The 2013-14 Connecticut Huskies seem to be all about Shabazz Napier. He's carried them through the NCAA Tournament and into the Final Four. He's hit the big shots, said the right things on and off the court and is the unquestioned leader of the team.
The rise of DeAndre Daniels fuels UConn’s tournament run
Shabazz Napier has gotten most of the credit this year, with Ryan Boatright having his moments as well, but DeAndre Daniels has turned into a matchup nightmare in the NCAA Tournament.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
No question, the Huskies wouldn’t be in Dallas without him.
They also wouldn't be in Dallas without forward DeAndre Daniels.
Power rankings
If you’ve followed the Huskies through the last few seasons, you’ve seen Daniels’ potential. You saw the way he finished last year, averaging over 21 points and nine rebounds over his last four games.
You also saw the other DeAndre Daniels emerge as this season got underway. The Daniels who couldn’t buy a jump shot, but kept taking them anyway, ignoring his own astounding athletic ability. The one who would dominate one game, then disappear the next.
For now, that Daniels is gone. It’s been the dominant Daniels who has played a critical role in bringing the Huskies to the Final Four.
He scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against Iowa State in the Sweet 16. 19 of those points came in the second half as the Cyclones were trying to mount a comeback against the Huskies, who had led from the start. Daniels made his first six shots of that second half and was the only Husky to hit a field goal for a stretch of nearly nine minutes.
No Napier, no Boatright. Just Daniels to keep the Huskies afloat.
Perhaps his former coach, Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun, put it best when speaking to ESPN this week:
“I told him the other day, ‘Hey, people aren’t paying much attention to you,‘” Calhoun said. “He said, ‘After Saturday, they will.’ That’s un-DeAndre-like. He doesn’t say things like that. It’s a big step in the right direction. I want him to believe in DeAndre. He’s really good.”
Last weekend in two games at Madison Square Garden, that seemed to be the case. Overall, Daniels shot 14-25. More than just having confidence in himself, it showed that his teammates had confidence in him. They were looking for him, and Daniels was putting himself in position to be successful -- something he has not always done.
Final Four
Against Michigan State in the Elite Eight, he converted the three-point play to put the Huskies ahead for good. On the other end, he limited Branden Dawson to just three field goal attempts, only two days after Dawson scored 24 against Virginia. Daniels' length and athleticism makes him tough to score against, no matter what position he's guarding. He can overwhelm an undersized forward or disrupt and box out the biggest bigs.
The Huskies beat a talented Michigan State team to reach the Final Four -- a team some were even picking to win the National Championship. But going up against Florida could be a whole other beast for Daniels and the Huskies. The Gators haven’t lost since Dec. 2 when (fittingly) UConn beat them. Daniels will likely have the challenge of guarding 6’8, 230-pound Will Yeguete. It’s not an easy matchup for Daniels, who despite being an inch taller is also 35 pounds lighter. Then again, Daniels himself doesn’t seem to be an easy matchup for any opponent right now.
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