UConn Sophomore Guard Has Already Matched This Scoring Stat From Last Season
UConn Huskies sophomore guard Solo Ball has been a reliable scorer to start the season.
Ball is one of four Huskies averaging double-figures. He’s third on the team in scoring at 14.0 points per game on 51.9 percent from the field and an impressive 43.8 percent from three.
Ball has scored in double-digits in all three of UConn’s games so far (16, 14, and 12), tying the number of times he did so last season as a freshman.
Ball’s athleticism and shooting were on full display versus Le Moyne when he went on a personal eight-point run including two triples and a breakaway right-handed dunk that looked like it belonged in an NBA game.
If Ball’s shooting continues to be “real”, as Dan Hurley has described, there’s no reason Ball won’t attract significant draft buzz.
His form looks great from three, and his length and athleticism are already Association-approved.
There are questions as to whether Ball could effectively play point guard in the pros, which is something he’d have to have in his arsenal at six-foot-three.
We might not find out the answer to that question soon, since Ball isn’t being asked to play point for UConn (maybe that’s the answer right there).
Ball also hasn’t been impressive defensively so far as he’s picked up nine fouls through three games and fouled out versus Le Moyne. Ball will fix this problem, though. He looked great on defense in UConn’s exhibition and Hurley will make sure that Ball stays disciplined on that end. He’s good at getting in passing lanes, getting deflections, and disrupting other teams with his length.
If anything, Ball’s early foul problems — like Samson Johnson’s — are just a result of him being overeager to be impactful on that end.
Ball has all the physical tools to be an elite defender at this level and the next, and it would be surprising if that doesn’t start to show once he settles down.
He’s a very intriguing athlete who - despite being an undersized two-guard at the next level — will be hard to keep out of the NBA if he keeps shooting the three-ball well.
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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