BBALLBREAKDOWN v.2 | Page 53

Cornell. Gibbs will be a temporary stop-gap as a primary ball-handler, but he can also play off the ball. He takes care of possessions with a 26 percent assist rate and just a 14.8 percent turnover ratio. Off the ball, he can be a knock-down shooter, connecting on 43 percent of his 3-point attempts last year. Miller will have to adjust to a higher level of competition on a nightly basis, but the Ivy League All-Conference First Team player will fit in nicely beside Brimah in the frontcourt. need to see a major jump in scoring efficiency for Connecticut to stay ranked throughout the season. The 7-foot Brimah is their best draft prospect and a monster defensively. He blocks 15 percent of opponents’ shots when he is on the floor, according to KenPom— second most in the country. While they feed him in the post, he isn’t a polished player with his back to the basket, and his best offense consists of offensive rebound putbacks and dunks off dump-off passes. If Purvis and Hamilton can lead the offense, Brimah can focus on simply being a shutdown rim protector. The Huskies scored a major coup by landing two graduate transfers in Sterling Gibbs from Seton Hall, and Shonn Miller from He dominated the defensive glass, posting the sixth highest defensive rebounding percentage at 28.2 percent. Miller is only 6-foot7, so some of this may have been taking advantage of the smaller Ivy League competition, and he will need to prove his skills translate to the American Athletic Conference. Brimah isn’t a great defensive rebounder, making Miller’s contributions here that much more critical to his amount of playing time. Both graduate transfers should be thrown in the mix right away, and Ollie will rely on them to fill roles and provide veteran leadership. “Connecticut may not have the highest level of talent, but their seniority could drive them back to another NCAA Tournament.” A veteran team, Connecticut may not have the highest level of talent, but their seniority could drive them back to another NCAA tournament. They will sport five key contributors who will be at least 22 at some point during the season, giving them a big advantage physically. If they can share the ball and find a way to score efficiently on a consistent basis, they should be in the running for the conference title in the AAC. Photo: David Butler II - USA TODAY Sports BBALLBREAKDOWN | 53