UConn Will Be Without Senior 'Warrior' In Big East Opener Versus Xavier
The UConn Huskies embark on their Big East schedule on Wednesday night vs. Xavier at the XL Center, but the Huskies will be doing so without their senior center in the lineup.
Dan Hurley’s program experienced many a high on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, but there was also at least one crushing low: Samson Johnson left the game with an apparent head injury in the first half and did not return.
Johnson fell to the floor after a defensive possession and wasn’t able to get back to his feet right away. That’s when Hurley rushed to Johnson’s side, and the training staff followed. Johnson walked off after a minute or two to a raucous applause from MSG.
Unfortunately, Johnson will need further time to recover, as he’s to miss Wednesday’s Xavier game, per a report from CT Insider’s David Borges.
Johnson was phenomenal during the first few possessions versus Gonzaga before getting injured, continuing a trend of his recent excellence.
After a rough start to the season in which Johnson struggled with foul trouble, Johnson has begun to dominate on both ends.
UConn’s guards are doing a much better job of finding Johnson on lobs than they did earlier in the year, and the six-foot-ten senior continues to be an elite rim protector using his length and supreme athleticism.
All of UConn Nation eagerly awaits the return of Johnson, whom Hurley has repeatedly referred to as a warrior.
Tarris Reed Jr. will have a heavier burden than normal on Wednesday night as UConn looks to get off to a 1-0 start in the Big East.
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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