Diarra, small lineup and versatility key UConn blowout of DePaul

Hassan Diarra exults after contributing 14 points to UConn’s decisive win over DePaul Tuesday. (Photo by UConn Men’s Basketball)

By Sam Federman (@Sam_Federman)

STORRS, Conn. — Alex Karaban may have put it best when the UConn sophomore said, “any guy could show up and it can be their game.”

With nine minutes remaining in the first half, Tristen Newton was whistled for a foul in the backcourt. It was his second foul, and with the Huskies ahead by just one point, the remainder of the half would be a great test for UConn’s depth.

By the end of the opening stanza, the reigning national champions held a 19-point lead, and Hassan Diarra provided the jolt. The senior and one-time Texas A&M transfer finished with 14 points, five assists, and five rebounds in 19 minutes as UConn cruised to an 85-56 Big East home victory over DePaul.

“I just want to go out there and be myself, be energetic, whatever the team needs,” the Queens native said. “I’ll make effort plays, be solid on defense, and make winning plays out there.”

It wasn’t just Newton in foul trouble, as Samson Johnson also picked up two fouls in the first half, leaving the Huskies with no options for a traditional five man. UConn went to a small lineup with four guards — Diarra, Cam Spencer, Stephon Castle, and Solo Ball — around Karaban. Diarra’s energy flipped the game, and with a vacated paint, the Huskies were able to attack the basket and create easy buckets. 

With UConn on the run, Diarra lobbed a pass from nearly halfcourt to a leaping Castle, who threw it down and drew the foul. Including that bucket, the Huskies had scored nine points in a row from the paint and free throws. It was at that point that the small lineup became even more lethal, pairing the ability to attack the basket and shoot the three.

“You’re tough to guard when you have so much shooting,” Dan Hurley explained. “We had a lot of opportunities to drive the ball, and with Donovan out, we’re going to have to play some unique lineups.”

The unique lineup continued to cause havoc, with Diarra using a Castle assist to drain a three, displaying a part of his game that has improved drastically this season.

“(Diarra) made some adjustments to his shot in the offseason,” Hurley said. “He decreased some of the arc on his shot because he was shooting with a little bit of a heavy ball. With the triple sessions here this week, some of these guys got a lot of shooting in, and just not having classes freed up a lot of time.”

With three tonight, Diarra has already matched his season total from last year, with seven made triples, and is doing so at a clip 13 percent higher than the previous season.

“We put up a lot of shots this week,” Diarra said. “I stayed consistent with my work in practice all week long, and we were in the gym lifting a lot. Credit to the staff for putting in the time with us, and it really came to fruition today.”

It’s not the defining trait of his game, and never will be, but the extra spacing that is offered when defenses have to worry about the idea of Diarra’s shot is super valuable. Even with the slow start, UConn drained twelve threes and shot 46 percent from beyond the arc, moving the ball with purpose around the perimeter. The Huskies finished with 23 assists on 32 made field goals, turning the ball over just eight times after the first four minutes.

While Newton didn’t find himself on the scoreboard for just the second time in his UConn career, he started the second half with energy, and had seven assists on the night. Castle also chimed in with seven assists, displaying impressive playmaking versatility for the Huskies.

“I’m not smiling because I don’t want to see a national championship point guard have a scoreless night,” Hurley said. “But it does speak to the strength of who we are. A lot of guys beat you, and balance is what creates a successful team. If you can’t win when you’re leading scorer doesn’t play well, you’re not much of a team. The key to our success is balance, it’s not about any one player.”

The Huskies had already gone nine-deep by halftime, with freshmen Jaylin Stewart and Jayden Ross getting on the floor, and that was a point of emphasis for Hurley.

“We were trying to get (Stewart) 12 to 14 minutes tonight,” Hurley said. “But we started badly, so it was tough to get him in within the first eight minutes. You can see the instincts are there, and he’s a really talented player, and he’s going to be a great player here at UConn.”

With Donovan Clingan out, UConn has had to reshape its identity, and it has passed home tests against St. John’s and DePaul, but the treacherous Big East road games still await.

The Huskies know this all too well.