Nolan, Tolksdorf Looking to Contribute

UConn's backcourt is one of the best in the country. In the frontcourt, however, questions remain. DeAndre Daniels is on the verge of a breakout year, but beyond that, we're mostly talking about potential vs. experience. But two sophomores -- Phil Nolan and Leon Tolksdorf -- hope an offseason of hard work will pay off once the season begins later this fall.

"I put on 10 pounds of muscle last year," Tolksdorf, who played with the under-20 German national team this summer, said via the Hartford Courant. "And I decided to reduce my body fat. I do feel quicker, and I want to be able to play [small forward] as well as [power forward]."

In 25 games, Tolksdorf averaged 22 minutes, 8.4 points and 5.8 rebounds.

"It was great to get that game experience again after not playing much last year," he said.

The 6-10 Nolan, meanwhile, arrived in Storrs last summer weighing barely 200 pounds. Now he's up to 216 and hoping to get to 225 by November.

"The coaches have been staying on me, telling me they expect a lot of me this year," Nolan said. "If I can get to 225, I can do some special things. I'm ready."

In addition to Tolksdorf and Nolan, the Huskies frontcout includes Daniels, Tyler Olander and freshmen Amida Brimah and Kentan Facey. Facey's eligibility is in question because while NCAA investigates whether his "eligibility clock" started before he arrived in Storrs.

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