Durzblog

It's Go Time


Next three games could very well seal the fate of the Huskies. Tonight against at the #2 Orange,  Saturday a home must win against Cincinnati and Monday in Philadelphia vs #4 Villanova.  To get back into the NCAA picture it would seem that the Huskies (14-9, 4-6) must win two out of their next three. A very tall order, starting with this evening at the Carrier Dome, once again without Jim Calhoun.





Preview from ESPN.com:

• Big East powerhouses Syracuse and Connecticut have played plenty of memorable games over the years. It's doubtful, though, that they've been in any that were more extraordinary -- and exhausting -- than the last time they met.
• The second-ranked Orange look to stretch their winning streak to 11 games Wednesday night when they host the Huskies in the first meeting since the teams needed six overtimes to decide their Big East tournament quarterfinal last year.
• "The Huskies, meanwhile, have split six games since coach Jim Calhoun took a doctor-ordered medical leave. They ended a three-game skid Saturday as Jerome Dyson scored 20 points in a lackluster 64-57 home win over last-place DePaul.  "We still have a lot of work to do, but it's a Big East win," guard Kemba Walker said. "We'll just take it and build from this."
• UConn is 0-5 on the road and 1-4 against ranked teams. The Huskies have won three of their last four visits to the Carrier Dome, and have taken five of their last six regular-season meetings with the Orange.
• "It appears sometimes that we play to the competition," interim coach George Blaney said. "That's what it's starting to look like. So, hopefully, we'll be jacked up and ready to play against Syracuse. We're going up there with our destiny in our hands rather than in anybody else's hands."

Not in the Cards -- Bubble Starting to Burst


Huskies fall behind early and can't come all the way back against Louisville, a recurring theme for the 09-10' Huskies. Uconn's tourney resume looked to be on solid footing after knocking off then #1 Texas in Storrs 3 games ago. Losses to Providence, Marquette and Louisville have left the Huskies at 3-6 in the league with nine games to play.

Point Break, Huskies in Free Fall

The Huskies (13-8, 3-5) have little time to sulk coming off of this past devastating week, which consisted of two losses in very winnable games to Providence and Marquette without head coach Jim Calhoun. Coach is due to return potentially on Saturday, but the Huskies are damaging the old resume of late in his absence -- big time.  The Texas victory from last week has been officially thrown out the window and Uconn is facing a huge make or break game on national TV Monday night. This game might not be a "must win" -- but at this point a win is simply needed to stop the spiral. Interim Coach Blaney is looking for a forty minute effort from the club and against Louisville they are going to need just that -- a complete effort. After Louisville the Huskies will host DePaul, things will seem a bit more clear after this week. For better or worse.  Uconn, Get me 2!

Signed and Sealed -- Huskies Hook top ranked 'Horns

At long last, Uconn adds the elusive signature (OOC) win to their NCAA resume and gave themselves some breathing room from the dreaded NCAA bubble. It was their last opportunity out of the league and against the highest rated team they have played all season, the second half was their best twenty minutes off the season -- and things seemed well in Storrs again Saturday afternoon.


Jerome Dyson scored (career-high) 32 points and the Huskies overcame a 10-point second-half deficit to upset # 1 Texas 88-74 on Saturday.  Kemba Walker added 19 points and 10 assists, and Stanley Robinson was solid with 17 points and 12 rebounds for who moved to 13-6 (3-3).
"Now you know you're good, you know you can play," said George Blaney, Calhoun's longtime assistant and interim head coach. "You just beat the number-one team in the country, so that should tell you that you're good."

Calhoun to Take Medical Leave of Absence 

Jim Calhoun will take a medical leave of absence effective immediately, it was announced Tuesday.  Details are mostly unavailable.

Uconn Health Center physician Peter Schulman, M.D., Calhoun's primary care physician, said, "It is my recommendation that Coach Calhoun take a medical leave from his coaching position to address some temporary medical issues, none of which involve any previous medical conditions that he has dealt with."

UConn Director of Athletics Jeffrey A. Hathaway, offered, "Our primary concern is Coach Calhoun's health and his complete recovery. We will do everything possible to support Coach during this time. Jim and I both know that the men's basketball program is in very capable hands under the leadership of Associate Head Coach George Blaney."

No Signature, Pitt 67 Connecticut 57


Uconn entered the XL Center last night looking for a marquee victory against a ranked opponent for the first time this season. The Huskies left still looking and now under .500 in the league (11-5, 2-3).  The Pitt Panthers held it together down the stretch and prevailed 67-57 in front of 15,300 in Hartford.  Connecticut is not hitting the panic button yet -- but the fans seem to be. Kemba Walker is struggling and there does not seem to be a go to guy other than Jerome Dyson (seemingly forcing shots) on the entire team. Small spurts and good play from some younger players (Oriakhi, Majok, JCMD) provide a glimmer of some hope, but things need to start clicking quickly before Connecticut plays themselves into NCAA tournament danger.

Brad Wanamaker and Ashton Gibbs each scored 19 points and the Panthers, while the Huskies were paced by Stanley Robinson's 19 points. Uconn travels to Ann Arbor, Michigan on Sunday for an OOC game against the Wolverines.

Huskies Blow 19 point lead, Hoyas win stunner by 3


UConn (now 11-4, 2-2 Big East) were up by 19 late in the first half, 15 at the half and by as much as 17 early in the second. Then all hell broke loose, Austin Freeman broke loose...

Freeman scored 28 of his career-high 33 points in the second half, and No. 12 Georgetown came back to beat No. 13 Connecticut 72-69 in a early season Big East matchup.  Freeman finished 12-for-20 from the field, with five three-pointers and seven rebounds. Greg Monroe had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Hoyas (12-2, 3-1).  Stanley Robinson led Uconn with 16 points, most of his work was done early though.

"It's the most heartbreaking loss this year. It's not even close," said UConn coach Jim Calhoun.

The Pitt Panthers visit the XL Center on Wednesday, a game the Huskies need to have.

Top Forward Smith Makes Call, it's Connecticut


UConn picked up an oral commitment from Roscoe Smith, a 6-8 combo forward from Oak Hill, according to the Hartford Courant.

Roscoe, the top get of his class thus far for Uconn, chose the Huskies over Duke and Georgetown.  The versatile forward, one of the main and major targets for Calhoun's 2010 class, is rated the 31st best overall player and sixth-best small forward in his class by rivals.com. He joins Cleveland Melvin, a 6-8 forward from Notre Dame Prep (Fitchburg, Mass), Jeremy Lamb, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Norcross High in Georgia, and Michael Bradley, a 6-10 forward/center from Tyner Academy in Chattanooga, Tenn., as part of the incoming freshman class for next season. Smith, Lamb and Bradley are all considered top 100 prospects in their class.

Jerome Dyson (19pt, 10ast, 9 rbd) turned it on when the Huskies needed him to and Connecticut remained perfect at home with a 71-63 conference win.  The Huskies were able to contain Jeremy Hazell for the most part and held him to 13 points, 10 below his season average.  Uconn with the win improves to 11-3 and 2-1 in the league, while the Pirates come close again, but fall to 9-5 and 0-3 in the Big East.

Dyson led a balanced attack on the night --  Robinson, Walker, Oriakhi and Edwards also joined Jerome with double digit scoring.  Junior Forward, Jeff Robinson, led the Pirates with 17 points in 30 minutes off the bench for Bobby Gonzalez.

Uconn returns to action on Saturday in the nation's capital against the Georgetown Hoyas at noon.

Ater Majok made a long awaited yet very silent debut, but two seniors pulled a dreary Husky squad to a 60-51 victory over Central Florida before an announced crowd of 13,685 at the Civic Center. Stanley Robinson had 26 points and Jerome Dyson added 16 points for the generally flat Huskies. Freshman Marcus Jordan, son of Michael Jordan, led the visiting Knights with 13 points.

Uconn (7-2) has a couple of tune-ups -- vs Maine and then Iona -- before they open Big East play at Cincinnati on December 30th.

Ater Majok Postgame Video Following His Sunday Debut Against Central Florida - UCONN | Men's Basketball

According to a few reports slowly leaking out of Storrs, the University of Connecticut and Hall of Famer Calhoun have reached a new contract agreement.  The deal is reportedly a four year contract extension of the current agreement which expires this June. Calhoun's base pay will rise from its current $1.6 to "north of $2 million" per season. Ken Krayeske eat your heart out.  The news should add some firepower to the Huskies staff out on the recruiting trail, where they are after some high end talents in the classes of 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Courant Coverage

Connecticut got through the first part of the schedule and at 6-2 the Huskies are still very much a work in progress. The problems against Duke and Memphis, effort and shooting (respectively), are things that will remain talking points all season. The Huskies will need to start shooting from the perimeter more to keep opposing defenses honest and there only a few guys who have the ability. Dyson can make deep shots, but he must take them, and the freshman (JCMD, Smith and Trice) are going to get a tryout for playing time as a shooter in the next three games.

• Uconn begins their two game exhibition slate Wednesday vs AIC in Hartford and will play Umass-Lowell on Sunday in Storrs.
  
• The regular season commences a week from Friday (the 13th) when they host the Tribe of William and Mary at Gampel.
  
• The NIT starts the following Monday (the 16th) at Uconn hosts Colgate on campus, Uconn hopes to advance to play the winner of Yale and Hofstra the following night. If things go as expected Uconn will be at MSG over Thanksgiving Weekend, potentially playing Duke in the final.
  
• The starting five to start the year is going to be Kemba Walker, Jerome Dyson, Stanley Robinson, Gavin Edwards and either Chuck Okwandu or Freshman Alex Oriakhi.                
• Calhoun currently is holding two 2010 top 100 commitments (SG Jeremy Lamb and C Michael Bradley). 
  
• Word on the street is that two kids are near becoming future Huskies during the fall signing period next week (11-18), highly rated forward, Roscoe Smith could very well be one of them. Corey Joseph may be the other, but he and fellow top rated PG Husky target, Brandon Knight, were expected to wait until the Spring.
  
• UConn will be getting an official visit from highly rated 2010 SG Doron Lamb on Nov. 15-16.
• Coach Calhoun spoke about the ball starting to finally roll on a practice facility, noting that it would be near Gampel Pavilion (supposedly where Memorial Field is located). 
  
• The facility is expected to house a 1,800-square foot study hall (which would be about six times the size of UConn's current one) as well as areas that can showcase the program's success over the years.
• According to Andy Katz, Calhoun wants four-six years but UConn AD Jeff Hathaway hasn't moved yet on the matter -- the current contract expires in June. Get your head out of your ass Jeff.                                                                                                                                    -- BD

Recruiting Landscape: Gavin Edwards, Stanley Robinson, Jerome Dyson and Jonathan Mandeldove are all seniors this year and there is already an open spot on the roster. With commitments being made, more and more and certainly in the next few weeks, it is an anxious time for college coaches and for the fans (mostly left in the dark until signings are made) who are starved for any indication from any of the recruits or any information about them. STARVED!  As the kids start trimming their list the pictures become a bit clearer. Here is where the Huskies stand at the moment, the players national ranking in parenthesis (Rivals.com):

The top PG in the 2010 class in on campus for his second visit, this one is "official."

Jeremy Lamb made an oral commitment to UConn last Tuesday.  Lamb, a 6-foot-4 guard from Georgia, impressed many with showings this summer at the Peach Jam (South Carolina) and the Super Showcase (Orlando).  The Huskies were the first major school to start recruiting the lanky guard with a reported nose for scoring.

Jeremy's father, Rolando Lamb, told the Courant, "I think when they first saw Jeremy play, they were consistent in going after him, really made him a priority and stayed consistent with that.  When we went to visit, we saw a family atmosphere, a great tradition, and we know Jeremy is going to have a great ability to develop at UConn." 

Stan Simpson asks Jim Calhoun about his health, future, last year, including the looming NCAA investigation, the Ken Krayeske mess and Nate Miles....
Candid Calhoun on Fox 61's "The Stan Simpson Show'' - Stan Simpson | Just A Thought

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Also, Dave Borges, at the NHR has a few interesting tidbits in his blog this week. It appears that AJ Price is close to signing a multi year deal with the Pacers (great for a 2nd rd pick) and that Jim Calhoun is close to inking a multi year extension with Uconn (great for recruiting)...

click

09-10 Roster is Set

2 Donnell Beverly JR Hawthorne, Calif.
4 Jamal Coombs-McDaniel FR Dorchester, Mass.
11 Jerome Dyson SR Rockville, Md.
33 Gavin Edwards SR Gilbert, Ariz.
5 Ater Majok FR Sydney, Australia
32 Jonathan Mandeldove SR Stone Mountain, Ga.
35 Charles Okwandu JR Lagos, Nigeria
34 Alex Oriakhi FR Lowell, Mass.
21 Stanley Robinson SR Birmingham, Ala.
24 Darius Smith FR Chicago, Ill.
13 Jamaal Trice FR Los Angeles, Calif.
15 Kemba Walker SO Bronx, N.Y.

No matter what, Calhoun goes full-speed ahead

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BD:
Good read. Calhoun is hitting the trail hard as he tries to lure recruits for his 2010 class. This could be JC's last big class and he intends to land some big boys. We'll see how they do, but its good to see him out there as crazed as ever....

There are about 4 months until the first tip, but with the NBA draft gone, we now know what rosters are going to look like in college hoops next year. Below Is my summertime top 10.

With scholarships opening in abundance over the next year or two, the 2010 recruiting class for the Huskies is very important. From the current roster the Huskies will lose: Dyson, Edwards, Mandeldove, Robinson and likely to lose Kemba Walker and Ater Majok (at most within two years for the latter two) after this season.

Uconn will have at minimum 4 scholarships available for the 2010 class, I have listed below the prospects they are looking at. Calhoun and Co. will have to do well with this group. Landing any two of those listed would be a good start, as the other scholarships will likely be filled with less touted recruits, however Calhoun is hitting the recruiting trail this time with playing time to offer and that generally is not the case. 

Pos.--Nat'l Rank-- Schools involved

• PG 1 Brandon Knight -- Connecticut, Florida, Miami (Fl), Syracuse, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Wake Forest
• PG 2 Kyrie Irving  -- Connecticut, Duke, Florida, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, Marquette, Maryland, Notre Dame, Seton Hall, Texas A&M
• C 2 Fab Melo -- Florida, Florida State, Louisville, Miami (Fl), Syracuse, Connecticut, Texas
• C 3 Josh Smith -- UCLA, Washington, Connecticut, Duke, Georgetown, Louisville, North Carolina, Ohio State, Texas, Gonzaga, Kansas, Tennessee, USC
• SG 4 Doron Lamb -- Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Saint John's, Syracuse, Memphis, Rutgers, Seton Hall, West Virginia
• PG 6 Cory Joseph -- Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Louisville, Memphis, Minnesota, Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M, UNLV, Villanova, Virginia Tech
• SF 5 Roscoe Smith -- Connecticut, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgetown, Kansas, Louisville, Maryland, Memphis, North Carolina, Texas
• PF 6 Tobias Harris -- Connecticut, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Maryland, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Rutgers, Syracuse, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Georgetown, Marquette
• PF 8 Luke Cothron -- Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Louisville, Mississippi State, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, UAB, West Virginia
• PG 9 Phil Pressey (pictured) -- Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M
• PF 11 Jayvaughn Pinkston -- Connecticut, Louisville, Tennessee, USC, Virginia, West Virginia