Big East Report Team Blog: Connecticut

ROAD UNKIND TO UCONN; TRAVEL TO TEXAS NEXT

2011-01-05T11:33:00.001-05:00

The highlight of Tuesday night's Big East schedule was a Top-15 battle in South Bend (IN) between Notre Dame and Connecticut. Jim Calhoun's club opened the scoring with a three-pointer by freshman Jeremy Lamb to take a 3-0 lead. However, the Irish would run off 13 consecutive points to take a 13-3 lead, a lead they would never give up.

"I thought we did an incredibly poor job opening the game, allowing three-point shots to get them into a rhythm," Calhoun said following the game.

Tim Abromaitis started the barrage with a three to make the score 7-3 and then Scott Martin connected on a pair of three's just 30 seconds a part to punctuate the run and put the Irish ahead by 10 just 3:31 into the game.

Connecticut was forced to play catch-up all night and twice cut the Irish lead to two points in the first half, but each time the Irish would respond and add a little more cushion. The half ended with another Abromaitis three-pointer to give the Golden Domers a 38-30 halftime lead.

The Irish, not a particularly deep team under Mike Brey, were shorthanded as starting forward Carleton Scott was out with a hamstring injury. Scott is the team's third leading scorer, second leading rebounder and leader in blocked shots, but the Irish stepped up physically in the challenge against the Huskies.

"They physically handled us getting over screens," said Calhoun. "They physically handled us during rebounds. They pushed and bumped us. We all know this is a very physical league and they did a nice job with it. I think this is the most physical defensive team Mike (Brey) has had and obviously offensively they did a great job."

Notre Dame won the battle of the boards with a 36-33 rebounding edge. Starting in place of Scott was freshman Eric Atkins, a point guard out of Baltimore (MD). Atkins scored just seven points, but he directed the offense and contributed five assists without a turnover, drawing the praise from the Hall of Fame coach on the other sideline.

"I thought that Notre Dame did a great job, especially with (Carleton) Scott out and (Eric) Atkins played well against a pressure defense," said Calhoun.

The Huskies started out the second half with a 9-2 run, capped off by a pair of Kemba Walker buckets, and suddenly drew within a point of the Irish. The Irish had the answer each time, however, and kept their lead throughout and their own 9-2 run pushed their lead to 11, 64-53, with 5:31 left after a Ben Hansbrough steal and lay-up.

Hansbrough scored five of his game-high 21 points in that run and took on the challenge of defending Walker, the leading scorer in the BIG EAST. Walker scored 19 in the contest, but took 23 shots in doing so. His streak of 11 consecutive games of scoring more than 20 points was ended by the Irish and Hansbrough.

"I told Ben Hansbrough that it was a heck of a workout to guard Walker and then score 21 points while making key plays," Mike Brey said after the game. "Ben has been a man, but tonight he was the ultimate man on both ends of the floor."

Still, the young Huskies would not go away. Freshman Shabazz Napier hit a clutch three, sophomore Jamal Coombs-McDaniel also connected on a three-pointer and, of course, Walker made clutch plays as well. A pair of Walker free-throws with 22 seconds left brought UConn to within two at 70-68.

Abromaitis would make one of two foul shots and after a Walker miss on a three-pointer, Tyrone Nash would connect on a pair from the charity stripe for a 73-68 lead. Napier would draw UConn back to within a possession with a pair of foul shots of his own and the Huskies had new life after Abromaitis missed a pair of free throws with nine seconds left. The forward was an 87% shooter from the line a year ago but is now just seven of 14 on the season.

Connecticut was unable to make Notre Dame pay for their failure to put the game away as a long three-point attempt to tie by Napier missed badly.

"We are a young team, but I also thought they did what they needed to do to win," said Calhoun. "I thought we tried to tire them out and it did show up in their missed free throws. We still had a chance to win right down until the last nine seconds when we came down the court and didn't see Kemba (Walker) wide open."

Napier finished with 18 points and freshman Roscoe Smith added 11 in support of Walker's 19 for the Huskies. Another area of missing production for UConn was in the post as Alex Oriakhi was held scoreless before fouling out in 23 minutes of action and starting power forward Charles Okwandu added just two points.

UConn, which falls to 1-2 in the Big East, now must step out of conference and visit Texas on Saturday for a marquee non-conference match-up. The Longhorns are ranked No. 12 in the country and playing very well right now. The Huskies are 4-2 all-time against the Longhorns after defeating then-top ranked Texas 88-74 at Gampel Pavilion last season.

UCONN FALLS IN BIG EAST OPENER; WIN STREAK DONE AT 10

2010-12-28T01:07:00.000-05:00

The 2010-2011 Big East regular season got underway on Monday night in Pittsburgh as No. 4 Connecticut tried to do what seven teams previously ranked in the top-5 failed to do before them - come into the Peterson Events Center and emerge with a victory. Pittsburgh was having none of that as the Panthers, ranked No. 6 in the country themselves, never trailed en route to a 78-63 win over the Huskies.

UConn entered the game as one of just eight unbeatens in the country at 10-0, but their first true road game of the season proved to be too tough against the experienced Pitt squad.

"We allowed a team, a very good team by the way, who plays very good defense to take us out of a lot of things that we did," Jim Calhoun said afterwards. "We lost some of the swagger that we needed to have to win the game.”

The Panthers, energized by a standing-room only crowd of 12,725, came out smoking with a 16-7 lead before the game was five minutes old, highlighted by a Gilbert Brown alley-oop slam off a pass in transition by fellow senior Brad Wanamaker. Six different players scored for Jamie Dixon's team in the opening five minutes and once the game settled down, it was the Pitt defense that took over the contest.

"First thing, I want to compliment Jamie," said Calhoun. "He had his team ready defensively and that’s what started it. I thought they just locked us up defensively. We aren’t a young team, but they made us make young plays."

The Huskies managed to connect on just 31.7% of their shots for the game and suffered through a 7:30 stretch in the second-half without a field goal.

With his young teammates struggling in what was their first Big East contest for many of them, Kemba Walker tried in vain to keep pace with the balanced Panthers. Walker, who entered the contest leading the NCAA in scoring with 26.5 points a game, scored 31 points and his personal 8-0 run over 1:59 cut a 15-point deficit to just seven, 62-55, with 5:29 left.

Walker would not score again and the Panthers answered the challenge with an 11-4 run and a pair of Travon Woodall free throws with 2:16 left capped the run, securing Pitt's 17th straight home victory, improving to 8-0 all-time at the Peterson Events Center against top-5 teams and their fourth win in the last five meetings with UConn.

"I thought we executed very well on both ends of the floor, and I really liked that we took good shots," said Jamie Dixon.

Pitt shot 52% from the field (25-48) and registered 19 assists on their 25 made field goals in the game. Ashton Gibbs led the way with 21 points and 7 assists while Brad Wanamaker added 14. The Panthers' starting frontcourt of Gary McGhee and Nasir Robinson also stood tall against the opposition.

"We moved the ball well and got our big guys some inside touches when they were in good position to really attack the basket," said Dixon. "I thought we were able to take better shots than they did on the interior, which is excellent because UConn has a very good post offense."

McGhee finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks while Robinson, making his first start of the season, finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists.

"He brings energy to the floor and he’s got that motor in him and it helps getting him on the floor early," said Gibbs of Robinson. "He’s real aggressive and he grabs a lot of rebounds."

Despite scoring 31 points, Kemba Walker had to work constantly for his opportunities. Before his individual run made things interesting, the UConn guard was just five of 18 from the field. He finished 10 of 27 in the game and was the only Husky in double figures.

"Kemba Walker is going to score, we just need to make him take tough shots,” said Dixon.

Walker made tough shots, but also forced some too as Pitt gave him some extra attention defensively, possibly a blueprint for other teams to follow ahead on the schedule.

“He made some tough shots and took the ball to the basket," said Wanamaker. "He’s a great player, but I thought we gave a good overall team effort on defense.”

UConn must now rebound from their first loss of the season. South Florida comes to Storrs for a New Year's Even contest and then the Huskies hit the road for a Jan. 4 meeting at Notre Dame and a non-conference date at Texas on Jan. 8. In the meantime, Jim Calhoun will look to find some more balance for his club.

“I think the way we sort of stayed in the game, but couldn’t get over the hump was that Kemba [Walker] saw that he had to pick-up too much of the burden," Calhoun said.

Freshman Jeremy Lamb had 9 points and 8 rebounds. Other than Walker, Lamb was the only UConn player with more than two made field goals (3-8 from field). The frontcourt, especially sophomore Alex Oriakhi, drew most of the Hall of Fame coach's ire afterwards.

"Bottom line is that our front court has got to play a lot better than that," said Calhoun. "Team wise we need to be tougher. We need to be mentally tougher. That’s the whole game.

I love Alex to death. He’s not playing well. I think he has a chance to be a very good player. He’s not playing like the player that he is capable of being."

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CHUCK NORRIS WEARS KEMBA WALKER PJ'S

2010-12-03T23:49:00.001-05:00

UConn junios point guard record triple-double in Friday night win

Kemba Walker entered the Connecticut vs. UMBC contest Friday night at the XL Center in Hartford (CT) as the nation's leading scorer. He showed he is more than just the top scorer in the land by registering his first career triple-double in UConn's 94-61 victory.

The junior guard had 24 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists setting the pace in the victory before 10,591 fans.

"When you see a guy averaging 30 points a game pass up on layups to give other people shots...I know everyone is praising Kemba, but he's deserving of that praise....It's actually phenomenal. He's capable of so many different things," UConn coach Jim Calhoun said following the game.

The win was the 830th of Calhoun's Hall of Fame career, tying former Mount St. Mary's coach Jim Phelan for sixth place on the career list.

"There's categories that you love being in," Calhoun said. "I love being in the category of guys who coached an awful lot of games and had a fair amount of success at it."

However, the story of the night belonged to Walker whose triple-double was the eighth in UConn history, and the first since Hasheem Thabeet did it on Jan. 31, 2009, against Providence.

"That's kind of special to be one of eight," said Walker. "There are a lot of great players who could have accomplished that. I was fortunate enough to do it. It's definitely special."

Freshmen Jeremy Lamb (12 points), Niels Giffey (11) and Roscoe Smith (11) also recorded double-figures in scoring as did the sophomore tandem of Alex Oriakhi (11) and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel (10). Each know that it is Walker setting the table.

"He could come out and get 50 if he wanted. He could get 20 assists if he wanted. Tonight he was telling us he was going to get us involved and we were able to knock down shots for him. And he got his triple-double, so we're happy for him," said Jeremy Lamb.

"The eyes are on him," added Niels Giffey. "He gives us space. Like my shots were free. I was totally free. He's creating space for us and giving us good assists."

The Huskies, ranked No. 7 in the country, host Fairleigh Dickinson at Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday evening before breaking for exams when they return to action on December 20th. One player that certainly does not need a break is Walker.

"Kemba Walker is just phenomenal," said UMBC coach Randy Monroe. "His team feeds off of his energy and passion."

With Big East play looming by month's end, Kemba will need to continue to roar loud and lead his young pups to battle. It looks like Kemba is up to the challenge.

(Quotes Courtesy of www.uconnhuskies.com)

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'GREAT WALL' OF KENTUCKY HOLDS OFF UCONN

2009-12-10T09:38:00.000-05:00

The headline match-up of the 2009 SEC/Big East Invitational did not disappiont as John Calipari's Cats Hold off Huskies (NY Post) at Madison Square Garden in Kentucky's 64-61 win over Connecticut.

Highly touted freshman John Wall, a near lock for the #1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, matched the hype that has been bestowed upon him by scoring 25 points and harassing UConn with six steals. Wall Was the Difference in an Amazing Game (Hartford Courant) as Jim Calhoun's No. 14 Huskies Fall Short to No. 4 Kentucky in a Thriller (TheDay.com).

Wall got UK off and running, thrilling the crowd with an end-to-end lay-up and finishing an alley-oop on a break as he scored six of the Wildcats' 12 points in an opening 12-0 spurt to start the game in the first three minutes. After using two timeouts, including one 33 seconds into the game where Calhoun pulled senior Jerome Dyson from the game, UConn responded with a 20-6 run to take the lead. UConn led by as many as eight points in the first half and took a 29-23 lead at the half as UK was slowed by foul trouble.

In the second half UConn Crashed into the Wall (New Haven Register) full bore as the star frosh scored 11 of UK's 14 points to pull out the victory.

“He’s all of that, whatever that is,” Jim Calhoun said of Wall after the game. “He’s a tremendous, tremendous player. He’s no freshman.”

Wall scored one big basket after another over the final 7 1/2 minutes, including a conventional three-point play with 30.8 seconds left that put Kentucky (9-0) ahead for good, 63-61. The Huskies could not come up with a big score of their own in the final seconds and a Ramone Harris free throw provided the final margin of victory.

Dyson led UConn with 17 points, Gavin Edwards had 16 points, 8 rebounds and three blocked shots, Kemba Walker scored 12 and Stanley Robinson added 10 points and 9 rebounds. Connecticut, which turned the ball over 19 times and missed 10 of 24 free throw attempts, falls to 6-2 on the regular season with both losses come on the Madison Square Garden floor. The also lost to Duke last month at MSG in the finals of the NIT Tip-off Tournament.

The Huskies are now off until December 20th when they wrap up the pre-conference schedule with UCF, Maine and Iona before starting Big East play at Cincinnati on December 30th.

UCONN FENDS OFF PESKY HARVARD IN COLLEGE HOOPS

2009-12-07T10:23:00.001-05:00

Jerome Dyson filled the stat sheet on Sunday afternoon and Connecticut needed just about every ounce of his big day as the Huskies Get Away With Another Inconsistent Performance (TheDay.com), edging Tommy Amakers' Harvard club 79-73 in Storrs.

Dyson finished with 24 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks as Inconsistent UConn Holds off Harvard (Hartford Courant) and Crimson senior guard Jeremy Lin, who torched UConn for 30 points.

The Huskies saw a 16-point lead whittled to four as Lin (22 of his 30 in the second half) led the charge. However, the experienced players for UConn stepped up and secured the victory. Kemba Walker added 10 points, Stanley Robinson provided 18 points and 12 rebounds with Gavin Edwards scored 12 and blocking 6 shots as the quartet, with Dyson, scored 74 of the 79 points scored by Jom Calhoun's club.

Coming up this week for UConn is a date with Kentucky on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden in the SEC/Big East Invitational.

AFTER BRIEF SCARE, DYSON TEARS TERRIERS

2009-12-03T08:20:00.001-05:00

by ZACH SMART

HARTFORD--The sight was alarmingly familiar, and that's what made it all the more frightening for the Connecticut Huskies.

Jerome Dyson, the Huskies' best player--Jim Calhoun's description after the Huskies' 92-64 blowout of Boston University--landed awkwardly during the opening moments of the second half.

"I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous seeing that," said UConn forward Gavin Edwards, who scored 12 points and ripped down nine rebounds.

Dyson stayed down for a few minutes, and it was tremendously similar to the scene that played out last February against Syracuse.

That's when Dyson, who's averaging over 20 points to lead the No.13-ranked Huskies, knocked knees with Syracuse's then-forward Kristof Ongeneat.

An MRI later revealed Dyson had a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee, an injury which sidelined him for the season.

"We were just hoping 'rome would come back," said point guard Kemba Walker of the tense few minutes when Dyson was down on the floor.

"We can't afford that (loss) this season. Everybody was just praying that he would come back."

That Dyson did, emerging from the bench four minutes later to a standing ovation at the XL Center.

"I knew when I rolled over that nothing was wrong," Dyson said.

"I knew initially that it was my groin area, but when everybody ran out, they thought it was my (knee) again."

Dyson was dominant Wednesday night, scoring 22 points and dishing out four assists as the Huskies (5-1) overcame a sloppy start.

Dyson scored the rock in a variety of ways. He was burying mid-range jumpers, knifing to the basket, and hitting from beyond the arc.

After shooting 3-for-9 from the free throw line in a nightmare of a performance during a loss to Duke, Dyson bounced back. He knocked down all but two of his nine free throws.

The UConn backcourt bludgeoned the injury-plagued Terriers, who were forced to play with just six scholarship players.

The Terriers (2-6) were without star guard Corey Lowe (inflammation in the right knee) and 6-foot-9 forward Scott Brittain (concussion).

Walker scored 15 points and doled out a career-high 10 assists.

The New York City native was also impressive defensively, with three steals. He ran the show, setting up fast breaks. Walker got just about everyone open looks, including freshman Jamal Coombs-McDaniel (12 points, 7 rebounds in 20 minutes).

"Kemba clearly could have had 15-16 assists if some of the big guys didn't drop the ball," said Calhoun.

Calhoun was most impressed with the Huskies' work on the glass. The Huskies outrebounded the undermanned Terriers to the tune of 54-29.

"When you beat a team on the backboard by 25, that's a significant number," said Calhoun.

"I think the stat sheet is starting to look a little more normal for us. I do understand that BU was down a couple players. But you know what, we played an 0-6 Colgate team and certainly didn't put up the kind of numbers we did tonight."

Edwards, Stanley Robinson, and hulking freshman Alex Oriakhi each tore down nine boards apiece.

Edwards said that with the Huskies' notably thin frontline (6-10 freshman Ater Majok is eligible in just under three weeks) and the results from the first five games, UConn made a concentrated effort to hit the boards harder.

"Every UConn team has been known for being able to rebound and then get out on the fast break and we haven't really been doing that," Edwards said.

The high-flying Robinson, who scored 16 points, was having a quiet night until he erupted for four gravity-defying dunks in the second half.

His eye-popping alley-oop slam from Walker's lob kick-started a 10-2 surge that gave UConn an insurmountable 68-39 lead.

A washout ensued.

The Huskies reeled off a 10-1 run to seize a 25-16 lead early on.

Walker buried a trey to kick-start the run. BU forward John Holland, who had a game-high 23 points, thwarted the spurt with a layup.

Early on, it looked as if UConn was going to put together another lackluster performance at home.

BU guard Tyler Morris, a three-point sniper who played at Indiana powerhouse Lawrence North HS (see Oden, Greg or Conley, Mike, or Louisville-commits for more on Lawrence North) nailed a trey and a jumper on back-to-back possessions, giving the Terriers an 8-7 edge 4:42 into the game.

The Terriers, or the walking wounded, seized an 11-9 lead on a four-point play from Holland.

The Huskies continued to trail, 13-9, before Robinson crushed home a two-handed dunk plus the foul at 12:19. This lit a fire underneath the Huskies.

One way or the other, Dyson was the story Wednesday.

"When he feels it, he's just so tough," said Calhoun of the Huskies' top dog.

"If he pulled a groin, it would have been some time. Certainly he would have missed a few games or may have been out 2-3 weeks. The way he's playing and starting our season, we can't afford that."

DYSON LEADS UCONN IN EXHIBITION ROMP PAST UMASS-LOWELL

2009-11-09T10:08:00.002-05:00

Courtesy of NBE Basketball Report

After a brief delay as the NCAA was awaiting some documentation from Connecticut guards Donnell Beverly and Jerome Dyson, who were both held out of UConn's exhibition win over American International College last week, Compliance Clears Dyson and Beverly (ESPN) for the 2009-2010 season and a Patched-up Dyson Scores 32 in UConn's Final Preseason Tune-up (Stamford Advocate) on Sunday.

Dyson, who was chomping at the bit to see his first game action since suffering a season-ending knee injury last February 11th and being held out of the opening exhibition game for compliance matters, almost missed his opportunity on Sunday, too. A couple hours prior to the game Dyson Rips Apart his Big Toe Entering Gampel Pavilion (Hartford Courant) and had to get the nail stiched back on, a shot to numb the pain and have the toe heavily bandaged just to play. The result, 32 points, 6 assists and 4 steals in 27 minutes in an 88-50 win over UMass-Lowell.

Point guard Kemba Walker added 15 points and 7 assists and freshman Alex Oriakhi continues to put his stamp on the starting center position by scoring nine points and grabbing 14 rebounds in 32 minutes. UConn will open their season Friday night against William & Mary at Gampel Pavilion.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: CONNECTICUT

2009-09-15T14:42:00.002-04:00

September 15, 2009

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Jeremy Lamb, 6'4 SG from Norcross (GA) High School

Connecticut and head coach Jim Calhoun pick up their first verbal commitment for the 2010 recruiting class when Peach State sniper Jeremy Lamb made a commitment earlier today. Lamb is Headed to the Big East (D1 Spects) and UConn sealed the deal with an in-home visit today.

Projected 2009-2010 Roster:

Seniors: Jerome Dyson (G), Jonathan Mandeldove (C), Stanley Robinson (F), Gavin Edwards (PF/C)
Juniors: Donnell Beverly (G), Chukwuma "Charles" Okwandu (C)
Sophomores: Kemba Walker (PG)
Freshmen: Alex Oriakhi (C), Jamal Coombs-McDaniel (F), Jamaal Trice (SG), Darius Smith (PG), Ater Majok (F)
2010 Commitments: Jeremy Lamb (SG)

Read More...Click Below!

It might have taken a little longer than their fans expected, but Connecticut is on the board for the class of 2010 as Jeremy Lamb chose the Huskies over Texas, Georgia and others.

Lamb exploded on the scene in July with a big-time performance at the Nike Peach Jam with the Georgia Stars. When the July evaluation period got back underway later in July, the following for Lamb grew tremendously as many coaches made sure they were seen following him at the Orlando Super Showcase. The UConn staff was front and center.

According to a high school coach in Georgia at the Peach Jam, Lamb “killed” them twice during the season and is only getting better. He is long and athletic and can score in a variety of ways. He had several strong takes to the basket and was effective finishing in a content NBE's Jeff Borzello watched at the Peach Jam. Lamb can also shoot mid-range and three-point jumpers, and he played well on the glass and defensively, too.

UConn is also very much in the mix for elite point guard prospects Josh Selby and Brandon Knight. A common belief in recruiting circles has UConn and Kentucky vying for both players with the Huskies likely to land one or the other. Other point guards in the mix with UConn include Cory Joseph of Findlay Prep and Kyrie Irving of St. Patrick's in Elizabeth (NJ).

At the foward position, UConn has been making an aggressive move for Roscoe Smith of Oak Hill Academy and Tobias Harris of Long Island. UConn has conducted in-home visits with each recently.

The Huskies could have at least five scholarships available for the class of 2010. With Lamb in the fold, expect some additional dominos to begin falling in the recruiting landscape and seeing UConn benefiting again in the near future would not be a surprise.

Majok Declares For Draft, Doesn't Hire Agent

2009-04-29T09:57:00.001-04:00

April 29, 2009

by Zach Smart

He's yet to play in an NCAA game, but UConn forward Ater Majok will be testing the NBA waters this summer.

The athletic 6-foot-10 forward was supposed to be part of a formidable frontline also featuring projected top-three pick Hasheem Thabeet and muscle-bound, workhorse forward Jeff Adrien.

Majok, however, never passed NCAA clearinghouse rules and therefore relegated to the bench. According to NCAA regulations, Majok cannot suit up until December of 2009.

Perhaps the 22-year-old freshman was fed up with the fact that he had to wait again. Or the YouTube sensation jumped at the idea of getting picked up in a draft that--beyond the first 2-3 picks--is as wide as the Sargasso Sea.

Stephen Curry, the Davidson star and son of former NBA shootist Dell Curry, declared for the draft yesterday.

A five-star recruit, Majok has opted not to hire an agent.

This leaves the door open for Majok if he's not selected on the fateful evening of June 25, 2009.

"After meeting with my family, I have decided that it is in my best interest to enter the NBA Draft," said Majok in a statement released by UConn.

Read rest of Zach's Article HERE!!

UCONN PUSHING HARD FOR HARTFORD PREP SOPH

2009-04-21T23:37:00.005-04:00

Andre Drummond getting attention from UConn staff and other top schools

by Zach Smart

The past few months, Andre Drummond's high major Division-I stock has shot up like his towering 6-foot-9 frame.

Drummond, an interior presence with a soft jumper and a will to win, has suddenly become a hotly pursued product on the recruiting marketplace.

The big fella from Capitol Prep in Hartford (CT) is receiving plenty of interest from Connecticut, Georgetown, Providence, Rutgers, West Virginia and the 2009 national champs, North Carolina.

Read More...Click Below!

The wiry sophomore has added some pounds to his spindly 220-plus frame, but Drummond is still developing into his body.

He hasn't dug to deep into his decision yet. The uncommitted young gun who hung 26 points and tore down 18 rebounds in a game (and turned in similar titanic performances this season) appears to favor UConn.

"UConn is definitely showing me the most love right now," said Drummond, he of the will to win and ability to alter the trajectory of shots in the paint.

"But as of right now, I'm undecided."

Thus far, Drummond has taken unofficial visits to the campuses of UConn and Rutgers.

When he was playing in the Bob Gibbobs tournament last spring, he stopped by to check out the campus of UNC.

On the surface, Drummond seems like the prototype Jim Calhoun recruit.

He's a big who plays with passion and is a major presence on the defensive side of the house. He can score and has shown flashes of the aggression that coaches expect night in and night out in the Big East.

Of course, Drummond still needs to shore up some holes in his game. He needs to kick the habit of drifting away from the paint when the ball is not in his hands.

He still needs to get more physical, go stronger to the rack and develop refined post up moves.

Drummond ran with an IS8 AAU team at Saturday's HoopHall Classic at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn.

The behemoth showed his athletic enough to be a factor in a system that places strong emphasis on an uptempo, speedball brand of basketball.

While the skills of Ater Majok (who sat out this season due to NCAA clearing house rules) won't be tested until December, UConn may need to upgrade its frontline in the future.

Charles "Chuck" Okwandu's academic issues kept him off the floor for much of the Huskies run to the 2009 final four.

The 7-foot-1, 255-pound center is very much a work in progress and seemed offensivley inept at times.

Jonathan Mandeldove, a 7-foot, 240-pound center from Georgia, never progressed. He hasn't shown the promise they saw out of the skinny kid from Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy four years ago.

So, UConn will look to keep the tradition of beastly bigs (see Okafor, Emeka or Thabeet, Hasheem for more on this one) intact with their recruitment of Drummond.

Will the new kid on the blocks respect tradition and go to UConn?

I'm not for certain, but what I do know is this:

If he continues to work hard and show a Jeff Adrien-like will to win, more and more teams will compete for Drummond's services.

THABEET TO NBA, UCONN PREPARES TO RELOAD

2009-04-17T11:02:00.001-04:00

April 17, 2009

What was considered a foregone conclusion became official this week when Connecticut junior center Hasheem Thabeet announced he would be entering the NBA Draft this June. So with UConn's Thabeet Entering the NBA Draft (Hartford Courant), along with point guard AJ Price, power forward Jeff Adrien and shooting guard Craig Austrie graduating, 4/5's of UConn's starting five for their Final Four match-up with Michigan State this season will not be in Storrs next year.

Despite the Losses, the Huskies Have Plenty of Tools Next Year (Norwich Bulletin) to compete in the Big East and nationally with Kemba Walker expected to ascend into the position of an elite point guard, a healthy Jerome Dyson manning the off-guard position and wing Stanley Robinson and power forward Gavin Edwards ready for their time to step forward an lead. A talented recruiting class led by Tilton School teammates Alex Oriakhi and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel will help out as well and having Ater Majok and Charles Okwandu eligible could make the Huskies formidable in the paint once again.

CONNECTICUT MEETS MICHIGAN STATE IN FINAL FOUR

2009-04-03T21:53:00.005-04:00

April 3, 2009

With everything that has happened surrounding the UConn basketball team the last several months, including the recent allegations of recruiting improprieties, the chaos surrounding the Final Four is probably not having much of an impact on the Husky players.

"I think we're in a great mindset as a team, focused, ready to play the game," said senior guard AJ Price. "It's been a good experience to be down here. But I think we just ready to get on the court now."

Connecticut returns to the Final Four, their third trip under Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun. The Huskies won national championships in 1999 and 2004 in their two previous trips and, like this year, each time they came out of the West Regional to do so.

Now, they head to Detroit and take on Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans, who are playing less than an hour away from their campus in East Lansing. While the feel of a road game concerns coach Calhoun, he is more worried about the team his Huskies are facing.

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"We've been a very good road team this year, but we're playing a really good team," said Calhoun. "That scares me mainly because they match us. They can do things that we can do."

As usual, coach Izzo has a squad that will play tough on the boards, defend for 40 minutes and play a structured offense that will generate scoring opportunities, a style UConn players believe set MSU apart from the rest of their conference.

"They like to run and they rebound, they're very physical," UConn senior Jeff Adrien said of the Spartans. "So, you know, I think that's really why they won the Big 10 this year, with their different style."

A style that could be seen in the Big East.

Of course, UConn likes to run, rebound and defend. With 7'3 Hasheem Thabeet manning the post and the bruising Adrien controlling the back boards, it is a match-up MSU has not seen so far this season. However, even with that intimidating size, coach Izzo believes the key to beating UConn is controlling AJ Price.

"I think that is a key matchup," said Izzo. "Even though they have tremendous size up front, some very tough, good players up there, great rebounders, I still think Price is the guy who stirs the drink. He's had an incredible tournament."

Spartan defensive specialist Travis Walton will get the assignment to contain Price and the UConn floor general knows he will have to be on his game.

"[I] Know he's going to do his job, which is to be a defensive stopper," said Price. "So I know he's going to bring his A game, I just got to try to bring mine."

While you can expect Price to have his A-game, the NCAA Tournament might also be the launching pad to the next great UConn star guard as freshman Kemba Walker had a career high 23 points and added 5 rebounds and 5 assists in the 82-75 Elite 8 win over Missouri. The tempo that Missouri was looking to play was ideal for Walker's game, Michigan State will not offer that style of game very readily. Instead, while MSU can count on 10 or 11 guys to contribute to the cause, UConn will likely have just a 7-man rotation and finding the role player that steps up could be the key to victory. Against Purdue it was senior Craig Austrie and it was Walker against Mizzou. In Saturday, could it be Stanley Robinson's turn?

Michigan State will look to bring Thabeet away from the hoop as Goran Suton is a face-up threat out to the three-point line. Versatile forwards Raymar Morgan and Durrell Summers will look to find room to go inside with a clearer path to the basket. This could be a chess match between two great coaches on the level of impact Thabeet has near the basket on defense. If UConn finds a way to keep him inside and blocking and altering shots, they should be able to handle the Michigan State offensive attack. Look for them to get it done...

Looking at the basketball odds at bet USA, UConn is a 4-point favorite. While it is nearly a home game for Michigan State, look for UConn to set the tone in the paint and earn a physical win.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 68
Michigan State 62

PERSPECTIVE ON RICO PICKETT

2009-04-03T09:06:00.003-04:00

April 3, 2009

According to a published report at Rivals.com, Miami-Dade CC shooting guard Rico Pickett is very interested in UConn and an official visit April 15th could seal the deal in his recruitment.

Recently, NBE Basketball Report talked with Pickett's coach at Miami-Dade, Matt Eisele.

"Enrico has a chance to be a big time player," coach Eisele said. "He is very good in transition, can finish with either hand, [he is a] big time athlete and most of all [he] can really score the basketball."

Pickett was a high school star at Decatur (AL) High School. He made an early commitment to home state Alabama and coach Mark Gottfried before the AAU travel season between his junior and senior season. However, Pickett re-opened his his recruitment at least once prior to the early signing period, but in the end, put pen to paper and signed on with the Crimson Tide.

As a freshman in the SEC, Pickett started 20 games for the Tide, averaging nearly 6 points a game and a team-high 3.3 assists a contest playing a lot of time at point guard. The season had its shares of ups and downs for the 6-foot-3 guard as he was suspended twice by coach Gottfried for 'failing to live up to academic responsibilities.' The second suspension, which was imposed last April, led Pickett to decide he wanted to transfer and led to him finding his way to Miami-Dade CC on his way back to high-major Division 1-A basketball.

The next desitnation appears it could be UConn. Pickett has also had high-level intertest this spring in Florida, Florida State and Tennessee. On the heels of an excellent season with Miami-Dade, which saw Pickett average 21.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists, Rico was the runner-up in conference player of the year voting, only trailing teammate Trevor Mbakwe for the award.

Coach Eisele feels Pickett will shine at his next chance at the 1-A level and his game sounds like a nice fit in Jim Calhoun's Husky system.

"He has a great ability to get to the basket and beat people off the dribble," said his coach. "Has the potential to be a lights out defender as well"

As for the troubles at Alabama, Eisele saw none of that in Pickett's time at Miami-Dade.

"He is a great kid that has been a real pleasure to coach," Eisele said.

We will continue to follow Pickett's recruitment, but as of now, UConn looks to be the only scheduled visit this spring.

Smith Bolsters Thinning Backcourt in Storrs

2009-04-02T10:02:00.003-04:00

April 2, 2009

by Doug Ferguson

The city of Chicago is flooded with top notch Division 1-A talent and one of the most eye-catching stars of the city has found a home outside of the Midwest. Talented combo guard Darius Smith from Chicago's Marshall HS has agreed to try and fill the hole that will be left in UConn's guard corps by the departures of A.J. Price and Craig Austrie next season.

The job of starting point guard will likely be passed through its logical progression to Kemba Walker who has shined on the big stage in this year's NCAA tournament. Smith will likely battle for the backup job with Donnell Beverly. It just happens that Smith and Beverly have many of the same qualities. It was clear by this recruitment that Jim Calhoun thinks his lineup at guard needed more tending to than his frontline, despite the almost certain loss of Hasheem Thabeet to the NBA. It shows Calhoun's faith in incoming freshman Alex Oriakhi who is he invisions as his future Thabeet/Emeka Okafor type defensive difference maker at the center position.

Smith is a better point guard than a two-guard. Make no mistake though, he can definitely score. He has the athleticism and ability to drive the basketball to succeed at the high D-1 level. His ability to knock down shots off the dribble both in the mid-range game and from 3-point line make his penetration that much more lethal. He plays superb man defense with excellent ball pressure. He spearheaded Marshall's full court defense this season which was downright smothering when at its best.

UConn has shown that they are not going to be shy about recruiting despite recent reports of possible NCAA violations, afterall, it is recruiting that is the lifeblood of a program and the cornerstone of a programs college basketball odds of competing for a title. Calhoun has also shown that they can multi-task as they found time to seal the deal with Smith while preparing to try and win his third national title in a decade. It would put him on an elite list of coaching that has only two names on it: John Wooden and Mike Krzyzewski. He will face off with another coach who is building toward legend status in Tom Izzo. By the way they're recruiting it seems that despite the success that the program has had in the recent past, they will not choose to live there in the future.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: CONNECTICUT

2009-03-30T20:46:00.002-04:00

March 30, 2009

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Darius Smith, 6'2 PG from Chicago (IL) Marshall HS

Projected 2009-2010 Roster:

Seniors: Jerome Dyson (G), Jonathan Mandeldove (C), Stanley Robinson (F), Gavin Edwards (PF/C), Hasheem Thabeet (C)
Juniors: Donnell Beverly (G), Chukwuma "Charles" Okwandu (C)
Sophomores: Kemba Walker (PG), Scottie Haralson
Freshmen: Alex Oriakhi (C), Jamal Coombs-McDaniel (F), Jamaal Trice (SG), Darius Smith (PG)

One of the strangest recruiting sagas out of the Windy City has come to a close as standout Marshall High School guard Darius Smith is a Husky (Hartford Courant) as the 6'2 prospect surprises many following his recruitment by picking Connecticut over Marquette, DePaul, Cincinnati, Missouri and Indiana.

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As the UConn Huskies are preparing for the 2009 Final Four, coach Jim Calhoun and his staff struck on the recruiting trail by plucking one of the top unsigned seniors in the country remaining in the class of 2009 as they received a verbal commitment from Darius Smith of Marshall HS in the city of Chicago.

Smith has had an excellent senior season which only enhanced his status as one of the top players in the 2009 class. His senior season performance with the Commandos had him as the near unanimous pick of Windy City analysts as the top player in the Chicago-land area in the 2009 class.

Smith can get it done on both ends of the floor as an excellent on the ball defender with athletic ability and length and he can also score points from his lead guard position. While playing with the Illinois Warriors Smith showed the ability to be a ball-hawking defender with quick hands and playing defense with intensity.

With AJ Price graduating and Kemba Walker assuming the key role next season, Smith has the ability to play both guard positions with a player like Walker and run the show after he moves on. Smith is expected to sign a letter of intent in the spring signing period which will begin in two weeks.

For more on Smith's commitment and his recruitment, Illinois Prep Bulls-eye is a tremendous resource to check out.

Jamaal Trice finished up a high school career at powerful Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana (CA) and headed off to do a year of prep basketball at Mt. Zion Christian Academy in Durham (NC). It looks like the move paid off as Trice is now a committed player in the class of 2009 for the Connecticut Huskies and is expected to sign a LOI with Smith this spring.

Trice played on an always loaded mater Dei team in 2007-2008 and averaged around 10 points a game. Trice and Smith will join Tilton School teammates Alex Oriakhi and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel as 2009-2010 freshmen for the Huskies.

Some of UConn's recruiting needs and priorities have been scrambled a bit since the fall as Nate Miles, a 6'7 wing, and 6'10 forward Ater Majok are not with the team. Miles was dismissed from school in his first month on the UConn campus. Majok has was partially cleared by the NCAA and will be eligible, academically, to begin playing in December of 2009. His saga is ongoing now, however, as a recruiting scandal with Miles and an agent, Josh Nochimson, a former UConn team manager, has called into question if UConn violated NCAA rules. Majok is Linked to the Agent in the Miles Case as there are 'Moore' Worries for UConn off the court than on during this Final Four run.

On paper, UConn is full on scholarships for 2009-2010. It is expected that Hasheem Thabeet would turn professional, which would open an additional scholarship. Expect UConn to be in the mix with some top players that either are, or become eligible in the spring recruiting period as the coaching carousel will likely spin as well.

UCONN PUNCHES FINAL FOUR TICKET IN DESERT

2009-03-28T22:34:00.003-04:00

March 28, 2009

By Zach Smart

Kemba Walker glided to the basket at will.

He left defenders sucking back wind, permeated the teeth of the defense and kicked it to the open man. He reeled of head-spinning moves that resulted in buckets.

The result?

UConn coach Jim Calhoun, dogged by a detailed Yahoo! Sports report that he violated NCAA recruiting violations, pumped his fist emphatically, and UConn released a sigh of relief.

The Huskies squandered an early 11-point edge, but showed poise and perseverance down the stretch, gutting out an 82-75 victory over an up-tempo Missouri team in Glendale, Ariz.

Walker, the fearless freshman from New York City powerhouse Rice High School, never wilted under the knife-cutting, cut-throat pressure.

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After Mizzou came roaring back from an early deficit--one which saw them capitalize on a torrent of UConn turnovers--Walker soared high to the cup to break a 50-50 deadlock. The 6-foot speed demon helped construct a four-point edge with another drive to the basket with 5:37 remaining.

The neophyte nearly left the jaws at the University of Pheonix sprawling to the ground with a resume reel fall-away bank shot that gave the Huskies a 70-65 edge with two minutes, 11 seconds to play.

Then, in the final 1:02, the fearless freshman showed the poise that resonated in his teammates. He hit all four of his free throw attempts, helping seal the deal.

With the win, the Huskies (31-6) punch a ticket to the final four in Motown for the first time since 2004, when a Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor-led team brought a national championship to the Constitution State.

Walker gave an efficient account of himself, scoring a game-high 23 points and handing out five assists. At crucial transitions, Walker put the team on his back and made some eyebrow-lifting plays.

The Huskies denied Missouri's quest for their first final four. The third-seeded team replicating the "40 minutes of hell" basketball branded by the Nolan Richardson-led Arkansas team of the 90s look like they had the Huskies.

Hasheem Thabeet, the Huskies' 7-foot-3 center, was mired in foul trouble. Missouri's vaunted pressure defense took Thabeet out of the picture early. After picking up his first foul, he was relegated to the bench. Six minutes later he returned, only to be whistled for another folly.

The Tigers, led by Leo Lyons and Matt Lawrence's 13 points apiece, used their hellfire, go-go offense to their advantage. They nearly ran the Huskies out of the gym in the second half, but Walker helped stave off the team that dumped 102 points on Memphis Thursday night.

Beyond Walker, A.J. Price, who thrives in the big-stage setting but handed the "show" keys to the formidable freshman, paced UConn with 18 points. Staney "Sticks" Robinson, the walking definition of feast-or-famine during the regular season (there was a search warrant out for the 6-foot-9 freakish athlete's game at one point), added 13 in 34 minutes of tick.

The Huskies kept the recruiting scandal sideshow back in Connecticut. The team that's hellbent on giving their longtime coach his third national championship looked survived to fight another day--this one on college basketball's grandest stage--on Saturday.

Calhoun, who has a history of getting defensive on topics of this subject, nearly admitted his gaffe in the way his team recruited since-expelled freshman Nate Miles.

"Do I know if any (mistake) has been made? No, I'm not making judgment one way or the other," said Calhoun prior to the contest.

"I truly believe that everything I have tried to do, I have done with a good, clean conscience and if we made a mistake, we'll find out about it. If we didn't, we will also find out about that...I have done this for 37 years."

UConn has had to hush haters all season.

They said they can't do this, they can't do that.

They said the loss of guard Jerome Dyson takes too much of the team's swagger and fast break life away. They said Thabeet can't respond to big game pressure, he puts the ball down on his way to the basket and hasn't established any refined back to the basket moves.

They said Jim Calhoun is overpaid and the Huskies blew the game of the century with their free throw shooting woes in a wild, 6OT loss to Syracuse in the Big East tournament.

Calhoun and the Huskies chose not to listen.

Now, with most of the adversity in the rear view, the Huskies head to Detroit with a ticket to a Monday night (and nothing else) on their minds.

CONNECTICUT TRIES TO COMPLETE MARCH THROUGH WEST

2009-03-28T00:09:00.006-04:00

March 27, 2009

It has been a trying week for Jim Calhoun. On top of the pressures of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, the UConn Hall of Fame coach has had to deal with the scrutiny of the program's recruiting practices following the release of a Y! Sports story claiming the Huskies have broken NCAA rules in the recruitment of Nate Miles.

In meeting with the media on Friday, Calhoun began to tire of the questions concerning the recent allegations against UConn's recruiting practices, finally asking the media members questions.

Calhoun asked a reporter, "Did we play yesterday?"

"Yes, you did", responded the media member.

"And we won, right?"

"Correct," responded the reporter.

Calhoun was even asked if he felt he had become a distraction to his team in their quest for a National Championship.

"No, I don't at all," he responded.

If coach Calhoun feels the media scrutiny has tired him out, just wait until he gets a load of the 'Fastest 40 Minutes of Basketball' courtesy of Mike Anderson and the Missouri Tigers.

"Usually I don't like slogans, but that one is true and we really are facing an opponent that we are going to have to walk a very delicate balance with," Calhoun told the media during a rare moment when the coach was able to talk basketball. "Memphis wanted to run with them purely for 40 minutes and that is not Connecticut's desire to run 40 minutes with Missouri."

With everything the Husky team has been through, losing Jerome Dyson to season ending surgery, the whole Nate Miles saga back in the fall and the events of the last week, fatigue could be a factor. UConn is playing what virtually amounts to a 7-man rotation, and those seven better have the track shoes on Saturday afternoon in the Western Regional Final at Phoenix Stadium.

"I feel like depth isn't really part of it," senior Craig Austrie, who scored 17 in the win over Purdue, said. "We're young guys. Our adrenalin is going to be running, and we can't wait to get on the court."

Missouri will comfortably play nine players for the most part with two more getting a few minutes in each game. With 11 players to draw minutes and energy from, playing their manic style becomes much easier.

It is almost a given the opponent will be lured into their track meet style of play. A couple easy transition lay-ups or early three's and teams forget about the halfcourt game, that is exactly what the Tigers want and increases their college basketball odds of winning, especially against UConn with their frontcourt power duo of Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien. A game that has those two running for 40 minutes will make them much less effective as Missouri will look to score by beating them down the court.

The play of AJ Price will be the key. He will have to control the tempo and force Missouri to play defense in the halfcourt. This will allow UConn to exert their matchup strengths.

Price is a senior, along with Adrien and Craig Austrie, the trio is determined to reach the Final Four and today their legacy will be stamped at UConn forever.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 79
Missouri 74

MOORE WORRIES AT UCONN

2009-03-27T14:19:00.001-04:00

By Zach Smart

When Tom Moore became a newly-minted member of the Jim Calhoun coaching tree--a tall one that's branched out from Maine to George Washington University--his purpose was to alter the perception of a Quinnipiac program striving for national visibility.
With sudden bombshell allegations charging that Moore--who served under Calhoun for 13 years at UConn (spending his last two as UConn's Associate Head Coach) has violated NCAA rules in the recruitment of Nate Miles, the perception of Moore could be altered as well.

Moore appeared to be a promising steal for Quinnipiac, located near the mountains in Hamden, Conn.

The school desperately looking to revive its basketball team, an afterthought with the Bobcats' nationally ranked hockey team making all the winter sports noise, forked over a prince's ransom ($300,000 a year) for Moore in 2007.

Widely regarded as one of the nation's top recruiters (see Allen, Ray or Hamilton, Richard for more info) high expectations, hype, and hearsay moved around the school's scenic campus faster than word of a beerfest.

Moore has certainly enhanced the image of the once bottom feeder of the Northeast Conference, though he's had two mediocre seasons so far.

Being mired in a recruiting scandal of this ilk could be a major blow to his reputation.
Moore allegedly served as a middle man in the Nate Miles operation, sending Nate Miles in the direction of agent and former UConn team manager Josh Nochimsom's direction.
The NCAA has a houdini-like NOT WANTED HERE sign to agents at all times.

Nochimson, who supposedly provided Miles--suspended in October for violating a restraining order--with lodging, transportation, restaurant meals and representation (the worst of all), had a feud with the aforementioned Hamilton.

While serving as Rip's agent, Nochimson reportedly stole more than $1 million from the current Detroit Piston.

Moore is also caught making an excessive number of phone calls to Sean Patterson, Miles' AAU coach and parental guardian.

Nochimson also was involved with UConn freshman Ater Majok, who sat out this year due to NCAA clearing house rules.

It looks like Moore's pipeline to UConn is still very much intact, because QU has a 6-foot-7 forward from Africa rumored to be Majok's first cousin.

The player did not suit up this year but is slated to walk-on next year.

Still, it's too early to pass judgement.

Could Moore's regal reputation and Calhoun's golden legacy be on the line here?
I'm not certain, only time will tell.

I do know, however, that former UConn beat writer Adrian Wojnarowski contributed to the Yahoo! Sports report.

Wojnarowski lived in Connecticut and wrote for a newspaper in Waterbury.
He was always feuding with the Hall of Fame coach and more often than not, got owned by the aging game general.

HUSKIES IGNORE DISTRACTIONS, CONTINUE MARCH THROUGH WEST

2009-03-27T00:29:00.004-04:00

March 26, 2009

With distractions coming left and right at the Connecticut men's basketball team and head coach Jim Calhoun, it was a relief to get on the court and play basketball. For the two hour window that the Huskies took on Purdue in the West Regional Semifinal in Arizona, that was what mattered.

"My job today was to come and coach our basketball team, and the kids took care of that," said coach Calhoun following the game.

UConn jumped out to an 8-0 lead and led 14-3 just 5:14 into the game on a Gavin Edwards bucket. It looked like the rout was on.

"I think our guys did fight back from that poor start that we had." said Purdue coach Matt Painter.

A Robbie Hummel three-pointer with 3:47 left in the first half completed a 15-3 run to cut the UConn lead to 26-23, prompting Jim Calhoun to call for a timeout.

"We told ourselves all week if we got ourselves out to a good run, they were going to come back," AJ Price said of Purdue. "They are a very game team, tough team. They proved that time and time again. Every time we made a run, they seemed to cut it back to four, two, something like that."

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After UConn won their first two NCAA Tournament games by an average margin of 41 points, Purdue desperately wanted to get out to a lead and see how UConn would react to being down, especially early on. However, after the quick start, the Boilermakers were never quite able to catch the Huskies.

"We had to get them to play from behind," coach Painter said following the game. "We had to get the lead and get them playing on their heels a little bit."

"You have to give them credit, they didn't allow that to happen."

However, UConn knew they were in a game at the break. Despite their hot start, Purdue controlled the pace of the contest and went into halftime trailing just 30-25.

The Huskies once again came out of the locker room on a strong run with Hasheem Thabeet scoring eight of his 15 points in a 12-5 run over the first 6 1/2 minutes of the second half.

Once again, back came Purdue, and after a pair of free throws from JaJuan Johnson, the Boilermakers were back within 44-40 after a 9-2 spurt that took all off 1:26 to complete.

But, like he has done time and time again for his team, AJ Price asserted himself when he was needed.

Price hit a pair of jumpers and then assisted on a Jeff Adrien bucket, all sandwiched around a Stanley Robinson dunk that saw UConn regain control with a 52-42 lead. After a bucket from Johnson, Price found fellow senior Craig Austrie for a three-pointer and the UConn lead was 55-44, matching their largest of the game.

"I made two or three tough little floaters in the lane, and it was just being persistent and staying with it," said Price of his baskets starting the UConn run.

Thabeet would add another hoop at the 6:36 mark to make it a 67-55 UConn lead and that was the last made field goal of the game for the Huskies. They would make 15 of 18 free throws down the stretch to account for the final score of 72-60, advancing to the Elite 8 for the first time since 2006.

Austrie was the offensive catalyst for UConn, scoring 17 points while making all three of his three-point attempts and going 6-6 from the foul line.

"He got his confidence back tonight, I could tell," said Price of his fellow senior backcourt mate. "I love to see Craig Austrie smiling."

Thabeet added 15 points and 15 rebounds, with 4 blocked shots. Price, despite a tough shooting night, also accounted for 15 points, adding 7 assists. Stanley Robinson continued to step forward late in the season adding a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds and was a key defensive stopped against Hummel in the second half.

"Stanley, once again, has evolved into that role as our third scorer and rebounder," said Calhoun.

It continues to be a trying season for UConn. From off-court issues to the Jerome Dyson to the whirlwind of accusations of illegal recruiting practices of the last couple days, the Husky players just continue to forge forward and they are now one of just eight teams left standing.

"(It) felt great to get out there on the court and play basketball," Price said in regards to the distractions. "Like I have been saying all week, that's what we know how to do, that's what we focus on and that's what we do best."

Next, their best could lead them to a Final Four in Detroit, stamping a legacy for a group, led by seniors Price, Austrie and Adrien, that will be held in high regard with their Hall of Fame coach, not matter where this season ends up.

"They truly have won 30 games, they truly [formed a] legacy at UConn, won 101 games," Calhoun said. "As I told you all along, this has been a special group."

They are just a couple wins away from being special AND a National Championship group.

ATER MAJOK LINKED TO AGENT IN MILES CASE

2009-03-26T18:22:00.003-04:00

March 26, 2009

By Zach Smart

On the court, UConn has mastered the art of playing above the law.

Unlike the 1993 and 1996 Chicago Bulls, however, it's not due to preferential treatment from the boys sporting the zebra shorts. Let's not forget, Jim Calhoun wasn't too happy with one ref (apparently longtime Big East official Mike Kitts) when UConn suffered a bruising, black-and-blue brand of loss on Feb. 16 at the XL Center in Hartford against Pittsburgh.

While the Huskies have imposed their will and inside physical firepower on teams--thanks mainly to the tandem of monster bigs Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien--they've steered clear of foul trouble.

On the court, that is.

Off the court, allegations of potentially significant recruiting violations have made the Huskies look more like "cheetas," as they say on 125th St.

READ REST OF THE STORY...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

If this Yahoo! Sports investigation comes to fruition and Calhoun and former UConn assistant Tom Moore--the aloof character who was paid a king's ransom to take over an ailing small Division-I program in Quinnipiac in 2007--are nailed....

Well, one legacy is tainted while another up-and-coming coach's reputation is severely dented.

According to a recent report by espn.com, since-expelled forward Nate Miles isn't the only player who UConn pulled dangerous strings to reel in.

Josh Nochimson, who's charged with providing Miles with representation, lodging, and so on is reportedly connected to UConn freshman Ater Majok as well.

Majok, a 22-year-old (and I thought I was the only dude to finish college late!)., a top prospect from the Sudan via Australia, was supposed to play this season.

Due to NCAA clearinghouse rules, however, Majok's 6-foot-10 frame was relegated to the bench.

Nochimsom, a sports agent and former team manager at UConn, allegedly catered to Majok.

ESPN's report states that Nochimson personally got Majok into a high school all-star game, the Kentucky Derby Festival in Louisville, Ky., last spring.

He provided him with transportation and freed up a spot for him with his influence, the report indicates.

Ironic that the two players that UConn bent the rules to reel in have not registered a second in a UConn game this season.

Majok will not be eligible to play until December.

Majok's youtube clip makes him out to be the second coming, while coach Ed Smith--who coached Majok in Australia and has been with him on several visits to UConn talks about what a special player he could potentially be.

Calhoun was not his usual mad dog self in the aftermath of allegations.

He was serene and meek when approached by the media, choosing to instead focus on the pivotal game against Purdue.

"The student-athlete (Miles) is not involved with our program, he was cleared by compliance people, an outside source-a legal source-and the NCAA," explained Calhoun.

"Something was written. We take very seriously our responsibility as NCAA members."

The loquacious, longtime Husky coach continued, "All I know is to go forward, stand up and be counted. That's exactly what I plan to do, and get my team as ready as I possibly can to play Purdue (tonight). That's what I know how to do.

This is nothing short of a royal mess.

Of intriguing note, however, is that two of the Yahoo.com writers who unraveled the report--are former UConn beat writers.

DISTRACTIONS ASIDE, UCONN READIES FOR PURDUE

2009-03-26T09:55:00.003-04:00

March 26, 2009

In timing that was used for maximum impact, Y! Sports dropped an exclusive bombshell on the college basketball world yesterday with their story that details their 6-month probe on how UConn Violated NCAA Rules in their recruitment of Nate Miles, who was expelled from school prior to playing a game with the Huskies.

With a regularly scheduled NCAA Tournament press conference yesterday afternoon, Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun quickly addressed the story as he began his opening comments with the media.

"The University is taking any allegations towards it's program or newspaper reports or anything else very responsible and tries to live under the responsibility of the NCAA rules," said the Hall of Fame Coach. "The University is going to look into any matter, as we would, when we hear light of something with regards to we think it still falls under the guidelines of making sure that we are being compliant."

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Calhoun then quickly made it clear that the situation does not surround any current players or impact the job at hand in Phoenix, reaching the Final Four.

"There are no current student athletes involved in this story."

"I want to talk about Purdue because that's really the only thing right now that I can control," continued Calhoun. "I can't control what people say, do or act to us or say about us."

So, while the college basketball world is abuzz about what the allegations might mean for the future of UConn and their coach, coach Calhoun and his current Husky squad is focused on emerging from the West Region with a trip to the Final Four next weekend in Detroit. In 1999 and 2004, the two previous Final Four and national championship seasons for UConn, they came out of the West Region as well.

"I'm glad to be back in the West," said Calhoun. "There seems to be something about being out here in the warm weather."

It has already been a tumultuous beginning to the NCAA Tournament for Calhoun off the court. The 66-year old two-time Cancer survivor missed the opening round win over Chattanooga as he was in a Philadelphia hospital being treated for dehydration. The Huskies rolled, 103-47. Calhoun was back on the sideline for round two and the impressive UConn train continued to roll right past Texas A&M, 92-66, for a spot in the Sweet 16. Now, there is the allegations against his program for recruiting irregularities. It's been quite a week.

For a team that has already overcome the previous Nate Miles situation, coach's battle with skin Cancer treatments, eligibility questions surrounding recruits and Jerome Dyson's injury, this is just another obstacle to overcome in the chase of their ultimate goal.

"I worry much more about [Purdue] than I do about the other things," Calhoun told the media gathered for Wednesday's press conference. "Even in Philadelphia there was a distraction of me not being there to some degree. And our kids, once again, we talked this morning at breakfast about what opportunity we have. We don't want to ever look back upon this and say we didn't give it our best."

His players have also learned to block out the outside factors and concentrate on the task in front of them.

"We are just mentally tough," senior Jeff Adrien said. "It starts with our coach. We don't let stuff like that bother us or whatever. We have been through a lot of ups and downs in our lives and everything. We just know how to block it off."

When the Huskies give it their best, they are impressive. They showed that in the first two games of the tournament.

"Too big, too fast, too good," remarked Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon after witnessing UConn dismantle his Aggies in Round Two last Saturday.

With a punishing power forward in Jeff Adrien and intimidating 7'3 center Hasheem Thabeet in the paint, UConn can mentally defeat a team before stepping on the court. Add in senior assassin AJ Price and 6'9 small forward Stanley Robinson beginning to live up to his enormous potential, UConn gives an opposing coach PLENTY to think about.

"UConn is obviously [the] No. 1 seed, one of the best teams in the country if not the best," remarked Purdue coach Matt Painter on Wednesday. "Unbelievable front [court] game. Great lead guard in A.J. Price and had some guys really step up, [like] Stanley Robinson."

For Purdue, the Big 10 tournament champions, the road to the Sweet 16 has been challenging as they got past Northern Iowa in Round One, 61-56, and held off Washington down the stretch in the second round, 76-74, to advance to the Sweet 16.

"We are honored to be here. It is a big accomplishment for our program, making the Sweet 16 especially after playing two tough teams in Northern Iowa and Washington," said Painter.

Sophomore JaJuan Johnson has emerged as a scoring threat for the Boilermakers through the first two rounds, averaging 18 points in the two wins. He will have his hands full tonight against the menacing duo of Thabeet and Adrien. Coach Painter looks for Johnson to play his game and show his face-up skills against Husky big men.

"JaJuan needs to take as many good shots as possible, said Painter. "We don't need to get consumed with playing any differently. I think we have to be more selective at times."

"If JaJuan Johnson has open perimeter shots we want him to take those. But it would be no different against any other opponent."

Much has been said prior to the NCAA Tournament that this particular group of UConn players have not had any post-season success. They have never won a game in the Big East Tournament and their last wins in the NCAA Tournament game in 2006 when Adrien and Austrie were freshmen reserves on the Elite 8 squad that lost to the Cinderella of the ages, George Mason.

Now, the group is two wins away from being just the third UConn team to reach a Final Four. Even with all the distractions around them from the first day they got together for individual workouts last September to this week, UConn forges ahead. These should be another case of UConn getting the job done. Purdue is likely to be very patient and make the Huskies work on both ends of the court. This will keep the game close, but the rebounding and defensive power of the UConn frontcourt will win out.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 65
Purdue 57

NOTEBOOK: TROUBLE AT UCONN?

2009-03-25T12:28:00.003-04:00

March 25, 2009

Probably the last thing Jim Calhoun wanted this week was to awake this morning to a Y! Sports Exclusive the UConn Violated NCAA Rules in their recruitment of Nate Miles. Adrian Wojnarowski and Dan Wetzel uncovered the situation during a 6-month probe as they were looking into the impact sports agents have on college basketball.

The investigation centers around indications that Miles was provided with lodging, transportation, restaurant meals and representation by Josh Nochimson, a professional sports agent and former UConn student manager, between 2006 and 2008.

NCAA rules barred Nochimson from having contact with Miles or from providing him with anything of value because, as an alumnus and former part of the men’s basketball program, Nochimson is defined by the NCAA as a representative of UConn’s “athletic interests.”

The UConn basketball staff was in constant contact with Nochimson during period in question, up to and after Miles’ recruitment. Five different UConn coaches traded at least 1,565 phone and text communications with Nochimson, according to the Y! Sports article.

Miles career at UConn was short-lived, as he was expelled from the school on October 2nd after violating a court-ordered restraining order that was placed against him after a female student alleged that he physically and sexually assaulted her. This came after a long and winding road for the 6'7 guard to become eligible after 5 high schools. While the Miles era may have been short on the UConn campus...it's legacy might have a severe impact in the future. We shall see...

At most, this is a set of potential major NCAA violations because of UConn's knowledge of the relationship between Nochimson and Miles, at least, it is a major distraction as UConn heads into the Sweet 16 on Thursday.

So, recruiting violations aside, UConn has a game to play on Thursday night against Purdue, a team with really nothing to lose as Matt Painter's program is in the Sweet 16 as the Boilers are in the Bonus (Post-Tribune) and anything from here is gravy or icing on the cake. With the recent distractions and the ease of the opening two rounds for the Huskies, Purdue might have the low profile that they hope UConn will overlook.

The players on the floor are unlikely to be bothered by the off the court issues currently surrounding the program. Through the Jerome Dyson injury and aftermath, UConn Keeps it Together (Washington Times) to earn a #1 seed and blast their way into the Sweet 16. Now, they will look to keep it together once again and reach the ultimate goal fo a National Title coming out of the West region, which the college basketball odds are certainly in their favor.

UCONN ROMPS INTO SWEET 16

2009-03-21T23:03:00.000-04:00

March 21, 2009

"Too big, too fast, too good."

Those were the words Texas A&M head coach Mark Turgeon used to start his post-game press conference after his Aggies were pummeled in Philadelphia by the West's top seed, Connecticut, 92-66.

With Jim Calhoun feeling better and back on the bench, UConn shot a sizzling 58% from the field and held a 39-28 rebounding advantage and cruised to the win.

"Came down to we just could not guard them," said coach Turgeon. "We couldn't guard them. We could never put anything together because we could never get a stop."

Senior AJ Price is enjoying his first taste of NCAA Tournament success, leading the Huskies with 27 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds in a dominating performance.

"Price is in total control of the game," said Turgeon, still seemingly in awe of what he saw from UConn. "He's dictating the whole game out there offensively and defensively."

Price's effort was a performance that made his ailing coach feel a whole lot better as well.

"Obviously, I think the 27 points and the 8 assists for A.J. was in that special category of players that we've had who in a big time game make big time plays," coach Jim Calhoun said. "He was absolutely special for us."

Fellow senior Jeff Adrien added 23 points and 8 rebounds while Stanley Robinsin added a dozen on offense. What makes the UConn performance more impressive is that Hasheem Thabeet, the 2008-2009 co-Player of the Year in the Big East, was limited to just 20 minutes because of foul difficulties, registering just one made field goal (6 points total), 4 rebounds and 2 blocks.

"Jeff (Adrien), he's been our rock, so important for us," Calhoun said. "He was just really, really terrific tonight."

After a season of battling against the Luke Harangody's, DeJuan Blair's and other top big men in the Big East, Adrien is ready to show what Big East basketball is all about to other unsuspecting big men around the country.

"I think really our conference just prepares us to play

games like this where the physical game, it's nothing to us," Adrien said following the game. "It doesn't really match up to what we've been through during the year."

"There's no other league in the country like the Big

East. We just go out there every game and try to take each other's heads off. I'm for real when I say that."

UConn's next stop is Phoenix Stadium and the West Regional semifinals where they will take on 5th seed Purdue, who knocked off Washington on Saturday. The Huskies also marched through the West in 1999 and 2004 on their way to their two national titles, they left one opposing coach pretty certain it could happen a third time.

"I definitely think they have a chance to be a national champion," said A&M coach Turgeon.

For Jim Calhoun, it is a start and these two games have will certainly have many around the nation moving the Huskies back into a 'favorite' position. However, there is work to do and, afterall, it is only the beginning.

"Are we special yet? No," said Calhoun after the game. "Couple more wins from that. There's no guarantees in this deal. But we played two very impressive games."

UCONN READY FOR CHATTANOOGA'S CHALLENGE

2009-03-19T00:31:00.002-04:00

March 19, 2009

Jim Calhoun's Connecticut Husky men's basketball squad tips off their quest for a National Championship on Thursday afternoon in the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia when they take on 16-seed in the West, Chattanooga.

The Mocs, with a record of 18-16 overall this season, were the Southern Conference Tournament champions, upsetting the College of Charleston in the finals to earn the automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. UT-Chattanooga had finished the regular season with an 11-9 conference record which included losses in their last three regular season games.

John Shulman and his Mocs have faced their share of tough opponents this season, facing NCAA Tournament teams such as Tennessee, Missouri, Memphis and Southern Cal in succession to open the season. The results were not very pretty, as they lost all four by an average of 26.5 points. Still, the Huskies are not taking anything for granted.

"They're a very athletic team, [they] play very hard," UConn senior guard AJ Price said of Chattanooga. "So we pretty much know what we're going to see in them."

For Price, this NCAA Tournament is his last shot at post-season glory in his UConn career. Last Thursday's epic six-overtime loss in the Big East Tournament quarterfinal was the fourth consecutive time the Huskies were ousted in NYC in their first game. Price's NCAA Tournament history consisted of a whole nine minutes last year in a first round loss to San Diego because of a torn ACL. Now, this go-round, UConn must overcome the loss of junior guard Jerome Dyson to make a deep tournament run.

"I think we've adjusted well since losing Jerome," Price said. "You understand anytime you lose a great talent like that, you're going to have to make some adjustments in order to pick up what he brings to the team."

"I think we've done a good job of doing that. We're over that psychologically and ready to play basketball now."

For Price and fellow seniors Craig Austrie and Jeff Adrien, their legacy is at stake. As freshmen, Austrie and Adrien were reserves on a team heavily favored to win the National Title. However, they were ousted from the Tournament by Cinderella of the Ages George Mason. Their tournament experience got off to an auspicious start that year as well, trailing 16th seed Albany well into the second half before taking control and avoiding the history making upset.

"We was down 11 with 12 minutes left," remembered Adrien of that game. "Our seniors just came back, you know, led us through that game. It wasn't a great feeling, but to get it over with and get that W, it felt great at the end."

Now, it is Adrien's turn to make sure an early exit is not on the agenda this time around. His head coach believes Adrien, Price and Austrie, as well as juniors such as Hasheem Thabeet and Stanley Robinson will be approaching this year's tournament with a heightened sense of urgency following lessons of the past.

"We hope we stay longer than we did last year," Jim Calhoun told the gathered media at yesterday's press conference. "That would be kind of nice. [We] had kind of gotten used to that. We found out it wasn't a God given right. I never thought it was, but can you get that assumption sometimes."

In order to avoid a monumental upset in the opening round, UConn just has to stay within themselves. Chattanooga likes to get up and down the court, will fire threes and run, run, run. They are athletic, but Jim Calhoun's club usually corner the market on athleticism and size. The loss of Jerome Dyson does limit them a bit on both ends of the court as his athletic ability allowed him to be a plus defender and able to break down the opposing defense to score. However, that might be something to worry about later on in the tournament, not Thursday afternoon.

UConn will likely dominate the boards and their superior size, quickness and overall athletic ability will likely make it difficult for Stephen McDowell to get loose for many open shots. The senior scorer stands just 5'11, but he can score in bunched and leads the high-powered attack with nearly 19 points a game. If the Huskies can neutralize McDowell, they could really make life miserable for the Mocs.

UConn is a 20 1/2-point favorite, while Chattanooga is very athletic, UConn has seen plenty of athletes, but the Mocs have not seen much like UConn, and when they did early in the season, they were not competitive...don't look for them to be in this one either.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 84
UT-Chattanooga 62

BET GAME PREVIEW: CONNECTICUT VS SYRACUSE

2009-03-12T13:40:00.003-04:00

March 12, 2009

Talk about a great rivalry match-up, this is a fantastic slate of quarterfinal conference tournament games in the Big East with Connecticut and Syracuse being the Thursday night finale.

Syracuse got past Seton Hall on Wednesday night in a chippy contest, that saw a pair of double technicals and an excessive foul called. When the shenanigans started, SU had a slim two-point lead, when the dust had settles, Syracuse was up 24 and clearing their bench to set up a date with the Huskies.

UConn comes into the 2009 Big East Tournament as the #3 seed following their Saturday loss at Pittsburgh to close the regular season. UConn is very close to locking up a #1 seed for the 2009 NCAA Tournament and a win over Syracuse could do the trick.

Here are some pregam stories and previews on tonight's anticpated match-up:

Orange Get Mad (Syracuse Post-Standard)
Boeheim Gets Serious at Big East Tourney (Post-Standard)
Mad Bimber (Post-Standard)
Ready to Rumble (Journal Inquirer)
Orange Scouting Report: Syracuse vs. Connecticut (Post-Standard)
UConn Eager to Break Tournament Hex (Connecticut Post)
UConn Men Have No Shortage of Motivation for Big East Tournament (TheDay.com)
Big East Quarterfinal: Syracuse vs. UConn (Hartford Courant)

These two teams met in Connecticut back on February 11th in a contest that resulted on one win and two losses for the teams involved. With UConn winning by the score of 63-49, the Huskies picked up a win in the standings, while the Orange a loss, howeever, Jerome Dyson was lost for the season because of a knee injury, a loss that might have knocked UConn from the favorite perch in the Big East.

Dyson went down to injury early on in the game in the first meeting. Connecticut was able to break away from a close game in the first half with a defensively-dominant performance, led by Hasheem Thabeet who scored just 8 points, but added 16 rebounds and 7 blocked shots. The Orange wanted nothing to do with scoring near the basket, shooting 31.7% from the floor with their two big men, Rick Jackson and Arinze Onuaku, combining for a 3-12 effort.

However, the game also go physical late. Thabeet was not just intimidating with his size, but some loosely tossed elbows caught the attention (and bodies) of Orange players and he topped it off with a fastball to the face of Kristof Ongenaet when falling out of bounds in an effort to perseve possession. Following the game, SU seemed to be looking forward to another shot at the Huskies.

In a situation similar to Pittsburgh possibly looking ahead to a potential Friday night rematch, UConn could very well have the Panthers on their mind. Afterall, saturday's loss is very fresh in their mind, so being 100% concentrated on the Orange might not be happening. We saw on Wednesday night what a motivated SU team can look like, they should be plenty motivated for this game.

The current NCAA Basketball betting odds have UConn as a 5 1/2-point favorite. With all the focus on Pitt and UConn here in NYC, do not sleep on the Orange. However, in the end, UConn will play too much defense and keep SU's easy buckets to a minimum. With Hasheem Thabeet inside, that is likely to be the difference in the end.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 70
Syracuse 67

PITT UPENDS NO. 1 UCONN, AGAIN

2009-03-07T17:17:00.001-05:00

By Zach Smart

It was one of those game-changing, defining moments that seem to alter the balance of the contest in one, wowing instant.

That's what it felt like when Sam Young flushed an earth-scorching, resume reel dunk that gave Pittsburgh a 56-50 edge they wouldn't squander.

The Huskies had clawed their way back from a deficit and showed their resolve. Behind the the clutch, high-pressure antics of A.J. Price, UConn busted out a 10-0 surge that brought them to within two points. Doubters morphed into believers, thinking UConn can do the unthinkable and stamp Pitt with it's first upset at home this season.

Not so fast.

Young propelled himself into the air, floating between the Peterson Events Center ceiling and the hardwood, and unleashed an acrobatic, emphatic two-handed dunk with 6:29 remaining.

READ REST OF THE STORY...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

The play, which instigated exasperated UConn coach Jim Calhoun to take a 30-second timeout, was a microcosm of Young's afternoon.

Young, whose metamorphosis into one of the nation's elite scorers and all-around players hasn't been blown up, dominated. He tantalized the nets to the tune of 31 points, allowing Pitt to improve to 15-3 in the Big East and likely lock down one of the top seeds in the upcoming NCAA tournament.

With the win, Pitt defeats a No.1 team--TWICE--for the first time in program history. The titanic victory makes it the first time since 1998 a no.1 team twice fell to the same opponent. That was Duke, who surrendered the title of top-ranked team in the country to North Carolina twice. Pitt has now emerged as the seventh team in NCAA history to beat a top-ranked team on two occasions in one season.

Young, who lit the Huskies up for 25 and was virtually un-guardable back on Feb.16, continued his scoring splurge. He caught the Huskies with his trademark shot fake, stuck threes and open jumpers, completed high-flying alley-oop lobs, and knifed through the teeth of the defense.

Calhoun, who's developed a low tolerance for the Panthers' physical, roughhouse brand of basketball and the way the refs allow the black-and-blue, bruising basketball, tried sticking Adrien on Young.

But the muscle-bound 6-foot-7 forward couldn't contain him. Young used his quickness, ability to score in traffic, and stepback jumpers to fend off Adrien.

Much of the pre-game hype surrounded the intriguing subplot of Hasheem Thabeet v.s. DeJuan Blair. In the first game, Blair thoroughly pulverized his 7-foot-3 counterpart. He backed him down to the bucket and scored on the Tanzania native at will, finishing with 22 points and 23 boards.

Coming into this game, Thabeet the Center who's been in the Big East Player of the Year competition, said the game wasn't about him being the center of attention.

"It is not about Hasheem against Pittsburgh," Thabeet told the Hartford Courant Thursday. "It's about UConn basketball."

Calhoun, however, seemed to think that Thabeet would be put to the test in a way that has individual award implications Saturday. He knew his super-sized big would have to fend off the "Blaired Vision" he suffered last game and officially resuscitate himself after the Feb.16 quagmire.

"He now is going to be thrust into a pivotal position as the pivotal guy on our team. And if he were to be deserving of player of the year or All-American, or all those kind of things, well ... "

Well, quite frankly, he needs to show up for two halves of basketball.

Thabeet scored all 14 of his points in the first half, when he looked as if he was going to re-write the script. But the Tanzania native went Houdini in the second. He missed a pair of point-blank range layups on one crucial possession.

On the ensuing possession, Thabeet couldn't handle a risky pass and went sprawling to the floor. The Panthers capitalized on the turnover, with Fields hitting Young in full stride for an emphatic dunk on which he absorbed a foul.

Blair only had eight points and eight boards and suffered a personal 18-minute scoring drought. None of it mattered. Young was too quick, too efficient, and too much of a powerful presence on the glass (he snared 10 boards) and in the key (he sliced through the defense and glided to the basket for easy-layups and bank shots).

When Blair retreated to the bench after getting whistled for his third foul, however, Price essentially hurled the team over his shoulders.

Price would finish with 19 points and four assists in 35 minutes. He hit 4-for-8 from beyond the arc. Aside from Adrien (11 points, 5-for-14) and Kemba Walker, who snaked along the baseline and into the basket for 10 points, he didn't have much help.

Austrie was held scoreless and Stanley "Sticks" Robinson's offensive woes (2-for-6 fg, 2-for-6 FT) persisted.

So, Pitt has had UConn's number this wild, Big East regular season.

One Pitt fan had a creative way of putting the grudge match in perspective. He held out a sign that read, "UCONN'T BEAT US!"

UCONN LOOKS TO AVENGE PITT LOSS IN FINALE

2009-03-07T00:35:00.003-05:00

March 7, 2009

By Zach Smart & NBE Staff

After suffering from 'Blaired' vision and virtually disappearing during the Huskies" 76-68 loss at the XL Center in Hartford back on Feb. 16, Hasheem Thabeet and UConn will look to exact revenge on Pittsburgh.

Top-ranked UConn closes out the regular season in dramatic fashion, heading to the Peterson Events Center to try to avenge an earlier loss against Pittsburgh (27-3, 14-3). The stakes are raised, significantly as the game has regular season title implications. The prospect of grabbing a No.1 seed in the NCAA tournament could present itself to the winner, regardless of what happens next week in the 2009 Big East Tournament.

UConn will have to get an efficient account of itself, meaning 6-9 forward Stanley Robinson will have to play the hungry, possessed way he played against Marquette. Hasheem Thabeet will need to provide a presence on the blocks and not turn in another Houdini-like performance he did at Hartford.

The Huskies must have the fortitude and composure to withstand any late game run Pitt reels off. That's a litmus test in its own. The fans can blow the roof off after a wild, pulsating Pitt run and disrupt the flow of the visitor's comeback.

Pitt owns a gaudy 18-0 record at the 'PETE' this season and have won 20 straight at home dating back to last season.

READ REST OF THE STORY...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

The Huskies will need to be able to respond to any long range shot by Levance Fields, who buried two crucial threes down Craig Austrie and Kemba Walker's throats that turned out to be real daggers.

Fields scored 10 crucial points in three crucial minutes, helping the Panthers pad their lead and run off with a victory that catapulted them to No.1 in the country.

Fields, however, is questionable for this game after a hard fall on the Panthers’ previous game against Marquette and is reportedly very sore as a bruised tailbone leaves his status in doubt.

Last year, Pitt and UConn met in Connecticut with the Panthers missing Fields and UConn without Jerome Dyson then as well. AJ price hit the key baskets down the stretch, similar to what Fields did in their earlier match-up this season, to pull out the win. The Panthers were 8-4 (7-4 in the Big East) last year without Fields.

The Huskies will need to put the clamps on DeJuan Blair, who bulldozed his way to 22 points and 23 rebounds and destroyed Thabeet in virtually every aspect of the game on the 16th. Blair, the 6-foot-7 homegrown product and Player of the Year candidate, backed Thabeet down and penetrated the teeth of the UConn frontline at will. Both Blair and Sam Young, he of the trademark shot fake, were a two-man wrecking crew.

Young is averaging 18.4 points and 6.0 boards. He's shooting the rock at a 50 percent clip.

Back in mid-February, he started off sizzling and never relented. He hit jumpers and got free for alley-oops, cooking UConn to the recipe of 25 points on an efficient 8-of-13 shooting.

Pitt won the battle on the boards, 43-36 in a game that left the Big East leaders in a black-and-blue battered condition the following morning. With muscle-bound mammoths like Jeff Adrien and Blair going after it and employing an ultra-physical brand of ball, it was what one would expect.

Jim Calhoun, at the helm at UConn for 23 years, was even overwhelmed by the aggression of the game and the nature in which it was called. Calhoun said he hasn't seen a game like that in 15 years.

"If the game's going to be called like that, let us know before hand," he said, venting his frustration at referee Mike Kitts, whose suspect call on Hasheem Thabeet with 11:20 remaining resulted in Thabeet's fourth foul.

Calhoun also said his peace following the game and look for the Hall of Fame coach to be working the officials early and often on Saturday. It was in Pittsburgh back when their bruisers like Chevon Troutman and company would test the mettle of Emeka Okafor and Calhoun got T’d up during the opening tip-off, it could happen early tomorrow as well.

If the cajoling of the officials leads to a few fouls on Blair, then coach Calhoun has done his job and it will be up to his players to finish their job.

Pulling off a win in such a hostile environment will be trying for the Huskies, a real test of their manhood and hunger. Calhoun has called them out for not wanting it bad enough twice this season, in losses against Georgetown and Pittsburgh.

In order for the Huskies to win the battle in the backcourt, A.J. Price and Craig Austrie can't shoot a paltry 8-for-25 the way they did at the XL Center. With Jerome Dyson out, Kemba Walker has filled some of the scoring void. He's gone to the basket more. Adrien, who was sublime in his 25-point, 11-for-15 explosion against Notre Dame, has also helped cushion the loss.

Thabeet, who Blair virtually flipped over in the first half, knows he will be the center of attention. He isn't exactly embracing the role of the player who all eyes will be pasted on.

"It is not about Hasheem against Pittsburgh," he told the Hartford Courant Thursday. "It's about UConn basketball."

Calhoun knows his 7-foot-3 beanstalk will need to make up for the lost time last game.

"He now is going to be thrust into a pivotal position as the pivotal guy on our team. And if he were to be deserving of player of the year or All-American, or all those kind of things, well ... "

He's got to avoid slipping into the body of a 5-foot-10 walk-on. He's got to avoid getting pummeled on the glass, getting backed down to the basket, and suffering from 'Blaired' vision this time around.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on the game:

Game Night: #4 Pittsburgh vs. #1 Connecticut (CollegeHoopsnet.com)
Blair, #3 Panthers Read for Another ‘Celebrity Death Match’ (Washington Observer)
The Moment is Now for AJ Price and Connecticut Basketball (Chicago Tribune)
UConn Men Play for Big East Title (Hartford Courant)
UConn-Pittsburgh Saturday (Hartford Courant)
Blair, Pitt Try to Dislodge UConn Again (AP)
Thabeet in Spotlight Against Pittsburgh (Hartford Courant)
Panthers Await UConn, Another Shot at No. 1 (Post-Gazette)
Clash May Decide Big East Player of the Year (Norwich Bulletin)
For UConn, Formula is Easy, the Game is the Hard Part (Norwich Bulletin)
Clash of the Titans (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
UConn Men’s Gameday (Connecticut Post)
Officiating Talk a Backdrop to UConn-Pitt Match-up (Post-Gazette)
Pitt, UConn No. 1 Rivalry and Just the Ticket for Fans (Post-Gazette)

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Pittsburgh 71
Connecticut 66

The prospect of Pittsburgh playing without Levance Fields definitely worries me as the Panthers would be very vulnerable to aggressive defensive pressure in the backcourt with some inexperienced ball-handlers. However, the atmosphere and energy of senior day has carried many a team to a special win...

UCONN LOOKS TO SEND SENIORS OFF WITH WIN

2009-02-27T23:19:00.001-05:00

February 28, 2009

Following a seven-game losing streak, Notre Dame has made things interesting by coming back to win four of their last five games, moving to 7-8 in the conference. However, climbing to that magical benchmark of .500 in the Big East is a tall order on Saturday as the Irish have to travel to Storrs to take on UConn on Senior Day.

The Huskies will be honoring their senior basketball program members, including AJ Price, Jeff Adrien and Craig Austrie. The energy and emotion of the day will have Gampel Pavilion abuzz from the get-go, making it a tough atmosphere for any visitor.

Earlier this season UConn defeated the Irish 69-61 at the Joyce Center in the game that ended the record-setting Irish home win streak. While there might be an element of revenge at work for Notre Dame, the Irish do not match-up well against the Huskies.

Neither team has much depth and the presence of 7’3 Hasheem Thabeet and the powerful Adrien will make things very tough for Luke Harangody, the reigning Big East Player of the Year, who is a walking double-double for the Irish. While Harangody is likely to still register his normal 25 points and 14 rebounds, expect it to be an extremely hard-earned stat-line. Even during the seven-game losing streak, Harangody continued to put up big numbers, but the efficiency of his output dropped significantly. Much of that was due to the lack of support from the players around him.

While Ryan Ayers and Kyle McAlarney have picked up their games in the recent weeks as the Irish have returned to winning ways, they will have to do so on Saturday against once of the stingiest defensive teams in the nation. With the perimeter in lock-down mode and Thabeet inside, the high-powered Irish offense will likely be tested like no other time this year.

With the loss of Jerome Dyson, UConn is definitely a more vulnerable team as they will miss Dyson’s ability to break down defenses and his own defensive abilities. However, one very uplifting development from their recent win at Marquette was the 19-point, 10-rebound performance of Stanley Robinson. Finding offense from Robinson, which has been sorely missed this season, could go a long way to helping the Huskies recover some of the punch lost with Dyson’s injury.

Saturday is likely to be a very emotional day for UConn point guard AJ Price who has been through a tremendous amounts of highs and lows in his five years as a member of the UConn program. Wednesday night was among one of the highest highs as Price poured in a career-high 36 points in a win over Marquette and helping Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun to his 800th career win. Now on Senior Day, the coach and his seniors can be honored together for their accomplishments and are likely to go out in style.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 84
Notre Dame 69

UConn-Notre Dame Preview Capsule (Norwich Bulletin)
Seniors Still Working on UConn Legacy (Hartford Courant)
Poor Record Could Hurt Luke Harangody's Player of the Year Hopes (Chicago Tribune)

UCONN 'STICKS' IT TO MARQUETTE

2009-02-26T12:29:00.001-05:00

By Zach Smart

It wasn't a coming out party as much as it was a loud thud of a wakeup call for UConn wing Stanley "Sticks" Robinson.

The message sent to Sticks during the Huskies' 93-82 win over No.10 Marquette Wednesday night?

You can be a dominant player in this league, but you've got to want it.

Sticks, a starter averaging a meager five points, wanted it bad.

The freakishly athletic 6-foot-9 jumping jack used his explosive first step, attacked the rims early and often, and scored crucial buckets en route to a wowing 19-point, 10-board performance.

Read More...Click Below!

From the beginning, Sticks played like a possessed man, soaring in for emphatic two-hand dunks and letting out ecstatic roars that ignited his teammates and bench.

"If he can play 60 percent of that, we can maybe overcome Jerome (Dyson)'s loss," said Huskies coach Jim Calhoun, who became just the seventh coach in NCAA history to reach the 800-win milestone.

"It will be hard though," he told ESPN after the game.

There had been a mammoth man hunt out for Sticks' game, seen only on milk boxes and missing signs prior to Wednesday night.

The Connecticut State Police nearly called off the search warrant after Robinson busted out for 18 points in a drubbing of Providence on Jan. 31.

But the offensive woes continued for Robinson, who averaged over ten points last year.

Calhoun challenged the junior from Alabama to step it up, explaining he needed much more out of the kid with athletic gifts few players can simulate.

As good as Robinson was at Marquette, he was hardly the headliner.

A.J. Price poured in 36 points, establishing a new career-high. He left the nets burnt on 8-of-15 shooting from beyond the arc.

It's this type of game that Calhoun has come to expect from his high pressure and high caliber point guard, a kid who he remembers hounding down at Amityville (N.Y.) High back in 2004.

Marquette may have suffered a severe setback with the loss of electrifying guard and floor leader Dominic James.

James played just four minutes and left the game with a broken foot. He could be out for the remainder of the season.

Calhoun consoled him after the game and told him too keep his head up. Price also offered his support to his counterpart.

The two teams ran toe-to-toe in the first half, engaged in a wild game of momentum tennis.

The seesaw battle became most intriguing around the 7-minute mark of the second half, when UConn freshman Kemba Walker's traditional 3-point play gave the Huskies a 76-74 lead.

A pair of Hasheem Thabeet free throws padded the lead to 78-74.

Sticks then converted an errant shot into a putback plus the foul. He knocked down the free throw to complete the three point play.

On UConn's ensuing possession, Sticks recovered an up-for-grabs rebound and threw down an authoritative two-handed dunk that had him screaming louder than any of the 19,091 in attendance.

This is the Sticks who UConn needs to see more of.

With Dyson's scoring aptitude and propensity to turn steals into fast break dunks off display until next season, the time is now.

Sticks can be as good as anyone in this wild, talent-leaking conference.

He's got to want it.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CONNECTICUT @ MARQUETTE

2009-02-25T09:19:00.002-05:00

By Zach Smart

UConn hasn't seen a four-guard attack of this type since 2006. That was Villanova, who's four-guard operation took the NCAA by storm.

But Allan Ray, Mike Nardi, Kyle Lowry, and Randy Foye already put their stamp on the Big East.

This time, the Jerome Dyson-less Huskies play a Marquette team with three fabolous guards--who it seems have been playing together for more than four years--and a versatile 6-foot-6 forward parked on the blocks and forced to play out of his nature this year.

Lazar Heyward will have his hands full with towering 7-foot-3 Center Hasheem Thabeet and boardsmith Jeff Adrien, but the junior from Buffalo, N.Y. has given an efficient account of himself this season.

Heyward, quite undersized in the Big East, has shown good life from beyond the arc (38 3PM in 27 games), taken the ball to the tin (he gets to the line early and often and shoots his freebies at an 83 percent clip) and materialized as one of the best catch-and-release players in the NCAA. He's shot the rock at a 46.4 percent clip and led the Golden Eagles in points-per-minute last season. The key for the Huskies is to not let him get open and force him to put the ball on the deck and try to take somone off the dribble. He's an off guard camoflouged as a forward, one who thrives in Buzz Williams' offense.

While UConn may be able to exploit the mismatch, and the presence of Thabeet will likely keep Heyward from going to the rack, Heyward can dial in a timely trey or feathery jumper. He's also a defensive stalwart, with the ability to clamp down on anyone on any given night.

UConn had a veritable lockdown specialist in Dyson, who's been the team's best on-the-ball defender since his freshman season. One way to make up for Dyson's defensive prowess, and against this team they will certainly need it, is to get more aggression out of senior guard Craig Austrie.

Austrie was austere against Notre Dame last month, when he did a commendable job on Kyle McLarney. Austrie threw the sniper into a 3-for-15 nightmare that saw him go 0-for-the century in the second half.

Austrie will also have to step it up offensively. A senior and homegrown product, Austrie has yet to eclipse 10 points against top-notch competition. He hit crucial treys in the win over Syracuse, and needs to put forth a similar effort against Marquette. Conservative play has lowered Austrie's stock throughout his career, and with Dyson's 14.3 points, 3.2 assists, 1.5 treys per game not on hand, there's no tomorrow.

Another area that Dyson's absence effects the Huskies is in the run and gun game. Dyson was a big part of UConn's speedball, hellfire operation with his explosive finishes and ability to facilitate a fast break. Marquette has plenty of guards that can run the floor and finish in the open court.

STAND GUARD:

Jerel Mcneal recently became the school's all-time leading scorer. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard has been smoking this season, shooting the rock at a 43 percent clip from the perimeter and 48 percent from the field. He's averaging a team-high 20 points and averaged a sublime 25.1 points during six straight wins from mid-January to early February.

Dominic James, who's name was littered in NBA draft talk following his freshman season, is explosive, athletic, and scary with his first step. And if you think Dyson has some bounce at 6-foot-3, you should just see this freakish 5-foot-11 cat's springy hops. James' numbers have dwindled since he was Big East Freshman of the Year, but he shoulders a solid assist-to-turnover ratio and is the offensive operator/heart and soul of the team.

Guard play has been an aspect so paramount to success in Big East basketball this season. UConn's A.J. Price, who's become one of the top guards in the conference and the go-to-guy in pressure situations, will have his hands full. Reiterating what I said before, Austrie will need to step his game up. Kemba Walker, a major presence in UConn's running game, needs to look to score more.

The quartet of McNeal, James, Heyward, and Wesley Matthews (18.7 ppg) have all eclipsed 1,000 points in their career. Relative balance in the scorebook pays dividends for the Golden Eagles. If one of these guys isn't feeling it, another guy can step in and pick him up.

BENCH BOYS:

Marquette plays around nine guys per game but doesn't have a great deal of production coming off the knot. Pint-size point guard Maurice Acker showed promise during last year's Big East tournament, but he hasn't seen significant opportunity this season. UConn, on the other hand, has about as much depth as a kid's pool. The season-ending injury to Dyson and 7-foot-1 center Charles Okwandu's academic ineligibility has limited them to a 7-man rotation, with the occasion no.8 thrown in the mix. That man was seldom-used freshman Scottie Haralson Saturday. Donnell Beverly has had his cameos, but the last thing UConn needs is another guard. Gavin Edwards, who averages four points and three boards but can be a solid supplement to Thabeet or Adrien, played just four minutes against South Florida. If anything will hurt UConn in this conference, it's the lack of bench depth. Beverly, Haralson, or whoever it may be must get acclimitized to significant minutes. Marquette clearly has the upper hand on the Huskies in this category, and getting Thabeet in foul trouble can change the game.

-Marquette suffered a wild, 57-56 upset loss to South Florida on Feb.6. They were drubbed by Villanova. Still, the Golden Eagles (like UConn) have just two conference losses to date.
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Calhoun Wont Let Huskies Look Ahead (TheDay.com)
UConn Matches Up Well vs Marquette (Courant)
Match-ups: Connecticut vs. MU (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
Stakes are Sky-High for Match-up with Huskies (Journal-Sentinel)
Marquette vs. Connecticut GameNight (CollegeHoopsNet.com)
Calhoun's Focus on Present, Not History (Norwich Bulletin)
Huskies Thabeet a Beast Dow Low (Journal-sentinel)

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 70
Marquette 66

SEEN, HEARD & NOTED IN HARTFORD

2009-02-24T14:25:00.001-05:00

By Zach Smart

There's been a number of wild encounters between the media and UConn men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun. Most remember his "I f****d up" rant. This profanity-laced tirade emerged after New Haven Register columnist Dave Solomon questioned him about his recruitment of Waterbury, Conn. forward Ryan Gomes. Gomes starred at Providence and currently plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Coach Calhoun on Gomes Recruitment

Calhoun's penchant for four-letter words has been notable in press conferences. Most recently, we remember the Hall of Famer lashed out on the media over the way they jumped on the Doug Wiggins-Jerome Dyson arrests story.

“I'd like to have you working hard on the team and do your (blanking) job instead of trying to hurt younger people because you feel someone's pressuring you. It's really unfortunate, it really is,” said Calhoun, following the Huskies' 68-63 victory over then no.7 Indiana on Jan. 26, 2008.

"You've done your job, things were reported, and you'll know the information as soon as it comes out. I told you they would not be playing tonight or the next game and I told you this week that something would come out but that's not good enough for you, you've got to go into P.I. (private investigator) mode. If that's what you want, go ahead. Just make sure when you make that call and it doesn't get answered, that you're fooling with my kids. Fool with me now, say I'm a bad coach, I shouldn't discipline. OK? Just so we understand that, just so we all understand each other," said Calhoun.

In his 23rd year as the Huskies head coach, Calhoun demands his respect. The legendary coach who's scored 999 wins has fielded trillions of questions from a number of journalistsas. Some of these guys are as vindictive as the reporter played by Al Bundy in the 1994 film, "Blue Chips." As the aforementioned youtube material and rant at Indiana last year indicates, Calhoun has been in a barrage of heated arguments and put a number of individuals on blast.

Nothing, however, was more whacky than Calhoun's sudden spat with a political activist/freelance journalist following UConn's 64-50 victory over South Florida at the XL Center.

Ken Krayeske, who is currently enrolled as a UConn law student, spoke out for himself and was owned by Calhoun, who had been very calm throughout the press conference.

"Considering you're the highest paid state employee in a $2 billion budget deficit," Krayeske asked before Calhoun abruptly interrupted him.

"Not a dime back," said Calhoun, instigating laughter throughout a press conference that's garnered national news and has made waves on YouTube and ESPN.

"Not a dime back, I'd like to be able to retire someday."

When Krayeske asked Calhoun about his contract with Comcast, indicating that his salary is affecting the state’s economic quagmire, Calhoun gave a terse response.

"You're not really that stupid, are you?"

But when Krayeske interjected by saying "yes, I am," Calhoun thoroughly walloped the magazine writer.

"My best advice to you: shut up...Quite frankly, we bring in $12 million to the university, nothing to do with state funds. We make $12 million a year for this university. Get some facts and come back and see me!''

It made for a pretty awkward moment.

Krayeske, a Syracuse graduate, operates a blog, www.the40yearplan.com.

Krayeske has written for High Times, the notorious marijuana monthly and admits to “dropping LSD and smoking copious amounts of marijuana” during his Syracuse days.

UCONN OVERCOMES SLUGGISH EFFORT, TOPS USF

2009-02-21T21:33:00.003-05:00

February 21, 2009

By Zach Smart

HARTFORD--Jim Calhoun was angry. He was angry at his team for putting together a lackluster first half in which they shot the ball at a meager 14-for-37 clip. He was angry at his guards for not knocking down easy shots early. He was angry that they were letting the South Florida Bulls, who've won just three Big East games this season, run with them and match them on the glass.

He sent his first message to his starters in the first half, inserting seldom-used freshman Scottie Haralson for two minutes. If his message wasn't clear enough at halftime, Calhoun--never one to mask his frustration--made his voice heard in the second half.

After Augustus got free for a two-handed jam, Calhoun signaled for forward Gavin Edwards to get out of the game. He nearly walked on the court and pointed at Edwards, yelling at him to take a seat.

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Moments, later, Calhoun's frustration compounded. A.J. Price threw up a high lob for Stanley "Sticks" Robinson. Robinson caught the ball away from the basket, but still tried to complete what would have been a rocking dunk. South Florida got the rebound and executed a fast break that resulted in a Dominique Jones dunk, slicing the Huskies' lead to 46-40 with 11:48 to play.

Calhoun called a timeout, nearly pulled his hair out, and unleashed a few choice words at his players.

Whatever it was Calhoun said, it lit a fire under the No.1 ranked team in the country. The Huskies rattled off a 9-0 run capped by a Hasheem Thabeet layup. Wedged in the run was A.J. Price's deep 3-pointer and a solid move in which Price shook a defender off the dribble, exploded to the basket and kissed one off the glass.

UConn's lead ballooned to 55-40 and the Huskies never looked back.

"It was a hard bounce back game," said Jim Calhoun, whose team improved to 13-2 in the Big East and resuscitated themselves following a tough-to-swallow loss against Pittsburgh on Monday.

"You want to get back into the fray and get going. All of a sudden they’re taking 25 seconds off the shot clock. That caused us not to play anywhere near the type of defense we need to play early or rebound."

Jeff Adrien, the senior strongman and boardsmith, was off his game offensively. Albeit he pulled down nine boards, Adrien shot just 4-for-14 and missed shots at point-blank range.

Center Hasheem Thabeet, who turned in a Houdini-like performance against Pitt, picked up the slack for his teammate. Thabeet, who loves to feast on smaller opponents, scored 21 points and snared nine rebounds. The 7-foot-3 mountain of a man blocked six shots and changed a laundry list of others.

"At first we went almost four minutes without scoring, and coach joked that it would be a 20 point half," said Thabeet. "We had to pick it up. We were successful when we did that. It’s always tough when we’re coming back from a loss like we had a week ago. Everybody was mad and we came back and everybody wanted to win."

In the first half, it looked like everybody wanted a day off.

Both teams came out of the gates Alaska-cold, until Robinson's putback on a Craig Austrie miss jump-started a 9-0 run. South Florida thwarted the run on a Chris Howard trey from the top of the key with 14:14 left to play in the half.

A coast-to-coast layup by Kemba Walker gave UConn a 23-14 bulge, and the Rice High product gave UConn a 31-20 halftime lead as he once again drove the ball to the rack for a buzzer-beating layup.
UConn was sluggish in the second half, until a 9-0 burst broke the game open with 7:46 to play.

The tempo of the game was the single most important thing," explained Calhoun. "We’re going to see that at times….We don’t know if we’re going to see a slow-down game, per se, but I think it was a difficult game to bounce back."

Bulls head coach Stan Heath lauded Thabeet, who's a surefire first round pick if he declares for the 2009 NBA draft.

"To see him up close, he’s so impressive," said Heath. "You can just see how much he’s improved from last year to this year, especially on the offensive end. He’s always been unbelievable on the defensive end, but offensively he’s much more comfortable making post moves, hit a 15, 12-foot shot. He always so tough on the offensive glass."

Next Stop: Milwaukee.

The Huskies will be put to the test against a Marquette team front-loaded with senior talent Wednesday night.

UCONN LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK AGAINST USF

2009-02-20T23:06:00.002-05:00

by Zach Smart

Jim Boeheim said it.

In a recent interview with SNY, the longtime Syracuse game general pointed out that South Florida copped their first conference win by giving Marquette--a team loaded with four standout 1,000-point scoring seniors--their first loss.

Anything can happen. In a conference filled with a buffet-line of promising talent, anyone can knock off anyone.

Heading into their matchup with UConn (24-2, 12-2) the Hasheem Thabeet phenomenon could have sent shivers down SFU's spine. But Thabeet was neutralized, significantly, on Monday night. He scored just four points and was a non-factor after getting into foul trouble during their 76-68 home loss to Pittsburgh.

The Panthers' DuJuan Blair, a sophomore strongman, took the ball to Thabeet early and often. He pounded his way into the paint. He put the ball on the deck and posted up on the 7-foot-3 mammoth of a man. He beat him to the boards and found various ways to score--putbacks, fallaway jumpers, refined back to the basket moves that Thabeet can't simulate, and so forth.

Unfortunately. South Florida does not have a Dujuan Blair on their roster. They don't even have a Kentrell Gransberry anymore. Gransberry, one of the most under-appreciated bigs in the conference last season, is playing professionally in France.

The Bulls have a 6-foot-10 center in Alex Rivas-Sanchez. Excluding games against Virginia, Notre Dame, and Marquette, the wiry big man from the Dominican Republic hasn't been much to write home about. He's averaging a meager 3.1 points and 4.3 boards in just 14.6 minutes for a squad that acknowledges the gap that was created when 2008 graduation claimed Gransberry.

Guard Dominique Jones (18.2 PPG, 4.0 APG), on the other hand, has been nothing short of a problem. We know you haven't heard much about him with the laundry-list of guards in the Big East--like Dominic James--that make headline after headline. In a guard-heavy Big East, Jones would be raved about if he didn't play for the cellar-dwelling Bulls.

Jones hung 35 on West Virginia, 29 on Providence, and 26 on DePaul. Prior to the 2008-09 campaign, Jones said a personal goal for his team would be to win every out-of-conference game. He's a realist when it comes to the talent level of the Big East and where his team stands this year.

While his wish didn't pan out--Niagara, Vanderbilt, Wright State, and Oral Roberts all had their way with SFU in the non-conference slate--Jones scored 15 points and handed out four helpers as the Bulls defeated Marquette in the upset of the century. It was South Florida's first-ever victory over a top-ten ranked opponent.

The Bulls, however, have tailed off the past two games--dropping a 10-point loss to a sleepwalking Notre Dame team before getting clubbed by a struggling Georgetown team, 65-40.

Jones is averaging just 13 points in the last two games. The kid who has yet to play under 32 minutes in a game this season--a pretty solid indicator that he's the heart and soul of this ailing program--will need to be at his best Saturday. While he's relied on to score the basketball, Jones means so much more. The 6-foot-4 guard can sky for rebounds (he turned in a 26 and 10 double-double in a nine-point loss to DePaul and combined for 17 rebounds in back-to-back games against Notre Dame and Providence.

South Florida shoots 30 percent from beyond the confines of the arc. They will not have much of a choice on Saturday, as Thabeet's presence is felt all around the key.

Just ask Seton Hall. Thabeet loves to eat up guards that take the ball to the cup and changes the trajectory of a number of shots throughout the game.

-For UConn, A.J. Price has looked more and more like the player that took the Big East by storm last season. Price is averaging 12.4 points and 4.6 dimes, but is the guy the Huskies go to in the clutch or when in need of a timely trey. The Amityville, N.Y native hit big threes and showed resolve during the Pitt loss. Price had 29 during a crucial win over Villanova last month, but his streak ways have continued.

-Jeff Adrien, newly minted member of UConn's elite 1,000 and 1,000 club has been playing the best ball of his life. Averaging a double-double with 14 and 10, Adrien should get the Huskies kick-started tomorrow.

A Look Back: In 2006, when UConn was hanging around the No.1 mark and punishing teams not named the Wildcats during the regular season, they never let a bottom feeder close to them. This was of course, in Big East action. If you remember correctly, a SUNY-Albany team sporting t-shirts with "Why Not Us?" emblazoned on the back nearly became the first team in NCAA history to upset a no.1 team as a No.16. Some people have compared this team's success to that team. So, if the Huskies are anything like that dominant 2006 squad, which was robbed by George Mason in the elite eight, they will bludgeon South Florida tomorrow. They won't waste time in the early going, as they did during their cupcake non-conference schedule. They will get after it from the get-go, get a comfortable margin, and never let up.

But don't forget, this is the 2008-2009 Big East we're talking here...To paraphrase Kevin Garnett, "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!"
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NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 78
South Florida 53

UConn Men Anxious to Get Back to Work (TheDay.com)
Bull-fighting in Hartford (Journal Inquirer)
Thabeet and Co. Look to Rebound (Norwich Bulletin)
USF’s Jones Has Unbuckling Bond with Father (St. Pete Times)
Huskies Should be Ready to Go Today (Bristol Press)
UConn Neess to Rebound from Loss (CT Post)

No. 1 UConn Hosts Pittsburgh on Big Monday

2009-02-16T00:42:00.001-05:00

February 16, 2009

Super powers collide on Big Monday as Pittsburgh travels to Hartford (CT) to take on Connecticut in a battle of a pair of teams ranked nationally in the top five. Connecticut, riding an impressive 13-game winning streak, puts that streak on the line in one of two match-ups with the Panthers down the stretch. These two teams will square off once again to close the regular season on March 7th in Pittsburgh.

The Huskies were a preseason favorite to win the Big East and be a leading challenger for a national championship. Even some roster upheaval has yet to slow them down as they are sitting at 24-1 and ranked No. 1 in the nation. Prior to the start of the season, freshman wing Nate Miles was expelled from the school. Freshman recruit Ater Majok was not cleared academically by the NCAA and will not be eligible to play for UConn until December of 2009. Sophomore JUCO transfer Charles Okwandu has been declared academically ineligible and is not going to play the rest of the season. Even with those expected contributors not suiting up, UConn has rolled along to a 12-1 mark on conference play and has not lost a game in 2009 as their last lost came on December 29th in the Big East opener against Georgetown.

READ REST OF THE STORY...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

However, their latest personnel matter might deliver a weakening blow to their chances of a Big East title and a run to a national championship. Starting shooting guard Jerome Dyson was injured in the early minutes of the Huskies 63-49 win over Syracuse last Wednesday. Dyson suffered a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee and is scheduled to have surgery on Monday, a procedure that could end his season. Dyson had been averaging 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and led the team with nearly 2 steals a game. Dyson is often their emotional leader and, even though his all-out play could sometimes be out of control, his aggressive nature would inspire teammates. He was also a strong perimeter defender, the type of player that would ‘hold you together’ according to UConn Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun.

Last season, without Dyson, UConn beat Pitt in Hartford, 60-53 as the Huskies outscored the Panthers 9-2 in the last 2 ½ minutes of the game. Pitt led much of the second half, but AJ Price hit the big shots down the stretch, finishing with a game-high 21 points.

Pitt did not have two very key players in last year’s game that they have now: Levance Fields and Jermaine Dixon. Fields was out with a broken foot and Dixon was playing at Tallahassee Community College.

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon has termed Fields play of late as ‘unbelievable’ as the senior point guard is averaging 13.3 points and 8.3 assists in the last seven Big East contests, reaching double figures in scoring each time. What has been the most incredible part of Fields’ play, in those seven Big East games, he has turned it over just 14 times. Even more impressive, in his last four games, Fields has 49 assists and just 6 turnovers.

Dixon has quickly developed into one of the best on-the-ball defensive stoppers in the conference, something Pitt really has lacked the last two seasons. On Saturday Dixon had the assignment of silencing Deonta Vaughn and did so, holding UC’s leading scored to just three of seven shooting and nine points in 37 minutes. He has also made Jonny Flynn disappear for about 36 minutes of their earlier contest with Syracuse and, because of the Dyson injury, Dixon will draw the assignment of guarding AJ Price. Dixon is athletic and taller than any guard Pitt has recently had. Coming off the bench behind Dixon is sophomore Brad Wanamaker (averages 7.8 points in Big East play) and the defense does not fall off very much. Gilbert Brown is another wing sub and he, too is a top defender. Brown was a starter last season when Pitt met UConn, this time he is the 7th man in the rotation, showing that Pitt is a deeper club this year.

In the match-up last season, Sam Young scored 18 points and DeJuan Blair had a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Hasheem Thabeet, who is coming off a 25-point, 20-rebound and 9-block performance in a 62-54 win over Seton Hall on Saturday, had just six points, seven rebounds and five blocks in the meeting. However, he was clearly on the Panthers minds as Young and Blair combined to shoot 12-35 from the floor with many of the misses coming inside.

Thabeet also had 8 points, 16 rebounds and 7 blocks in last week’s win over Syracuse and he has anchored a defense for the Huskies that has sparkled of late, allowing just 55 points a game in their last seven contests, with nobody scoring more than 61. Even more impressive is the fact that UConn has allowed just 0.80 points per possession in that timeframe, which would easily lead the nation if it was done for the entire season.

In a true match-up of offense versus defense, it is Pittsburgh that enters the game as the nation’s most efficient offense, averaging 1.243 points a possession according to www.kenpom.com and has done so against the nation’s 19th toughest schedule (UConn’s schedule is rated as the 29th toughest). Usually defense wins out, but will the absence of Dyson knock the UConn defense down a peg or two?

Connecticut is listed as a 3 ½-point favorite. If there is a team in the Big East that is not intimidated by UConn it is Pitt. While the duo of Thabeet and Jeff Adrien will win their share of battles on the boards and swat some shots, Pitt will keep coming at them. The biggest fear for Pitt is a too-hyped DeJuan Blair and that could lead to him finding himself in some foul trouble. If that happens, Pitt will be in trouble because they are not nearly the same rebounding team with him off the floor. One good thing for Pitt, though, is Thabeet is not always that active setting screens and forcing Blair to hedge and show on the perimeter, a spot where he tends to pick up some cheap fouls. With that being the case, I think Pitt pulls this one out in a meat-grinder type of game. The Husky team has been through a lot the last 11 months, and it might just catch up to them a little in this game.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Pittsburgh 65
Connecticut 61

Here are some pregame stories and previews linked from around the internet:

Blair to Test Improved Thabeet (Hartford Courant)
Pitt Hopes to Knock Off No. 1 (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
Clash With Pitt Could Decide Big East (Norwich Bulletin)
High Stakes for Huskies With Pitt in Town (Connecticut Post)
UConn Men’s Gameday (Connecticut Post)
Blair, Pitt ready to Take on UConn (FoxSports.com via Post-Gazette)
Pitt Shifts Focus to UConn (Beaver County Times)
Dyson Cautious About Return (Waterbury Rep-Am)

THABEET LEADS UCONN PAST SETON HALL

2009-02-14T23:00:00.003-05:00

February 15, 2009

Hasheem Thabeet showed why he might be the biggest game-changer in the college game today. With the Connecticut perimeter offense stalled in their first game without the injured Jerome Dyson, UConn Gets 25 Points, 20 Rebounds & 9 Blocks from Thabeet in Win over Seton Hall (Briston Press). The Husk defense limited the Pirates to 31% shooting, despite a career day from John Garcia, in the 62-54 win.

Seton Hall had won five consecutive games after starting the season 0-6 in Big East play. However, their perimeter offense went south in this one as Robert Mitchell (4-19), Jeremy Hazell (3-13) and Eugene Harvey (5-22) combined to shoot 12-54 from the field.

Garcia hit 10 of 13 shots from the floor and grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked 6 shots himself, to go along with 22 points.

Thabeet's partner in crime Jeff Adrien added 14 points and 15 rebounds as UConn overcame their own perimeter scoring troubles as both AJ Price and Craig Austrie shot 2-10 from the floor. Husky fans will hope the duo got that out of their system with Pitt coming to Hartford on Monday.

Seton Hall falls to 5-7 in the Big East and travels to Milwaukee to face Marquette on Tuesday night.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CONNECTICUT @ SETON HALL

2009-02-14T01:28:00.001-05:00

February 14, 2009

The two hottest teams in the Big East collide in a high noon showdown at the Prudential Center in Newark (NJ) on Saturday. The Connecticut Huskies, winners of 12 in a row and currently ranked No. 1 in the nation take on…Seton Hall? Yes, that’s right folks, outside of UConn’s 12-game win streak, the SHU win streak of five is the second longest in the conference now after Villanova’s loss last night.

Connecticut enters Saturday’s contest with an 11-1 Big East mark and a 23-1 overall record. The Husky defense has been devastating in recent weeks and they have not allowed more than 61 points in a game since January 21st, a stretch of six games where opponents are averaging just 55 points a game and just 0.815 points per possession.

With college basketball’s most intimidating eraser in the post, 7-foot-3 Hasheem Thabeet, the game plan and preparation of opponents is altered as often as their shots on gameday.

“For Thabeet we’re going to use a hockey stick for a couple of days to try to get ready for it,” SHU coach Bobby Gonzalez said this week in the coach’s conference call with media members.

For Seton Hall, 5-6 in the Big East, a date with the Huskies can be a true measuring stick of their progress this season. The Pirates began conference play 0-6, but have rebounding with five consecutive losses. However, UConn has more conference wins (11) than the aggregate total of the five SHU victims (9-48).

Seton Hall began their streak as the worst (statistically) defensive and rebounding team in the Big East. However, in their five wins, they have limited opponents to 63.4 points a game and a point per possession ratio of 0.97, which is a bit better than their seasonal mark of 0.996 according to www.kenpom.com. In their six losses, SHU allowed 90.5 points a game and 1.23 points per possession. How bad is that mark? Well, of the 344 teams in Divison 1-A basketball, the worst ratio for any team on the season is 1.21.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on the contest:

Huskies Get First Look at What Life After Dyson Looks Like Today (Middletown Press)
Seton Hall Coach Bobby Gonzalez has Never Seen Anything like Hasheem Thabeet (Star-Ledger)
UConn Begins Life After Dyson (Connecticut Post)
Seton Hall Center Leads With His Legs (NY Times)
UConn Men: Stand or Fall (Journal Inquirer)

So, on Saturday we will get a chance to see where SHU is. There are some factors in their favor. One, UConn is dealing with an injury situation as junior guard Jerome Dyson is out indefinitely after tearing the lateral meniscus of his right knee in Wednesday’s 63-49 win over Syracuse. Two, UConn likely can’t help but peek at least a little bit toward Monday’s huge top five showdown with Pittsburgh. And, three, Seton Hall is a confident crew that has their coach believing big things are ahead.
“Seton Hall has been playing basketball for 105 years and they’ve never beaten a team that’s No. 1 in the country, not ever,” Gonzalez said in the conference call. “[UConn] is always going to be great, I’m sure. But eventually we’re going to beat them.”

Will that eventually come on Saturday? That is probably too tall of a task right now for SHU. Although they have a starting five that can play with anyone straight-up, it is when adjustments need to be made and different looks that SHU has no answer for while other teams can go to their bench or call on a different style of play.

SHU guard Jeremy Hazell is the league’s second leading scorer and will be looking to bomb away and he has the confidence to get hot and keep the Pirates in it. But in the end, Thabeet and Jeff Adrien are too much muscle inside and AJ Price is a steadying influence on the perimeter and veterans Craig Austrie and Stanley Robinson have stepped up before when Dyson missed time due to a suspension last year, look for them to do it again this season and surpass the college basketball betting line for the contest.

NBE Blogger Preview:

Connecticut 78
Seton Hall 64

SEEN, HEARD & NOTED IN STORRS

2009-02-12T16:17:00.002-05:00

by Zach Smart

Hasheem Thabeet’s confidence has suddenly become cockiness. While this
rugged mentality is norm for the UConn big man, some of Thabeet’s
colorful antics were off the wall on Wednesday.

Thabeet swatted and plucked seven shots while he altered, influenced,
and changed the trajectory of countless others during UConn’s 63-49
victory over rival Syracuse.

He gave several players his trademark stare down after blocking their
shot. During one sequence, Thabeet blocked a Jonny Flynn shot attempt
that triggered a fast break.

Thabeet once again applied the staredown at Flynn, jogging down the
court while a frustrated Flynn trailed him. Thabeet jolted in front of
Flynn and whipped his hand behind his back, as if to give Flynn a
sarcastic high five, and Flynn batted it away.

Read More...Click Below!

Prior to the game, the UConn fans treated Thabeet to chants of “One
More Year!”

Thabeet, whose name is littered on NBA mock drafts as a consensus
top-five pick, probably won’t meet the wishes of his loyal fan base.
While his larger-than-life presence and nose for the ball has already
elicited a whirlpool of drool from NBA scouts, Thabeet is far from
ready.

He still needs to develop refined, back to the basket moves and kick
the habit of putting the ball down in the paint. He could be as good as
anyone in the country if he just goes up strong and avoids putting the
ball down.

During the first half, when UConn had trouble with Syracuse’s patented,
traditional zone, Thabeet didn’t post anyone up or establish himself
offensively. If he could float freely along the baseline and work off
of Adrien via picks, he would be much more of a scoring threat.
Instead, he was parked on the blocks and a non-factor offensively. Guys
like Amare Stoudemire and Tim Duncan will be playing with house money
if they are matched up with Thabeet.

Let’s not forget, he hasn’t been playing organized basketball for that
long. He doesn’t have the skill set that guys that lived on AAU,
constant skill development camps, and coaching clinics galore have
developed over time.

Still, if Thabeet is to live up to his high draft stock and pan out at
the next level, he must become more assertive offensively.
Defensively, you can’t ask for anything more from the 7-foot-3
behemoth. He’s been playing above the law and challenging every shot,
making life hectic around the key and in the paint. Offensively, you
need more post moves and production out of the Tanzania native.

Harris And Calhoun Exchange Words: After Paul Harris’ fastbreak
coast-to-coast dunk knotted it up at 35 with 16:51 remaining, he
touched the ball and was charged with a delay of game warning. Running
down the other side of the floor, Calhoun made a comment to the former
Notre Dame Prep forward. Harris quickly retorted, and referee Jim Burr
got involved by stopping the game. After chatting with Boeheim for a
few minutes, while a rowdy crowd pegged the Syracuse bench—prime
targets Jonny Flynn and Eric Devendorf, mostly—with insults, Burr got
the game going again.

Both coaches wrote the incident off as nothing.

“Paul Harris, who I’ve known since he was a freshman in high school ...
he and I were joking during the game," explained Calhoun. "He said
something, I said something back. Just kidding with him and then Jimmy
Burr came into the situation. I have great respect for Paul. He’s a
terrific competitor."

According to Boeheim, Harris said something on the lines of “I’m
getting going.”

“To me, it was nothing,” said Boeheim. I don’t know what it was. It was
nothing of importance.”

Harris, who hung 24 points on UConn during last year’s rivalry week
meeting, was held to just five points on 2-for-8 shooting. Harris’
numbers have dwindled. Last year, both Harris and Flynn were a
veritable batman and robin. This, mostly because scoring threats of
Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins sidelined with injuries.

Gone Camping: UConn fans took in the recent good weather by camping
outside the Gampel Pavilion the night before the rivalry week feud. Two hours prior to the game, a line longer than the modern-day unemployment line formed outside of the arena. Huskies fans were decked in team attire and held up giant “No.1” signs. As a college student, class should be the No.1 priority, right? But when the school is No.1 in the nation, distractions tend to crack the surface.

BALANCED UCONN ATTACK DROWNS ORANGE

2009-02-12T08:19:00.002-05:00

By Zach Smart

Storrs, Conn.—Considerable balance in the UConn scorebook helped the No.1-ranked Huskies run off their 12th consecutive victory.

Despite losing scoring leader Jerome Dyson—who was helped off the court after knocking knees with Syracuse’s Kristof Ongenaet—everyone got into the act for the Huskies, Wednesday night.

The senior trio of AJ Price, Jeff Adrien and Craig Austrie scored crucial buckets, the towering presence of Hasheem Thabeet kept the rims locked, and freshman guard Kemba Walker operated offense like a senior, as the Huskies came up with a convincing 63-49 victory. The Huskies are now 23-1, 11-1 in the ultra-competitive Big East.

Read More...Click Below!

The storied rivalry was renewed in dramatic fashion, though it didn’t come to a last second shot (remember, Jonny Flynn’s 3-point prayer from the parking lot fell short last year) this time.

A deep 3-pointer from Craig Austrie capped a pivotal 8-0 spurt, breaking the game open with 11:56 remaining in the second half. Austrie’s trey, which nearly blew the roof off a strongly partisan, jam-packed crowd of 10,167 at the Gampel Pavilion, gave UConn a 52-40 cushion they wouldn’t squander.

“Jim’s (Boeheim) team came in here, as we thought they might, very hungry,” said UConn head coach Jim Calhoun.

“They did a terrific job in the zone, in the first half, of matching up to us. He’s seen all this “stuff” – our offense – before. In the second half, we were fortunate to make some adjustments, and run a little bit of man stuff and try to get some movement in our offense.”

Syracuse’s trademark zone threw UConn out of their groove early on. The Huskies failed to identify the 7-foot-3 Thabeet, and the guards forced the tempo. This led to a torrent of turnovers, as the Huskies committed 14 of their 20 total turnovers in the first.

“The defense was fine, we just didn’t convert offensively,” said Boeheim, who’s team shot a below freezing 28.6 percent in the second half, en route to a meager 22 points.

“When you play a team as good as Connecticut is, you have to convert…Thabeet is as good as or better, defensively, than anyone that’s ever been in the league. When we had the opportunities, a couple of shots (led to) great blocks.”

Thabeet, who scored eight points and ripped down 16 boards, finished with a game-high seven blocks.

His presence proved problematic for Syracuse big men Rick Jackson and Arinze Onuaku. The tandem combined for just six points and 10 rebounds. UConn won the battle on the boards by a 42-34 margin.

Onuaku has been nicked up, favoring his knee.

“Arinze is trying to work his way back into playing form,” said Boeheim. “He’s not playing the way he is capable of.”

The Orange (18-7, 6-6) desperately need him to.

Syracuse frittered away a sublime start and have now lost six of their last eight games.
How do the slumping Orange hope to rebound from another tough road loss?
“We can’t hope to, we have to,” said a dejected Andy Rautins, who the Huskies clamped down on. Rautins scored just seven points on 3-for-8 shooting.

“It was a tough battle tonight. Right now, though collectively we know we have to bounce back. We’re 6-6 in the Big East right now, we know that’s not good enough.”
The frustration could be felt inside the Syracuse locker room, where you could hear a pin drop.

“We just gotta approach the next game the same way we approach every game,” said Eric Devendorf, who scored 12 points. “We’ve got to play grind it out defense.”
It was offense that killed them tonight.

Syracuse came out of the gates strong, seizing an 18-13 lead after a Devendorf broke down the defense and converted a scoop layup. The lead became 21-16 after Ongenaet banked an off-balance shot.

At the intermission, the Huskies were clinging to a 30-27 lead.

UConn jump-started a 13-4 run midway through the second on three straight free throws from A.J. Price. Price had drawn a foul in the act of shooting a three.

On the ensuing possession, Walker converted a pick-pocket into a fast break lay-in. Then, Austrie’s trey gave the Huskies a commanding 12-point edge that prompted Boeheim to call for time.

“Everybody is on the same page right now,” said Walker, who had seven points, six boards, and two steals.

“Everybody is hungry to win. Everybody thinks this is our chance.”

UConn spokesmen Kyle Muncy confirmed that Dyson suffered a severe bruise and should be fine. Muncy said there is no concern over an MCL or ACL injury.

"The doctors both checked him out (and) there are no structural issues," explained Muncy.

"Just a severe bruise to his right knee. Dr. (Jeff) Anderson said he was banged into so hard, he could have hyper-extended it or just kind of locked it up a little bit."

Dyson, a junior who averages 13.2 points, is yet to miss a game due to injury.

Price led all scorers with 17 points, on the strength of four 3-pointers. Adrien chipped in with 12.

Flynn paced Syracuse with 16.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RIVALRY WEEK INCLUDES UCONN & SYRACUSE

2009-02-11T09:16:00.002-05:00

February 11, 2009

by Zach Smart

Rivalry week hits the state of Connecticut with more juice than Florida this Wednesday.

Two always-formidable programs under two Hall of Fame head coaches that think the world of each other and employ a no-nonsense mentality while trying to run longtime perennial powers, meet at the Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn.

Wednesday looks to be a jumpoff of all sorts as UConn and Syracuse renew their storied rivalry.

Both teams enter the game on opposite sides of the mountain.

Syracuse has lost five of its last seven after ripping off a sizzling seven-game winning streak, one that vaulted them into the Big East’s upper-echelon.

A turnover-plagued, arctic shooting performance produced easily their worst loss of the season Saturday, a 102-85 shellacking at the hands of Villanova.

How the mighty have fallen. Suspect defense rolled the red carpet out for NBA prospect Dante Cunningham, who scored a career-high 31 points and ripped down nine boards as No. 16 Nova rolled to their fifth straight.

UConn, on the other hand, has been back, hit the ground running style. They pummeled a heating up Louisville team in a big resume win last week, and outlasted a hungry Michigan team at home this weekend.

The No.1 Huskies have not only become the team with the bullseye on their back, but they’ve racked up enough individual accolades to fill a trophy room in the process.

In addition to watching players eclipse the 1,000-point milestone, super-sized bigs Jeff Adrien and Hasheem Thabeet have surfaced as candidates for the prestigious John R. Wooden award.

Adrien became the fifth player in the NBA breeding machine to eclipse 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Thabeet, whose game tailed off before he exploded for a triple-double against Providence, is playing the best ball he’s ever played. The 7-foot-3 beanstalk’s ability to influence, manipulate, change, and alter the trajectory of shots around the key has been a major factor for a team that’s apparently forgotten how to lose lately.

Game Notes:

-The best thing the Huskies can do is spread the length of the floor and get guys like Adrien and Robinson (that is, if he rips the straightjacket off his game) to float freely. Adrien, who's evolved into the Huskies' leading scorer, is shooting a sizzling 66.9 percent from the floor. It makes sense. His points are mostly the product of dunks and power moves to the cup, though he's added a mini jumper to his offensive repertoire.

-Syracuse could catch the Huskies off-balance if they execute their perimeter game. The Orange have a feast or famine three-point sniper in Andy Rautins (10.1 ppg). Guards Eric Devendorf (15.5 ppg) and Jonny Flynn (17.2 ppg), who combined for 10 threes in a loss to Providence can also dial in from downtown. A zone-buster would be the perfect recipe. UConn's perimeter defense was putrid last season, as they ranked among the conference's worst teams in defending the three-point attack. Michigan’s Stu Douglass, who entered the game averaging five points, scorched the nets to the tune of six treys Saturday.

-UConn guard Jerome Dyson, who loves bullying the marshmallows, needs to begin scoring at will when the stakes are raised. He found his stroke against Michigan, draining three 3-pointers. His cock-back slingshot shooting form seemed to prove problematic last Saturday, as he missed three open treys in the first half. He took a picture of the rim during all three set shots. As a go-to-guy who's great in transition, UConn's 42nd member of the 1,000-point club needs to become more of an aggressive scorer. He needs to ditch the three-point set shots and drive the ball to the cup, what he does best.

- After the search warrant for wiry wing Stanley Robinson's game was called off, Robinson continued his Houdini-like antics at Louisville. The 6-foot-9 forward missed his only two shot attempts, including a dunk, and was saddled with foul trouble.

Pregame stories and previews found on the internet this morning:

Mental Block (Syracuse Post-Standard)
Orange Scouting Report: SU vs. UConn (Post-Standard)
Defense, Resume Building the Huskies' Focus (Norwich Bulletin)
UConn vs. Syracuse Gamenight (collegehoopsnet.com)
UConn, Syracuse Jostling for Postseason Position (Rep-Am)
Thabeet Turns into Game Changer (Rep-Am)
Calhoun Looks to Avoid Run 'n' Gun Game vs. Syracuse (Middletown Press)
Calhoun Wants Huskies to Set Pace Against Orange (Hartford Courant)

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 80
Syracuse 64

Look for the 12 1/2-point favorite Huskies to assume control of this game n the second half. Syracuse will come out with a big effort after their lackluster effort in a loss to Villanova over the weekend. However, the strong frontline of UConn will wear down the Orange and the guards will start to heat up late and Huskies cruise late.

THABEET, HUSKIES OUTLAST WOLVERINES

2009-02-08T00:43:00.002-05:00

by Zach Smart

Storrs, Conn.—Hasheem Thabeet continues to stake his claim as the national Defensive Player of the Year. Thabeet swatted Michigan players audacious enough to take the ball to the cup on the big fella like flies, en route to a 69-61 victory.

The 7-foot-3 mountain of a man registered six blocks and racked up another double-double, scoring 17 points and tearing down 12 rebounds.

This helped No.1 UConn stave off a hungry Michigan team that showed major poise in a hostile environment, to paraphrase U of M coach John Beilein.

Michigan sniper Stu Douglass, a freshman from the Wild Wild West-like, shootist breeding grounds of Indiana, came to the game with a rifle. He scored a career-high 20 points to lead all scorers. Douglass, who entered the game averaging just five points, scorched the nets to the tune of six treys.

Thabeet, the defending national Defensive Player of the Year, is a surefire bet to repeat the honor.

Read Rest of Article...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

The junior has registered a whopping 88 blocks in 22 games this season. Thabeet, who was offensively inept as they come and sushi-raw when he arrived at UConn, has suddenly skyrocketed to stardom. Thabeet's name is littered all over NBA mock drafts. He's widely considered a top-five pick.

"The coaches told me not to be sacred about getting into foul trouble so every time I try to help and block it. I’m just trying to change the game," said Thabeet, he of the thick African drawl.

Thabeet sprinkled his teammates with praise, lauding the solid communication on defense.

"Every time my teammate gets beat, I’m there to block the shot. And team defense, the way we talk to each other, they tell me ‘someone got beat, go over there and help.’ So, I go over there and block a shot. The team defense is getting way better. The more we talk, the better we play."

Jeff Adrien scored nine points and swallowed 14 boards, seven on the offensive end. The numbers tap him into an elite society. Adrien is now the sixth player in UConn history to reach the 1,000-point, 1,000-rebound milestone.

"Thabeet is a big story in this game obviously, but Adrien is just…I mean you can't block him out," said Beilein, the former West Virginia coah. Beilein was supplanted by Bobby Huggins in Morgantown following the 2006-2007 season.

"He’s just on mission to get the ball. He just rebounds the ball. I still remember him (when I was coaching) at West Virginia when he was a freshman. We couldn’t stop him them. And now he’s dieseled-up even more."

Douglass shot 6-for-8 from beyond the arc. His quick-strike stroke helped Michigan seize a 29-21 advantage after they reeled off a 9-0 burst with 3:48 to play in the first half. A section of maize and blue-clad Wolverine fans in the house suddenly erupted.

Thabeet thwarted the run with a pair of free throws.

Moments later, Thatbeet's thunderous dunk chopped up the deficit to 31-25 with under three minutes to go. A physical battle between two teams frompotent conferences made for a heart-racing, seesaw first before a packed house of 10, 167 at the Gampel Pavilion.

Ray Allen, the former Huskies standout and newly minted All-Star guard for the Boston Celtics, was in attendance.

Manny Harris (17.7 ppg) and DeShawn Sims (15.1 ppg), the guard-forward tandem that put Michigan on the map after the Wolves' 81-73 upset of Duke back on Dec. 6, were missing in action.

Harris and Sims combined to shoot a paltry 9-for-27 from the floor.

The Wolverines were still willful, employing that never-say-die mentality. Back-to-back three-pointers from Harris and Douglass threatened the lead.

Craig Austrie, who's played for two No.1 ranked Husky teams during his stay at Storrs, answered the call. The kid who Red Sox-crazy coach Jim Calhoun refers to as his "Papelbon," hit a three-point dagger, giving UConn a 64-5620edge with 56 seconds remaining.

That trifecta ruined Michigan's upset-bid.

The school playing with free money nearly looked as if they were playing with house money in the early going, but UConn eventually surged ahead in the second, seizing a 10-point lead they wouldn't squander.

Things got intriguing leading into the half. In a wild sequence, Douglas airballed a three but managed to get the ball back. This time, Douglas splashed the nylon with a shot-clock beating trey from the parking lot, putting Michigan back ahead.

UConn answered, as Thabeet threw down a nasty stickback.

Michigan clung to a 1-point lead at halftime. It was just the second time this season that UConn has trailed at the half.

UConn has now rattled off 11 straight victories. Next stop: Syracuse.

UConn (22-1, 10-1) renews an old-school rivalry at Gampel on Wednesday.

Jerome Dyson, who's apparently kicked the habit of taking a picture of the rim during wide-open set three-pointers, led the Huskies with 19 points. He canned three crucial treys with his unique slingshot.

Beyond Douglass, Harris paced Michigan with 15 points.

No. 1 UCONN HOLDS OFF MICHIGAN, WINS 11th STRAIGHT GAME

2009-02-08T00:09:00.001-05:00

February 7, 2009

It definitely was not pretty, but Connecticut got 19 points from Jerome Dyson and Hasheem Thabeet put together a line of 17 points, 12 rebounds and 6 blocks as the Huskies Gut One Out (Journal Inquirer), 69-61, over Michigan in a non-league contest Saturday.

UConn trailed 34-33 at halftime, but were too much on their home floor in the second half, winning their 11th straight game as the Huskies Survive Scare (Norwich Bulletin) and remain the No. 1 team in the land.

Jeff Adrien scored nine points and grabbed 14 rebounds as Adrien reaches Milestone (Rep-Am) with his 1,000th rebound, becoming the fifth UConn player with 1,000 points and rebounds in a career.

UConn hosts Syracuse on Wednesday night.

HIGH ADRENALINE ADRIEN LEADING UCONN

2009-02-03T08:50:00.000-05:00

By Zach Smart

Cruising through Jeff Adrien’s bloodstream is an overabundance of adrenaline.

Adrien, a jacked and jacked up 6-foot-7 forward who epitomizes the ultra-physical Big East player, feeds off his own high energy attitude. His workmanlike game (one which he’s added a shallow jumper to) and a heart that pumps lion’s blood revs up the crazy, at times crass UConn fan base.

A Brookline, Mass., native Adrien speaks softly but carries a big stick on the hardwood.

He poured in 18 points, 17 of which came before the midway mark of the second half, as UConn cruised to a 68-51 drubbing of Rick Pitino’s Louisville Cardinals. Adrien also tore down seven rebounds as the Cardinals got too much from Terrence Williams (game and career-high 26 points) and too little from everybody else.

Earl Clark turned in easily his worst performance of the season, a la John Starks in Game 7 of the 1994 NBA finals. Clark shot an abysmal 2-for-16 from the floor as Louisville (17-4) suffered its first Big East loss.

Adrien’s emergence as Hasheem Thabeet’s bruising buddy down low has been an aspect paramount success. The signature shellacking of Louisville gives UConn a 21-1 record, leaving just one Big East team—Marquette—with an unblemished record in conference play. The formidable frontline seems to inject fear into opponents, keeping prolific scorers out of the paint more often than not.

UConn’s relative balance in the scorebook and ability to seal the basket shut (Adrien and Thabeet, who had four blocks and altered the trajectory of shot after shot) threw Louisville into a 22-for-64 shooting night. It’s become a pattern with the two behemoths down low.

“We made out presence known,” said Adrien, following the Huskies’ 94-61 thrashing of Providence at the Gampel Pavilion in Storrs Saturday.

“Me, Hasheem, and Gavin just want to prove that we’re here, that we’re going to get some buckets regardless. The win gives us great momentum. We were playing a team that had been hot, you know? Almost similar to Louisville, a team that we’re playing (Monday night).

Adrien is almost similar to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Off the court, he’s as soft-spoken as they come. He’s a chill, muscle-bound kid who slaps hands with an army of kids on his way to the cafeteria.

On the court, he’s in-your-face, cleaning up the glass, and grappling for loose balls as if he just downed a ginseng/taurine mix drink.

He’s the kid who busted out a Superman shirt and cape during UConn’s First Night. The kid who’s registered more double-doubles than any Big East player. The kid who swipes a ball out of an opponents hands after they commit a travel. The same kid Calhoun had to pull from a game against Pittsburgh in the first half last year—for being too revved up.

Adrenaline pumping Adrien is a lot of things. A go-to-guy isn’t really one of them. Yet with his new shallow water jumper, coupled with his penchant for putbacks and his knack for attacking the basket, Adrien has evolved into the Huskies’ leading scorer.

And UConn has become the leading team in the national polls, as the nation’s No.1 ranked team looks to keep rolling.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: UCONN MEETS LOUISVILLE

2009-02-02T10:17:00.000-05:00

February 2, 2009

As long as the voters in the ESPN Coaches Poll and the AP Writers Poll do the expected, the Louisville Cardinals will be welcoming in the second No. 1 team to Freedom Hall in less than a month. Connecticut, on the strength of a 94-61 demolision of Providence, and a loss by Duke earlier in the week, is poised to make the move from #2 in the country to the top spot when the polls are released today.

Pittsburgh saw their reign as the country's No. 1 team come to an end with a 69-63 loss at Louisville back in January. Now, the Cards and a frenzied Freedom Hall crowd will look for a second #1 team to knock off as Big Monday commences with a battle of the two preseason Big East favorites.

UConn may be #1 in the country when these teams hit the floor tonight, but they are still looking up at Louisville in the Big East standings. The oddsmakers do not believe the latest run at No. 1 will last long either, pegging the Cards as 3 1/2-point favorites:

Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's primetime match-up:

Now They've Got to Prove It (TheDay.com)
Pitino's Cards Primed for Late Push (Plain Dealer)
Just Another Big Game for Louisville (Courier-Journal)
Huskies Face Formidable Challenge (Rep-Am)
UConn Preview Capsule (Norwich Bulletin)
UConn Plays for Big East Lead (Norwich Bulletin)
Huskies Atop Basketball World - Again (Norwich Bulletin)
UConn set for Big Match-up with Louisville (Register Citizen)
History of UConn as #1 Team (Register Citizen)

This match-up starts right away in one area, the frontcourt. Each team has a starting frontline that could see all six players in the NBE within the next year or two. Louisville starts senior Terrence Williams, junior Earl Clark and freshman Samardo Samuels while UConn counters with junior Stanley Robinson, senior Jeff Adrien and junior Hasheem Thabeet. The UConn trio was instrumental in the thrashing of Providence over the weekend with Robinson playing his best game since returning to the program in December from a semester-long hiatus, finishing with 18 points and 7 rebounds in 27 minutes. Thabeet dominated the paint with a triple-double of 15 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocks. Adrien, who came into the PC game with six concesutive double-doubles of points and rebounds, scored 14 points and added 6 rebounds. As a team, UConn blocked 17 shots and outscored the Friars 56-27 after halftime.

Louisville had their own dominate half on Saturday, the first half, as the Cards blitzed West Virginia for a 45-25 lead at the half before putting the game on cruise control and winning 69-63. Jerry Smith hit seven of eight shots to finish with 20 points and freshman Terrence Jennings had a career-high 13 in the win.

Back on January 17th, Louisville played then-No. 1 Pittsburgh and knocked off the Panthers, 69-63, behind 20 points from Terrence Williams and an Earl Clark double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Cards pressure forced 20 Panther turnovers and limited DeJuan Blair to just 20 minutes because of foul trouble. A 19-3 run turned a 10 point deficit into a 6-point lead in the closing minutes and the Cards were victorious.

Tonight, UL will hope that pressure gets to the experienced UConn backcourt that features senior AJ Price, junior Jerome Dyson and senior Craig Austrie and frosh Kemba Walker off the bench. Price has been playing very well of late, averaging just over 19 points a game in the last five and connecting on 50% of this three-point attempts (13-26) in the span after a slow start to the season. Price getting back to form has UConn looking like the national title contender they were exected to be in the preseason as they have won nine in a row.

The Cards have been keyed by their (T-)will to win, as in Terrence Williams. The senior small forward does a little of everything in order to win. He plays defense (team leader in steals at 2.4/game), passes the ball (team leader in assists at 4.7/game), rebounds (team leader with 9.3/game) and scored at nearly a 13-point a game clip. In the last seven games, Williams is averaging 15 points, 11 rebounds, nearly 5 assists and over 2 steals a game.

The senior duo of Williams and Price will take center stage and it will be really interesting to see which one can lead his team to a victory. In the preseason, NBE selected Louisville as the league favorite with an ever so slight nod over UConn (mostly due to UConn's uncertainty with Ater Majok, Nate Miles and Stanley Robinson at the time). Both teams are on exceptional hot streaks and the Cards definitely have a favorable schedule here on out to take the conference crown. On this night, we expect a great game, going either way down the stretch, but the UConn experience and their more productive backcourt will prevail.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 73
Louisville 68

BIG SECOND HALF LEADS UCONN ROUT OVER PC

2009-02-01T15:05:00.003-05:00

Huskies Spank Providence, Move To No.1
By Zach Smart

As the University of Connecticut men’s basketball team retreated to the weight room to field a barrage of questions from the media, Hasheem Thabeet jokingly gave A.J. Price a stare down.

“You took my seat again. Why do you always have to take my seat, son?”
Price was quick with a humorous retort.

“Man, this is my seat. You see ‘Hash’ written anywhere on this seat? You’re crazy.”

It was all jokes, laughs and smiles for the Huskies, who moved to No.1 in the country with a wild 94-61 drubbing of Providence.

Thabeet became the just the seventh player in UConn history to record a triple-double. The 7-foot-3 gargantuan registered 15 points, 11 boards (seven coming on the offensive end) and 10 blocks in 28 minutes.

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Price poured in a game-high 19 points, and Stanley “Sticks” Robinson snapped out of a four-week funk with 18 points—two of which came on an earth-shattering two-handed alley-oop—and seven boards.

“As a team, collectively, we know how good we are, how good we can be. Number 1 hasn’t worked out so well for teams this year. We haven’t been there yet. We haven’t had our chance, so hopefully we’ll get that. But we have a tough game (Louisville) coming up Monday, so not too much time to celebrate,” said Hall of Fame head coach Jim Calhoun.

There had been a Providence ghost in UConn territory the past couple seasons.

The last four UConn home games (in which the Route 6 rivalry was renewed) Providence has had UConn’s number. The Friars defeated the Huskies, handily, last year in Hartford. They scorched the nets with 14 threes and talked trash at a relentless pace.

There were no ghosts this time. No ghastly goblins or spirits of any type. None.

Just a dominant UConn team who realized they owe the Friars for the last two games.

“This was probably one of the biggest games that we’ve won, not for the rankings,” said Gavin Edwards, who popped off the bench to score eight points and snare nine boards in 16 minutes.

“Just because of the rivalry between us. They (Providence) always talk trash, they always disrespect us, so it felt really good to go out there and smack them.”
“It was a game we felt we should have won,” said Price. “I think we did a great job of just putting pressure on them, keeping pressure on them the whole game.”

That pressure seemed overwhelming in the second half, as UConn’s slim four-point halftime edge ballooned to 37-point bulge with 3:06 remaining.

Providence’s Geoff McDermott caught his second foul and was yanked from the game midway through the second half.

UConn then rattled off a 9-2 surge capped by A.J. Price’s three. His second trey of the game, it had some extra, beyond-the-game value to UConn basketball history. The shot catapulted Price into an elite society known as the 1,000 point club. Price is the second Husky in as many games to reach the century mark, following Jerome Dyson.
Price followed this up with a stop-and-gun three, giving UConn a 28-23 edge with 8:27 remaining.

The Huskies jumped into the second half on 10-0 burst, forming a 47-34 cushion just three minutes in.

The Friars (14-7, 6-3) never recovered, as UConn’s lead became insurmountable.
The Friars’ exasperation compounded in the second half, with McDermott being slapped with a technical for jawing at the referees.

It got out of hand. UConn continued to surge ahead, and a dunk fest ensued.

“McDermott had a tough time dealing with our two horses inside,” said Price, obviously referencing larger-than-life Thabeet and Jeff Adrien (14 points, six boards).

“They kept attacking, kept going to the rim. We got them in foul trouble and I think we sensed a little letdown from them. They stopped coming as hard as we know they can, and we just put the pedal to the floor after that.”

UConn Block Party: Behind Thabeet’s 10 swats, the Huskies blocked 17 total shots. Everyone got into the act, Robinson, Dyson, Adrien, even pint-sized point guard Kemba Walker. During one eye-popping block in the second half, 5-foot-10 point guard Sharaud Curry tried to take it to the rack on Thabeet. Thabeet threw Curry’s off-balance shot attempt out of the gym, and Curry went sprawling to the floor. Thabeet shook his head at Curry, adding a few choice words. The two teams have never had much of an affinity for each other.

Class-less: The UConn faithful, never held to a high-class standard or candidates for the sportsmanship award, were quick to get rowdy. During the singing of national anthem, one hammerhead UConn fan shouted “YOUR BROTHER’S IN JAIL!” The crude comment was directed at Providence guard Jeff Xavier. Xavier’s older brother Jonathon, he of the checkered past, was arrested following his on the court antics against Marquette earlier this month.

No. 1 in the Country, No.3 in the Big East: You know the Big East is dripping with talent and is probably the NCAA’s most competitive conference when the nation’s top-ranked team in the country isn’t even the first-place team. No.1 UConn is third in the Big East, sitting behind Marquette and Louisville. Both teams are undefeated in Big East play this season.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: PROVIDENCE @ CONNECTICUT

2009-01-31T09:23:00.000-05:00

January 31, 2009

Providence will look to earn their fifth straight win at UConn on Saturday afternoon, but the Huskies will look to treat their guests a little differently this time.

Providence improved to 6-2 in the Big East with their 100-94 win over Syracuse on Wednesday night. They will not be facing an team limping in like they did against the Orange, instead, they will be facing a UConn machine that has been humming along since opening conference play with a loss to Georgetown. The Huskies have run off eight consecutive wins and a ninth will likely propel them into the #1 spot in the polls come Monday.

Here are some pregame stories and previews:

Looking for a Big Basketball Game? Try Friars vs. UConn (Providence Journal)
Another Friar Roast (New Haven Register)
Providence Has Had UConn’s Number Past Several Years (Bristol Press)
Friars Visit UConn Today (Pawtucket Times)
Huskies-Friars Rivalry Always Intense (Norwich Bulletin)
First, There’s Providence (TheDay.com)

Things have fallen into place well for the Friars in the first half of conference play, but now is the time we will really see what they are made of. Not so much with a road trip to UConn, which is a tall order for any club, but this stretch of games ahead.

The win over Syracuse looks good on paper, but a deeper look shows that it was an Orange club not nearly at full strength, that is not the case with the Husky team they are seeing today.

“We’re looking forward to going on the road and trying to hang with them,” Keno Davis said this week during the conference call of coaches. “With UConn you’ve got a lot of guys that are going to be playing at the next level.”

The defensive ability and attention of a Jim Calhoun team will likely be much greater than what they saw against SU in their 100-94 win this week. While PC will have some confidence after their recent success against UConn, that will also provide plenty of incentive and motivation for the Huskies.

Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien will be very strong inside and the defense and quickness of the UConn guards should limit the PC backcourt. The Friars will look for the three-ball, but if it is not going in at a high rate, UConn will take this one going away and move into the No.1 spot in the polls on Monday.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 82
Providence 68

ROUTE 6 RIVALRY: UCONN HOSTS PROVIDENCE

2009-01-30T23:52:00.000-05:00

Stakes Raised For Route 6 Rivalry
By Zach Smart

The stage is set for a supreme dogfight between UConn and Providence at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (Storrs, Conn.) Saturday.

The No.2 Huskies, who have won eight straight following a listless home loss to Georgetown, will look to get the Providence monkey off their back.

The Friars have won four consecutive games at UConn, where they owned the Huskies in every aspect of last year’s 77-65 route. The game was actually more of a shellacking than the score indicates. Doug Wiggins canned a pair of treys in garbage time to cut down a 17-point deficit.

So, UConn will renew the Route 6 rivalry. The game will have some extra juice.

If UConn defeats Providence, they will become No.1 in the country for the first time since 2006.

The matchup comes in the aftermath of fourth-ranked Wake Forest’s thrilling, 70-68 win over North Carolina. The game, won on forward James Johnson’s layup with eight tenths of a second to play, indicated that the ACC is almost as stacked, talent-leaking, and wide open as the Big East this season.

“Between the ACC and the Big East, there must be about a dozen teams that can make the Final Four,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told the New York Daily News.

“I think you’re going to be in a lot of games like this, where teams get a chance to show their grit.”

UConn showed a complete lack of grit during their lone loss of the season, a late December game Jim Calhoun dubbed a “home-serving.”

The Hoyas did a solid job containing Jerome Dyson, who shot an abysmal 1-for-10. Some of Dyson’s offensive woes were self-inflicted, however, as he botched a layup and exited the game mentally.

Georgetown also limited 7-foot-3 center Hasheem Thabeet to four field goals.

“It’s better that we get this loss out of the way early,” said A.J. Price, following the lackluster loss.

“We didn’t by any stretch of imagination think we were going undefeated.”

Undefeated? No.

No.1 ranking?

If the Huskies erase the past and clamp down on a well-oiled offensive machine that features three-headed monster Weyinmi Efejuku (13.4 PPG), Marshon Brooks (13.1 PPG), and 5-foot-10 point guard Sharaud Curry (10.4 PPG, 4.5 APG), yes.

The Friars have other firepower with 6-foot-7 playmaking point forward Geoff McDermott and Jeff Xavier, shootist who is playing this season despite nagging injuries.

Randall Hanke, a veteran center and never been the sharpest tool in the shed, is beginning to flower. The 7-foot beanstalk scored 12 points (6-for-7 FG) in 19 minutes during the Friars’ 100-94 defeat of no. 15 Syracuse.

Providence (14-6, 6-2) has won three of their last four, since Xavier’s brother went Gangster on the referees in the Marquette loss.

Still, with the inside manpower of walking double-double Adrien and Thabeet, UConn looks to end Providence’s win streak and success at the Constitution state.

A Look Back: January 17, 2008

UConn was buried under a barrage of three-pointers, as Providence’s perimeter assault did the Huskies in during the second half. The Friars’ 14 treys tied for the most three-pointers allowed by UConn in a Big East game. Providence’s Dwain Williams, who dialed in from a different area code, led the sniping with 23 points and six trifectas. Jeff Adrien led the Huskies with 16 points and 15 boards. The Friars held Stanley “Sticks” Robinson, a double-digit scorer, to just two points on a wowing putback dunk in the first half. Jerome Dyson was off his game as well. Calhoun certainly wasn’t in good spirits during the press conference.

“I mean, did Jerome Dyson play tonight?” Calhoun quipped. “I’m not sure if he did or he didn’t.”

CONNECTICUT BASKETBALL TIDBITS

2009-01-30T10:24:00.001-05:00

January 30, 2009

Stanley Robinson's return to the Connecticut line-up has not meant a lot of subtance to the Huskies. In the last six games, Robinson has averaged just 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds a game. Robinson Has Yet to Find a Rhythm (Register Citizen) and with a tough finishing stretch ahead, UConn will need the 6-foot-9 junior to make more of an impact.

As a precaution, UConn's Kemba Walker Sits Out Practice (Norwich Bulletin) on Thursday. The freshman point guard has a mild left ankle and knee sprain.

In one of the most inexplicable streaks in the Big East, and maybe the country, Providence has won their last four games at UConn. So, when the two teams meet in Storrs, the Friars Figure to be Confident When they Visit UConn on Saturday (Greenwich Time) in a Big East contest.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: UCONN TAKES ON DEPAUL IN WINDY CITY

2009-01-28T11:56:00.000-05:00

January 28, 2009

The final game of a busy Big East Wednesday tips of at 9 PM at Allstate Arena as DePaul hosts Connecticut. The Blue Demons join only Rutgers as winless teams in Big East action and a victory tonight against the high-flying Huskies looks to be a near impossible prospect.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the internet for tonight’s game:

No. 2 UConn at DePaul: Preview (Hartford Courant)
Downturn for DePaul, but an Uptick of Support for Wainwright (Southtown Star)
UConn Needs More from Robinson (Hartford Courant)
Yes, It’s Looking Glum for DePaul; Wainwright Can Only Hope (Daily Herald)
Huskies Hope to Avoid Getting Caught in Trap Game (Middletown Press)
DePaul Seems Overmatched Against UConn (Stamford Advocate)

Stories are coming out left and right looking at Jerry Wainwright’s future as the head coach of DePaul. As of now, the administration is saying all the right things to indicate he has their support and will continue to lead the Blue Demons in the future. However, the number of empty seats and fans letting their opinions known is definitely having an impact on the coach and his players.

Top all that off with a date with No. 2 Connecticut, and things look very bleak for the Blue Demons.

The Huskies seem like they are beginning to show signs of hitting their stride, typical of a Jim Calhoun team when the stretch run appears ahead. AJ Price is returning to his form of last season and fellow senior Jeff Adrien is controlling the paint with brute force. Hasheem Thabeet is the most intimidating defender in the country and Jerome Dyson is beginning to pour in points from the wing. This team looks to have all the pieces as a serious title contender.

DePaul, on the complete other hand, looks the part of the conference cellar dweller. Their strengths are trumped by other teams all too easily. While Mac Koshwal and Dar Tucker are fine Big East talents, every other team has a duo similar, it is the rest of the line-up that is outmatched at every position in the Big East, allowing teams to stifle their big guns and earn easy wins.

The early line has the Blue Demons as a 13 ½-point underdog on their home floor. I almost have a feeling that keeping the game that close would be a minor victory for Depaul.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 79
DePaul 63

JABARI HINDS NEXT AT MOUNT VERNON

2009-01-26T21:38:00.002-05:00

January 26, 2009

by Zach Smart

NEW YORK—Bob Cimmino’s Mount Vernon Knights basketball program has been a steady pipeline to the Division 1-A ranks in recent seasons. This year’s hot prospect is Sherrod Wright, who followed Kevin Jones, who followed Jonathan Mitchell and there was also Keith Benjamin, Ben Gordon and on and on. From all indications, current sophomore point guard Jabari Hinds is next in line.

Hinds’ Division-I stock is starting to soar, as Villanova, Marquette, Virginia, and UNLV are all competing for the young gun’s future services. Hinds said that UNLV and Virginia have already made a scholarship offers and Jim Calhoun and the Connecticut Huskies have expressed considerable interest in the Mount Vernon sophomore.

He’s most impressed, however, with what UConn has to offer. The Knights took in the Huskies’ win over Seton Hall at Hartford last weekend, and Hinds got acquainted with UConn’s coaching staff.

“Right now from what I see, I love it,” said Hinds, a budding point guard for the nationally-ranked Knights (10-2).

“I’ve got a couple of Big East schools looking at me, so it should be interesting.”

Calhoun, along with a coaching staff that’s widely recognized as one of the nation’s top recruiting combinations, have been in active pursuit of Hinds. Hinds shined at the SNY Invitational at NYU’s Coles Center this weekend, his performance going from efficient to electrifying.

In the Knights’ win over Brooklyn power Thomas Jefferson High, Hinds and explosive scorer Sherrod Wright (32 points) got the better of Jefferson’s three-headed monster of Keith Spellman, Davontay Grace and Joel “Air Jamaica” Wright.

Recovering from a shaky first half (four assists to five turnovers), Hinds dropped 14 points and handed out five dimes.

In the championship, Hinds played beyond his years as Mount Vernon shellacked St. Raymond’s, 70-54. The wiry 6-foot guard scored 18 points (8-for-13 FG), dealt out four assists, played stingy defense (he recorded five steals as the Knights forced St. Ray’s into 22 turnovers), and converted two steals into rim-rattling fast break dunks.

This season, Hinds is the perfect supplement to Wright, an off guard who averages 23.4 points.

The Right Fit?

As a Hall of Fame coach who’s turned UConn into an NBA breeding house and a top-notch Big East program, Calhoun has an affinity for New York guards. The New York style of play is fitting for Calhoun’s speedball, hellfire offensive approach.

A.J. Price and Kemba Walker, two of the Huskies top guards, both hail from the New York area. Price starred at Amityville High in Long Island and Walker re-wrote the record book at Rice High in Harlem.

Former Husky and current Chicago Bull Ben Gordon, who helped lead the Huskies to a 2004 national championship, played at Mount Vernon under Bob Cimmino.

Cimmino, who’s architected a perennial power, Big East pipeline (Rutgers’ Jonathon Mitchell and Michael Coburn, former Pittsburgh star Keith Benjamin were all cropped up in the system that breeds all homegrown talent) and Division-I launchpad, maintains close ties with the UConn coaching staff.

Since ascending to NBA star status, Gordon—who shelled out a boatload of cash to prevent the school system from eliminating interscholastic sports—has been a major local presence.

As a player who made it out of Mount Vernon and watched his game skyrocket, Gordon could very well have an influence on Hinds’ decision.

UCONN ROLLS ON, SNAPS IRISH STREAK

2009-01-25T00:51:00.000-05:00

January 25, 2009

It is over. UConn Ends Notre Dame's Home Winning Streak at 45 Games (Chicago Tribune) with a 69-61 win in South Bend.

UConn Takes the Fight Out of the Irish (New Haven Register) other than Luke Harangody, and that was the key to winning. Harangody led Notre Dame with 24 points and 15 rebounds, but it took him 23 shots to get those 24 points and he was the only ND player to score in double figures.

Kyle McAlarney hit three early three's, but was shut out the rest of the way.

The Huskies are Able to Halt Irish Win Streak (South Bend Tribune) with a balanced attack led by Jerome Dyson's 15 points and Jeff Adrien's 12 points and 19 rebounds.

UConn owned a 54-44 rebounding edge and limited the Irish to 33% (25-76) shooting from the floor. Yes, ND missed 51 shots!

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: UCONN LOOKS TO SNAP NOTRE DAME STREAK

2009-01-24T09:01:00.000-05:00

January 24, 2009

Notre Dame puts their nation’s best 45-game home win streak on the line Saturday night when Connecticut comes to town. The Irish have won 20 straight at home in Big East play and the Huskies will try to break both streaks in front of the ESPN ‘College Gameday’ crew.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on the game from around the internet:

Fightin’ Words (Journal Inquirer)
Circus Set to Descend on South Bend (TheDay.com)
Losing at Home Isn’t an Option for Notre Dame (Chicago Tribune)
Will Harangody be Ready for Thabeet? You Bet (South Bend Tribune)
Tough Talk from Fighting Irish (New Haven Register)
Joking Aside, Thabeet has to Walk the Walk (Norwich Bulletin)
Subplots Spice Up UConn-Irish (Waterbury Rep-Am)
Notre Dame Needs to Hear from Zach Hillesland (Chicago Tribune)
Irish are Decidedly Pro Joyce (Journal Inquirer)
Vitale Likes UConn’s Chances at Final Four (Hartford Courant)
Things are About to Heat Up in South Bend (TheDay.com)
Irish Hurt by Lack of Cohesiveness (Journal Gazette)

According to Hasheem Thabeet, UConn’s 7’3 center, Luke Harangody is not all that tough. Pretty interesting stuff to say about the 2007-2008 Big East Player of the Year, who is averaging 25 points and 13 rebounds a game as a junior this season.

Thabeet made that statement in the ESPN The Magazine’s preseason college basketball edition. He quickly fired off an apology to Notre Dame and claimed it was taken out of context in an attempt to be funny. Personally, I believe him and this is an incident that has gotten rekindled this week, but really is no big deal to the players and coaches involved. However, it will be a point of interest for the Notre Dame faithful who will likely be reminder Thabeet and Harangody all game long.

I guess Thabeet is forgetting the 32-point, 16-rebound performance Harangody had against UConn last season. Although, the first meeting last year between the two teams, won by ND, Harangody was just 5-23 from the floor as he was bothered by the size of the UConn frontline.

It is pretty much a foregone conclusion that Harangody is going to accrue big numbers in points and rebounds every time out. In his last three games, he has averaged 27.6 points and 15 rebounds a game, however his efficiency has taken a big hit. He is just 30-79 from the field in those three games. I imagine UConn will be more than happy to let Harangody get his 25 points if it takes him 25 shots, especially since it means Kyle McAlarney is not getting more attempts. In ND’s win over UConn last year, McAlarney went off for 32 points, hitting 13 of 19 (including 6 of 7 on three’s). In the loss, K-Mac was just 4-14 for 12 points.

The Huskies will need AJ Price to continue his revitalization and the big front line to make things difficult for Harangody to get his points. Jeff Adrien and Hasheem Thabeet seem like the perfect duo to do just that. Also, defensively, Jerome Dyson and Stanley Robinson need to keep McAlarney and Ryan Ayers from getting going on the perimeter.

Notre Dame is in the midst of a brutal stretch of games. The started this run out with a pair of losses, OT at Louisville and they were run out of the Carrier Dome by Syracuse. Now they host UConn on Saturday night and turnaround and have Marquette coming in on Monday. Following that they have a three-game road trip against Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and leave the conference for a date with UCLA. Then, they return home to meet Louisville. Getting back into the win column is very important for the Irish, but it might be a very tough task against the streaking UConn Huskies. The Irish will have to prove it on the defensive side of the ball against the UConn club, something I am not sure they are willing to do and will see their home win streak stopped.

The latest NCAA basketball odds have UConn as a 2 1/2–point favorite on the road.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 81
Notre Dame 77

PRICE IS RISING, SO IS UCONN

2009-01-22T10:36:00.000-05:00

Senior guard leads Huskies to sixth straight win

There has been a bit of a feeling that Connecticut has lacked a true go-to player this season. Signs are pointing that the issue could be settled as UConn's AJ Price Scores Career-High 29 Points to beat 'Nova (NY Daily News), 89-83, on Wednesday night.

Price's 29-point effort came on the heels of his 23-point outing in a win Sunday over Seton Hall. It was the first time this season that Price put back-to-back strong offensive outings, showing more signs that AJ is Just What UConn Kneeds (New Haven Register) as we head towards the midway point of conference play.

Price scored 20 of his 29 in the first half as both teams scored at will, going into halftime knotted at 48-all. The Wildcats hung even with UConn by shooting 56% in the first half.

Jerome Dyson added 19 points for the winners and his four-point play after being shoved from behind by an intentional foul committed by Corey Stokes gave UConn momentum to make a run to finally put some distance between then and 'Nova as the Huskies Push Back (TheDay.com) to win their sixth straight.

With Hasheem Thabeet limited to just 17 minutes because of foul trouble, Jeff Adrien picked up the slack inside with another double-double (12 points, 14 rebounds) as 'Nova's Rally Falls Short (Philadelphia Inquirer) as the Wildcats only connected on 34% of their shots in the second half.

Villanova was able to put five players in double figures, led by Dwayne Anderson's 15 points, but Villanova Falls Short Against UConn (Philly Daily News) and their strength as the Huskies fixed their foul shooting woes (just 8-18 on Sunday) by connecting on 31 of 39 attempts as the Huskies Hold Off 'Nova (Norwich Bulletin).

Notes:

-UConn held a 37-32 advantage on the boards and both teams turned the ball over 14 times in the contest.

-'Nova committed 26 fouls, leading to the Huskies outscoring the Wildcats 31-18 from the foul line.

-UConn improves to 6-1 in the Big East and will attempt to put an end to Notre Dame's 45-game home win streak Saturday night in South Bend

-UConn finally got word on freshman Ater Majok from the NCAA. The 6'10 Majok is to Enter Classes at UConn (Connecticut Post) and Majok is Partially Cleared to Play Next Season (Hartford Courant). Majok is from Sudan via Australia, and has been granted partial eligibilty by the NCAA. He will move into a dorm and begin classes at UConn Thursday, and he is eligible to practice with the team. However, Majok is not eligible to play in games until after exams of the fall 2009 semester.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CONNECTICUT @ VILLANOVA

2009-01-21T11:19:00.002-05:00

January 21, 2009

Just another night in the Big East when a pair of ranked teams go head to head as 20th-ranked Villanova makes the trek to Hartford to take on No. 3 UConn.

The recurring theme when this game is analyzed is the need for Villanova to make a statement. The Wildcats have played three ranked teams, losing to all three (Texas, Marquette and Louisville) and we are 17 games into the season and their two best wins have been against local Big 5 rivals Temple and St. Joe's.

For UConn, they have something weighing on their mind as well, a three-game losing streak to jay Wright's squad.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the internet this morning:

No Break for UConn (TheDay.com)
'Nova Looks for Respect vs. UConn (Evening Bulletin)
Easy Times May Be Over for Villanova (Philly Inquirer)
Villanova Looks to Make Statement (Philly Daily News)
Taken for Granted, Adrien Becomes UConn's Leader (Rep-Am)
Huskies Hope to Shake Wildcats (Norwich Bulletin)
UConn Trying to Keep Momentum Rolling (Rep-Am)
Versatile Villanova to Test UConn (Hartford Courant)

The match-up between UConn and 'Nova is concentrated on by looking at the size and NBA frontline of the Huskies and the traditionaly strong guard play of the Wildcats. While Dante Cunningham is enjoying a strong senior season and has given the 'Nova frontcourt new life, they just can not match-up withthe size and strength of a line-up that will start Hasheem Thabeet, Jeff Adrien and Stanley Robinson and also bring Gavin Edwards off the bench.

While Scottie Reynolds leads a strong Villanova backcourt line-up, it is probably pretty accurate to say that the UConn backcourt should be, at least, the equal to their counterparts tonight. If AJ Price can build some momentum from his hot-shooting in the weekend win over Seton Hall (although, do not expect the same number of open shots tonight) and the speed infusion that Kemba Walker brings and Jerome Dyson's ability to play both ends of the court, this is a pretty good backcourt in its own right, even if they are overlooked because of their frontline.

We are still waiting on proof of how good Villanova is. They will certainly have motivation to make a statement, but UConn might as well with the bright lights of the ESPN cameras on their home floor against a previous nemesis. As a 9 1/2-point favorite, we like UConn to start flexing a little more muscle and knock down some free throws tonight.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 74
Villanova 62

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SETON HALL @ CONNECTICUT

2009-01-18T08:28:00.001-05:00

January 18, 2009

“Right now we’re 0-4…We gotta win. We gotta find a way to win,” said Seton Hall head coach Bobby Gonzalez during this week’s Big East coach’s conference call.

That might be easier said then done. SHU, who have lost six of their last seven overall, must now travel to Hartford to take on Connecticut in a Big East conference match-up.

Since dropping their conference opener, UConn has reeled off four straight league wins, including three straight on the road. The Huskies have a schedule that builds to a crescendo down the stretch, so they hope to avoid any pitfalls along the way.

The difference between these two teams is greatest in the frontcourt. Bobby Gonzalez is well aware of the challenge his undermanned and undersized front line will face.

“They’ve got kind of an NBA front line with [Hasheem] Thabeet and Jeff Adrien,” Gonzalez said this week. “Thabeet can change a game by himself. Jeff Adrien is a warrior.”

UConn can also add 6’9 Stanley Robinson to the floor as well and you have an NBA sized trio. On the other hand, Seton Hall uses a 6’5 forward and a 6’9 center with gimpy knees and three guards…ouch.

Seton Hall will also look to run and gun, playing right into the hands of UConn’s preferred style of play as Jim Calhoun will look for freshman guard Kemba Walker to push the pace as everyone on the UConn team can get out and run. If AJ Price can find his niche with the ball in Walker’s hands more, look out…this is a team that has yet to hit their stride and are 18 ½ point favorites today.

Here are some links to pregame stories and previews found on the web:

Hazell is a Scoring Machine for Seton Hall (Connecticut Post)
UConn Taking Hall or Nothing Approach (Journal Inquirer)

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 94
Seton Hall 74

WALKER'S HOMECOMING ONE TO REMEMBER

2009-01-16T11:04:00.000-05:00

By Zach Smart

New York—For UConn freshman Kemba Walker, being away from home is a major transition that college life has brought about.

As the sixth man on the Huskies Walker doesn't have much time on his hands, let alone time to spend in his old New York City stomping grounds.

So Walker made his brief homecoming worthwhile yesterday, torching St. John's for 21 points en route to a pivotal 67-55 UConn victory at Madison Square Garden.

Walker, a Bronx native who starred at Rice High School, stung the Johnnies with a little bit of everything Thursday night.

The 6-foot-1 point guard snaked through the defense, beating defenders off the dribble at will. Walker got players to bite on fakes, finished in transition, and facilitated an early 8-0 run that smacked some life into a sleepwalking UConn offense.

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Simply put, the nifty neophyte played in a different zip code.

He connected on eight of 12 shots and doled out four assists. He provided the fireworks and crucial buckets before a crowd of 7,545 at the World's Most Famous Arena. In attendance were Donyell Marshall, Cliff Robinson, former SJU standout Walter "The Truth" Berry and the legendary Lou Carnesecca.

Jeff Adrien recorded yet another double-double, pouring in 17 points and pulling down 11 boards. The 6-foot-7 forward has more double-doubles than any active Big East player.

Adrien helped build a 14-point second half lead on a jumper and a pair of freebies. St. John's, which led during the first half and trailed by just a point at the half, cut the lead to nine after Stanley Robinson was charged with goaltending late in the second.

UConn responded as Walker danced around the defense and found a wide open A.J. Price for a three-point dagger. On the ensuing possession, Walker got out in transition and completed a traditional three-point play.

Paris Horne scored a career-high 24 points for the Johnnies (10-6, 1-3), who trek to Villanova on Jan. 18 before hosting Cincinnati Jan. 22.

Horne scored 13 first-half points, connecting on 5 of his first 7 shots as he kept the gritty Redmen in the game.

D.J. Kennedy, a presence in the running game, dished out six of his game-high seven assists in the first half. The Johnnies seized control of the lead early, with Kennedy's fast break layin giving them a 12-6 edge. They capitalized on a torrent of turnovers that incensed Jim Calhoun, and a trey from Horne made it 22 all.

Hasheem Thabeet looked like he hadn't touched a basketball in weeks in the first half. The surefire NBA draft pick was softer than a pillow purchased at Sleepy's. Softer than a Sidwell Friends bookworm. He bricked a layup and got called for steps as the momentum pendulum shifted in SJU's direction.

The second half was a different story. It looked as someone sparked a fire underneath him. The 7-foot-3 Center got free for some powerful dunks and delivered an eye-popping block on Kennedy. He punched Kennedy's shot attempt high in the air, as the ball soared before falling into the hands of Horne behind the arc. Thabeet finished with a game-high five blocks.

But it was Walker who emerged as the venomous buzz saw, soaring in for a fast break layup that culminated a 9-2 spurt.

Walker, a fixture on the hardscrabble New York City courts where go-go basketball is the norm, later banked a three that gave UConn a 51-38 advantage.

UConn recovered from a lackluster first half (scoring wise) by turning up the defensive pressure. They employed tight, lockdown defense in the second. The defensive upgrade and Walker's blink-quick antics proved to wear down the assertive, aggressive, never-say-die Redmen.

There are a number of dazzling Big East freshman that have come to fruition this season--Mike Rosario, Samuerdo Samuels, and Greg Monroe, to name a few. If Walker keeps turning in performance like he did Thursday, essentially a coming-out party on his homecoming, he'll be catapulted into this elite, high-rent district.

UCONN - SJU READY FOR 'FIGHT NIGHT' IN MSG

2009-01-15T16:21:00.001-05:00

by Zach Smart

The Huskies look to close out a road swing that began down in West Virginia, when they gutted out a 61-55 win over the Mountaineers, who were shooting blanks and couldn't scrape the side of a Morgantown barn in the second half.

Jacked Jeff Adrien, an elder-statesman who's played a significant role since he was a freshman bench sparkplug on UConn's then NBA team (Rudy Gay, Josh Boone, Marcus Williams, Hilton Armstrong), helped the Huskies' stave off the stubborn, willful Bearcats in Cincinnati.

Now, the Huskies are back to their old March stomping grounds, ready to battle a familiar foe in St. John's.

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St. John's, a program that has dwindled, significantly, should be ready. The Johnnies pulled off a heart-racing, hard-to-believe 71-65 upset of St. John's to open the New Year on a high note. The inevitable ecstasy would turn to agony, however, as the Johnnies were drubbed by the nation's top-ranked team in Pittsburgh.

Against the Panthers in the first half, some lingering effects of the Notre Dame upset were evident. The Johnnies played neck-and-neck with the Panthers, seizing a three-point lead following D.J. Kennedy's baseline jumper with 5:36 remaining.

The Panthers were suddenly in the midst of a first have dogfight.

With the game log-jammed at 29, DeJuan Blair's putback of Gilbert Brown's missed free throw broke the tie. It was a veritable microcosm of the game, Blair fighting for position and ripping down boards with reckless regard for his opponent.

Blair, the homegrown Pitt product and high school teammate of St. John's DJ Kennedy, scored 23 points and ripped down 15 boards.

With under two minutes remaining in the half, Sam Young slammed on the breaks in transition, lofting the ball high in the air. Floating somewhere between the arena ceiling and the hardwood, the freakish Gilbert Brown jammed home the alley to give Pitt a 41-36 halftime edge.

The Panthers broke the game open in the second half, ripping off a momentum-rolling 16-6 lead that gave them a 64-48 lead by the half's midway mark.

So, the tri-state area rivalry renews itself tonight at 7 PM at MSG.

No.4 UConn (14-1, 3-1 Big East) is no Pitt, but they're front-loaded with super-sized bigs that could clog up the key and keep the Johnnies from attacking the cup.

Hasheem Thabeet, the 7-foot-3 beanstalk, loves to influence, alter, manipulate, and change the trajectory of shots by guards and forwards audacious enough to take the ball to the rack on him.

Thabeet, a junior and surefire NBA lottery pick, hasn't been the presence he was last year. He had only two blocked shots against Cincinnati and looked lost and listless against Georgetown. The Huskies have won three consecutive games since then and will look to conclude the road swing with a victory that will help them in the conference race. The Huskies are currently tied for fifth place with Providence, who scored two Big East wins over downtrodden programs.

It should be an intriguing homecoming for Kemba Walker, the point guard who played at New York City power Rice High school last year. Walker is familiar with Madison Square Garden, aka "The Mecca," having played there in AAU tournaments and various high school games with former UConn Husky Curtis Kelly. He knows as good as anyone that the Huskies will need to bring their 'A' game.

"We can't sleep on them," said Walker during an interview with the Hartford Courant.

"We have to go as hard as every other game. Coach told us that they always play us hard."

The rivalry has been one-sided these past 10 years. The Huskies have won seven straight since Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor and company suffered a loss in 2002.

Last year against the Johnnies, Jerome Dyson tied a program record with nine steals and A.J. Price scored 25 points as the Huskies rolled to an 81-65 route. Dyson's nine steals in a game tied Scottie Burrell. Burrel played for the Charlotte Hornets during the "Grandma Ma" Larry Johnson era and won a ring with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in 1998. He originally set the record in 1990 against Maine.

Dyson, who loves to play at the Garden and beat up on the on-the-bubble teams, should have his hands full this time around. Last year, around this time, Dyson was virtually nonexistent in the UConn Huskies system.

The Rockville, Md. native was arrested along with former Husky Doug Wiggins, for an alcohol-related incident in which a small amount of marijuana was found near the car. When Dyson failed a drug test following the incident, he was suspended for around a month.

The Huskies seemed to be better without their go-to scorer, winning five straight, with three of the wins coming against nationally-ranked opponents. Dyson, who entertained thoughts of eventually bolting for the NBA draft at the beginning of his sophomore season, was in a brief funk once he returned. Out of the groove he'd been in at the first half of the system, Dyson's stock plummeted before he returned to formidable form.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CONNECTICUT @ ST. JOHN'S

2009-01-15T10:16:00.001-05:00

St. John’s will look for an instant replay tonight as they try and upset the second straight top-10 opponent to visit Madison Square Garden in two home games. Back on January 3rd the Redstorm stunned Notre Dame, 71-65, behind DJ Kennedy’s double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds. Tonight, Connecticut brings their lofty national ranking to the Garden and will look to leave with it intact.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the internet this morning:

Huskies Make Turn in Fine Form (Middletown Press)
Second Half of Season Starts Tonight (Norwich Bulletin)
Johnnies’ Rob Thomas Up to Huskie Task Tonight at Garden (NY Daily News)
Huskies Make the Turn (TheDay.com)
It’s Homecoming Day for Walker (TheDay.com)
Huskies Bracing for Back Nine (Connecticut Post)
UConn Plays St. John’s at the Garden (Courant)

UConn enters the contest with an overall record of 14-1 on the season and 3-1 in the Big East. The Huskies have rallied for three consecutive wins since opening conference play with a 74-63 home loss to Georgetown. This is the third and final leg of a three-game road swing for Jim Calhoun’s squad, coming up with a 61-55 win at West Virginia and an 81-72 win at Cincinnati.

In the victory at Cincinnati, AJ Price shook off the cobwebs from his perimeter game by pouring in 22 points and Jeff Adrien had another day at the office with a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double for the victors.

St. John’s hung with #1 Pittsburgh for the first half on Sunday afternoon in the Steel City before the Panthers overwhelmed SJU after intermission in a 90-67 loss for the ‘storm. SJU turned the ball over 24 times as they continue to miss point guard Malik Boothe.

As usual, expect a very large contingent of UConn fans to invade the Garden tonight, giving it a strong feeling of a game being played in Hartford, or even Storrs, when the two teams take the floor. The Huskies will also look to use their size and strength in the paint with 7’3 Hasheem Thabeet and Adrien to take away the scoring opportunities of SJU. Pressure from Price and freshman point guard Kemba Walker in pushing the pace of the game will also be a detriment to SJU who will be without a point guard. In the loss to Pitt, Quincy Roberts, a freshman filling in for Boothe, had just one assist against 8 turnovers.

The oddsmakers are listing the Huskies as 12 ½-point favorites, but that seems to be a road line, we feel UConn will feel much more at home than this line indicates and they should role and get their offense moving with some easy buckets and a stingy defense making things very hard on SJU. It will be quiet different than playing against Notre Dame…

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 78
St. John’s 63

SENIORS LEAD UCONN TO WIN OVER CINCINNATI

2009-01-11T23:18:00.002-05:00

High Adrenaline Adrien, Price Lead Huskies In Road Victory

By Zach Smart

Has Jeff Adrien's mohawk actually had an affect on his play?

What appears to be a mind-numbing question might actually raise some eyebrows. Look it up in the notes if you don't believe me.

Since Adrien arrived on campus with a fresh dome-slice and unique new style (prior to the Fairfield game), he's been a man amongst boys. The Brookline, Mass. native has been assertive as ever, hustling his hairdoo off and playing with a tenacity and passion that ignites fans, infuses confidence and offers instant energy.

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It happens every game, like clockwork. Adrien scores crucial buckets, snares rebounds, and spills to the floor for loose balls like he just downed a 40 of Red Bull.

The mohawked man continued his exceptional play Saturday, notching his 38th career double-double while helo=ping propel the Huskies to an 81-72 victory over an obstinate Cincinnati club.

Adrien, the senior strongman who sported a Superman shirt and cape during UConn's First Night event, scored 13 points and ripped down a game-high 12 rebounds Saturday night.

Since deciding to shred some hair and go with the mohawk, Adrien is averaging a robust 15.8 points and 9 boards. His high-horsepower, high-stakes mentality bodes well for a UConn team that's looked sleepy-eyed and lackadaisical at times this season.

Adrien helped clog up the middle Saturday night, joining forces with 7-foot-3 center Hasheem Thabeet. The inside tandem manipulated and altered the trajectory of shots in the paint, en route to the road win. This made life difficult for freshman forward Yancy Gates, who had been shooting over 51 percent. Gates struggled Saturday, shooting just 4-for-14 and failing to perculate inside.

The Huskies out-rebounded the Bearcats by a 31-26 margin. Those 26 boards marked a season-low for Cincinnati, which fell to 10-6 and is still searching for their first Big East victory. Before a strongly partisan crowd of 9,029 at the Fifth Third Arena, it looked as if the Bearcats could pull off an improbable upset over the no.5 Huskies (13-1, 2-1).

UConn never led by over five points in the first half. Cinci tied the game on a Larry Davis three-pointer and seized a 32-30 lead following Gates' free throws with 1:16 to go in the first.

A.J. Price thwarted the thin margin with a big three from the corner. The Huskies quickly regained the lead, heading into the intermission holding a slim 38-34 lead.

The willful Bearcats kept within striking distance.

That is, until the Huskies ripped off a 13-4 run midway through the second half, landing a lead they wouldn't relinquish. In typical Husky fashion, they went through the motions before suddenly reeling off a surge. UConn's lead grew to 70-58 after Adrien's two-handed jam with 4:16 remaining.

The Bearcats responded with a jumper by Dion Dixon, but the Huskies found Thabeet for a layup that made it 72-61.

Deonta Vaughn (19 points), Mike Williams (14 points) and Rashad Bishop would hit shots, but it was too little too late.

The Huskies shot somewhere below freezing in their win over West Virginia. They re-wrote the script by showing some heat waves Saturday night, shooting the rock at 58 percent (29-for-50) clip, hitting 53 percent (8-for-15) from beyond the arc.

Price, the catalyst throughout UConn's pursuit of a Big East title last year, overcame an abysmal 0-for-9 shooting night at West Virginia. Price scored a game-high 22 points (hitting five treys) and doled out five dimes, outdueling the quick-sniping Vaughn.

Vaughn, who gave UConn 34 points on the strength of seven treys last year, shot 8-for-15 from the floor.

In the end, it was Adrien's interior toughness, ball denial, stingy defense and boardwork that brought the Huskies their second consecutive Big East road win.

Is it the shoes? No. Is it the mohawk? Maybe.

The mohawked man and the Huskies look to extend their conference win streak to three games on Jan. 15, as their road swing returns to the tri-state area for a stop at St. John's.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CONNECTICUT AT CINCINNATI

2009-01-10T10:24:00.000-05:00

January 10, 2009

Last season, Connecticut and Cincinnati played a classic game at Fifth Third Arena on the UC campus with a potential game-winning shot rimming out on the Bearcats. After an 0-2 start in conference play, including this week’s disappointing loss to Providence at home, Mike Cronin’s team will look to right the ship defensively as they welcome in the powerful Huskies.

This match-up features two of the biggest teams in the conference. UConn used that imposing height to overcome some poor shooting to earn a road win at west Virginia this week. UC has allowed 85 points a game in two Big East contests, so what ails the Husky offense could be cured come late Saturday afternoon.

Here are some preview articles and game stories from around the web this morning:

Perimeter Opportunities for #5 UConn (Hartford Courant)
Travel Thoughts, Sights: UC vs. UC (Courant)
Huskies Need to Keep Playing Defense New Britain Herald)
Huskies Continue Big East Navigation at Cincinnati (Norwich Bulletin)
This One Promises to be Big (Journal Inquirer)
Dyson’s UConn Challenge: Slow Vaughn (Connecticut Post)
Calhoun on UC: Stay Steady (Cincinnati Enquirer)
UC Still Not Heading North in Big East (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Calhoun Knows of UC’s Woes (Enquirer)
Haralson, Okwandu Not Here in Cincinnati with UConn (New Haven Register)

Connecticut is an 8 ½-point road favorite according to the oddsmakers. The Huskies definitely have the firepower and the gameplan. Slowing Deonta Vaughn is the key against UC. Jerome Dyson has all the tools to be a dominant perimeter defender and will have the challenge of stopping Vaughn in this game.

While the Cincinnati frontline is improved and bigger than a year ago, Yancy Gates, Mike Williams, Anthony McClain, and company will have their hands full with Jeff Adrien, Hasheem Thabeet and Stanley Robinson, who have all been through the Big East battles time and time again.

It will be a learning experience for the Bearcats and show them where they are and where they want to get to in the next couple years when playing UConn.

NBE Blogger Prediciton:

Connecticut 75
Cincinnati 69

UConn Tops 'Neers In Cold Front

2009-01-07T21:49:00.001-05:00

January 7, 2009

by Zach Smart

The UConn Huskies showed resolves, resilience, and fight en route to scoring a much-needed victory over West Virginia in Morgantown last night. Though the no.5 Huskies are still seeking that signature victory following a lackluster loss to Georgetown last week, the Mountaineers are no slouch.

They stamped BlOhio State (if B.J. Mullens is actually a consensus top-5 NBA draft selection this very easily may be one of the worst draft classes of all time) with a 30-point victory before Big East play, handing the Suckeyes their first loss of the season.

The lack of a formidable frontline certainly hampered the Mountaineers. It opened the seas for 7-foot-3 gargantuan Center Hasheem Thabeet and 6-foot-7 senior strongman Jeff Adrien.

The two 2XL-sized bigs combined for 30 points on 12-of-20 shooting. Adrien scored a game-high 17 points and was one of the few players on the floor that shot the ball at an efficient clip.

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It was the jumping jack antics of the freakish Stanley "Sticks" Robinson, however, that lifted UConn to the victory. Robinson's ability to sky for rebounds and outwork other players through shear, otherworldly athleticism helped the Huskies dominate the interior and pound the glass all night long.

Robinson, the previously exiled Husky, was employed at Prime Materials in Willimantic for much of the first semester. Sticks showed how the hard labor and blue-collar format rubbed off on him.

He showed up with his hardhat and lunch pail and snared a game-high 15 boards. The Huskies out-boarded the Mountaineers by a whopping 52-33 margin, en route to no.5 UConn's 61-55 gut-it-out victory.

Both teams suffered from a case of backcourt frost bite.

The trio of Jerome Dyson, A.J. Price, and Kemba Walker shot a combined 5-for-24, albeit an array of offensive boards and stickbacks bailed out the super-athletic Huskies. The Huskies shot 28 percent from the field in the first half, their worst shooting percentage in any half this season by miles and kilometers.

The Mountaineers were nearly as bad, shooting a measly, meager 9-for-26 (25 percent) in the second half.

Typically a team that can tantalize and torment on the perimeter, the Mountaineers shot an arctic 6-for-26 from behind the arc, and Bobby Huggins had no idea for it.

Still, with the snipers shooting blanks and building a new arena with all the bricks they stacked, UConn had a palpable advantage with augmented manpower.

In a hotly contested battle of this magnitude, before a partisan home crowd expecting them to defend the castle, the Mountaineers can't expect a win if they don't split the nylon the way they are accustomed to doing.

Shooting the rock at a 30.3 percent clip, WVU suffered its worst shooting performance from the floor. The loss dipped WVU's record to 11-3. They are now 1-1 in Big East play.

With the win, the bad taste of Georgetown dominance is somewhat washed from UConn's mammoth mouth. While there are no lingering effects of that hammering home serving, the Huskies (13-1, 2-1 Big East) are still searching for that resume win as the Big East slate continues.

A road swing that features stops in Cincinnati and St. John’s, followed by a game at Seton Hall (who’s fell off the radar following blowout losses, and in case you didn’t see Scottie Reynolds lit them up for 40 last night) before a Jan. 21 game vs. Villanova.

That showdown at the XL Center should be a real litmus test for the Huskies.

Oh, and the Buckeyes are still weaker than Chinese tea (in hoops, that is).

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CONNECTICUT @ WEST VIRGINIA

2009-01-06T13:10:00.004-05:00

January 6, 2009

after splitting their first two Big East games at home, Jim Calhoun's Connecticut club takes to the conference road and looks to throw their hat back into the ring as a conference challenger when they take on West Virginia. As always, expect the Colisuem to be rocking in Morgantown when the 5th-ranked Huskies come to battle the #25 Mountaineers.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the web:

No. 5 Huskies Happy to be on the Road (TheDay.com)
Murderer’s Row Begins (Charleston Gazette)
Firing the Musket (TheDay.com)
Big Test for WVU (Times West Virginian)
Mountaineers vs. Huskies (wvmetronews.com)
Defense Has UConn Feeling at Ease (Hartford Courant)
Mazzulla Hoping to Make it Back (Charleston Gazette)
Thabeet Center of WVU’s Attention (Connecticut Post)
UConn Men’s Gameday (Connecticut Post)

UConn started off conference play with a result and effort that left Jim Calhoun very irritated against Georgetown. UConn rebounded with an 80-49 blowout of Rutgers on Saturday, but this is a chance to the Huskies to re-establish themselves as a Big East favorite. You know they will come out fired up in an effort to avoid a 1-2 conference start.

West Virginia has been a very interesting team that has been quietly been building some impressive momentum while not many were looking. In their last four games (Miami OH, Radford, at Ohio State, at SHU), WVU has won by an average score of 85-54, yet the 11-2 Mountaineers barely squeezed into the top 25 this week at #25.

The obvious match-up area to watch will be in the paint where UConn will have a starting frontcourt of 7'3 Hasheem Thabeet, 6'9 Stanley Robinson and physical 6'7 Jeff Adrien setting up shop as starters with versatile 6'9 forward Gavin Edwards most-used off the bench.. A guard line-up of AJ Price, Jerome Dyson, Kemba Walker and Craig Austrie, for the most part, makes up the UConn rotation.

WVU is not that tall, usually using several forwards in the 6'7-6'8 range to make up their frontcourt. It truly is a group by committee as Devin Ebanks, Wellington Smith, John Flowers and Kevin Jones all have the ability to go inside and out offensively and will hit the boards aggressively. Their effort will be at a high level and will force the hand of Thabeet to be the aggressive post player that UConn needs in order for them to be successful.

A quick way to ignite the WVU faithful is a quick-htting htree from senior Alex Ruoff. Da'Sean Butler has the potential to light up a scoreboard, so the defensive pressure on the wings by UConn will be a key. With only true freshman Darryl Bryant left as a true point guard with Joe Mazzulla's shoulder injury, a big weight is on the NYC native against the big boys of the Big East.

This game is a personal challenge to Hasheem Thabeet and will likely be presented to him in that way by his coach. Thabeet must step up and control play in the paint to give Jeff Adrien the room to dominate the boards. If Thabeet is passive against the smaller Mountaineer forwards, UConn could be in trouble as a Bob Huggins team will not back down on their home court.

The latest NCAA basketball odds have WVU as a three and a half point favorite. I just do not see a UConn team going 1-2 in Big East play to the hands of a freshman point guard and a smaller line-up. It will be a battle, but if AJ Price can step up his game and Thabeet doesn't run and hide, UConn should earn a very tough road win.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 70
West Virginia 65

This one will be worth watching!!!

UCONN HOOPS EARNS FIRST BIG EAST WIN

2009-01-04T21:49:00.002-05:00

Huskies rout Rutgers, resuscitates itself after conference opening loss

By Zach Smart

Storrs--After being verbally thrashed by their coach following a lackluster loss to Georgetown Monday, the Huskies came roaring back Saturday night. After suffering a severe power outage, appearing crippled before the Hoyas stifling matchup zone, the Huskies routed a downtrodden Rutgers team, 80-49.

The win restored order and allowed the Huskies to resuscitate itself after the humiliating home defeat. Though the Huskies lost by 11 points to the Hoyas, Huskies coach Jim Calhoun said his team played without passion, deserved to lose, and “got beat by a solid 20 points.”

“Quite frankly we were hammered pretty good, in every aspect of the game,” a dejected Calhoun said as he sauntered out of the press room Monday night. Calhoun, who’s battled a bad case of the shingles and a bad cold that’s been hampering him for the past few weeks, left the game after the first half.

He funneled down the driver’s keys to Associated Head Coach George Blaney. Under Blaney, the Huskies’ seemed to play a looser, less tense and less conservative brand of basketball.

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Hasheem Thabeet re-registered his presence in the college basketball landscape after downing some Tylenol PMs and literally going to sleep against Georgetown and top-flight freshman big Greg Monroe.

Monroe and teammate Chris Wright torched Thabeet on Monday, penetrating the teeth of the defense and taking to the ball to the tin at will.

This time, Thabeet got the better of Rutgers counterparts Gregory Echenique and Hamady N’Dyiaye, 6-foot-9 and 6-foot-11, respectively. The 7-foot-3 behemoth outclassed the towering tandem, pouring in 15 bounds while snaring eight boards.

The Huskies took care of the basketball as if it were a cylinder chunk of 80-karat gold, committing zero turnovers in the first half. Uconn finished with a sizzling 21-to-6 turnover ratio.

The Huskies scorched the nets in the second half, brandishing a 67.8 shooting percentage.

The souped-up, go-go offense was back in superior form, as the Huskies’ runned-and-gunned to the tune of 21 points on the fast break. This wore down the Scarlet Knights, which allowed the Huskies to shoot them out of the gym throughout the second half.

After dropping games to St. Bonaventure, Lehigh, ad Binghamton—all teams which lack the personnel and essential ingredients to tred water in the Big East Ocean—the Scarlet Knights were downgraded to the low-rent district of the nation’s toughest conference (that’s it, I’m no longer referencing it as “perhaps one of..” or “easily” or “arguably”).

That nonconference slate screamed Big East doormat. Still, the Knights have played a cement-hard schedule this week. It started at top-ranked UNC and took a PITT stop before ending with the UConn walloping.

“Carolina can score with anybody in the country, but this was the best defensive team of the three that we’ve faced,” said Rutgers coach Fred Hill, emotionally and mentally drained from having to play the nation’s no.1, no.2 and no.3-ranked teams in succession.

That defensive prowess was certainly on display, as the Huskies threw Rutgers into a 28.8 percent field goal shooting funk.

The Huskies and Jerome Dyson clamped down on Rutgers leading scorer Mike Rosario, who hung 26 in the loss at North Carolina.

Dyson, recognized for his on the ball defense more during his freshman year, clamped down on Rutgers’ fabulous freshman. Rosario, who came into the contest averaging just a thread under 18 points, was held to 10 on a dreadful 2-for-13 shooting night.

Rosario looked like a perfect fit for the Mason Convention in the first half, landing a set of eight straight bricks before finally thwarting the drought in the second half. Hey, he’s only a freshman (I know that one-and-done wunderkinds Kevin Durant, O.J. Mayo, and Michael Beasley would probably laugh their balls off at that statement).

When asked about his defensive prowess, Dyson didn’t flinch.

“I think I have the ability to lock down any player,” he said. “I really thrive on it, because if you play good defense, it’s always going to leave you with something good on the other side.”

Dyson’s words echoed in Blaney.

“He can lock people up.”

The lockdown operation led to a flurry of fast-break opportunities, helping the Huskies break the game open in the second half. Aside from the splintering shooting, the Huskies racked up 51 points as Rutgers dug itself an insurmountable hole.

“I liked our overall attitude,” said Blaney. “But I really liked our defense.”

Beyond Thabeet, Stanley “Sticks” Robinson had a solid all-around game, scoring 11 points, hauling down seven boards, and dishing out four dimes. He also recorded three blocks and helped handle Rosario.

Jerome Dyson added 14 points (albeit he’s four for his last 21), while senior strongman Jeff Adrien chipped in with 12.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS @ CONNECTICUT

2009-01-03T06:44:00.002-05:00

January 3, 2009

Rutgers completes their grueling three-game stretch on Saturday when they travel to Storrs (CT) to take on Connecticut in a Big East conference match-up on Saturday evening.

Rutgers has already lost to No. 1 North Carolina on Sunday and #3 Pittsburgh on Wednesday and now must face the second-ranked Huskies to finish an unprecedented three-game stretch. So far, as expected, RU is 0-2 in the stretch. However, they have shown some signs of improvements since dropping home contests to St. Bonaventure, Lehigh and Binghampton earlier in the pre-conference schedule. The Scarlet Knights lost at UNC 97-75 and hap Pitt on the ropes, with a 55-50 lead with just over 10 minutes left on New Year’s Eve before a 20-4 Panther run ended the hopes for an upset.

Connecticut fell from the ranks of the unbeaten when they were surprised by Georgetown at home in the conference opener Monday night in Hartford. The Hoyas took command early with a 15-1 run to start the game and they turned back every Husky run in the 74-63 victory.

Here are some pre-game stories and previews found on the internet this morning:

Rosario Brings Respectability to Rutgers (Bristol Press)
UConn Men Jump Back into Big East Battle (Connecticut Post)
Happy New Year; Sticks to Start, Rutgers Coming In (Hartford Courant)
A Line-up Change for UConn (TheDay.com)

Well, it did not take long, after one-loss, Stanley Robinson is back in the starting line-up and Craig Austrie will be coming off the bench. It was not too long ago that Robinson was an expendable piece of the UConn puzzle, but after Nate Miles was expelled from school and the NCAA decision on the Ater Majok eligibility continues to hang in the balance, the former sheet metal industry professional is back in Jim Calhoun’s starting line-up just three weeks after coming back into the program after a hiatus.

Rutgers will not be intimidated heading into Storrs, but a Jim Calhoun team coming off a loss in a game where he did not like their effort or toughness, the Scarlet Knights could be in some serious trouble. Rutgers is led by freshman scoring machine Mike Rosario, who has averaged 24 PPG the last two against UNC and Pitt, but the emergence of Corey Chandler from an early shooting slump seems to be a catalyst for their improved play.

Improvements or not, look for UConn to be personally challenged and motivated in this game. Jeff Adrien, Hasheem Thabeet and Stanley Robinson is an NBA-sized frontcourt and AJ Price and Jerome Dyson make up an excellent backcourt duo.

Look for a complete effort early on from the Huskies at both ends of the floor as they quickly put the memories on Monday’s beating behind them and put Rutgers, who is a 21 1/2–point underdog according to the latest college basketball odds away early on.

Prediction:

Connecticut 86
Rutgers 66

Calhoun Rips Team, Lauds Fans

2009-01-03T00:57:00.001-05:00

By Zach Smart

Hartford—Anyone who’s ever had the pleasure of encountering Jim Calhoun following a UConn loss will tell you the same thing over and over again.

He’s a positive, calm, and serene individual who always takes ample time to answer any questions (he’s a firm believer of the phrase “even the genius asks questions”) the media peppers him with.

Yeah, right.

And Mike Tyson never once lost his cool, Woody Allen isn’t a pervert, and smoking XXX video vixen Eva Angelina is a virgin.

Calhoun ripped into his team following their lackluster performance during Monday’s 74-63 loss to no.11 Georgetown.

“I want to congratulate coach Thompson for coming in here and giving us a bigger lesson on how to play basketball with enthusiasm, execution, and energy,” said Calhoun, the longtime game general.

“Quite frankly, we got beat by a solid 20 points. I really want to thank our fans for trying to help bring it back into a game, but they seemed to want it more than we did.”

Read More...Click Below!

Calhoun continued, “We had looked like we had never seen a matchup zone before, we play nothing but matchup zone. 11 out of 12 games we play against matchup zone. Our size was certainly one of our disadvantages tonight.”

Suddenly, a reporter popped the question about Hasheem Thabeet’s lackadaisical evening. Thabeet was outplayed by freshman Greg Monroe, who scored 16 points, and simply did not have it Monday.

“I’m not going to comment on any player, you saw what you saw,” Calhoun tersely replied.

“The freshman played great.”

The reporter may have been confused as to whether Calhoun was referring to Monroe or Kemba Walker, who scored 14 points.

So, when he interjected by simply asking, “Monroe?” Well, it was like challenging a pitbull to a barking match.

“I do know his name,” Calhoun said, irritably as he grilled down the reporter. I actually did do a scouting report.”

Calhoun continued, “If guys are going to the hole that many times, you’re going to have problems. Whether you like every call or don’t like a call, is not important to me. People getting into the lane are going to create difficult situations. And we had no help from our big guys on hedges. Georgetown did a great job executing.”

Calhoun talks at a rapid pace, with a Boston drawl so thick you might ask him to repeat what he’s saying.

That happened early in the press conference, and Calhoun refused (to repeat his words). Oh, and the Georgetown team he talks about is pronounced “Gawgetown.”

Calhoun has done great things during his time at UConn. He’s won national championships and turned boys into men, made me-first individualists into team players and winners. So, the coach who said he still gets butterflies to play Bryant College was not pleased.

“All the things that could’ve happened tonight, I didn’t expect to play just as poorly as we did. In comparison I think Georgetown just took full advantage of everything, did a wonderful job…I didn’t know if their body language was quite the same as the crowd’s. There was a couple guys like AJ, still fighting. A couple of the other guys were upset about individual totals or bad calls or whatever else kids get upset about. This was very, very poor performance for us, opening Big East game, sold-out crowd and for us to perform like that. For us to play that poor…I apologize, I just don’t know how we can play that poorly. I hated our body language early, during the fleeting moments I liked it, and detested it.”

“I don’t even understand what team I was coaching tonight. Once again, I can’t tell you the amount of disappointment I personally have. When it’s all said and done, I’m the guy coaching this team. Coach Thompson’s team, they were meant to go steal a home win they knew exactly what that meant. And we knew exactly what it means to hold court at home, to home serve. We didn’t just home serve, quite frankly we were hammered pretty good in every aspect of the game.”

The Hall of Fame coach isn’t playing around. He’s the foundation of the program and has been through the battles.

Kemba Walker, who admitted he “can’t really repeat” what Calhoun said in the locker room, believes the verbal pummeling will give his team motivation to work harder against Rutgers Jan. 3.

In senior captain A.J. Price, his teammates’ words resonated.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: CONNECTICUT

2008-12-31T23:53:00.003-05:00

December 31, 2008

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Jamaal Trice, 6'4 SG from Mt. Zion (NC) Christian Academy via Los Angeles

Projected 2009-2010 Roster:

Seniors: Jerome Dyson (G), Jonathan Mandeldove (C), Stanley Robinson (F), Gavin Edwards (PF/C), Hasheem Thabeet (C)
Juniors: Donnell Beverly (G), Chukwuma "Charles" Okwandu (C)
Sophomores: Kemba Walker (PG), Scottie Haralson
Freshmen: Alex Oriakhi (C), Jamal Coombs (F), Jamaal Trice (SG)

The recruiting news out of Storrs has been rather quiet. With the only two players to sign with UConn in the fall, Alex Oriakhi and Jamal Cooms, being committed to the Huskies since their sophomore years, recruiting in the 2009 class has been slow. However, the Huskies have been attempting to fill a need at shooting guard and looks to have found their man as UConn Gets a Commitment from Jamaal Trice (Waterbury Rep-Am) during a recent visit.

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Jamaal Trice finished up a high school career at powerful Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana (CA) abd headed off to do a year of prep basketball at Mt. Zion Christian Academy in Durham (NC). It looks like the move paid off as Trice is now a committed player in the class of 2009 for the Connecticut Huskies.

Trice played on an always loaded mater Dei team in 2007-2008 and averaged around 10 points a game. He will join Tilton School teammates Alex Oriakhi and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel as 2009-2010 freshmen for the Huskies.

Some of UConn's recruiting needs and priorities have been scrambled a bit since the fall as Nate Miles, a 6'7 wing, and 6'10 forward Ater Majok are not with the team. Miles was dismissed from school in his first month on the UConn campus. Majok has yet to be cleared by the NCAA eligibility clearinghouse. His saga is ongoing, he could still join the program for the later part of the 2008-2009 season. UConn begins their spring semester in three weeks, so we will know by then.

On paper, UConn has one scholarship remaining for 2009-2010. It is expected that Hasheem Thabeet would turn professional, which would open an additional scholarship. Expect UConn to be int he mix with some top players that either are, or become eligible in the spring recruiting period.

Pre-Game Hype, High Expectations For Husky-Hoya Big East Opener

2008-12-29T15:10:00.001-05:00

By Zach Smart

It’s been quite the wait, but the pulsating, gut-wrenching Big East action is finally here. Easily one of the biggest matchups of the season kicks off today, with No. 2 UConn hosting Georgetown at the XL Center in Hartford.

The highly-anticipated matchup between fabulous freshman Greg Monroe and UConn center Hasheem Thabeet, a 7-foot-3 behemoth and blocksmith, is likely to live up to its billing. But with the resurgence of once-exiled guard Jerome Dyson (who’s emerged into UConn’s go-to-guy and the key cog in the Huskies’ go-go, souped up offense), along with the play of Georgetown’s DuJuan Summers (14.3 ppg) and Chris Wright (13.2 ppg), the game is about as predictable as a Mike Tyson interview.

Anything can happen. It should be wild, down-to-the-wire basketball in its purist, most appreciable form that features the crowd as the sixth man and an X-factor that beat writers scribble in their notepads about all game.

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

Hype surrounding the eyeball-to-eyeball battle between the two super-sized bigs has been hanging around Hartford all afternoon. The matchup brings some added juice and is one of many of the intriguing subplots for tonight.

Thabeet, who was extremely raw and a work-in-progress his freshman year, has developed a toughness and unfaltering confidence that hasn’t relented since last year. The NBA prospect is beginning to flower, albeit UConn ate up the cupcakes of their nonconference slate in shark-size bites prior to the barometer game at Gonzaga.

Thabeet called out Notre Dame forward/center Luke Harangody for his lack of toughness during an interview with ESPN.com and was charged with a technical foul for taunting during the Huskies’ victory over Gonzaga. Trying to shoot over his towering head and longer than the nile river arms, you’re likely to get stuffed like a thanksgiving turkey.
With Monroe, however, Thabeet has apparently met his match.

Monroe registered his imprint immediately. Heading into the contest, the 6-foot-11 Monroe was averaging 12.5 points, 5.6 boards, and 2.1 blocks while staking his claim as a premier freshman in the Big East (see Samuels, Samuerdo or Theodore, Jordan or whoever else my lackadaisical self is missing for more details on that).

The aforementioned Wright, who’s blossomed into an area code shooter this year, has held his own. He has a great supplement in local product Austin Freeman (Bowie, Md.). Jessie Sapp, a Harlem native with plenty of big-game experience, provides augmented back court vigor.

The UConn guards have been just as tough, with A.J. Price netting the big three and finishing with 24 points and 10 dimes against Gonzaga. Kemba Walker has become a presence in the running game and passing lanes, while Craig Austrie has been rock-solid.
Remember, Austrie ran the show when professionals Marcus Williams, Hilton Armstrong, Josh Boone and Rudy Gay were all in uniform. He’s got that type of experience and has showed resolve and resilience throughout his career. Calhoun, a longtime Boston Red Sawx fan, refers to Austrie as the Huskies’ version of closer Jonathon Papelbon.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: GEORGETOWN @ CONNECTICUT

2008-12-29T08:37:00.003-05:00

December 29, 2008

The Big East regular season gets an early start this year, before the New Year, and begins with a bang with Georgetown visiting the XL Center in Hartford to battle Connecticut in a match-up of conference goliaths.

college basketball odds currently list Connecticut as 6 and a half point favorites in tonight's game.

Here are some of the pre-game stories and previews found on the internet this morning:

No. 12 Georgetown @ No. 2 UConn (Hartford Courant)
Big Challenge at the Start (Washington Times)
Huskies Host Hoyas to Start Big East Play (Norwich Bulletin)
Ready for Bog East Play (Courant)?
UConn Men's Gameday (Connecticut Post)
Ho-Hum, Here Come the Hoyas (New Haven Register)
Huskies Happy to Have Walker Back in the Mix (Norwich Bulletin)
They're Back in the High Life Again (TheDay.com)
Hoyas Set for a Big Challenge (Washington Post)

With Big East play getting underway, UConn Huskies Basketball Tickets are in demand and nothing is better than a match-up between the defending Big East regular season champion Georgetown Hoyas and the pre-season Big East favorite for this season Connecticut.

Connecticut comes into the contest undefeated with an 11-0 record. Non-conference victory highlights included wins over Miami and Wisconsin as the Huskies captured the Paradise Jam in November and a thrilling OT win over Gonzaga just nin days ago in Seattle.

Jerome Dyson leads the team in scoring with an average of 15.5 points a game, but the player separating UConn from others is 7-foot-3 center Hasheem Thabeet who averages 14.8 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.7 blocks a game, teamming with Jeff Adrien (14.5 points, 9.5 rebounds) to form a menacing frontline.

AJ Price has been a little bit slow coming back from off-season ACL surgery (10 PPG, 37% shooting from the floor), but he showed he was still a clutch performer with 24 points and 10 assists in the win over the Zags, which included a game-tying three-pointer in the final moments of regulation.

The new-look Georgetown Hoyas made it through their pre-conference slate with a 9-1 record, highlighted by a 75-48 win over Maryland in the Old Spice Classic consolation and an overtime win over Memphis. Their lone blemish was a semifinal loss to Tennessee in the Old Spice Classic in Florida back in November.

Gone from the Hoyas back-to-back regular season championship clubs are Roy Hibbert, Jonathan Wallace, Pat Ewing Jr, Vernon Macklin and Jeremiah Rivers. The Hoyas only return four players with real Big East experience (and that includes Chris Wright who was limited as a frosh due to a broken foot), so this is a new experience for many on their roster.

Junior DaJuan Summers leads the balances Hoya attack with 14 points a game which sophomores Austin Freeman (13.7) and Wright (13.2) and highly touted freshman Greg Monroe (12.4) also average double figures in scoring. Monroe also leads the club in rebounding at 5.6/game.

The Hoyas will have five players on the floor that can handle the ball and pass away from the basket, hoping to draw Jeff Adrien and Hasheem Thabeet away from the basket and make them defend in space. That is an interesting match-up to watch and if they are successful it will cause some problems for UConn. However, if Thabeet is able to play a one-man zone inside, he could erase virtually all of the Hoyas game in the paint by himself.

UConn has the edge in depth and size and the new-look Hoyas will be put to the test from start to finish tonight. The opening of Big East play will bring some added pressures to the Huskies with a big target on their back as the conference favorite, but they will have too much firepower up and down the line-up and when teams need to go to tthe bench tonight, they have a decided edge and should come out with a win.

Georgetown tickets are always in demand, no matter where they are playing and tonight's game is no exception when the Hoyas and Huskies lock horns in what promises to be a highly watched event by college basketball fans around the league and nationally.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 71
Georgetown 63

Behind AJ, Huskies Pass Gonzaga Price Checkpoint

2008-12-27T22:00:00.001-05:00

By Zach Smart

I’d say it’s about as certain as berth and death.

During one defining moment, in the aftermath of the UConn Huskies’ 2008-09 campaign—the final ride on A.J. Price’s rollercoaster collegiate career—a student-pupil meeting between Price and Jim Calhoun will extract some emotional overtone. The one-on-one meeting I’m envisioning is similar to the one between William Gates and coach Pingatore in Hoop Dreams.

Price, who Calhoun once pegged as the best player to ever pen with UConn—the NBA breeding house that actively hounded Price while his game took off at Amityville High (N.Y.)— will know that he gave a valiant effort to make up for lost time.

What type of memorable sendoff will Price give Calhoun and the Huskies? What PRICE-less words of advice will Calhoun heap on his point guard, whose individual resilience and resolve over the past five years scream “storybook ending?”

It is all about as predictable as disease, death, and Britney Spears’ next mythic meltdown.

So, there was Price on Dec. 20, rising to the occasion during UConn’s first true barometer game.

Price, whose outside shooting struggled during UConn’s first nine victories, canned a three with eighth seconds remaining in regulation, sending a dizzying game into overtime.

Read More...Click 'Read rest of Article' Below!!!

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UConn ended up avenging last year’s loss with an 88-83 triumph before 16,763 in Seattle, Wash. He dropped 24 points and doled out 10 assists, toughening up during a superb second-half sword fight that featured ties and lead changes.

That’s Price making up for lost time.

Price spent his freshman season facing near-fatal darkness and his sophomore year sulking in his own boneheaded blunder.

The skeptics began to surface. The doubters said Price was done for good. Most just wondered what a kid born to two loving parents and raised well under superstar Ivy League father, Tony Price, was doing stealing laptop computers.

Price’s redshirt sophomore year was spent fending off the inevitable rust two years away from the game instigates. He tried to find his voice on a house thoroughly cleansed from the Final Four run a year before, a house featuring nine freshman and three sophomores. It never happened, and UConn labored through a trying 17-14 season. For the first time in recent memory, there was no post-season.

Then came Price’s junior season, when he restored the program’s credibility and helped catapult them back into the national picture. It ended in upsetting, dramatic fashion. Price suffered an injury that’s limited him, and the Huskies suffered a first round NCAA tournament upset.

In that 2007-08 season Price made the transition from pop tart puppy to potent pit bull. He hastened UConn’s already souped-up, hellfire offense and played with extra juice.

Maybe that was Price making up for lost time.

He was the guy leading the runways for UConn, the guy who the Huskies looked to in crunch time, the guy that was often lauded by his coach at the end of pivotal victories.

And UConn had a lot of them last year, defeating eventual Big East champion Pitt, West Virginia, and Marquette and scoring signature wins over Indiana and Georgetown.

Price made up for his spindly frame by being a cerebral player with in an insatiable thirst for victory.

He knifed through defenses, barreled his way to the bucket, and stuck pull-up jumpers. He became an area code outside shooter, played with a New York savvy, and answered the call when his teammates needed him to.

Price fell into the role of quarterback, lobbing passes that guys like Jeff Adrien, Hasheem Thabeet, and Jerome Dyson launched themselves into the sky for and slammed home.

He penetrated the gut of the defense, found the open man and snaked along the baseline. These antics, of course, increase the NCAA college basketball odds of a tournament berth.

Simply put, the kid who was once so close to the edge he was nearly balancing his Nikes on a piece of dental floss was worth the Price of admission.

He needs to bring that sense of urgency, playing every game as if it’s his last, into Big East play this season.

While the Gonzaga victory proved the Huskies are no joke, Price will need that attitude as the Big East slate begins Dec. 29 against Georgetown.

After all, if Price’s seesaw career has taught him anything, it’s that nothing is guaranteed and you never know when you’re career can come to an abrupt end.

Calhoun, Connecticut’s Hall of Fame and cancer-surviving game general, reiterated this point before. In a speech to his team, Calhoun said he still gets butterflies before playing Bryant College, who UConn trounced.

No question, a meeting between the coach-and-player will emerge before Price’s departure from Storrs. How the Huskies end the season, whether it’s hoisting a trophy or exiting early, is partly up to Price.

After health and legal issues nearly took him out the game, Price looks to make up for lost time yet again.

BACK IN THE STICKS

2008-12-16T08:25:00.003-05:00

by Zach Smart

Storrs--This Christmas, UConn faithful are revved up for the return of Stanley "Sticks" Robinson along with the anticipated arrivalof Ater Majok, both top-tier players.

Robinson's reinsertion and Majok's inaugural season, which would provide a stopgap at the 3-spot and augmented interior toughness, respectively, would be an ideal gift to slide under the big Calhoun Christmas Tree.

Robinson, the ultra-athletic 6-foot-9 swingman, is a considerable NBA prospect. His game took off during certain stages last season, but his inconsistency and tendency to go Houdini during critical contests was notable.

Read Rest of Team Article...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

Majok, a 6-foot-9 brute who's rumored to have more game than a Playstation system, made noise on the Youtube circuit. In the video, Majok looks like a man amongst boys, a wunderkind that can have a major impact on this team.

Calhoun told the media that Robinson would not start tonight against Stony Brook. The freakish forward entered the game with 3:15 gone by, to a thunderous ovation.

Sticks finished with seven points and five boards, taking just four shots in 15 minutes of burn.

Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien dominated the much smaller Stony Brook frontline, dropping 18 points apiece, as the Huskies cruised to a 91-57 washout.

Checking in with seldom-used Center Jonathon Mandeldove, Sticks immediately re-registered his presence in the UConn atmosphere.

With 16:38 remaining in the first half, Sticks got free above the rim, caught an alley-oop pass from Kemba Walker, and slammed it home, wowing a hyped up Holiday crowd. He pulled down a man-size board moments later, showing the fans the manpower the Huskies salvage with his return.

Following a personal leave of absence during which he lived with his uncle in Vernon, Conn., Sticks began taking online classes and practicing with his teammates. The kid who entertained transfer/academic withdrawal thoughts over the summer was employed as a sheet metal worker at Prime Materials Incorporated in Willimantic, Conn.

Word around the wilderness, Robinson got the gig through a former Husky player who runs the joint. So, college seemed like an afterthought for the kid who's fundamentally sound in all aspects of his game and longer than the Nile River

.With Sticks, however, you never really know what the deal is. One minute he's chatting it up with Hartford Courant beat writer Mike Anthony. Next minute he's dodging the media despite (UConn men's basketball SID) Kyle Muncy's urging him to stick around and answer some questions.

"Few people understand Stanley Robinson, and I'm not one of them," Jeff Adrien said following the Huskies' defeat of Buffalo in the beginning of the 2007-08 campaign.

He's the kid who hung 32 on Maine but disappeared during an ugly loss to Providence (2 points, 1-for-6 FG). He's back as a Husky and here to stay. Any rumors that he was headed to the University of Alabama or UAB were quickly gutted.

Sticks played sparingly in the first half, logging just five minutes. While he showed no signs of rust, he wasn't involved. The game was nothing short of a laugher, with UConn grabbing an insurmountable 80-48 edge after an AJ Price trey. At 2:35, Sticks got some good run during garbage time. He hit the front end of a 1-and-1, missed the second but sky'd for his own rebound and drew another foul in the act of shooting. Robinson made both free throws this time and added a long jumper that pumped UConn's lead to 89-55.

It's nice to get into the spirit and slam down a cupcake with some eggnog. For the first half of the season (outside of the Paradise Jam Tournament), UConn has picked up a familiar habit. It's the same habit a chubby 8-year-old who sneaks into the sweets drawer after dinner needs to kick. Too many cupcakes.

As UConn's much-anticipated date with Gonzaga inches closer, Sticks is finally back in the fold. The No.5 Zags, who've been smoking, but fell to Arizona Sunday night, will be anxiously waiting the eyeball-to-eyeball matchup.

Deck the Halls in Seattle.

The Huskies (and Santa Clause) are coming to town.

PITT - UCONN: GRIDIRON BATTLE

2008-12-05T11:49:00.003-05:00

December 5, 2008

The much anticipated battle for Big East supremecy is looking like it could come down to the wire with a battle between the Pittsburgh Panthers and Connecticut Huskies. In Five Big East Questions With...Mike DeCourcy, the national college basketball writer for the Sporting News believes the league title could be decided March 7th when the two programs meet.

Wait...that is in basketball! While many around the Big East is geared up for an exciting basketball season ahead, there is still the matter of a few football games this weekend around the Big East, each with NCAA Bowl Game Implications, including when the Panthers travel to Storrs to take on the Huskies, on the football field.

Pittsburgh, after a late rally, comes into the game on the toes of a 19-15 victory over arch rival West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl. Panther star LeSean McCoy rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns, both in the fourth quarter, to give Pitt the win.

McCoy's final TD came in the games last minute following a Pat White interception as WVU tried to ice the game with a couple first downs.

On the other side, UConn relies on their star running back, Donald Brown, to lead their attack. Brown has amassed 1,633 yards this season (compared to 1,308 of McCoy) and 16 touchdowns on the ground (compared to 20 for 'Shady'). The Huskies are 3-3 in the Big East and 7-4 overall, both putting them one game behind the Panthers in the standings and bowl pecking order.

Current NCAA Football Odds have the Huskies listed as 2 1/2 point home favorites. Neither team has been setting the world on fire with their play from under center, as both quarterbacks have struggled lately. That usually means a little trouble for the road team, and, coming off the emotional victory over their rival, a let down is certainly possible for the Panthers in this one.

Prediction:

Connecticut 20
Pittsburgh 16

Thoughts Before Buffalo

2008-12-03T10:26:00.003-05:00

By Zach Smart

Following a 30-point win over a Delaware State team (well, every player except Donald Johnson, who was smoking) that couldn’t throw the ball into the Wide Sargasso Sea and shot the rock like they were blindfolded at a strip club, the Huskies travel to the freezing-cold confines of the University of Buffalo Thursday night.

Rather than inviting Buffalo up to Gampel or the XL center for a guarantee game, the UConn will trek to the Alumni Arena, uncharted territory for the No.2 Huskies.

While college basketball odds will certainly be stacked against the Buffalo Bulls, the Huskies will not be the first highly rated Big East squad to venture into Alumni Arena. Two seasons ago, Aaron Gray and a top 5 Pitt squad made the trek and UB took the mighty Panthers to the wire in a 70-67 loss nearly two years to the day.

Last season, the Huskies faced Buffalo at Storrs, bouncing back from a lackluster 69-65 win over Morgan State by rolling to a convincing 82-57 thrashing.

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This was during the regional round of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic, benefitting Coaches vs. Cancer. The Huskies got 24 points from A.J Price and an exhilarating, momentum-changing performance from exiled Husky Stanley “Sticks” Robinson that night.

Robinson, who will likely be back in 2009, finished with 10 points, 13 caroms, and six swats that night.

It was certainly a redemption night for the wiry, freakishly athletic Alabama native, as Robinson re-wrote the script following a zero-point, five-turnover disaster the previous night. He was treated to a traditional, inevitable verbal whipping from Jim Calhoun following the Morgan State game and the UConn coach admittedly went from embarrassed to awestruck after his show against Buffalo. In the post-game interview, Calhoun compared Robinson’s wowing athletic ability to the likes of UConn products Scottie Burrell and Rudy Gay.

UConn posted a whopping 15 blocked shots that night, and “Sticks,” the feast-or-famine swingman, kept Buffalo out of the key.

That was then. Now is now. A lot has changed since that brisk November night in Connecticut.

-The manpower has never been in short supply at UConn. Calhoun’s penchant for getting super-sized bigs that can patrol the paint to sign with Connecticut has proved profitable. The Huskies have arguably the most formidable frontline in the country in 7-foot-3 Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien. Both players can agitate, affect, and alter the trajectory of shots.

The Huskies have some depth up front, but no oceanic, Hudson River depth. Gavin Edwards turned in a career night against Delaware State Monday, erupting for 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting. His coming out party could jack up the 6-foot-9 forward’s minutes in a non-conference game of this type. Calhoun’s other 7-foot Godzilla-sized centers, Jonathon Mandeldove and Charles Okwandu, have played sparingly. Both players are a work-in-progress and have looked greener than a weed plantation.

-Kemba Walker is rapidly ascending into a new zip code. The highly-touted freshman has established himself as one of the best point guards in the Big East and the gem of this year’s recruiting class. He’s panned out as a presence in the running game but doesn’t whip passes the way Marcus Williams did. In Calhoun’s eyes, however, he has not played to his level in the past two days. Price, on the other hand, is nowhere near the player he was last year, when he mushroomed into Player of the Year candidate. Price is averaging 8.5 points per, hitting his shots at an inadequate 18-for-51 clip (35 percent), including 11-for-29 from beyond the arc. Price has hit just 4-of-11 from the charity stripe, as the Huskies’ free throw shooting woes continue.

Buffalo jumped out to a 2-0 start on the season before suffering back-to-back losses to Evansville and geographic rival Niagara. In the heartbreaking 64-61 loss to Niagara, scoring engine Tyrone Lewis scored a game-high 23 points. Rob Garrison, the former UConn guard who transferred after being buried on the bench, added nine points. Buffalo resuscitated itself by stamping an 83-73 win on Temple. The Bulls (3-2) have well-balanced scoring, led by Rodney Harrison’s 17 points per. Harrison has displayed his full offensive repertoire this season, attacking the rim, getting the mid-range game going, and dialing in from downtown. Beyond go-to-go Harrison, guard-forward Greg Gamble is averaging 14 points and six boards per. Andy Robinson (10.5 ppg) and Calvin Betts, who dropped 18 points and pulled down seven boards in the win over Temple. The Bulls have augmented their bench depth over the years. Senior shooter Sean Smiley, who struggled in last year’s meeting at UConn (and easily became a target for the UConn fan base), can light it up off the knot.

UConn Swallows Another Cupcake

2008-12-03T10:18:00.003-05:00

By Zach Smart

Prior to UConn’s 79-49 dismantling of Delaware State, a team that didn’t boast a player taller than 6-foot-7 on the roster, a few thoughts crossed my mind.

-What does UConn, the no.2 ranked team in the country, get out of a game like this? How does a guarantee game of this (lack of magnitude) help them in the RPI ratings, if it does at all?

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-For those who are unfamiliar with UConn and the pre-conference schedule, allow me to explain. Jim Calhoun employs a tactic quite similar to his buddy and fellow Hall of Famer, Jim Boeheim at Syracuse. Actually, based on Syracuse’s enhanced strength of schedule and sizzling start this season, Boeheim no longer buys into this methodology. The jury is still out on how an early-season schedule that includes Bryant, Albany, Buffalo, Stony Brook, and Fairfield (before the Huskies cross the threshold into the ultra-competitive Big East, one of the nation’s premier conferences time and time again) will benefit the Huskies. Can someone please explain it to a sloth learner like myself? Remember, I was one of those dudes that got the “No Time Limit” card for my tests in high school .

-The Huskies certainly had a free pass during the 2006-7 campaign, when a callow crew (8-9 freshmen and then first-year sophomore A.J. Price, who was setback two years due to health and legal issues) needed to develop chemistry and get a taste of the tempo of Division-I ball as well as the high-horsepower, track meet basketball that Calhoun tends to implement. That year the Huskies ate up a schedule that included Fairfield, Sacred Heart, Texas Southern, Northeastern, and Coppin St. in shark-size bites.

- UConn got their wind tested against and showed poise in a tight battle they gutted out against La Salle before dumping off a rock-solid Wisconsin team in an extremely hostile environment. Thus, the No.2 AP/No.2 ESPN-USA Huskies have been about as predictable as the chances of Plaxico Burress, Dick Chaney riding in New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s car on the way to the shooting range for target practice. With UConn, the oasis, the NBA machine (see Hamilton, Richard or Gay, Rudy for more information) that pumps life into the barren Connecticut countryside, playing a MEAC goldfish that couldn’t swim with sharks like Ohio State, West Virginia, and Kentucky, the stage seems set for another 30-point guarantee game. Delaware State, with their patented slowdown tempo, lost five straight games in which they put up exactly 42 points, so I wasn’t expecting a very considerable upset bid.

-The Hornets’ Donald Johnson, who scored a game-high 25 points and six threes, torched the nets early. The senior guard had four threes in the first half, but his teammates couldn’t supplement his dragon-slaying effort. It made for some pretty interesting algebra at halftime. Johnson was 6-for-10, his teammates a combined 1-for-21 (7-for-31, 22.6 percent). Nothing short of abysmal. The Hornets had open looks at the basket, even a couple of second chance opportunities, but they simply couldn’t capitalize. Guard Fred Bouie (a carbon copy of “Spanish” from old school, which the rowdy UConn fans quickly picked up on) got free on a fast break and coughed up a wide open layup. God I feel bad for this guy.

- UConn’s harassing full-court press was a bit of a rude awakening for the Hornets. The Huskies instigated a torrent of turnovers but once again failed to identify Hasheem Thabeet, who had 10 points and 17 rebounds, early on.

“I thought Hash was terrific,” said Calhoun. “We just didn’t get him the ball enough….And it’s good for us, because it will develop us for later games.”

-While Thabeet was quiet early, Gavin Edwards had an epiphany. He realized it’s a lot easier to shoot over 6-foot-7 players than it is to shoot over the 7-foot-3 National Defensive Player of the Year Thabeet (as he does in practice). So Edwards took advantage of every minute he had on the hardwood. An alley-oop jam by the freakish Jerome Dyson, followed by an Edwards bucket gave UConn an early 10-3 advantage they wouldn’t squander. -Edwards continued to establish himself, scoring at will and even punching one DSU player’s shot attempt down his throat in the first half.

-One game after Calhoun criticized his club’s perimeter defense, Johnson put on a show in the first half, injecting some momentum in his club by canning three after three. This is after the Huskies allowed Bryant College to shoot 11-for-25 from beyond the arc against them.

“It was a tough game to play in for our kids. I still would like to see to see them develop a little more suffocating and prideful defensive philosophy, and better ball movement. When we moved the ball well, we shot the ball exceptionally well. And when we moved it poorly and did some individual stuff, we obviously didn’t score anywhere near the way we’re capable of scoring against a team that we’re superior to. We just had let-down periods in the second half that we really shouldn’t have had,” explained Calhoun.

“We don’t govern the circumstances of how the other team plays, but we have to react to that. We certainly could have reacted better. They must have had six or seven rebounds where we were at half-court trying to start our fast break, which we didn’t need to do. It wasn’t a negative game by any stretch of the imagination.”

-UConn looked a little sluggish at times during the first half. They were up by just five with 9:25 in the first half, when Calhoun dropped his head into his hands. Craig Austrie got stuffed on his way to the hole, and was immediately yanked. The slowmotion offense wouldn’t get them in a funk for long. UConn ripped off a wowing 21-3 spurt. The Huskies broke the game open when Dyson (15 points) froze a defender in mid-air and busted out a nifty, acrobatic up-and-under layup that put UConn ahead. A Thabeet alley-oop soon followed, and the second half was over before it started.

-UConn showcased its defensive prowess in the second half, eventually fending off the one man band of Johnson. The gang that couldn’t shoot straight in the first half finally woke up, but Thabeet kept the laugher intact. Teetering around the 13-minute mark, Thabeet swatted a Kris Douse shot attempt like he was spiking a volleyball. Thabeet then repeated the act on the ensuing possession, punching Johnson’s shot attempt to the second row and pointing to the fan that caught the ball. Talk about a mean swagger.

“They have five NBA players on the floor. It’s hard to play against a team that’s so talented,” said DSU coach Greg Jackson.

“I’ve told everyone all year long that Donald Johnson can shoot the ball as well as anyone in the country. He’s just on a team that’s not as talented as these teams. Could you imagine Donald Johnson being on this (UConn) team. We have to get him the basketball more. We told him the night before at practice to look for his shot and he came out looking for his shot.”

Johnson, a first team all-MEAC selection, could be a conference Player of the Year hopeful. He’s cushioned the loss of Roy Bright, last year’s 6-foot-6 NBA prospect, for the Hornets. I hate to sound like a broken record (too late), but these are just appetizers for 7-0 UConn. The first entrée will be served Dec. 20, when they meet Gonzaga in a nationally televised game.

Gavin’ A Party

2008-12-03T10:07:00.003-05:00

By Zach Smart

Storrs--Easy Going Gavin rapidly morphed into Gung Ho Gavin last night, someone UConn fans have rarely seen during the reserve forward’s stay with the Huskies.

The kid from Gilbert, Az., finally got physical, played above the rim, and displayed a sense of urgency, en route to a career-high 17 points in 16 minutes on 7-of-9 shooting.

“Gavin’s one of the more talented players on the team, at least athletically talented,” said Jim Calhoun, following UConn’s latest 79-49 roasting of marshmallow MEAC native Delaware State.

“He’s got a very high basketball IQ, he makes good passes…he’s got to be more physical. I’m encouraged by what he did tonight and I’m sure he is too.”

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For Easy Going Gavin, life isn’t always that easy. He has to go up against two physical specimens and behemoths in Jeff Adrien and Hasheem Thabeet every practice, is forced to take a backseat to the two larger-than-life bigs when game time rolls around, and is sometimes forced to play out of his nature (“I’m more of a finesse player,” Edwards admits) and play a physically intimidating brand of ball at the four-slot.

So, Easy Going Gavin’s Monday night coming out party came with much fanfare and to the delight of his teammates. Edwards established himself early, connecting on a jumper and a layup and then delivering an eye-popping block with 13:28 remaining.

The son of former NFL defensive lineman Earl Edwards, who entered the game averaging a meager 3.3 points, continued his sublime showing in the second half.

He came soaring in, finishing a catch-and-run alley-oop from Kemba Walker that pumped the then insurmountable Husky lead to 71-42. He dunked home a Jerome Dyson miss that put an exclamation point on his career night and UConn’s drubbing of another smurf-sized foe.

“I think he got something out of it tonight. I know I got something out of it. Gavin has a chance, he’s got a fight on his hands. The more he fights, the deeper we can go,” explained Calhoun.

That fight Calhoun is referring to is between 6-foot-9 swingman Stanley “Sticks” Robinson (who will soon be available) and newcomer Ater Majok, a 6-foot-10 recruit via the Sudan. Majok is undergoing the NCAA clearing process right now, but should be eligible to play soon.

On the surface, it looks like Edwards will have to wrestle for burn as the season progresses and Big East play emerges.

Following a resume building game, however, Edwards is confident he will remain a fixture off the pine.

“Coach said during the Paradise Jam, as cliché as it is, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Still, if Edwards is to continue turning in expectations-slaying performances, as he did against undersized Delaware State, he needs to get more physical.

“It’s definitely something I’m still trying to work on a lot,” said Edwards, adding that “shooting over 6-foot-7 is definitely easier than shooting over 7-foot-3, National Defensive Player of the Year (Thabeet).”

Edwards continued, “From what I hear, Ater is a very good player. I’m taking baby steps, but I’m definitely working on it.”

Pressure?

“I get at least one call a week from my Dad on how I need to play stronger. He gives me all the old football stories. I know I have to step it up.”

UCONN-DELAWARE ST. GAME NOTES

2008-12-01T11:29:00.002-05:00

December 1, 2008

By Zach Smart

First off, coming into the Huskies’ 88-58 drubbing of Bryant, I didn’t expect the first-year Division-I Northeast Conference squad to put up a brief fight the way they did.

I also didn’t expect them to torch the nets and ignite each other with a “never-say-die” mentality. It’s a testament to their team harmony.

The reason I hit the pillow and literally went to sleep on the kids from the 413-landscape was because of the clear mismatches the game would present.

The Huskies’ frontline features two monsters in 7-foot-3 Hasheem Thabeet (a walking double-double now that he’s posting 14.2 ppg and 10.8 ppg) and Jeff Adrien, whose guns are illegal even in Mexico (though a mid-range game and more consistency would complement his physical brand of play and hike up his pro stock).

Perusing through the Bryant roster, I saw that they had just one player over the height of 6-8.

Then I looked into the Bryant program and realized that this player, Papa Lo (any relation to Muhammed Lo, the forward on Toledo who was suspended in high school for pulling a Latrell Spreewell and choking his coach?) was a transfer via UMass. Thus, he had to sit this season out due to NCAA transfer rule.

Papa Lo.

Now this name sounds more appropriate for a funky pizza joint. It could also be the name for an under-the-radar rapper, or even a pen name for a pornographic novel writer.

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After delving into Lo’s biography, I realized his defensive prowess is his main plus point. He swatted six shots in a game last year but the Dioburnal native scored just six total points on the season. He beat the total I registered my senior year of high school by two points! And while I may have found the bottom of the net only two times (in 4 attempts), I still scored four times as many points as Deng Deng, the cousin of Chicago Bulls star Loul Deng. Deng, a 6-foot-9 forward/center that was about as raw as sushi on 125th Ave., scored 1 point that year. I know, my penchant for storing some pretty odd, worthless statistics in my memory bank (and keeping them there for way too long) has been noted in the past.

“I thought they did a good job making threes, spreading the threes and running the floor,” said Calhoun of Bryant.

“Teams won’t play us the way Bryant played us.”

Bryant, a great team on the Division-II level, has the chance to make an immediate impact in the Northeast Conference. The NEC has lost much of its luster from last season with the departure of 2007-08 Player of the Year Tony Lee (Robert Morris) and scoring machine DeMario Anderson (Quinnipiac).

As for Delaware State:

-The Hornets are an extremely well-balanced team scoring-wise, with just one player, Donald Johnson (10.6 ppg) averaging in double figures.

-They average just 55 points per game and will try to take UConn out of its groove by playing a low-tempo brand of ball that emphasizes crisp ball movement (kind of like a motion offense). Jim Calhoun noted that this team scored 42 points in four consecutive games, a rare stat. The 1-8 Hornets did this in four straight losses to Dayton, Ohio State, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

-The Huskies’ penchant for playing down to the competition in the early going has been noted at times, and the first half of yesterday’s walloping was indicative of that. Against Bryant, they may have a free pass due to the Virgin Islands Paradise Jam hangover.

-They have yet to defeat a Division-I opponent this season, with their lone win coming at the hands of D-II and in-state foe Wilmington.

-They lost a tight one to D-II Cheyney in the championship game of the Hornet Classic, which they hosted at the start of the season. Johnson dropped 26 in that three-point upset, shooting 7-for-12 from the field.

-The Hornets, after playing perhaps the toughest out-of-conference schedule in school history, lost tight ones to Longwood and Oakland.

-D-State was projected to finish third in the MEAC, a conference that launched Coppin State to the NCAA tournament for the first time last season.

-UConn has walloped MEAC competition these last few seasons

-Will the slowdown offense that D-State runs have any affect on the Huskies?

“We play a lot of good teams in the Big East that play different styles,” said senior guard A.J. Price. “It shouldn’t be a problem.”

WALKER FINDS NICHE EARLY FOR UCONN

2008-11-30T22:05:00.002-05:00

By Zach Smart

It’s often described as a “quantum leap.”

It’s also the reason many college freshmen encounter difficulty in a new system, acclimatizing themselves to playing with the big dogs. It’s also why some freshmen, true freshmen and beyond, don’t make an immediate impact their first year.

This is the jump from high school to Division-I hoops, of course.

For Connecticut freshmen Kemba Walker, however, his hoops resume and experience etching a name for himself in the New York City street game made him a perfect fit for the high-horsepower, go-go style of basketball employed at the University of Connecticut.

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“It’s all about toughness, being able to run, run, and run some more,” said Walker, who’s materialized as one of the Big East’s premier rookies, along with Big East Rookie of the Week Samuerdo Samuels (Louisville), Jordan Theodore (Seton Hall), and an elite society of others.

New York features a number of courts that help players build a New York savvy. There’s “The Cage” on West Fourth Street, which plays host to one of the toughest semi-professional leagues summer after summer. This past summer, St. John’s product and NBA guard/forward Ron Artest competed in the league, as did former New York Knick sharpshooter Allan Houston. Former Providence standout God Shammgod was another one of the top performers in the popular city summer league.

Rucker Park, the tough hoop haven that Walker is most familiar with, also holds a good deal of baller-breeding credibility. Walker has shined in this streetball venue and has also learned lessons the hard way. He’s played with a number of New York legends, some only recognized by street credit, playing on these hardscrabble courts for as long back as he can remember.

“Growing up I’ve always been in games where I’m a young kid playing against grown men,” said Walker, who’s averaging 14 points, three assists, and four rebounds.

“It definitely allows you develop toughness and helps in the long run.”

Walker has been a presence in the running game and the passing lanes for the Huskies, which improved to 6-0 this weekend. After admitting to pre-game jitters that swarmed his stomach prior to the first game of the season (a win against Western Carolina), the freshman has played beyond his years.

He erupted for 21 points during a win against lowly Hartford and has developed solid chemistry with 7-foot-3 center Hasheem Thabeet. He hasn’t dominated the basketball or dribbled too much, a problem some feared would surface.

During Saturday’s drubbing of Bryant, the at-times out of control guard showed flashes of excellence. He had one jaw-dropping three-point play where he scored off a nifty spin move, bringing an unusually reticent crowd of 12,558 to their feet.

“My confidence level has increased,” explained Walker, the kid who witnessed UConn fans holding up signs for him on the night of his official visit. “Playing with these guys every day has really got my confidence up.”

UCONN: THE TEAM THA-BEET

2008-11-30T00:14:00.003-05:00

November 30, 2008

By Zach Smart

A look into Hasheem Thabeet’s Facebook.com profile says it all.

According to his most recent status, Hasheem is “so swaggerlicious.”

Swagger is one word commonly linked to the 7-foot-3 neophyte who is fluent in five different languages, goes clubbing in Hartford, and has watched his reputation as a “gentle giant” disintegrate with time.

Thabeet, a projected lottery pick in the 2009 NBA draft, has become one of the most popular players ever to don a Huskies jersey.

His game shorts may stretch down to the ankles of a 6-footer, his head may scrape the ceiling of Wings Over Storrs (the popular wing joint near campus), but something else makes Thabeet the unusual Husky player, the one you might distinguish from the rest.

To know “Hash” is to love him.

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He’s the kid who responds with a hallmark ear-to-ear smile when random fans give him a shout out. He’s that guy who’ll point index finger in the direction of the fan or friend who yells out his name after the game, acknowledging their presence.

He’s the player that, if not for his size, you wouldn’t have noticed his freshman season.

Now he’s the player you can’t miss, the kid who you want in your foxhole. He’s the kid that scored 24 points and pulled down 15 rebounds while sealing the basket shut with six blocks (remember the 80-68 win against Georgia Tech last year).

He’s the behemoth, the big bertha, the mammoth of a man.

He’s the main reason Cincinnati and Pittsburgh had to alter the trajectory of their shots when they played UConn last year.

Still, for the kid who rectified his woeful free throw shooting problem his freshman year by spending extra hours in the gym, it’s an uphill battle.

“He still has to learn,” said Calhoun, the loquacious, longtime Husky coached who moved to eighth place on the all-time Division I coaches win list Saturday.

“Even though we've got 18 Big East games plus Michigan and Gonzaga, he still has to learn when the smaller guys take his legs off from underneath, he has to fight through it. He's got to stay active."

Against Bryant (an 88-58 laugher), The Huskies failed to pound the ball inside to Thabeet early. This was despite the fact that he was often guarded by players nearly a foot shorter than him.

Then, as the game progressed, the Tanzania native turned in what Calhoun described as a “gangbuster” performance.

Thabeet got free for two-handed slams and went hard to the basket. In the second half, Thabeet scored on the Huskies’ first few possessions with a pair of emphatic stickbacks.

He’s the inevitable answer on a team that needs to ratchet up its defensive intensity as the Huskies inch closer to their Big East slate.

The Huskies allowed Bryant to shoot 11-of-25 from beyond the arc, where they scored more than half their points. Behind the quick trigger of Cecil Gresham (game-high 19 points), Byrant held an early 11-9 edge in a first half that saw the lead change hands nine times.

Two minutes later, Andrew Lyell blew past Jeff Adrien on a strong take to the cup. It gave the visitors a 13-12 advantage, pumping life into the Division-I rookies.

"The only thing I would say is better three-point defense, better overall defense. It's difficult. But you still want it because we've got to get ready because of our schedule.”

Calhoun continued, "Early when we pressed them, They were going full speed, we were going half speed. They threw it over the top and made threes. I would like to see them play tougher defense.”

The solution to the problem Calhoun notes will likely fall on Thabeet, no longer the gentle giant.

That’s the way they both want it.

HUSKIES DUMP BRYANT DESPITE SLIGGISH START

2008-11-29T22:50:00.003-05:00

November 29, 2008

by Zach Smart

Hartford— Maybe it was a hangover from the Virgin Islands.

After capturing the Paradise Jam championship, routing No.19 Wisconsin 76-57 in a much smaller, more hostile environment, UConn came out flatter than the state of Kansas against a Bryant team that was just upgraded to the Division-I ranks this season.

All-BIG EAST First Team forward Jeff Adrien coughed up open layups in the early going, looking at the referees for answers.

Bryant forward Cecil Gresham dialed in from downtown, canning three early 3s to ignite the supreme underdogs from Smithfield, R.I..

UConn, a program in a completely different zip code than their lowly 1-3 Northeast Conference foe, was out of sync and playing softer than a Silly Putty.

They jacked up ill-advised shots and failed to identify 7-foot-3 junior Hasheem Thabeet.

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Then, the residual effects of jetlag or whatever it was came to a sudden halt. The Huskies regained their patented swag as they began to play…well…Husky basketball.

Thabeet would end up having a field day. He dropped 16 points and ripped down 12 boards. His defensive prowess was evident. Several shot attempts his way got stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey and Thabeet kept the Bulldogs out of the lane in the second half.

"Coach told us to wake up, and that's what we did," said freshman guard Kemba Walker, of New York perennial power Rice High School. "We got into our offense and just ran, ran, and ran."

UConn dominated during quick, crucial phases. They held a commanding 45-28 lead at the half. Domination of the glass (Huskies held a 48-27 advantage on the boards), the interior, and open shots helped jack up the lead in the second half.

It led to UConn’s emergence as the victor in an 88-58 blowout before 12,555 at the XL Center.

Beyond Thabeet, Craig Austrie scored 15 points. Price added 14 to go with four assists, while Adrien re-wrote the script by scoring 14 points, snaring nine boards, and registering two blocks. Jerome Dyson scored 11 and Walker chipped in with nine.

Thabeet, the MVP of the Paradise Jam, kick-started a potent 12-0 run with a rim-choking, two-handed dunk. The spurt culminated with a three-pointer by point guard A.J. Price. A jumper by Bryant's Barry Latham, who nearly completed a four-point play when the two teams ran neck-and-neck, thwarted the surge.

"That was huge, it got us going" said Walker, referencing the much-needed momentum run that allowed UConn's bulge to balloon.

"We got a workmanlike performance, where we basically turned it on two or three minutes at a time," said Jim Calhoun, whose no.2-ranked Huskies improve to 6-0 with the thrashing.

"We took a 15-point lead, made it 20. Some time passes, then we make it 25. Then we made it 30."

Austrie, who’s been exceptional, was efficient. Aside from his 15 points, he contributed six boards, and handed out three assists in 29 minutes. When the Huskies trailed early, Austrie knifed through the defense and scored on a pair of runners.

That’s right.

The shy kid (though he's never been gunshy) from Stamford, Conn. has been going to the cup more, something he didn't do enough of during his freshman, sophomore, and junior years.

Austrie, along with Adrien, is now the team's elder statesman.

He's played in several NCAA tournament games and started the first half of his freshman season. Originally a UMass-commit, Austrie operated offense on a UConn team front-loaded with talent—Rudy Gay, Denham Brown, Josh Boone, and Hilton Armstrong all made headlines during that season.

Austrie says both his experience in the program and Calhoun's confidence in him help place the onus to lead on his shoulders.

“I feel I can be an offensive threat every night,” said Austrie, who is averaging 11.3 points.

The win established a new benchmark in UConn basketball history.

This was Calhoun’s 780th win in his 37-year career as a coach. The milestone victory catapults him into a three-way logjam with Lute Olsen and Lou Henson as the 8th All-Time on the Division I coaching win list.
How does an accolade of this magnitude make the longtime Husky coach feel?

“Old,” Calhoun quipped.

Calhoun needs six wins to tie Lefty Driesell, who sits in seventh place. Driesell is widely recognized as the man who rejuvenated the University of Maryland program and bred a plethora of NBA talents, including the late, great Len Bias.

The Huskies play host to Delaware State Monday night at the Gampel Pavilion in Storrs.

Smokin’: The Huskies shot 32-for-64 (50 percent) from the floor. They were led by Austrie and Thabeet, who combined for an 11-of-15 duet. Thabeet finished 6-for-7 from the floor, 4-of-5 from the charity stripe. All of the big man’s points were either on free throws or dunks. “That’s unusual,” Calhoun said of it.

Homeboys: The two CT products put on a show in their homeland. Craig Austrie scored 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting and was the catalyst for the Huskies. Gresham, a Bloomfield product who played at Maine Central Institute, scored a game-high 19 points. Both are evolving into the face of their respective programs. While Austrie has been the composure guy who Calhoun compared to the Boston Red Sox’ Jonathon Papelbon, Gresham has established himself as Bryant’s go-to-guy. He averaged 23 points during the Tyler Ugolyn Columbia Classic in New York last week. During the Bulldogs 59-50 win over Quinnipiac, Gresham torched the nets for 21 points on 7-for-8 shooting.

The Storm Is Over: Scottie Haralson, a 6-foot-4 freshman from Jackson, Miss., was recruited as a player who could be a major presence in the Huskies’ perimeter game. After shooting just 1-for-9 in the preseason, however, his odd antics prompted a massive search warrant out for his 3ball. After going 0-for-6 in the first two games of his collegiate career, the CT State Police continued to scout earth for Haralson’s trey bomb. After missing his first two shots in garbage time of Saturday’s win, Haralson swished a long range three with 0.8 seconds remaining. The shot brought the fans, quiet for much of the game, into a frenzy.

“He’s a good shooter,” said Calhoun. “I don’t know why he’s not making them. He makes them in practice. He’s 1-for-12 now, not that I’m counting but I think he’s 1-for-12."

Huskies Drop Western Carolina In Season Opener

2008-11-15T22:42:00.002-05:00

November 15, 2008

by Zach Smart

The no.2-ranked UConn men’s basketball team took the inaugural bite of their cupcake early-season home schedule (Albany, Fairfield, Bryant College, Delaware State, Hartford are the key out-of-conference games before the Huskies face their first barometer game against Gonzaga Dec. 20) last night.

How sweet it was.

Hasheem Thabeet took advantage of the much-smaller Western Carolina frontcourt, cooking the Catamounts to the recipe of 23 points and 17 boards.

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The 7-foot-3 neophyte, whose draft stock will likely soar through the rooftops this season, also gave an accurate account of himself on the defensive end. Thabeet swatted away five shots and altered the trajectory of countless others, keeping the Catamounts out of the paint as the Huskies cruised to an 81-55 bludgeoning of WCU before a crowd of 9,820 at the Gampel Pavilion.

“We identified Hasheem early,” explained a surprisingly low-key Jim Calhoun. “That’s how we got the good-sized lead. We kind of forgot about him, and then he just took over the game. He has always made up for things with just incredible heart and competitiveness and all those things, but now he’s showing much more of a skill package. I can’t even imagine him making some of the passes he made tonight, even last year.”

Calhoun’s team coasted to a blowout on opening night for the first time in three years. In 2007, a gritty Morgan State team took them down-to-the-wire, before their upset-bid was thwarted in a 64-62 thriller. In 2006, in-state foe Quinnipiac ran neck-and-neck with the then no.18 Huskies until the waning minutes, when UConn escaped with a 53-46 victory. That UConn team was greener than a dope field and managed to survive the scare despite shooting an abysmal 17 percent in the second half.

Two years later, a similar Husky ballclub was impenetrable defensively. It took Western Carolina, the first team in NCAA history to net a three-pointer (God I love Wikipedia), over five minutes to get on the scoreboard. The fierce 1-2 punch of Thabeet and 6-foot-7 Adrien kept the driving lanes blocked. WCU began jacking up ill-advised shots from the outside and botching easy layups. The Catamounts finally thwarted the 13-0 opening spurt with a Jake Robinson trey.

The high-flying antics of Jerome Dyson, who scored 23 points, helped ignite the Huskies. Dyson scorched the nets with his patented set three-ball, permeated the defense with acrobatic moves inside, and punished the rim with a highlight reel, fast break banger (plus the foul) to culminate a 10-0 run the Huskies kick-started the dump-off with.

Dyson’s rim-ringing, hoop-and-the-harm dunk will likely generated a number of hits when inserted on the youtube circuit. It was symbolic of the junior’s airtime prowess and ability to finish with authority.

We have, however, seen this before with the freakishly-athletic kid from Rockville, Md.

Dyson 2007-2008 Super Slam (YouTube).

“I keep saying he (Jerome) has to get more of a “package,” a basketball package,” said Calhoun, who suspended Dyson for nearly a month after the junior was cited for possession of alcohol by a minor on UConn’s campus last year.

The Wiggins and Dyson Suspension (UConn Sports Blog).

“Not just an athletic, tough, aggressive package, but a basketball package. He’s starting to move closer to it. He missed two wide open jumpers and I was the first gut to say to him “keep taking them.” Because he’s been making them in practice and he’ll make more of them. I like the way he’s playing.”

WCU came roaring back from the deficit, fighting valiantly behind Robinson and Brandon Giles. A little over 2:30 into the second half, WCU came within ten points on a three-pointer by Giles (16 points). An irate Calhoun signaled for a timeout.
The Huskies answered, running off an 11-4 run that culminated with a Thabeet dunk off an eye-popping feed from freshman Kemba Walker.

Walker, a highly-touted recruit from New York perennial power Rice High School, showed some flashes of the player he might materialize into. He scored eight points and doled out five assists but broke down the defense several times, cutting defenders up on his way to the cup. Walker, an instant staple in the New York City street game (he etched a name for himself at the vaunted Rucker Park) admitted that some freshman jitters were thrust to the forefront prior to his first game in a Husky uniform.

“I was definitely a little jittery in the beginning, but after a while we picked it up and all the nerves went away,” said Walker, whose chemistry with Thabeet continues to prosper.

“I always call (Thabeet) my bailout. Every time I go to the basket and help defense comes, he’s always available. I can throw it up, just give him the ball, and he scores it.”

UConn received a scare and nearly experienced déjà vu in the first half, when A.J. Price landed awkwardly after a three-point attempt (no whistle was called, much to the dismay of Price). Price was instantly replaced by backup Donnell Beverly, though he would later return. It was later revealed that Price sprained his ankle. Price was once again caught in controversy in the second half, when he was ejected for a supposedly throwing a frustration punch at a Western Carolina player.

“They said (A.J.) threw a punch,” Calhoun verified.

“If that’s the case, then I’m surprised, number one, but they threw him out for a flagrant foul. And they did go to the monitor, so they must have seen something. Something happened on the play right in front of us, where an elbow had been caught and he was the receiver of it, and he made a foolish mistake by doing something down at the other end. But it doesn’t work that way. The scoreboard tells the story in ballgames. I’ve said that for years.”

Price, who went scoreless in 25 minutes and peddled out four assists to five turnovers, said there was extra-curricular activity but no punch.

“It wasn’t a punch, just an elbow, a little love tap, or something like that,” he said. “There was frustration building up the whole game. I just let it get the best of me.”

Even on a night when one of the top Big East point guards was an afterthought, UConn was impressive during various surges. A three from the corner by Dyson, followed by a Thabeet block that led to an easy inside bucket by Jeff Adrien pumped the lead to 64-38.

A two-handed fast break flush by Gavin Edwards lifted the lead to 73-45 as the fans began to make their way to the exit signs.

The up-tempo identity that UConn fans are so familiar with was re-discovered Friday night. The Huskies look to make it 2-0 Monday night against neighboring Hartford, which lost a tight one to former UConn assistant Tom Moore and Quinnipiac.

BIG EAST TOP TWO-GUARDS 2008-2009: 6) JEROME DYSON

2008-11-11T15:28:00.003-05:00

November 11, 2008

Hopefully, 2008-2009 will be a bounce back season for Connecticut guard Jerome Dyson. After producing an excellent freshman campaign, the 6-foot-4 Rockville (MD) native had a rocky sophomore season.

In his rookie campaign, Dyson took over as UConn's go-to scorer down the stretch. While the Husky season was a disappointment with no trip to the NCAA Tournament or even the NIT, Dyson seemed to establish himself as the future building block of the program. The strong and tough guard, with the potential to be an elite defender, averaged 14 points a game, nearly four rebounds and just over two assists a game. Those numbers increased to nearly 17 points a game over the last dozen contests of '06-'07.

Dyson's sophomore season started off strong. On January 8th he was averaging a tem-high 15 points a game, but hit a three-game slump scoring just 22 points total in that stretch. After a 20-point outing against Cincinnati to break the slump, Dyson was ticketed on the UConn campus for possessing alcohol by a minor as he and teammate Doug Wiggins were found with bottles of alchohol in a car on campus. Campus police also found a small amount of marijuana in the vicinity of the vehicle. After a positive test for drugs, Dyson was suspended from the team for 30-days, since it was his second positive test for drugs.

Dyson returned to the UConn line-up on February 26th, but he was never able to get back into the flow of the team, scoring just 27 points in their five games prior to the NCAA Tournament. With AJ Price taking control off the offense and Craig Austrie finding his niche at the shooting guard spot, Dyson seemed to be largely out of the mix.

Now, as a junior, Dyson again faces a challenge in finding his role with the team. Exciting freshman Kemba Walker is making it awful tough to keep him off the floor and that pushes AJ Price to the shooting guard position. Austrie is still in the mix and Dyson is having to show he can be more consistent and effecient when he is not getting a high volume of shot opportunities like he was able to get at the end of his freshman season.

Still, a guard with his ability to defend and score is going to increase the March Madness betting odds of his team. He just needs to find his place within the system and consistently perform the role that is asked, even if it is different from what was asked at the end of his rookie season at UConn.

2008-2009 PREVIEW: 2) CONNECTICUT

2008-11-07T23:03:00.003-05:00

November 8, 2008

It is pretty difficult to differentiate #1 from #2 and #2 from #1 this year as we prepare for the 2008-2009 Big East campaign. While most of the country has anointed Jim Calhoun’s Connecticut Huskies as the Big East’s top dog this year, I am going to tread just a tad bit cautiously on UConn at this point in time.

Things could change my view, especially between now and mid-December when it is expected they will get Stanley Robinson back in the line-up and for Ater Majok to officially join their program As of today, however, neither is on the team and, while odds are 90% they will, until it actually takes place we have learned nothing is guaranteed.

The other major point of caution with UConn for me is the knee of AJ Price. While the knee might be physically 100%, anything less than a year from surgery makes me a little nervous. The mental recovery is said to take up to a year and he has already been slowed by extra soreness in the preseason due to his ‘favoring’ of the knee.

While there are questions in my mind about the Huskies, there are still plenty of reasons why they are considered a top five team nationally by just about everyone, myself included, and we will look at those reasons and more in our preview.

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Comings:

When looking at the Connecticut newcomers, the analysis begins with Kemba Walker, the McDonald’s All-American from New York City. Walker looks to be a perfect point guard in the up-tempo attack Jim Calhoun prefers and is an ideal insurance policy for the knee of AJ Price. Another perimeter newcomer is Scottie Haralson from Jackson (MS), a dead-eye perimeter shooter that will help UConn from the perimeter.

After Walker and Haralson, some questions begin. The first is with 6-foot-10 forward Ater Majok. The African import who attended school in Australia is expected to be cleared by the NCAA and eligible for a scholarship beginning second semester with the Huskies. The situation does not seem to be completely settled at the time of print, but it should happen. Also, JUCO transfer Charles Okwandu has been held out of some early action as Connecticut investigates his eligibility, most likely his amateur status. Okwandu missed much of last season at Harcum College with eligibility issues, but they do not seem to be related here. It is expected that he is in the line-up very soon.

Goings:

While there were no scholarship seniors on last year’s roster, Connecticut did have their share of personnel turnover as Curtis Kelly (Kansas State) and Doug Wiggins (UMass) transferred out of the program following the season. Also, the aforementioned Stanley Robinson had left the program, but now the feeling is he will be back at mid-semester. For much of the summer and into the beginning of the school year, this did not look like the case as he was likely to be off the team for a year. However, when Nate Miles, their highly regarded freshman wing was expelled from the University in September, Robinson’s odds of returning to the team skyrocketed.

The loss of Miles is pretty significant, one that UConn can certainly overcome, but his presence on the wing as an offensive threat was one that really had the potential to but UConn over the top this season.

Net Impact:

The net impact of the comings and goings at UConn is still being sorted out. Nate Miles is a wash as he was basically never here, but he definitely factored into the high expectations of the Huskies through the summer. The loss of Kelly, Wiggins and Robinson are not made up by the addition of Walker, Okwandu and Haralson. Getting Robinson back and adding Ater Majok in December as well will easily put the Huskies into the plus column with their comings and goings this season.

2008-2009 Backcourt Outlook:

Last year saw the AJ Price that Connecticut fans had been waiting three full years for. Price, a highly regarded recruit out of Amityville (NY) missed his first two seasons due to health and then legal problems and slogged through a rust-filled 2006-2007 season. However, the light turned on and the confidence flowed as Price earned All-American honors and was probably the second most valuable player in the conference behind Luke Harangody last season. Price averaged 14.5 points and 5.8 assists a game last season, but his scoring rose to 16.1 a game in conference play while still managing 5.9 assists a contest. Price excelled in the clutch, hitting big shots to win big games. He was the leader on the floor that Jim Calhoun was pleading for previously out of him and he held the team together through some ups and downs as the Huskies returned to the NCAA Tournament after a one-year hiatus.

Unfortunately for Price, the Huskies and UConn fans, Price’s NCAA Tournament experience would last just nine minutes as he went down with a torn ACL in an opening round loss to San Diego. Price vigorously rehabbed his knee and was cleared for basketball activities after just six months. Now, just eight months after the injury, Price is seeing game action. A remarkable recovery, but one has to worry if it has all happened too quickly. This is a tough injury to return from quickly, so we will watch Price carefully to make sure he is 100%.

One thing that could save a lot of wear and tear on Price is the presence of freshman Kemba Walker. The confident and tough NYC point guard brings the speed to the UConn attack and has the handling ability to run the point, even when paired with Price in the backcourt. Walker has played to rave reviews since arriving at UConn and his play for the Team USA U-18 squad this summer cemented his place among the top frosh in the country. Still, just a freshman, but Walker plays as if he is experienced well beyond his years. Finding the right niche between he and Price might be a challenge, as Price excelled with the ball in his hands last year, now he could be moved off the ball for significant portions this year. Good for his knee, but we will see if it has an impact on his game.

In what could be a three-guard line-up, Jerome Dyson returns for his junior season. Dyson was a big bright spot in the dismal 2006-2007 season for the Huskies as he averaged a team-high 14 points a game, a number that was much higher in conference play. Dyson is a strong and tough guard who could be one of the best perimeter defenders in the Big East. However, after a 30-day suspension in the heart of the Big East conference schedule last season for a second positive drug test, Dyson’s season never got back on track. Dyson averaged just 10 points a game in conference play last year, but averaged just 8 points a game over the last 10 games, scoring in double figures just twice. Compare that to the previous season where he averaged 17.5 points a game, scoring double digits nine times, in the last 10 games. The word out of their first exhibition game of the season had Dyson still looking out of sync with his teammates on the floor. For Connecticut to be at their best, Dyson needs to be a top contributor on both ends of the court.

A player who seemed to come into his own last year was senior Craig Austrie. For the season he averaged 7.5 points a game, but in the last 17 games of the season, or starting at the time of the Dyson suspension, Austrie averaged almost 11 points a game and became their most reliable perimeter threat. Just prior to that stretch, Austrie had scored just two points in the previous four games. Now, with added depth, will Austrie be given the longer leash he had late last season that seemed to build his confidence?

Rounding out the backcourt is freshman Scottie Haralson from Jackson (MS). Haralson was recruited to be a perimeter scoring threat, an area Connecticut lagged behind much of the country last year. While he will find it tough to break into the rotation this season, Haralson will likely be Austrie’s future replacement in the line-up. Donnell Beverly also returns and adds more depth at the guard position. Word is he continues to improve, but gaining real playing time when the Big East rolls around will be a challenge with the talent ahead of him on the roster.

2008-2009 Frontcourt Outlook:

As usual, the Connecticut frontcourt is imposing and intimidating. With the potential of three players 7-foot or taller, bruising power forward Jeff Adrien and possibly three more forwards in the 6-foot-9 range, this is an NBA-sized team in the college ranks.

The center of attention is junior Hasheem Thabeet, a 7-foot-3 native on Tanzania who turned down millions in guaranteed money from the NBA draft to return for his junior season. Thabeet impressed onlookers this summer with an improving offensive game and more confidence to battle for his points. Last season Thabeet averaged 9.7 points and 7.6 rebounds in conference play. However, his impact on the Husky success in the Big East was very clear with his 94 blocks in 18 conference games, an average of 5.2 a game. His presence will alter everyone’s mentality about attacking the basket against UConn.

Next to Thabeet on the low block is the productive Jeff Adrien, the rock of the Husky team. Adrien was good for 15 points and 9 rebounds a night in the Big East and his physical and athletic talents in the paint in Big East battles ensures that UConn is unlikely to be out-toughed often. One area that Adrien could improve upon, as could Thabeet is their understanding of the game and situations. In conference play last year, the pair combined for just 23 assists and 82 turnovers in 18 games, improvement in attacking double teams and ball movement must be made here.

Backing up the post, Jonathan Mandeldove, a 7-foot junior and Charles Okwandu, a JUCO transfer with three years of eligibility, are on the depth chart. Mandeldove is not the most athletic big man, but he has size and can plug the hole in the middle if need be. The fast-paced UConn style is not the best fit for him to see a lot of time. Okwandu, assuming he has his eligibility questions in order, is a long and athletic big man that could make an impact backing up Thabeet and could be the heir apparent in the middle. Okwandu is still raw offensively, but a full year of UConn training could have him set for a big future. This season he should be the perfect caddy for Thabeet.

With the small forward position influx currently, junior Gavin Edwards has been finding some minutes at the position. A hard worker who gets the most out of his skills and ability, it is not a natural position for Edwards, but he looks like he could hold his own in the meantime. The hope is for Ater Majok and Stanley Robinson to assume the role when they enter the picture in December when Connecticut is not employing three guards. There is still the wait on Robinson to be the player that fulfills his immense potential. Last year in an up and down season, Robinson averaged 10 points and around 7 rebounds in Big East action. Homesickness and some school work had him ticketed for back home in Alabama last spring, but a change of heart has him staying locally, getting a job, taking some classes and working to get back onto the team. It appears there is no scholarship for him, but it is possible a stint in the ‘real world’ and attending school on his own dime might click the light switch to on and his talent will be consistently on display.

Majok is a 6-foot-10 forward with the inside/out skill set to be a face-up ‘four’ in the Big East. With the late start and limited basketball experience in the USA, Majok’s impact might be muted a bit this season, especially if Robinson’s comeback materializes.

2008-2009 Team Outlook:

Heading into the 2008-2009 season, Connecticut is loaded with talent, but there is also enough questions that still need to be answered that makes you take a step back and wait and see how things shake out. You have Price’s knee, Dyson’s psyche, Austrie’s confidence, eligibility of Okwandu and Majok and the status of Robinson, all hanging over the team right now. To be truthful, it is almost fully expected that each question is answered positively, but as of November 8th, they all surely exist.

A common theme is to wait for mid-December and everything will be fine and dandy. The expected return of Robinson and addition of Majok certainly sounds great, but adding players to the mix in mid-season is always a tricky proposition for a team that has been practicing together for two months and molding during a month of games. With limited practice time, finding the cohesion once the meat of the schedule has begun can be difficult.

On the positive side, Connecticut has loads of talent, size and athletic ability to overcome nearly any question or challenge. With Thabeet and Adrien in the frontcourt, exciting freshman Kemba Walker added to the mix and vets like AJ Price, Jerome Dyson and Craig Austrie, UConn will be near the top of the Big East and the national picture, if not AT the top, all year round. Come March, this could be a well oiled machine similar to some of Jim Calhoun’s past championship clubs and with a two-year drought of NCAA Tournament wins, the March Madness betting will look for the Huskies to snap that slump.

2008-2009 Big East Prediction: 14-4

THABEET DOMINATES AIC

2008-11-06T20:58:00.001-05:00

by Zach Smart

Jim Calhoun’s affinity for the “true” big man has been well-noted over the years.

The founding father of a Big East NBA factory--one that has launched super-bigs such as Emeka Okafor to fat NBA contracts--is geared towards mastering his most recent giant project, 7-foot-3 behemoth Hasheem Thabaeet.

Thabeet, a typical Calhoun big man (major defensive prowess who swats, changes, and alters the trajectory of shots and cleans the glass), passed up the NBA lure at his coach's urging. Time and time again last season, Calhoun told Thabeet that declaring for the NBA draft would be a mistake. Calhoun told his monster center that he’s not ready. He told Thabeet he's still not polished on the offensive end and certain aspects of his game were in need of refinement.

The longtime Husky coach’s words proved prophetic.

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Defensively, Thabeet was as much as an inside presence as anyone in college basketball last season. His supervillian-like 7-foot-3, 263-pound frame (Thabeet certainly ate his potatoes from the time he arrived at UConn) patrolled the paint last season, distancing players from the key and around the basket. He racked up blocked shot after blocked shot and was a major intimidating factor down low, supplemented by fellow 6-foot-7 245-pound forward Jeff Adrien.

Still, there were times his freshman and sophomore seasons where Thabeet looked offensively inept. His failure to execute manipulative post moves allowed the skeptics to surface and kept Calhoun in his mammoth mug, relentlessly riding him.

While last night was no omen of what's to unfold this season (The Huskies clubbed lower-tier American International, Jim Calhoun’s alma mater, 83-58 at Gampel Pavilion), Thabeet gave an efficient account of himself. The kid from Tanzania hit on all nine of his shot attempts, dominating the much-smaller AIC frontline, en route to a wowing 21-point, 10-board performance. It was like watching Godzilla ease for position against a nucleus of smurfs.

“Maybe Hasheem wouldn’t have gone 9-for-9 last year,” said Calhoun. “He’s a better offensive player...He’s going to be a mismatch for a lot of 6-foot-8 guys, too.”

He is. All the more reason why last night wasn’t much of a barometer game for the big neophyte. The road that follows doesn’t look to feature many litmus tests for Thabeet, either. The hungry Huskies, the no.2-ranked team in the country, will look to eat up the cupcakes of their early-season schedule in shark-size bites.

They open up Nov.14 against Western Carolina before going eyeball-to-eyeball with Hartford, La Salle, Bryant, Delaware State, Buffalo and Stony Brook. This is all before getting their chance to avenge last year’s dizzying 85-82 loss at Gonzaga, Dec. 20 on CBS.

Thabeet hit 3-of-5 shots from the charity stripe, where he struggled mightily his freshman year. He grabbed four offensive boards. The Huskies made quick work of AIC on that front, outboarding them by a 44-25 margin.

Jeff Adrien added to the dismantling with 11 points and six boards, while junior Gavin Edwards, whose added on bulk since his freshman season, popped off the bench to score 15 boards and snare seven rebounds in 15 minutes of burn.

The massive search warrant out for Jerome Dyson’s game continues. Dyson, who hasn’t been the same player since his late-January arrest last season, scored just one point in 27 minutes. Despite morphing into Houdini mode scoring-wise, Dyson handed out five dimes. Still, the kid who was so promising his freshman season and entertained NBA thoughts at the start of his sophomore year needs to re-discover his groove and mesh with teammates. An ultra-athletic off guard who can score in bunches, hit threes and attack the rim, the Husky faithful hope Dyson finds where exactly his game went and does not become another Marcus Johnson.

A.J. Price, the clear leader of the Huskies offense, also wasn’t himself. He scored just eight points and handed out one assist in 24 minutes. Price, who’s had a road to recovery following a crushing injury in the NCAA tournament, was impressed with the pre-season debut of the highly-touted Kemba Walker.

The 6-foot-1 Walker, a hotly pursued New York guard, was a pyrotechnic off the bench, injecting energy into the UConn backcourt. His patented quickness was notable, as the freshman had 10 points, eight boards and dished out four dimes. A few of those assists came on alley-oops to Thabeet, as the chemistry the two developed in practice was thrust to the forefront. Thabeet scored a majority of his points on flushes, facebooking any AIC player audacious enough to interrupt his date with the basket.

Miles From Here: Nate Miles, the controversial NBA prospect who was booted from UConn after violating terms of a restraining order, has enrolled at the College of Southern Idaho. Due to junior college rules, the well-traveled 6-foot-7 guard/forward will not be able to play in games with the Golden Eagles until Feb.6. The absence of Miles leaves a gap in the small forward position. Stanley “Sticks” Robinson will not be available the first semester, and without him the Huskies do not have a true 3-man.