Anyone who doesn’t vote him onto their preseason all-Big East team should probably be fired, and there’s a real argument for him as Preseason Player of the Year. The 6’9” big man is the leading returning scorer at 14.8 points per game last season and he led the team in rebounding at 8.8 a night as well as nearly two blocks per game. Key Returners: I would imagine that any UConn fan’s discussion of the upcoming season would pretty quickly involve the phrase “well, at least we have Adama Sanogo” or something similar. Still, 23 appearances, 13.9 minutes per game, even if his 3.4 points and 3.2 rebounds weren’t a big contribution. Things were even more pronounced for Akok, who went from double digit minutes at the start of the season to starting in a six game stretch in December to playing just three times in UConn’s final 13 contests. There’s an argument to be made that he’s not that much of a loss as his minutes declined as the season went along, but 12.3 minutes per game can’t be ignored as far as a contribution goes. Gaffney also appeared in all 33 games, all off the bench. We should make sure to mention Jalen Gaffney and Akok Akok here. Polley, a Noted Marquette Killer, was one of the group of guys to play in every game in 2021-22 and added 7.6 points along with 1.6 rebounds in 20.2 minutes a night. Whaley also added 4.8 rebounds per game while starting in 31 of his 32 appearances, and you can’t underestimate the value of his 2.2 blocks per contest. There’s a big drop off from Martin’s 13.6 points per game to Whaley’s 7.7, but #4 on the team is still #4 on the team. The other two guys in that top five scoring group are Isaiah Whaley and Tyler Polley. the 6’6” guard from Pennsylvania was a major contributor on each of the last two UConn teams, culminating in a stat line of 13.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game this past year. Connecticut also loses another double digit scorer in Tyrese Martin. Cole was the only Husky to start in all 33 games last season and one of just four to play in all 33, so the loss of his steadying influence is almost more impactful that his actual counting stats. Cole is the most notable one and not just because he was the leading scorer at 15.8 per game and also not just because he led the team with 4.1 assists a night, either. Key Departures: UConn loses four of their top five scorers. Postseason? After losing 63-60 to Villanova in the Big East semifinals, the Huskies gave up a 10-0 run late in the first half to #12 seed New Mexico State, closed the gap, tied the game at 58 with two minutes to play, and then lost to the Aggies, 70-63. 2021-22 Big East Finish: Third, one game in front of Creighton in the standings.
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