Kemba saves UConn, but the Huskies show their vulnerability

Kemba Walker once again scored 30 points, but UConn struggled mightily against the Wildcats, holding on for a 62-55 win.

These weren't the Kentucky Wildcats, mind you. No, UConn was trailing by six in the second half to the New Hampshire Wildcats in large part because UConn's supporting cast looked more like the supporting cast we expected in the preseason. The one that showed up in Maui apparently missed their flight home.

Like I said last week, UConn will be a tough team to beat when their role players, the majority of who are freshmen and sophomores, play well. Tuesday night, they didn't.

Alex Oriakhi finished with just seven points and 10 rebounds, missing much of the first half with foul trouble. Those ten rebounds were nullified by the fact that UConn was outrebounded -- which included giving up 18 offensive rebounds -- by a team from the America East. Roscoe Smith, Tyler Olander, and Charles Okwandu? They combined for just eight rebounds combined.

Outside of Walker, UConn scored just 32 points. Shabazz Napier was the second leading scorer with 11, but he needed 10 shots to do so while also turning the ball over four times without a single assist. Not exactly the numbers you look for from your point guard. Smith and Niels Giffey, who both looked so promising in Maui, were no-shows offensively.

UConn survived because they were bigger, more athletic, and more talented than New Hampshire.

If they play the way they did on Tuesday night against Pitt in their December 27th Big East opener, they will lose by 30.

And after seeing that performance, I won't be surprised to see UConn, at some point this season, drop back out of the top 25.