CONNECTICUT MEETS MICHIGAN STATE IN FINAL FOUR

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

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CONNECTICUT TRIES TO COMPLETE MARCH THROUGH WEST

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

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DISTRACTIONS ASIDE, UCONN READIES FOR PURDUE

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

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UCONN READY FOR CHATTANOOGA'S CHALLENGE

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

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BET GAME PREVIEW: CONNECTICUT VS SYRACUSE

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

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UCONN LOOKS TO AVENGE PITT LOSS IN FINALE

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.

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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...

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UCONN LOOKS TO SEND SENIORS OFF WITH WIN

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)

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CONNECTICUT @ MARQUETTE

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

Read more!

UCONN LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK AGAINST USF

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!"
--------------------------------------------

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)

Read more!

No. 1 UConn Hosts Pittsburgh on Big Monday

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)

Read more!

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CONNECTICUT @ SETON HALL

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

Read more!

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RIVALRY WEEK INCLUDES UCONN & SYRACUSE

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.

Read more!

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: UCONN MEETS LOUISVILLE

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

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: PROVIDENCE @ CONNECTICUT

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

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ROUTE 6 RIVALRY: UCONN HOSTS PROVIDENCE

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.”

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

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

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

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

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CONNECTICUT @ VILLANOVA

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

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SETON HALL @ CONNECTICUT

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

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CONNECTICUT @ ST. JOHN'S

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

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