Drexel’s trust in process, defense has breathed fire into Dragons heading into CAA stretch run

Shane Blakeney (4) has emerged as Drexel’s best defender as Dragons have won six of eight to offset 0-3 start in CAA play. (Photo by Drexel University Athletics)

By Jake Copestick (@JakeCopestick)

PHILADELPHIA — Nobody in the Drexel program panicked when they got off to an 0-3 start in Coastal Athletic Association play.

In the grind of a conference schedule, there’s no time for panic. For Zach Spiker’s crew, there was only time for their process. 

Since the turn of the new year, Drexel is 6-2, with their two losses coming by a combined four points. The Dragons were picked 10th of 13 teams in the CAA preseason poll, and currently sit in a tie for third place. It’s not only their process that got them here, but their ability to defend at a level that very few, if any, teams are playing higher than.

According to Bart Torvik, Drexel owns the best effective field goal percentage defense in the country in 2026, allowing opponents to shoot just 40.5 percent in that regard. On KenPom, Drexel owns the best defense in the CAA through ten conference games. Opponents are shooting just 25.4 percent from three, and 44.6 inside the arc, not only both CAA bests, but far below what the nation’s average is in those respective categories. 

The numbers are nice to have, but that’s not what motivates these Dragons. They’re keen on sticking with their day-to-day process. If they attack that the right way, then the results will follow. They’re much more worried about that than what the metrics say.

“We’re not so much worried about becoming the best defensive team in the nation, but we’re more focused on sticking to our process,” said junior guard Kevon Vanderhorst. “We’re not overly focused on the numbers, but if we stick to our process, we know that we’ll meet those numbers.”

Legendary Philadelphia 76ers play-by-play voice Marc Zumoff had a deep bag of phrases he would say on the game broadcast, where he spent four years next to Malik Rose, his color commentator, a recent Drexel Hall of Famer who was a 2,000-point scorer for the Dragons in the late 1990s. One of Zumoff’s most iconic lines was, “locking all windows and doors,” whenever the Sixers put together a nice defensive possession. 

Even in the blistering cold of January, there are no drafts coming through this Drexel defense as it locks up whoever steps in front of them. 

Since January 1, the Dragons have held three teams to a season-low in points, including giving up just 37 points at home to Stony Brook. It was the least amount of points that Drexel has given up in three years. In its last seven games, in which Drexel has won six, they’ve given up more than 60 points just once.

“It’s a testament to the guys in the locker room, for them to come together and accomplish a common goal,” said assistant coach Will Chavis. “When people come into the gym, we want to shut them down.”

It’s a group that’s still learning each other, but starting to figure things out defensively as it continues to get game reps under its belt.  Experience has been the Dragons’ best teacher, and they’re making progress, but nowhere near a finished product.

“We’ve been getting used to playing with each other defensively,” said Vanderhorst, who had the game-winning layup as time expired in Saturday’s win over North Carolina A&T. “We’re developing that trust to know, this guy has my baseline, this guy has my gap. That’s definitely showing on the court. I’m proud of our guys for the growth that we’ve had, but there’s still a lot of things that we have to hone in on.”

Drexel is sub-300th in the country in Division I experience, according to KenPom. This is a team that had nine guys return from a year ago, some of whom did not play significant minutes. Add in a few transfers that didn’t come from the Division I level in center Martin de Laporterie, who came to Drexel via the junior ccollege route, and one from a Division III school in Eli Beard, and by the numbers, the Dragons appear to be lacking in that department. However, don’t let those figures fool you. Spiker knows his team has more experience and seasoning than what the metrics say.

“We have more veteran voices than what may appear on paper,” he said. “Garfield Turner has seen a few things. Shane Blakeney has been around for a little bit. Victor Panov is a veteran player. The guys embrace the process. We had a hard start to conference play. Let’s stick with it, keep going and stay focused.”

Blakeney draws the opponent’s toughest assignment routinely. Spiker lauds his defensive prowess, and thinks he has all-CAA potential on that end. However, Blakeney will be the first to tell you that he can’t do it alone.

“It’s on our first five guys as much as it is with me,” he said. “If one of us falls short, the other team could get going. As far as defense in general, we’re taking more pride in guarding, knowing the scouting report, and focusing on that each and every possession, but we’re not finishing possessions the way we want to.”

Finishing possessions, and games for that matter, is a point of emphasis for this Drexel team. Drexel has three losses this year, and two in CAA play by three points or less. A possession here, a possession there, and this could be a team with a better record than it has right now. 

“You take the American game, Hofstra game, and Towson game, we’re 15-8 right now,” Chavis said. “Three possessions, and we could be 15-8. That’s how fragile it is. But this group is still hungry to learn and get better. They haven’t packed it in and said we know everything, we’re the best that we can be. That’s where you want to be in February."

Drexel will get two more opportunities this week at Campbell and Elon to keep improving, keep finishing, and keep going by their process as the season’s most critical juncture approaches.

“The learning curve is still there, and we have a lot to improve on,” said Chavis. “But it’s a really rewarding thing when you have a group that cares more about the outcome of the game more than their individual accolades.”

Kevin Willard quote book: Seton Hall

On Malachi Palmer:

“Yeah, I mean, Malachi, he’s been…it’s the reason I wanted him to come here. We saw this a lot starting to develop last year, and he works hard and he’s been practicing great. Him and Matty have been working hard against each other, and I think that’s really helped both of them play at a high level. He’s come in, and I think defensively, he’s playing really well. I know offensively, everybody looks at him, but I think defensively, he gave us a huge lift.”

On Villanova’s run to end the first half:

“Anytime you can get on a run going into halftime against a really good defensive team, it’s important.”

On matching up against Seton Hall:

“I think the biggest thing for us, Jer, is the way we play pick-and-roll coverage. We’re okay with Budd (Clark) shooting jumpers. Our whole game plan was to pretty much take away A.J. (Staton-McCray) and (Tajuan) Simpkins. I thought Simpkins, I thought he’s been a difference maker for them over the last two games, so for us, it’s you have to take away something. You know it’s gonna be a struggle to score, but we’re okay with Budd shooting twos and those guys not going off, because I think A.J. coming off those downscreens is really tough, and I think when Simpkins gets going down to his left hand, he creates, he puts a lot more pressure, gets fouled, gets to the free throw line. So for us, it was like, it also helps us stay at home and rebound by (Clark) taking jump shots. That’s where we’ve struggled a little bit, and I thought I was really proud in the first half. We only gave up two offensive rebounds.”

On Villanova’s rebounding:

“I think that was really the game plan. We talked about transition defense, keeping Budd out of transition, and I think we gave up 16 offensive rebounds in the first game. I love what (Palmer) just said, but it also helps that he rebounds. Whenever he rebounds, he plays well, too. Let’s not forget about it, too. I love the fact you’re doing that, but you’re also rebounding the basketball, which is phenomenal.”

On a comfort level with his depth and rotation:

“The only person I’ve gotta get back into the rotation a little bit more is Chris Jeffrey, just because I think he’s been a difference maker in practice for us right now. He’s changed the level of how we’re practicing just because we have bodies. I’ve just gotta get him back out there and get him a little bit more comfortable because he just gives us a different dimension at the guard spot, just defensively. But yeah, I’m pretty comfortable. I’ve got confidence in all these guys. They all put the work in, so I have confidence in them. We don’t have one guy…(Tyler Perkins is) a little bit of a pain in the ass because he probably works too much. His processor gets burnt out a little bit at times, but I’ve got a lot of confidence in them.”

On his second unit playing together:

“I don’t look at it as reserves or starters. I think that the second unit has really practiced at a very high level. You’re starting to see Braden take a nice little jump, Malachi, all these guys. And I think Chris has really helped them because I’ve had to keep switching Dev and teams, and there was just no consistency. I think right now, we have a lot of consistency in practice, and that’s helping us on the offensive and defensive ends.”

On similarities between Tyler Perkins and Josh Hart:

“Oh, absolutely. I mean, that’s about as big a compliment as I could give, because Josh kicked my ass for four years. Three games a year, I got it from Josh, so absolutely. I think as (Perkins) evolves as a player and realizes…one of the things I loved about Josh is he affected the game at every level and never made a mistake. He was okay not touching the ball for eight, nine possessions. He knew, ‘alright, I’ve got Jalen (Brunson) out here, I’ve got Mikal (Bridges).’ No wonder why I lost so much! But once (Perkins) realizes it’s okay not to touch the ball a little bit, and he can still affect the game at an unbelievable level, that’s what made Josh a pro. Josh affected the game without having to score. But he found ways to score, he found ways to shut down the best defender, the best offensive guy. (Perkins is) starting to figure that out. So yes, that’s about as big a compliment as I can give to somebody, because Josh was not only a phenomenal person — which Tyler is — but just a winner. And Tyler’s a winner.”

On satisfaction with where his team is at:

“Nothing. We’ve got a lot of work to do. February’s not a time to be satisfied, February’s not a time to be…you should be looking at your team right now in February and saying, what do I need to improve? What do I need to fix, what do we have to do? Like, I have to fix our offense a little bit. I’m not satisfied with anything.”

On Seton Hall:

“I love this Seton Hall team. It’s Sha personified. They’re as tough as you can play against, they’re the toughest team we’ve played against all year. Michigan’s a little bit different just because Michigan’s length and athleticism was, I think, a little bit of a shocker to us when we first went against them, I don’t think we were quite ready for that. But this is Sha’s personality. I love it. They’re fun to watch. Sometimes they struggle to shoot, but they — just like Sha a little bit — they never give up. We were up 20, and we’re like, you know they’re gonna make a run. And that tells you how good of a coach he is, and how much they love playing for him.”

On coaching at Finneran Pavilion:

“Get back to me next year, Jer. I say this a lot: This is an unbelievable job. I’m blessed to be the Villanova head coach, I love it. I’m still drinking out of the fire hose, man. I love it, but I think I still have so many bad memories. Every time I walk on the court and I see that V, I get a little shiver just because I think I lost by 37 in here one year, I think it was 26 the year after that. Then, finally, Jay was nice enough to move me down to the Wells Fargo (Center). We beat him, I don’t know what he was thinking, but I’m glad he did. We finally got a W and we never came back here after that, and I kept texting him after every game, like, ‘I love you, you’re just such a nice guy to get me out of this building.’ So it’s great, man. I have a great job, so I’m blessed.”

On Jay Wright:

“I think he’s here just about…he goes right back to Naples (Florida) and plays golf. He’s got the job that we all want one day, eventually.”

“Does anybody have anymore questions? Thank you so much for all your questions!”

Longwood pulls away down stretch to score win at Gardner-Webb

By Jacob Conley (@gwujake)

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — Gardner-Webb held its own against Longwood for long stretches Wednesday, but the visiting Lancers closed out each half well to pull away from the Runnin’ Bulldogs, 86-66.

“Gardner-Webb pushed us,” Longwood coach Ronnie Thomas said. “We knew they would. Our guys stayed focused, buckled down defensively and were able to push the lead back out.”

Longwood started the game on a 9-2 run capped on a three by Alphonzo Billups. Jacob Hogarth ended it with a drive to the basket. The Lancers then got hot from deep with three straight triples. When Billups hit another, the visitors led, 24-9.

Jamias Ferere garnered a rebound and putback and pressure led to a Colin Hawkins steal and layup for Gardner-Webb to cut the deficit to 24-16. Former Lancer DJ Jefferson followed with a three and Spence Sims hit a pair from deep. When the dust settled, GWU had erased the 15-point deficit and the game was tied at 31.

Elijah Tucker scored four in row for Longwood, and Jacoi Hutchinson converted a three-point play as the Lancers pushed their lead back to 44-35 at the half.

The Lancer run continued in the second half, as a hook shot by Tucker gave Longwood a 13-point lead. Jefferson sliced into it with a deep three and by the time he converted a three-point play, the deficit shrank to 52-48.

Elijah Kelly hit a big three for Longwood and Emanuel Richards garnered a midrange jumper. Hogarth converted a three-point play, but Tucker did the same and Hogarth picked up his fourth foul in the process.

With Hogarth out of the game, Longwood took advantage with a series of paint points that saw the lead grow to 72-58. Sims hit a three, but Johan Nziemi did the same for Longwood. The Runnin’ Bulldogs could not make a final push, falling 86-66.

OLD MAN TUCKER: Redshirt senior Elijah Tucker had a big game with 16 points and seven rebounds. The most important stat, however, may be the five fouls he drew against Jacob Hogarth.

“Elijah had a good game,” Thomas said. “But nobody really stood out above the rest. That’s what I want to see. We shared the basketball all game long.”

GWU head coach Jeremy Luther has a different opinion.

“Elijah Tucker was the difference in the game tonight,” he said. “He is probably the best big man in the Big South. Jacob Hogarth is the only guy on our team that could match him. When he got in foul trouble and had to come out, you saw what happened.”

SHOWING SOME FIGHT: Gardner-Webb lost to Longwood by 35 (91-56) in Farmville earlier this season, but this game was much more competitive.

“The final score was not indicative of how close the game really was,” Luther said. “It was four points with around eight minutes left. The difference was, tonight we competed and we played hard. That doesn’t mean everybody played well, but everybody played with effort. I am proud of that. Jamias Ferere really stood out (16 points). He got the start and had a tremendous game. The wins and losses almost don’t matter at this point. Would we like to get a few more wins to sneak up to sixth or seventh? Yes, of course. But just give me effort and compete and I can live with the results, win or lose.”

UP NEXT: Gardner-Webb (3-21) will travel to Clinton, South Carolina to face Presbyterian on Saturday, while Longwood (13-12) will take on a challenge on the road at Big South-leading Winthrop the same afternoon. Both tips are set for 2 p.m.

5 Thoughts: Drought continues for Pirates on Main Line

Budd Clark led Seton Hall with 18 points, but Pirates were unable to end long losing streak at Villanova Wednesday. (Photo by Seton Hall Athletics)

By Jason Guerette (@JPGuerette)

VILLANOVA, Pa. — February of 1994.

Bill Clinton was in his first term in office as President, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective was in theaters, yours truly was three months away from turning four years old, and P.J. Carlesimo’s Seton Hall Pirates earned a 71-59 victory against the Villanova Wildcats at then-DuPont Pavilion.

The Pirates have not won a game on Villanova’s campus since, a drought that continued on Wednesday night following a 72-60 loss at the now-Finneran Pavilion, a missed opportunity for a big resume win for Seton Hall.

Here are the 5 Thoughts from the Main Line:

1. Slow Finish

Poor starts to games have been a major problem for The Hall this season. Head Coach Shaheen Holloway joked (somewhat) after the Pirates beat Marquette on Saturday that it’s not good for his health. Time and again, Seton Hall spots teams a decent lead in the first 10 or so minutes, then has to battle its way back.

The ironic thing about the first half tonight was that Seton Hall got off to a decent start, though it still trailed nearly the entire way. It was how the first half finished that put The Hall behind the 8-ball at the half once again, as Villanova outpaced them, 16-4, in the final five minutes after a Najai Hines layup made it a 24-21 game, taking a 40-25 lead into the break.

“I know it’s a big thing about us, starting games slow,” Holloway said. “I thought we started off (okay), then we came back, and then we were right in it. Then our hands were down, guys start hitting threes, and the next thing you know, they’re up 15. That's the difference when you make shots. They make their threes, we don’t, and that’s what happened tonight.”

The spurt to end the half turned the game on its head, and though the Pirates put together a 9-0 run in the early stages of the second half, and battled throughout the final stanza, it did not make a lasting difference on the scoreboard. The cold spell from deep continued despite some good looks, and the Pirates could not whittle the deficit down inside 10 points.

2. Shredded Three-f

Villanova shoots a lot of threes, and makes about 10 per game on an excellent percentage (36.7) as a team, led by Bryce Lindsay (38 percent on 146 attempts), Devin Askew (46 percent on 87 tries) and Tyler Perkins (36 percent on 105 attempts). 

In the first half, the Pirates got taken to church from beyond the arc, as the Wildcats went 7-for-19 from the outside while making none of their eight attempts as a team. That already eclipsed Seton Hall’s average of a little over six threes allowed per game in conference play.

Many of those were of the catch-and-shoot variety, as Villanova had 12 assists on its 14 total baskets in the first 20 minutes. And they came from many sources. Five different players hit at least one in the first half, including an unexpected hero in Malachi Palmer, who averages 3.2 points per game. He hit a trio of three-pointers off the bench and shot 5-for-7 overall in the game, with his 15 points second only to Perkins’ 18 by the end of the night for the Wildcats.

Seton Hall did a much better job in the second half, holding Villanova to 2-for-10 from deep, one of which was a heavily contested triple by Askew that just happened to go in. But by then, the damage was done.

Inside, naturally, it was the Pirates doing the shredding, nearly doubling up the Wildcats, 38-22, inside the paint. But three-point shots by their very nature are worth more than two-point shots, and the math just doesn't add up there in Seton Hall’s favor. 

It nearly became just the fourth game this year where Seton Hall gave up 10 or more threes. One of the previous three? Against Villanova in Newark in December.

3. Budd’s Back

It was the first time for Seton Hall point guard Budd Clark playing back in his native Philadelphia area, and he did not disappoint the fans in the stands, leading the Pirates with 18 points on 8-for-13 shooting. 

He displayed some of the Philadelphia wiggle to his game, with a reverse-pivot fadeaway in the first half, and a head-fake on a drive in the second that juked a defender out of his shoes and led to a layup. To Clark’s credit, he also didn’t get himself into the kind of foul trouble that has sunk the Pirates in a lot of first halves this year. 

But one of the things Kevin Willard said after the first meeting between the two teams in February is that Villanova wanted Clark to have that kind of a game, and wanted him to be more of a scorer rather than a distributor.

“The biggest thing for us is, the way we play pick-and-roll coverage, we’re okay with Budd shooting jumpers,” Willard said after the game tonight. “Our whole gameplan was pretty much to take away A.J. (Staton-McCray) and (Tajuan) Simpkins. I thought (Simpkins) has been a difference maker for them over the last two games. So for us, you have to take away something, and we’re okay with Budd shooting twos.”

As a result, the Pirates had just nine assists as a team versus 10 turnovers, with three and four of those, respectively, coming from Clark. He was the lone Pirate in double figures, as aside from a couple bursts from A.J. Staton-McCray (eight points, eight rebounds), there weren’t really any other Pirates to get involved.

“Tonight, I thought he was dribbling too much,” Holloway said. “He scored for us — somebody had to score for us — but I thought he dribbled a little too much. But that comes from trying to make things happen because nobody else was really doing anything, so that’s part of it.”

4. Back in Black

Seton Hall came out in black uniforms tonight for its first trip to Villanova with Kevin Willard as the head coach of the Wildcats, which has some historical significance to it. Willard’s first-ever game as Seton Hall head coach also was in the Philadelphia area at Temple in 2010, and the Pirates wore black uniforms for the first time in a couple years for that game. 

Since then, Seton Hall has toyed with the uniforms in several different player eras, but the thing is, they’ve never been successful in them. I don’t have the stat in front of me, but the Pirates just don’t play well in black, and it’s probably time to leave it by the wayside. Black isn’t part of the official color scheme like grey is, and The Hall looks darn good when it wears those "The Hall" alternates. 

Plus, I’m always partial to teams wearing their primary dark color on the road and white at home. In this scribe’s humble opinion, that’s what the Pirates should do.

5. Missed Opportunity

Bracketology-wise, this isn’t a backbreaking loss for the Pirates, certainly not when you consider the historical drought and how badly The Hall has lost here pretty consistently over the years. This wasn’t a true outclassing-style blowout, as even when they were down 20, the Pirates battled back and made it a ballgame again.

But the remaining schedule only contains two more opportunities against slam-dunk NCAA Tournament teams, and one of those is at UConn, which is a tall task indeed. The other is at home against a resurgent St. John’s team, which isn’t much easier. 

At the moment, Seton Hall’s resume by most prognosticators is squarely on the bubble, and that’s assuming the Pirates don’t suffer a bad loss. Their next game is Saturday in Omaha against Creighton, a team they beat in Newark by two points on January 4. They’ll have a quick turnaround to prep for the Bluejays, who historically shoot the three-ball well also.

Just like when the halftime buzzer sounded tonight, Seton Hall has more work to do to be where it wants to be. For now, the long winless streak outside the City of Brotherly Love continues.

Sha Sounds Off: Villanova

On where the game got away from Seton Hall:

“I think the last five minutes of the first half. The kid (Malachi) Palmer started making some threes, and we weren’t contesting threes. I think they made seven in the first half, I think that was the difference in the first half and then I thought we fought hard to come back. We just couldn’t make shots, which is crazy.”

On open looks from the perimeter:

“You think? You think? We had open looks, but we gotta make them. The guys work hard on it every day shooting. Someday it’s gonna pay off for us. It’s not like they’re not trying, they’re definitely trying. We’re just not making them. I run good sets now, thanks. People said I can’t run an offense. I know you didn’t, Jerry. It’s tough. It’s frustrating because like I said, it’s not like they’re not trying or putting the effort in. They put a lot of time in shooting.”

On A.J. Staton-McCray rebounding:

“He got eight rebounds, but my two bigs and the three power forwards combined for six. They’re big, he gets 10 by himself, so that’s the difference. And they got 13 offensive rebounds.”

On how Villanova looked on film:

“They’re a good team. Different guys are playing better for them now. Early on, (Bryce) Lindsay was playing really well, now the kid (Devin) Askew is playing really well, and (Tyler) Perkins is just the glue on their team, he’s really solid. But the kid Palmer had a great night tonight, and I thought that was the difference in the game.”

On Budd Clark:

“I thought tonight, I thought dribbled a little too much. He played well, he scored for us. Somebody had to score, he was scoring for us but I thought he was dribbling a little too much. That comes with trying to make things happen because nobody else is doing anything, so that’s gonna be part of it. We just gotta get back and watch film…we can’t do much tomorrow because we get back late, we get one day to prepare for a good Creighton team. This was a big game for us, make no mistake about it. It’s a big game, big two-game stretch for us, so we gotta get back and it’s gonna sting. I want this to sting, and then tomorrow when we do our walkthrough, we gotta concentrate on Creighton.”

On Seton Hall’s second-half counterpunch:

“I don’t know, man. I know that’s a big thing about us starting off games slow. I thought we started off, then we came back and we were right in it. One of the timeouts, it was 24 or 26 to like, 21, and our hands were down and guys were hitting threes. The next thing you know, they’re up 15, and that’s the difference when you’re making shots. They make their threes, we don’t, and that’s what happened tonight. They made theirs, seven in the first half, and you’re fighting from behind.”

On Seton Hall’s rebounding issues:

“Tonight or in general? Because it’s gotta be tonight. Because normally, we outrebound people. I don’t know. It’s something we gotta watch. It could be when you miss 17 threes, it could be. But not only threes, we missed a lot of layups, too. But we did a good job in the second half of limiting their threes, so we should have had more rebounds.”

On starting lineups:

“Are you really starting that now? That’s a thing that these guys are doing. See what you started?”

“You know what? It’s just a feel for the game. It’s just a feel for how things are going. If you follow me, you know I’m not a big believer in changing things around unless it’s necessary. I just thought that I wanted to get Twin going…that’s TJ Simpkins, I wanted to get him going. He had a slow first half, so I wanted to get him going. He just never could pick it up, and then I wanted to see if we could get Najai back to the basket and get some easy layups. That didn’t work either.”

On Najai Hines:

“He’s a freshman playing in this league, and he’s learning. You’re playing against one of the better bigs in the league, and you gotta give Villanova a lot of credit. That’s a good team, man. It’s a good team, very well-coached, good players. But we gotta play better than this, though.”

On defending the three in the second half:

“An adjustment thing, for sure. We watched it at halftime, and it’s the difference in the first half. I wanted to get some easy buckets off our defense, and I thought we started off and we started doing it, but they came back scoring, then we made a late run and we just couldn’t get over the hump. I mean, we had some really good looks from three, some really good looks that I thought if we could have hit those shots, it could have been a momentum changer for us. But we just couldn’t knock them down.”

On Villanova:

“They could shoot the basketball, they’ve got tough guards. The kid Perkins, for him to be a junior, man? He’s a grown man. He plays bigger than his size. Obviously the big kid (Duke Brennan) kills you rebounding, but when you hit 10, 11 threes a game, you’re gonna be in every game. I think that’s the difference with them and a lot of teams in our league, they could shoot the ball really well.”

Mullins’ rain continuing to harvest as UConn reaps rewards entering February

Braylon Mullins showed off ability to finish above the rim Tuesday, continuing to expand his game since returning from concussion as UConn rolls into February. (Photo by Jessica Hill/Associated Press)

HARTFORD, Conn. — If a five-tool prospect were measured in college basketball the way baseball’s young talent is equated, there is more than a fair chance that that label would be bestowed upon Braylon Mullins.

Such is the limitless potential and lack of a weakness among the Indiana native that it seems as though he finds something new to impress fans with on an everyday basis.

UConn’s latest freshman sensation did that again Tuesday, getting on the board first with a three-pointer just past the first minute of play and building on that to help spark a 92-60 runaway over Xavier. Mullins scored 10 of his 13 points before the first media timeout as his third-ranked Huskies won their 18th consecutive game.

“I think he’s just getting started,” head coach Dan Hurley insisted. “Braylon is such a down-to-earth kid and just such a sweet kid and a focused kid. He has such a small circle, he’s not on social media, and he doesn’t have a million people in his ear and his family’s ear. That’s what tells me the guy is…I think he’s just gonna keep surging.”

Mullins has displayed a recovery as quick as his mastery of the freshman learning curve as well. After suffering a concussion in the second half of UConn’s January 24 win over Villanova, he missed the Huskies’ next game against Providence, then returned Saturday at Creighton and scored a team-leading 16 points. And even if his scoring is compromised by the balance and myriad of options in UConn’s arsenal, it serves as a bolder underscore of his importance to the unit as a whole.

“That just goes to show how tough and how much of a competitor Braylon really is,” Tarris Reed, Jr. said when assessing Mullins’ performance since rejoining the lineup. “That guy’s a warrior, he’s a dog. He’s one of the best freshmen, if not THE best freshman, in the country. So I feel like having a player like that on our team is such an honor. He’s a warrior, he works his tail off every day, (he’s) in the gym every day. All respect and credit to him.”

Already drawing plaudits from his teammates and coaches alike for his shooting and improved defense, Mullins showcased a new piece of his repertoire Tuesday. The rookie flushed a pair of dunks in the opening minutes during UConn’s 14-2 run to start the contest, adding to his burgeoning skill set and — as NBC Sports’ John Fanta noted during Tuesday’s telecast — rolling some thunder to complement the “bringer of rain” nickname given by his coach.

“I’m excited to see the above-the-rim stuff,” an enthusiastic Hurley gushed. “Like, him out in transition, getting on the rim. I think you’re gonna see this guy on the rim a lot more, mixed in with bomb threes, a great pull-up game, a clever passer. And the guy guards. I think you’re gonna see even more dynamic nights from him.”

Demary’s omission from Cousy Award watch list does not obscure his value or importance to UConn entering regular season stretch drive

Silas Demary, Jr. may not have made midseason Top 10 watch list for Bob Cousy Award, but UConn point guard is still indispensable to Huskies’ offense amid 22-1 start. (Photo by Yahoo Sports)

HARTFORD, Conn. — After Silas Demary, Jr. turned in yet another stellar performance at the helm of UConn’s offense in a commanding win, Dan Hurley — as the coach is wont to do when he feels his players are not getting the respect they deserve — took to the pulpit.

When informed that Demary did not make the midseason watch list for the Bob Cousy Award, given annually to the country’s best point guard, the coach made an impassioned defense of his floor general.

“I really am not aware, but now I’m aware,” Hurley said. “I don’t know who’s on there, there’s obviously a lot of deserving players. But we’re one of the best teams in the country this year. We’ve played to it. Obviously, our resume says what our resume says.”

“(Demary’s) played at an incredibly high level. I guess what hurts our players in these types of situations is the balance. I guess there’s ten point guards better than him?”

Hurley has overseen one of his point guards earn the Cousy Award in the past, as it was bestowed upon Tristen Newton in 2024 shortly before UConn defended its national championship. Ironically, Demary has drawn comparisons to Newton in his first year as a Husky, particularly for his two-way play and full-court defense.

“I think the most important thing with Silas is he’s the quarterback of a team that’s got a chance to win some things this year,” Hurley continued. “He’s playing his way into becoming an NBA player. So yeah, I don’t know. Right now, I know he’s getting the attention of a lot of NBA teams, and again, I don’t know the other ten players and I’m not gonna take shots at them. But yeah, that’s bullshit. That’s just total bullshit.”

Demary, who led the Huskies with 17 points and eight assists in Tuesday’s 92-60 win over Xavier, downplayed the significance of the honor. Instead, he remains focused on the bigger picture and task at hand as UConn, ranked third in the country at 22-1 and winners of 18 straight games, prepares for its next challenge Friday at St. John’s.

“That didn’t really drive my day,” he said of whether the perceived snub played into his effort. “That’s an individual award and that’s something I’m not really worried about. I think the end goal is winning the national championship, and I think if I can come here and just do what I need to do with my teammates, and we play hard every night, that everything else will take care of itself. Those individual awards, I’m not too worried about. I’m more of a team guy, so it wasn’t really a problem. Just another day in the office.”

Demary has commented recently on regaining his own confidence, but on Tuesday, revealed a greater satisfaction in seeing his teammates win their confidence back, citing a responsibility to get everyone involved from his point guard spot.

“It’s a lot of fun to see those guys hit those shots and me delivering that pass,” he gushed. “Sometimes getting an assist, I get way more joy than scoring the ball. To set those guys up and see them make those shots, just to see them gain that confidence more and more throughout the game is a lot of fun, and I enjoy doing it.”

“I just think it takes a player time,” Hurley said of Demary’s evolution. “He’s the quarterback of a very talented team with a lot of weapons out there. It’s not easy to figure out how to get your own, how to shoot, score, create, get to the rim, get your own, but then also get Braylon (Mullins) shots, get Solo (Ball) enough shots, get Alex (Karaban) enough shots, get the centers the ball, get the guys off the bench shots. It’s not easy to be the quarterback of a team that has got the type of guys we have on offense.”

“So it’s taken him time to figure out, but while he’s done that, he’s changed our defense completely. He’s been just this incredible ball hawk.”

The growth is a two-way street, says Demary, who credits the patience his teammates have had with him as he adapts for forging the strong relationship on and off the floor while UConn chases a third national championship in four seasons.

“It’s a testament to us just being able to gel,” he said. “And I think those guys already being here and then them welcoming me, and going through the ups and downs with me struggling, I think that’s what makes our bond and our team who we are.”

UConn picks up where it leaves off in overpowering W over Xavier

 

Silas Demary, Jr. led UConn with 17 points and eight assists as Huskies completed season sweep of Xavier. (Photo by Jessica Hill/Associated Press)

HARTFORD, Conn. — UConn dropped a spot in the Top 25 this week even after its most convincing performance to date in conference play.

It responded by raising its offense and intensity another level just 72 hours later.

Only three days removed from a 27-point evisceration of Creighton, the Huskies took any frustrations stemming from falling to No. 3 in the polls out on Xavier Tuesday, crushing the Musketeers from start to finish in a 92-60 thrashing to complete a season sweep of the Cincinnati-based program.

“I just feel like the team is starting to figure out how to play more bulletproof basketball,” head coach Dan Hurley remarked after UConn remained unbeaten in Big East Conference play and won its 18th consecutive game. “I just thought we played at such a great level. Obviously, the short turnaround, the travel back from Creighton, getting in at 5 a.m. on Sunday and then kind of doing the best we could with prep on Sunday when everyone is kind of sleep-deprived, I just thought that the group showed just a high level of class by playing at such a high level on both ends.”

UConn (22-1, 12-0 Big East) never trailed Tuesday, as a Braylon Mullins three just 67 seconds into the contest served as the first points in a seismic rout. The Huskies opened the game on a 10-0 run, forcing Xavier head coach Richard Pitino to call a timeout as the Musketeers were unable to effectively contain a lineup that placed five players in double figures and came one point each from having Solo Ball and Alex Karaban join that group as well.

The hosts poured it on from there, eventually opening up their largest halftime lead in conference play at the end of the opening stanza, when UConn took a 50-22 lead into the locker room. Xavier would briefly show flashes of getting closer, including early in the second half when Hurley unsuccessfully challenged an out of bounds call and then saw Malachi Smith get called for a flagrant foul, but the Huskies slammed the door shortly thereafter.

“Worst case scenario,” Hurley quipped when asked about the challenge and its aftermath. “I didn’t know that was possible. I gotta go see the clip. It was just universal, though. It was clearly not off of Malachi, but to lose the challenge and (have) it become a flagrant, it was like, oh my God. I didn’t know that was possible.”

What was possible, though, following the Creighton game, was the belief that UConn would become more adept at piecing together a complete game. Silas Demary, Jr. hinted at that in Omaha this past Saturday, saying it would not be long before the Huskies put forth efforts of that nature on a consistent basis. The point guard was proven prophetic the next time he took the floor, leading the way toward a full 40-minute takedown with 17 points and eight assists.

The Georgia transfer has unlocked his outside shot in addition to his two-way play, and credited a veteran influence for helping him be more selective and efficient with his opportunities.

“Just talking with the coaches and (Karaban) just helping me figure out where I can be effective in the offense,” Demary said. “Over the past couple weeks, I think I’ve been able to just pick and choose my spots the right way, and I think it’s helping us because now I feel like I’m a threat on the three-point line. Now, teams have to guard us a different way. Towards the beginning of the year, people were going under and I think last year, I shot a good percentage. So it was just getting my confidence back, and then just being able to pick and choose the spots where I could let it fly.”

Besides Demary, the interior tandem of Tarris Reed, Jr. and Eric Reibe each tallied 14 points, combining for 15 rebounds between them. Mullins added 13, with 10 of those markers coming in UConn’s 14-2 salvo to start the game. Jayden Ross was the Huskies’ other double-digit scorer, accounting for 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting.

UConn’s next contest is the much-anticipated encounter with fellow Big East favorite St. John’s inside Madison Square Garden on Friday, an opponent the Huskies have pledged to treat no differently than any of those who have come before the Red Storm. But no matter who awaits, or what is placed in front of his team, Hurley sees a clearer vision of what can be when firing on all cylinders.

“I think this is who we believe we can be, who we think we are,” he said. “When you look at Alex Karaban and Braylon Mullins, and Solo Ball and Silas Demary, and J-Ross off the bench and Jaylin Stewart, we’ve got guys that can make shots and firepower. We’ve got two centers that can rotate in and out and be as good as, or better than, any two-center tandem in the league, we’ve got an excellent backup point guard in Malachi Smith. Sometimes it just takes you a while to get there.”

Askew, Perkins shepherd Villanova’s overhaul and resurgence in Willard’s maiden voyage on Main Line

Devin Askew has shot Villanova firmly into NCAA Tournament conversation as senior’s veteran presence has steered Wildcats. (Photo by the Big East Conference)

By Jake Copestick (@JakeCopestick)

VILLANOVA, Pa. — Devin Askew has 131 college games under his belt for a coach to evaluate from and see what he has in the sixth-year guard.

That is enough of a sample size for Kevin Willard to look at and see how Askew can fit into what he wants to do on the court, but it wasn’t until Askew visited Villanova that Willard really knew what he had.

“When you go into the portal, you have to really evaluate, watch film, and see what he has,” Willard said. “When (Askew) was on his visit, I think the best part about it is I just loved his maturity. He’s a terrific, terrific person. I think he’s getting rewarded for being a hard worker and a terrific person.”

Askew was rewarded handsomely Friday, as he poured in a team-high 20 points, 17 of which came in the first half in an 87-73 win over Providence. Villanova, now 16-5 overall, and 7-3 in Big East play, has benefited from the play of the sixth-year senior, and will need Askew to continue to keep up his play as the Wildcats look to break a three-year drought from hearing their name called on Selection Sunday. 

Askew’s maturity and veteran presence is big on a Villanova team that starts a freshman in star point guard Acaden Lewis, and a redshirt sophomore in Bryce Lindsay. That duo gets a lot of the attention, and rightfully so. However, it is the elder statesman in Askew that is playing his best basketball of the season, now that he is fully healed from a knee injury suffered in the preseason.

Having scored 20 or more points in four of the last six games, shooting over 50 percent from three-point range in that span, Askew is the second-best long-distance shooter in the Big East, and a Top 40 shooter nationally from deep. Now that he is fully healthy, he is turning it on at the right time.

“I’m trying to get Devin to play off of his strengths ever since he’s now at full strength,” said Willard. “He can shoot, he can score. He had a really bad injury, then missed two months. What I’m trying to get Devin to do is play off of his strengths more to start, and just go off that. I think he’s starting to realize how good of a shooter and a scorer he is, how much pressure he can put on defenses, and then he can play off of that. Two months of not playing or practicing, especially in September and October, he missed the two most important months as you’re trying to learn a new system, new offense, then get thrown into the fire. It’s just taken a little bit of time.”

Askew drained four threes in the first half Friday, and made all three of his free throws after being fouled on another attempt. His 17 points in the first half were the difference, as Villanova led by as many points, 45-28 at halftime. 

“I got a really good coach, who lets me let it fly,” said Askew.

“Good answer,” quipped Willard, sitting next to him in the media room.

Askew led Villanova in scoring in the first half, and it was another veteran player in junior Tyler Perkins that paced the Wildcats with 12 points in the second half, and was just behind Askew with 19 points for the whole game. 

Perkins is the lone Wildcat that played major minutes a season ago to stay with the program amidst the coaching change. Willard has lauded the energy that the Penn transfer has given the team all year, and is seeing Perkins get comfortable playing the way he wants, a far cry from the style he played under Kyle Neptune a season ago. 

“I think Perkins is even getting a little bit more confidence and a little bit more comfortable with a totally different style than he played previously,” said Willard.

Perkins, the team's second-leading scorer at just over 12 points per game, is a great connector for Villanova, providing shooting, rebounding, defending and versatility. He does a lot of things that translate to winning besides scoring, but is starting to really heat up in that area. Perkins has now scored 15 or more points in five straight games after his 19-point outing in Friday’s win.

As Perkins continues to build confidence as he gets more game reps in Willard’s style of play, and Askew figures to be at full strength health-wise, it's Villanova’s veteran players that are hitting their stride as March beckons at the next turn of the calendar. 

“Some of the early mistakes that we made, I think we’re learning from them,” Willard said. “I think we’re doing some better things offensively. I think these guys are getting more comfortable offensively.”