UConn’s Drummond Finally Impressive
He was finally given the minutes (and stayed out of foul trouble to earn the time), but defending-national champion UConn Huskies have the key piece they need to make another run at a title. Our top ranked frontcourt player in the nation for the 2012 NBA Draft, Andre Drummond, came off the bench against Maine for 27 minutes (nearly as much time as he played for in the first two games combined) to score 11 points, secure 14 rebounds and swat 4 blocks. Previously, Drummond was limited by foul troubles, scoring just 8 points and corralling 9 rebounds against Columbia and Wagner. The end result was a 20-point win over Maine, but the Huskies were up just five at halftime and came out on fire in the second half.
With a dominant performance like Drummond’s, he should move into the starting lineup sometime soon, where he would team up with junior Alex Oriakhi, creating one of the more imposing frontlines in all of the nation for teams to face. Drummond led the team in rebounding en route to a 57-28 rebounding advantage for UConn, but also patrolled the paint with four blocks and several more shots altered.
One concern for scouts is Drummond’s inability to go up strong against some weaker competition around the rim, finishing 5-of-11 from the field against Maine, adding to his 3-of-9 in the two previous games. The hulking 6’11” center also connected on just 1-of-8 free-throw attempts, so in the future, we could see a “hack a Drummond” defensive appeal.
By President Corey Ruff - 11 - 18- 11
