NOTEBOOK: Amaker Opts for Small Lineup against UConn

STORRS, Conn.—When sophomore forward Jonah Travis stepped up to take the jump at the beginning of Friday night’s contest against UConn, he was met at center court by the Huskies center Enosch Wolf, who stands seven inches taller than the Harvard sophomore at 7’1.”

And while Friday marked the Crimson’s second straight game with an undersized starting lineup comprised entirely of players 6’6” and shorter, the UConn post presence proved more challenging than that of the Crimson’s previous opponent, Boston College.

“We needed ball handlers,” said Harvard coach Tommy Amaker about the decision to go small. “You’re not going to be able to overpower this team, so [it was important] for us to have the best ball handlers on the court. That and being on the road, having our most experienced team on the road.”

As has been the case in several of the Crimson’s games so far this season, Harvard (4-4) got off to a slow start against the Huskies (7-2), falling behind 15-2 to start the game.

But although it eventually dropped the non-conference matchup, 57-49—the Crimson’s fourth loss to the perennial powerhouse under Amaker—Harvard made it a three-point game going into halftime and came within one point of UConn four times over the course of the game.

“When you get off to a bad start, things can go south really fast,” Amaker said. “But we dug in there and put ourselves back within striking distance in this game and other games as well.”

A TALL TASK

Despite averaging just 9.8 points per game on the season before the contest against the Crimson, Huskies forward DeAndre Daniels led all scorers with a career-high 23 points—11 points higher than his previous personal high.

“We were concerned with [UConn’s] peripheral play,” Amaker said. “And as fate would have it, Daniels has an outstanding game.”

Daniels was instrumental in UConn’s initial run, dropping eight in the opening 6:44 of play as the Huskies took a commanding 15-2 lead over the Crimson.

At the end of the first half, the UConn sophomore was an impressive six for seven from the field—good for 15 points—with his only miss coming from three-point range.

Daniels—who went a perfect four for four from the foul line—was the only player on his team to shoot above 50 percent from the charity stripe.

In addition to his impact on the scoreboard, Daniels contributed four rebounds and a steal in the win over Harvard, finishing the night shooting 9 of 12 from the field.

“It was a tough matchup for us,” Amaker said. “[Daniels] seems to be a very versatile player. We were hearing…that they wanted more from him, and he certainly looked like he delivered tonight.”

While the Crimson outrebounded the Huskies, 27-20, UConn capitalized on its six offensive boards, converting nine second-chance points to Harvard’s two.

HARD TO GUARD

Before UConn forward Niels Giffey converted a dunk with 9:53 remaining in the second half off of a steal from junior guard Shabazz Napier, just three Huskies had scored in the contest. Daniels, Boatright, and Wolf, who finished the game with 23, 16, and four points, respectively, combined for all 37 of their teams points in the opening 30:07 of play.

Notably missing from the scoring list was Napier himself, who leads the Huskies in scoring with 17.2 points per game. Napier ended up with six points—the first of which came off of a three-pointer with 7:39 to play in the game.

“[Napier] played the game, and the game dictated him to pass it,” UConn coach Kevin Ollie said. “He made some wonderful passes…. I give him a lot of kudos. He came back. But we want him to be aggressive; we want him to shoot.”

The guard found other ways to contribute to his team’s victory, earning a season-high nine assists on the night, as well as a game-high four steals and seven rebounds to his stat line.

“Their guards are terrific, with their quickness, and they’re very explosive,” Amaker said. “You know at any given time, they’re capable of having bunches of buckets…. It doesn’t have to be with actually scoring.”

Harvard’s scoring was much more balanced. Sophomore wing Wesley Saunders led the way with 14 points, and classmate Steve Moundou-Missi scored 10 of his own, as seven Crimson players added points to the Harvard total.

The Crimson’s bench outscored its UConn counterpart, 12-8, on the game.

According to Ollie, limiting the guards’ impact—particularly that of Chambers—was also a focus for his team.

UConn’s strategy proved successful, as Chambers was held to three points just three days after putting up 21 at Boston College.

—Staff writer Catherine E. Coppinger can be reached at ccoppinger@college.harvard.edu.