UConn Basketball: 5 Burning Questions for Defending National Champs

Kemba Walker’s performance in leading UConn to the national title will go down in NCAA tournament history, but Walker won’t be back in Storrs this season. For the Huskies team that remains, defending the championship without their best player will be no easy task.

Erstwhile freshman stars Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier will be thrown into the spotlight with Walker no longer grabbing attention in the backcourt. Up front, uber recruit Andre Drummond has become the most talked-about forward on the roster, but is he ready to make an immediate impact?

Herein, a look at the five most important questions that will determine the Huskies’ chances of cutting down the nets again next March.

5. How Quickly Will Andre Drummond Become a Force?

The biggest news of the offseason for the Huskies was the surprise acquisition of Andre Drummond.

The 6’11” freshman wasn’t expected to enter college until next season, but his arrival in Storrs had the feel of the last piece of the championship-defense puzzle for the Huskies.

Drummond—who will start the season wearing a mask to protect a broken nose suffered in practice—is a virtual lock to be a college star, but will he be hampered early on by exorbitant expectations?

Luckily for the Huskies, even if Drummond doesn’t reach an all-conference level this season, being a strong second option to pair with veteran Alex Oriakhi should be enough of a contribution for Drummond to keep this team in the national title hunt.

4. How Good Can Jeremy Lamb Be?

Jeremy Lamb flourished as a freshman alongside Kemba Walker, scoring 10.3 points a game while playing terrific defense and pulling down an impressive 4.4 boards a night.

As the offense adjusts to Walker’s absence, though, the 6’5” Lamb will be asked to shoulder a much bigger load.

Lamb’s impressive debut has gotten him some All-America buzz, and that may well be justified, but whether he’ll reach that level this season remains to be seen.

He’s got all the tools, but he’s not going to sneak up on anybody this year, and succeeding with a bulls-eye on one’s chest is a very different challenge from playing a supporting role to a star like Walker.

3. Do the Huskies Have Enough Depth for the Big East Grind?

There is no league in the country with the physicality of the Big East, where conference play becomes a war of attrition as much as a test of basketball skill.

Facing that kind of night-in, night-out grind will take its toll on a UConn bench that starts the season with a slew of question marks.

Will Ryan Boatright be ruled ineligible, depriving Jim Calhoun of his best backup at the point? Will injuries to three post players (Andre Drummond, Enosch Wolf and Michael Bradley) have the Huskies’ rotation out of sync as the season begins?

If the reserves aren’t up to snuff by the time conference play starts, stars like Shabazz Napier and Alex Oriakhi could wear down before the postseason even arrives.

2. Will Alex Oriakhi Step Up on Offense?

In an outstanding sophomore season, Alex Oriakhi averaged 8.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks a game as the heart of a UConn defense that helped turn the national title game into perhaps the ugliest win in school history.

The Huskies’ chances of another championship run, ugly or otherwise, will improve greatly if Oriakhi can take his game to the next level on the other end of the floor.

UConn’s success last season came in spite of their lack of any serious scoring threat in the low post, as Oriakhi’s 9.6 points per game (a team high for a forward) came largely on put-backs or Kemba Walker dishes.

Freshman Andre Drummond is likely the long-term answer, but for this season, Oriakhi needs to provide an increased presence on the block to help alleviate the loss of Walker’s scoring and playmaking.

1. Is Shabazz Napier Ready to Lead a Title Contender?

Shabazz Napier’s performance as a freshman left no doubt as to his immense talent. Even toiling in Kemba Walker’s very large shadow, Napier averaged 8.3 points, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals a night for the 2010-11 champs.

With Walker gone, though, there is no safety net for Napier, who must be not merely good but outstanding if UConn is to defend its title.

He’s looked brilliant in exhibition play, but until he proves himself against the gauntlet of Big East point guards—Scoop Jardine, Maalik Wayns, Peyton Siva—there’ll be no knowing whether he can provide the kind of leadership and late-game magic that this offense needs to make another deep run in March.