Can UConn contend without Paige Bueckers?
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On Tuesday, UConn announced that Paige Bueckers underwent successful surgery on her left knee Monday, for the injury she sustained during the final minute of the Huskies’ win over Notre Dame. The surgery corrected a tibial plateau fracture and lateral meniscus tear, and UConn has released a return timeline of approximately eight weeks.
That timeline would mean a mid-February return for Bueckers. (To be exact, February 7th is eight weeks from Monday). Even if Bueckers’ timeline was to be extended a bit, it seems likely she’ll be a part of the NCAA tournament picture for the Huskies.
Still without Bueckers for the foreseeable future, UConn has work to do in building towards March. Arguably Bueckers scoring or assisting on over 50 percent of UConn’s baskets so far this season prior to her injury may also not have been a recipe for success in the postseason. The Huskies needed more production from everyone else, and will certainly need that in the coming weeks as they work on building their tournament resume, to secure the best possible path to Minneapolis. They have a big opportunity to do so in a matchup with No. 6 Louisville on Sunday.
UConn has already played in two games without Bueckers. They are also still without Azzi Fudd and Aubrey Griffin, and lost their primary backup point guard Nika Muhl for approximately three weeks just after Bueckers’ injury. The result? Six pretty ugly quarters of basketball. In that stretch the Huskies dropped a game to Georgia Tech, and struggled against a top-30 UCLA team. Something seemed to click in the second half against the Bruins, however.
The Huskies came out of the locker room Sunday and played a really solid half of basketball to secure the win, avoiding a two game skid in their first week without Bueckers. They got contributions from their full lineup, Ohio State transfer Dorka Juhász played a dominant second half including 13 points and 13 rebounds in just 20 minutes. Caroline Ducharme stepped up in big minutes for the Huskies despite being a freshman. Evina Westbrook, who carried the team in the first half, and Olivia Nelson-Ododa played their roles well. Even Christyn Williams, who struggled throughout the game, seemed to get something going in the final stretch. Overall, the Huskies looked a lot more like they should with the amount of talent they still have despite the injuries.
UConn will look to build on that performance in the second half in their game with Louisville on Sunday afternoon. The Cardinals, regardless of how you feel about the AP poll rankings, are a top 10 team. If the Huskies can emerge from this weekend with a win without Bueckers, Muhl, Fudd and Griffin it bodes very well for the future of this squad until Bueckers’ return. A loss also wouldn’t be a big cause for concern, as long as UConn keeps it close. If the Huskies can look like a top ten team now, with more time under their belt and the return of some of their other pieces, they could look like a part of the top tier even before Bueckers’ return.
Teams to keep an eye on: Maryland
Following a rough run in the Bahamas while shorthanded with multiple injuries, Maryland has regained its footing. The Terps played South Carolina closely on Sunday, and while they did eventually fall to the Gamecocks, they impressed on the court. Maryland typically wins on the offensive end - able to score 80 to 90 points a night, which is enough to takedown most opponents. Against South Carolina, they struggled offensively (unsurprisingly, given how good the Gamecocks are defensively), but were able to make up for it on the defensive end.
Maryland held South Carolina to just 66 points after allowing similar totals from the likes of Longwood, Villanova and UNCW earlier this season. They also allowed 71 points against Purdue in their game before meeting the Gamecocks.
While the Terps’ offensive can carry them far in March, in order to be a true title contender, they’ll need a strong front on both ends of the court. If they can consistently deliver the type of performance they did against the Gamecocks, they should be in the conversation.