SUPER BOWL 2012

The biggest key for UConn to pull off an upset victoryover Syracuse on Saturday night might be the production of its big men, AlexOriakhi and Andre Drummond.

Simply put, when Oriakhi and Drummond are productiveoffensively – particularly Oriakhi – UConn usually plays well. The Huskies are5-3 when Oriakhi scores in double figures this season. They’re 4-1 when bothOriakhi and Drummond score 10 or more.

More to the point, think of UConn’s best overall performancesthis season: 77-40 over Holy Cross (Drummond had a career-high 24, Oriakhi15), 83-69 over St. John’s (Drummond 16), 67-53 at Notre Dame (Oriakhi 12,Drummond 10), 80-54 over DePaul (Drummond 15, Oriakhi 14), 80-60 over Maine(Oriakhi season-high 16, Drummond 11).  

Not all of those foes are powerhouses, of course, butthere’s little doubt that when the two big men play well, UConn usually followssuit. The only game UConn lost in which both Oriakhi and Drummond reacheddouble figures was its 68-63 setback to Central Florida – a game the Huskiesled by 17 early in the second half.

Oriakhi has been playing better lately, hitting doublefigures scoring in four of his last six games (including just his seconddouble-double of the season).

Still, it’s been a disappointing season for the hulkingjunior forward. Why? Many attribute it to Drummond’s presence, and that the twohaven’t learned to play together well. There’s some truth to that.

But UConn assistant coach Glen Miller gives a betterreason why.

“We didn’t run a lot of plays for him last year, either,”Miller pointed out. “His big scoring games were games where he got out intransition, or where players dribble-penetrated into the lane, dumped the balldown to him, he takes a step into it and dunks it.”

In other words, Oriakhi really misses Kemba Walker.

Of course, Oriakhi also did a lot of his scoring offoffensive rebounds a year ago. Not nearly as much this year. That can beattributed in large part to Drummond, who is grabbing a lot of the reboundsOriakhi might have had.

Still, it’s more accurate to say that Oriakhi’sproduction has slipped because of the departure of Kemba Walker rather than theaddition of Andre Drummond.

*** Despite the sellout crowd, the College GameDay atmosphere (Dickie V. in the house!) and the big-time opponent, UConn isn't expected, as of now, to have any visiting recruits at Gampel as of now.