UConn Coach Kimani Young Talks Young Huskies: 'We All Gotta Be Patient'
UConn Huskies associate head coach Kimani Young is a huge reason for UConn’s success over the last few years, so it’s always nice to hear his thoughts on the Huskies.
Young was interviewed this week via Zoom and revealed that while UConn’s staff is confident in their young players, patience will be a virtue of utmost importance this season.
“I think the most important thing is we all gotta be patient,” Young said.
“We've created a standard here where we lost three games all of last year, so when you go through what we went through in Maui, it was jarring, and I think we all got to remember we lost some incredible, incredible players over the last two to three years. I mean, you're talking about some all-time greats: Andre Jackson, Adama (Sanogo), Tristen Newton, Donovan Clingan, Steph Castle, Cam Spencer … role players like Joey Calcaterra and Nahiem Alleyne … just guys that have had a tremendous impact on winning here.”
“We're confident that our young guys are ready to step into those roles … When you see guys like Solo Ball, Jayden Ross, and Jaylin Stewart get out there and start really gaining valuable experience, it's exciting to watch.”
Ball, Ross, Stewart, and the rest of the 7-3 Huskies face a colossal test on Saturday versus No. 8 Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden.
Which of the young Huskies will step up and have a breakout moment on the biggest basketball stage in the world?
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-6cddf44b9a81eadb9d1a4c19c1b3db49.jpeg "Colin Keane")
Colin Keane is a contributing journalist for "UConn Huskies On SI." Born in Illinois, Colin grew up in Massachusetts as the third of four brothers. For his high school education, Colin attended St. Mark's School (Southborough, MA), where he played basketball and soccer and served as student body president. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Villanova University. Colin currently resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "UConn Huskies On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org