move around positions. That's just something I could do with my frame and my ability.”

Alex Karaban: “To almost have a double-double in Hinkle Fieldhouse in the Big East as a freshman, it just speaks to how much better he's getting every day…He's just getting more and more comfortable out there…becoming a star in the making.”

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