UConn men’s basketball freshman Jordan Hawkins back and ready to take the ground running as the No. 23 Huskies take on Binghamton
Freshman guard Jordan Hawkins is UConn men’s basketball teams cheat code.
UConn has started off the season in dominant fashion, beating its first three mid-major opponents (Central Connecticut, Coppin State and LIU) by an average point differential of 46.3 points.
In that span, the Huskies have shot 26-for-69 (37.7%) from 3-point territory, including an abysmal 8-for-26 against LIU.
Enter, Hawkins who is here to help this defense-minded UConn team on the offensive end.
Coming off an ankle injury, the sharpshooter made his collegiate debut on Wednesday vs. LIU. He made his first basket of the season with 6:26 left in the game and finished with five points on 1-for-4 shooting along with grabbing four rebounds in eight minutes.
For UConn head coach Dan Hurley, he sees Hawkins as rotation fixture in the future.
“We feel like out of the young guys, he’s by far the most ready to take the floor, to take the court with the team of eight other guys effectively and ready to hit the ground running,” Hurley said.
Hawkins had an impressive resume coming into the season as a consensus top-50 recruit and 2020-21 Gatorade Maryland State Player of the Year.
The hype for Hawkins from media, fans, and even his own teammates, has reached unprecedented levels as UConn continues to dominate. Hawkins has shown his maturity even in practice.
“He’s aggressive,” said UConn senior Tyrese Martin. “I mean he’s young, but he’s aggressive. He knows what he does great. ... He gets to his spot and rises over people to make jump shots, makes the open shots.”
Martin urged patience with Hawkins.
“He probably still has the jitters next two games, especially with Auburn, his biggest college game.”
For Hurley, Hawkins will be pivotal as the Huskies continue to face tougher opponents.
“Jordan is a big-time talent, a special player, and he’s really going to add to our offensive firepower,” Hurley said. “He is a guy that has the ability to really open up the court for others and get along with what we’re going to do defensively and rebounding.”
As Hurley heads into Saturday’s game against Binghamton, he urges his team to be focused and take it one game at a time.
Here’s everything else you need to know about the matchup.
The basics
No. 23 UConn vs. Binghamton
Time: Noon ET, Saturday
Place: XL Center
Series: First meeting
TV: FS1
Live stream: Fox sports website.
Radio: UConn Sports Network (Rob Joyce, Ben Darnell). 97.9-ESPN Hartford. WILI-1400-AM (Willimantic). WATR-1320-AM (Waterbury). WAVZ-1300-AM (New Haven). WGCH-1490-AM (Greenwich).
Binghamton (1-2) probable starters, sixth man
John McGriff, G, 6-0, So.; Tyler Bertram, G, 6-3, Jr.; Jacob Falko, G, 6-3, Jr.; George Tinsley, F, 6-6, Jr.; Ogheneyole Akuwovo, C, 6-9, Jr.; Christian Hinckson, G, 6-7, Jr.;
No. 23 UConn (3-0) probable starters, sixth man
R.J. Cole, G, 6-1, GS; Isaiah Whaley, F, 6-9, GS; Tyrese Martin, G/F, 6-6, Sr.; Adama Sanogo, F, 6-9, So.; Andre Jackson, G/F, 6-6, So.; Jalen Gaffney, G, 6-3, Jr.
The matchup
UConn’s offense: Let Sanogo go to work vs. a short Bearcats team. Sanogo is coming off his worst game of the season vs. LIU. He had a season low 11 points on 3-for-7 shooting.
UConn’s defense: Harass the Bearcat guards and force them into committing turnovers. The Bearcats currently average 17.6 turnovers a game.
Binghamton offense: Watch out for sophomores McGriff (14.3 points per game) and Kellen Amos (13.3 points per game).
Binghamton defense: The Bearcats come into the game allowing their first three opponents an average of 73.67 points per game, look for UConn to give them trouble offensively.
UConn key: UConn needs to use its length and defensive versatility to pressure a short Bearcats team.
Players to watch: Hawkins. The freshman made his season debut vs. LIU on Wednesday. His sharpshooting will be pivotal for a team that goes through scoring droughts.
About Binghamton’s coach: Levell Sanders coached five years in the Czech Republic. His teams won at an 84 percent rate and captured bronze medals in the KNBL Czech League three straight years from 2015-18.
Binghamton’s mascot: The Bearcat was chosen in 1999 because it represents “a mythical animal that combines the power and ferocity of a bear with the cunning and quickness of a cat.”
Famous alumni: UFC fighter Jon Jones.
