HARTFORD, Conn.- Back in the day, when Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun was laying the foundation for a national basketball program at UConn, someone like Lyman DePriest would step up and show the nation how to guard Shaquille O’Neal. That defensive trademark was passed along to thieves and shot blockers, from Scott Burrell to Emeka Okafor.
Defensive-minded guards, from Kevin Ollie to Ryan Boatright, have sent the message to opponents. So did a warrior named Kevin Freeman, a key player in UConn’s national championship plan against Duke in 1999.
Saturday at the XL Center, a 6-foot-8, 260-pound freshman forward from Miami, Fla., named Rakim Lubin, proved he might be next in line. When Cincinnati’s front line pushed, Lubin said the Huskies could push harder. When the Bearcats were getting under UConn’s skin, Lubin drew the line in the sand and sent the American Athletic Conference rival home with a 62-56 loss to the Huskies.
“He takes a challenge,” Ollie, now UConn’s third-year coach with a national championship ring on his finger. ” I noticed a couple of [Cincinnati] guys out there who were kinda pushing us around. I put Rock in the game, he was like, ‘I got that guy that’s pushing our guys around.’
“You know, I like that. As a coach, I like that – him making the point of saying, ‘I’m gonna stop this guy; he’s not pushing UConn around.’ ”
Rubin picked an excellent time for a statement. UConn had rallied from down four at halftime to take a 52-49 lead with six minutes left in the game. Troy Caupain (14 points) missed a layup to begin the discussion. Caupain grabbed the rebound, setting up a 3-point attempt by Quadri Moore. That missed too and Caupain attempted a tip-in off the rebound That missed as well. But Shaq Thomas grabbed that rebound.
Back in attack mode, Cincinnati’s Kevin Johnson came flying in for the layup attempt. Lubin had seen enough.
“It was a lot of fight in that play,” Lubin said after the game. “We missed like three rebounds, so I just wanted to get a stop or rebound or something. He came right in my way, so I wasn’t having it.”
Lubin’s second blocked shot of the day gave UConn the ball with 5:30 left in the game. Terrence Samuel came away with the defensive rebound, the Huskies executed their half court offense and Ryan Boatright dished to Omar Calhoun for a wide open 3-point attempt that fell through the net and gave UConn a 55-49 lead. Cincinnati never came closer than two points after that.
“That just comes from playing hard and having the biggest heart on the floor,” Lubin said. “I go out there every time knowing I’m going to give my all. I’m not going to let nobody push me around.”
Lubin had played 56 minutes in nine games prior to Saturday. Against the Bearcats, as UConn’s bench made a big contribution, he played 10 minutes, had two rebounds, two points, and two blocks. His teammates had been telling him to keep his head up, work hard in practice and playing time would come.
“I tell him all the time he’s our bruiser,” Boatright said. “He’s got the body we need to be down there banging with those bigs. He’s a little undersized but he’s got a lot of heart. As long as he can learn what he needs to do as far as in the team system, knowing the plays and stuff like that, the more he’ll mean to us.”
Last summer, as the team started to assemble in Storrs, Ollie said Lubin would give UConn “a different look running out of the tunnel.” Ollie commented that he liked Lubin’s “heart” and “confidence.”
“He’s not shy or timid,” Ollie said then. “He has a chip on his shoulder.”
After Saturday’s big play, UConn fans understand that a little better. And the American Athletic Conference may have a better understanding as well.
“All those small things that people miss, I don’t miss,” Ollie said. “Make my job hard; that’s what I want all my players to do. Make me give them minutes. We’re moving in the right direction.”
Maybe Lubin knew this would be his opportunity. After the game, he talked about the physical history between UConn and Cincinnati. And he talked about how the Huskies spend at least two-thirds of their practice time on defense.
“We take pride in our defense,” Lubin said. “I know we’re tougher than what we show at times. I know I can bring that spark and make everybody play as tough as we can be. Putting me in the game was big time right there.
“It feels good to make a big contribution. I can see my time is coming. It’s getting easier.”
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