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One of the most important traits in sports — from high school field hockey to big-time Division I basketball — is that “it” factor that people so often try to put into words.

Following UConn’s 75-62 win over Arkansas (read the full game story here), Jim Calhoun started talking about “it.” He said some guys develop it when they get to the NBA — he used Rudy Gay as an example — and others naturally have it.

Ryan Boatright falls into that second category.

Ryan Boatright (Getty Images)

With all due respect to Andre Drummond and DeAndre Daniels, both have their freshman moments. Boatright doesn’t. I can’t remember a UConn freshman who has started out so well. Over the last two games, especially this one, it’s fair to say that Boatright has been the best player on the team.

Ryan “Pressure” Boatright (he said his grandfather has always told him “Pressure is your middle name”) welcomes the challenge of going up against Kemba Walker and Ray Allen in practice. Calhoun even said Boatright drives by Allen and says “I got you, Ray” as he does it.

The kid was truly made for the big stage.

“I’ve always been in pressure situations,” Boatright said. “Growing up in Aurora (Ill.), there’s a lot of pressure situations out there. And I always came out on top.”

Check some other notable quotes and the poll below:

* Alex Oriakhi and Andre Drummond started together for the first time all year. AO had nine points and eight boards while Drummond — a dominant force against Florida State — got into first half foul trouble and finished with one point and one board (he did, however, have four blocks). Oriakhi commented on the frontcourt struggles: “What happened last year all didn’t happen at once, it took time. But we better get it together soon. The Big East is coming up, that’s when the real season starts.”

* Jeremy Lamb played a season-low 26 minutes due to foul, and the Huskies showed they could still score points with Lamb on the bench. If this had happened before Boatright returned, though, it may have been a different story. For the record, Lamb, who sat 14 minutes on Saturday, had only been on the bench for a total 13 minutes in UConn’s first seven games.

* Calhoun said he gave consideration to starting Niels Giffey over DeAndre Daniels at small forward.

“Niels is a good example, for anybody who wants to get additional minutes, they’re there to be had,” Calhoun said.

But they’re probably not there in Boatright, Lamb or Napier’s place. Even though Calhoun said he’d like to get nine players double-digit minutes, someone is going to be the odd man out.