The UConn Fast Break - 7/5/2023

We've got a new, Very Good dog, Springer Dingers, and NBA Summer League on the horizon!

July 05, 2023

Welcome to this week’s Fast Break, and thank you for being a subscriber. It may be summer but we’re thinking about fall and the football season opener — just 57 days away!

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5 Huskies in NBA Summer League

The NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League begins on Friday, July 7. All 30 teams will play at least five games each over 11 days, with a playoff ending on the 17th.

Five former UConn players will make the trek, including recent draftees Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson. Adama Sanogo, who signed a two-way contract with Chicago, will also be there and so will James Bouknight, entering his third season with Charlotte, and Tyrese Martin, who’s in his second season with the Atlanta Hawks.

For Bouknight and Hawkins, the stakes aren’t quite as high, as their contracts are guaranteed. However, Sanogo, Martin, and Jackson will be fighting for a potential roster spot, on their current team or potentially another one. Martin, who was the No. 51 overall selection in 2022, played in 16 NBA games last year and averaged 4.1 minutes per game.

Bouknight’s summer action started a little early, as the Hornets were participants in the California Classic Summer League. He’ll also match up against Hawkins on July 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV.

Weekly Rewind

Mascots

New Dog Alert!!! - Jonathan XV is here and he’s perfect.

Men’s Basketball

The Fast Break Pod - Catch up on post-NBA Draft news.

Hawk to the Pels - The Maryland native is UConn’s 15th lottery pick. He’ll certainly get early run in a cap-crunched organization.

Jackson a Buck - The Bucks got him at No. 36 overall, which seems like a good fit as both the player and organization know how to win.

Sanogo’s two-way deal - The big man is heading to Chicago.

Dan Hurley’s new contract - The head man is rewarded after a national title with a new six-year deal.

Hurley on the Draft - His predictions were pretty much spot on.

Scouting Report: Cam Spencer ($) - What does the former Rutgers guard bring to UConn?

Women’s Basketball

Edwards’ summer plans - Aaliyah Edwards is spending the summer with the Canadian national team.

Ashlynn Shade loving her new life - The incoming freshman is getting comfortable on campus.

Geno’s new mantra - Not a fan of revenge tours.

Bueckers has never been better - Auriemma has effusive praise for his star point guard.

Dailey breaks down the freshmen ($) - A rundown of the newest members of the team.

El Alfy ahead of the curve ($) - Geno thinks she’ll surprise people.

Napheesa Collier picks up where she left off ($) - Collier has been shining for Minnesota.

Men’s Hockey

Matthew Wood goes 15th overall - Wood is the earliest pick in UConn’s program history.

Six regular season games revealed - Details on the Huskies’ schedule.

Soccer

Men’s and women’s schedules announced - Most of the fall slate was revealed.

Support the most in-depth coverage of UConn men’s hockey around!

Highlights

Husky legend George Springer took over sole possession of second place on the all-time MLB list for lead-off home runs on June 25, passing Alfonso Soriano with his 55th blast.

Ricky Henderson holds the record for this stat with 81. Springer wasted no time gaining on Henderson with his 56th career solo shot to begin a ballgame against Boston. His 55th against Oakland is below.

Memory Lane

With Jonathan XV’s arrival, we can’t forget our derp king, Jonathan XIV. He has certainly had a personality from the start. Dust off old friend Whitney McIntosh’s February 2015 article that captures him in all his glory, with plenty of pictures.

UConn, Great Pic

Hello, Jonathan XV.

Image

We have been blessed with numerous pics of Jonathan XV since his arrival into our lives. You can follow his official Twitter to keep up with his adventures.

Parting Thoughts

After winning the national championship in April, Dan Hurley got a new six-year contract that runs through 2028-29, with a total value of $32.1 million, plus performance-based incentives.

Hurley is one of four active coaches to bring three different programs to the NCAA Tournament and has the third-best overall winning percentage through three seasons in Big East history. He’s still fairly young, having celebrated his 50th birthday in January, and may have NBA aspirations, but UConn has improved its chances of retaining Hurley for the long haul with such a sizeable contract.

The obvious hire after the program fell into a ditch in 2018, The Carpenter has lived up to Jon Rothstein's nickname and then some. In five years, the Huskies ascended from No. 179 in KenPom at the end of the 2017-18 season to a No. 1 ranking and a national championship this year.

With stable footing in the Big East (for now), a stellar recruiting class coming in, 100% retention among assistant coaches, and Hurley locked in through 2029, UConn has the makings of a new dynasty if this can all stay together.

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