ROAD UNKIND TO UCONN; TRAVEL TO TEXAS NEXT

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.

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

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

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

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.

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UCONN FENDS OFF PESKY HARVARD IN COLLEGE HOOPS

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.

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AFTER BRIEF SCARE, DYSON TEARS TERRIERS

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."

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DYSON LEADS UCONN IN EXHIBITION ROMP PAST UMASS-LOWELL

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.

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Majok Declares For Draft, Doesn't Hire Agent

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!!

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THABEET TO NBA, UCONN PREPARES TO RELOAD

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.

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UCONN PUNCHES FINAL FOUR TICKET IN DESERT

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.

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MOORE WORRIES AT UCONN

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.

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HUSKIES IGNORE DISTRACTIONS, CONTINUE MARCH THROUGH WEST

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.

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ATER MAJOK LINKED TO AGENT IN MILES CASE

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.

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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.

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NOTEBOOK: TROUBLE AT UCONN?

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.

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UCONN ROMPS INTO SWEET 16

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."

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PITT UPENDS NO. 1 UCONN, AGAIN

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.

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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!"

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UCONN 'STICKS' IT TO MARQUETTE

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.

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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.

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SEEN, HEARD & NOTED IN HARTFORD

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.

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UCONN OVERCOMES SLUGGISH EFFORT, TOPS USF

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.

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THABEET LEADS UCONN PAST SETON HALL

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.

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