UConn’s Hurley counting on veterans Hassan Diarra, Tristen Newton to lead in their own way
UConn head coach Dan Hurley sat down with senior Hassan Diarra for a very honest conversation early this offseason.
Diarra, UConn’s 6-foot-2 guard from Queens, New York, is a gritty, tough, defensive-minded player who provides a spark of energy off the bench. He joined the Huskies last year after two seasons at Texas A&M, where he averaged 19.5 minutes as a freshman and 15.4 as a sophomore. One of the regulars off the bench last season, Diarra posted 2.1 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in just 12.7 minutes, which started to dwindle toward the middle of the year.
“(Hurley) told me he needed me to be better this year,” Diarra said Friday. “I feel it, I believe I can do it, he believes I can do it and I’m just focused on me doing what I need to do for the team.”
“Hass – we need a much better Hass,” Hurley said Saturday after UConn’s 107-67 win over Stonehill, referring to Diarra’s primary nickname. “We need a veteran guard off the bench. He’s a guy that I think is built to be a really good Big East guard and we need him to play really good.”
Diarra’s other, more lightly used title is “Unc,” short for Uncle.
“I wouldn’t say I like it, but I’ll take it,” he said.
He hears it often from the freshmen, especially projected lottery pick Stephon Castle, and, in a way, it’s representative of him doing what he should be. As the second-oldest player (behind fifth-year starting guard Cam Spencer) on a team made up of about 65% underclassmen, Diarra’s year of championship experience is extremely valuable and makes him a leader.
“I remember calling one of my seniors ‘Unc’ (as a freshman), so I guess it backfired on me,” he said.
Through two games, as Hurley and the coaching staff continue to get the starters comfortable with one another and the freshmen some experience, Diarra’s role has been largely in the background. He played a relatively quiet 22 minutes in the season-opener against Northern Arizona with six points, two rebounds, two assists and a block. Then on Saturday he played just 11 minutes and made his only shot, a 3-pointer, to finish with three points, three assists and a rebound.
“First things first (I’m focused on) being a leader, helping the young guys especially get acclimated quick, being a dog on defense and being in the right spots all the time,” he said.
Newton finding his zone
Tristen Newton, about a month younger than Diarra, has come into this season with a new confidence sourcing from his performance in the national championship game.
Last year, even after he became the first player in UConn history with two triple-doubles in the same season, there were times when Newton looked uninspired and hesitant. The coaching staff worked on building his confidence and made significant progress over the course of the season, which was evident in his 19-point, 10-rebound double-double to help beat San Diego State and cut down the nets in Houston.
“He played maybe his best game of the season last year in front of 75,000 people and won the national championship, so I mean, when you take the court as a national champion your confidence should just be off the charts,” Hurley said. “And he works hard, and we work hard with him. I’ve been pushing him, I think our relationship is better than it was last year by a longshot. I have a lot more respect for the way he goes about his business, he doesn’t have to have the same personality as me, but in his own way he’s got to continue to grow as a leader. I’m not worried about the production, I’m worried about just who is going to lead this team.”
There was no reason to worry about the production after Saturday’s performance. Albeit against a very clearly outmatched Stonehill team, Newton got going right away and put together a game-high 22 points with seven rebounds, four assists and five steals.
“My teammates and coaches have confidence in me to – if I see that there’s a play to be made, to make the play,” Newton said. “Just trying to be able to run the court, be in the right spots and help my teammates out and just win basketball games.”
Record crowds
The UConn men opened their season in front of a record crowd in Gampel Pavilion as they unveiled the national championship banner on Nov. 6 against Northern Arizona. On Saturday, unveiling another banner in Hartford with an announced attendance of 14,606, it was the largest crowd for a men’s opener at the XL Center since 2005.
Clingan technical
It wasn’t clear what happened that led to a double technical foul being called on UConn’s Donovan Clingan and Stonehill’s Louie Semona after a held ball early in the second half Saturday.
“I think that might have been an overreaction… on everyone involved, Donovan, the other dude,” Hurley said. “We had a really good crew today, but I thought that could’ve just been a, ‘Hey guys, stop.’ But he’s got the most technicals now.”
Hurley’s last technical foul came last season on New Year’s Eve, when UConn lost its first game of the season at Xavier.
