Think back to March 17, the night the UConn men's basketball season blew up in Buffalo with a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to New Mexico State.
The difference was seven points and we'll never know the difference Jordan Hawkins could have made if he hadn't been sitting while recovering from a concussion. If true, how many 3 throws can he make without breaking a sweat?
"Oh, that hurts," Hawkins said after giving the audience a full performance at last week's Blue and White practice session. “There is a lot of pain there, especially sitting on the sidelines and watching the guys play. It really hurts like we lost the Big East Championship and the NCAA tournament, I never wanted to feel that again and will continue to do so this season.
Hawkins, now a sophomore, has been impressive in UConn's behind-closed-doors games against Harvard and Virginia, we're told. He scored 14 points for his teammates in the first 10 minutes of Blue and White training. He moves effortlessly, moves like an NBA player. Soft basket shot, soft jump shot, medium and three point shot.
It's been a smooth ride UConn fans only got a glimpse of last season as Hawkins missed part of pre-season and the first two games due to an ankle injury. On his return, he spent an average of 14.7 minutes per game until he suffered a concussion on March 8 at Creighton and missed the post-season.
Now he wants to keep showing what he's really capable of, starting with the Huskies' match against Stonehill Monday night at XL Center.
"I was excited," Hawkins said. "I just want to do everything for this university that has given me so much. Give it back with fairness"
Hawkins' raw talent is a huge piece of this complex UConn puzzle, and bringing it all together is a pivotal moment for the UConn men's basketball program. During its first four seasons, coach Dan Hurley rebuilt a ruined culture, guiding the program to three consecutive seasons and returning it to the NCAA Championship. The pandemic has hampered progress and led to casualties, and some recruits never became what they were meant to be or were relocated. But the bottom line is Law 64 should be UConn's starting point, not the finish line, and everyone on the show feels the need to break that barrier by the end of the season.
This cap can only be broken one blow at a time to warm up for the Husky's main campaign earlier in the season.
They're hoping to break through with a slew of transfers and newcomers taking on roles around the middle triangle of Andre Jackson, Nar, Adam Sanog, Strength, and Hawkins, Calm, Agility.
“Jordan is ready to play, he is ready to shoot,” Hurley said. “There is a pedigree. We think he is confident of signing. Our eyes in training last year tell us when he has days when he is the best goalkeeper on the pitch, maybe not always. He will have days when he is.” He becomes a great player with good players around him. We trust our eyes, we trust our ability to develop players and he produces. I'm not worried about what this year will bring us."
The 511-year-old, 195-year-old Hawkins joined UConn from DeMatha Catholic, a permanent national force in the capital. As such, the responsibility that comes with playing in a winning program is nothing new to him. He hoped that he would be punished for being so tall that he did not feel like a part of his uniform.
“I believe in myself that people believe in me,” Hawkins said. “Coach Hurley has prepared me for this and will continue to prepare me. And I am ready for it. I am ready for the challenge, I have never held back in my life.”
Ending his first March frenzy with a concussion was especially difficult for the eighth-grader who played most of the game with a sore wrist, only to realize later that it was broken. What he learned about himself that day prompted him to keep returning to the gym to become the player UConn wants to be today.
"I've gotten better every day since the end of the season," Hawkins said. “Since recovering from a concussion, I have been going back to the gym every day. ...I have been locked up all summer.”
Jackson missed the first few games with a broken finger. Sanuga will be there, strong and solid. Hawkins had to find and create his shot and he became a scoring threat. Hurley said he's more interested in finding a second perimeter scorer early in the season. Hawkins scored 46.3 percent from a 3-point range in his final year at DeMatha, but 33.3 percent in his first year at UConn. Practically speaking, he at least showed he's not afraid to do three seconds in traffic, move around and be able to get by.
Getting the season everyone wants and expects will be the most rewarding part.
“My shot has always been my superpower,” Hawkins said. "Last year it didn't go down. So I need to go to the gym more, do more reps and build confidence, and that's the most important thing about shooting. I feel great, I feel confident, very confident. I hope to do great things for this team this year and that I win. I can't wait until Monday.
Dom Amore can be contacted at damore@courant.com
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