UCONN

College Football: Baylor @ Connecticut Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:17:30 -0700

Last night's game was thriller, with the homestanding Buffaloes pulling out the win 17-14 in overtime thanks to a Aric Goodman 25-yard field goal. Where did things go wrong for the Mountaineers? You can start with falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, but the end of regulation had a lot more to do with their demise. Clock management? Virtually nonexistent on that final drive, with a receiver failing to get out of bounds when short of the first down marker...and the Mountaineers holding on to both of their remaining timeouts. Left with a 3rd and 1, WVU once again came up short on third and short, leaving them with no other option than to toss up a hail mary at the end of regulation.

So who's to blame for this? All involved parties can share some of the responsibility, but the key now is to move on and realize that their gola of a BCS berth (by way of the Big East title) is still on the table. But they've got to get more out of their passing game. Just forty-three yards for the game, and despite their success on the ground (311 yards) you don't make things too difficult on defenses in short yardage situations when they know what's coming.

As for Colorado, this was a big win for their young program. Fan enthusiasm was at a level many haven't seen in Boulder for some time, and a few of the youngsters put on a show in front of a national audience. WR Josh Smith didn't do a whole lot in the return game, but he had four catches (including a touchdown) on the opening drive. Cody Hawkins had two turnovers (one interception and one fumble), but other than those two errors he looked good in leading the Colorado offense.

Lastly, how about freshman RB Rodney Stewart? An afterthought on the national level when compared to teammate Darrell Scott, Stewart has taken hold of the starting job and showed why with 166 yards on twehty-eight carries. I don't know if they can knock off Missouri and/or Kansas, but I do know that the Big 12 North won't be a formality leading to the Border War on November 29th.

Baylor @ Connecticut (8PM EST on ESPN2)

The third and final meeting of the weekend between members of the Big East and Big 12 takes place in East Hartford, where the Huskies will be looking to make it back-to-back 4-0 starts. The offensive star to this point has been "Every Down" Donald Brown, who currently leads the Big East in rushing (188.7 yards per game). The gap between Brown and second on the list (Pitt's LeSean McCoy) is 106.7 yards per game, a good indicator of just how good Brown has been. Andre Dixon (ankle) will try to go after missing their 45-10 win over Virginia last weekend, but if not then freshman Jordan Todman is more than capable of spelling Brown.

The question mark for the Huskies is the passing game, with Tyler Lorenzen following up two subpar performances with a solid showing against the Cavaliers. And we'll also find out whether or not the defense has learned its lesson regarding mobile quarterbacks. They've had trouble with West Virginia's Pat White the past few years (who hasn't?), and freshman Robert Griffin III should be good preparation for their meetings with WVU and South Florida (Matt Grothe) later in the season.

Griffin (reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week), who replaced Miami transfer Kirby Freeman in the season opener and hasn't looked back since, possesses sprinters speed. But he'd rather stay in the pocket and find open receivers, and when he does scramble his eyes remain focused on the action down the field. I've got a feeling he's going to be an absolute star in the Big 12 down the road. But he will have some help, most notably from RB Jay Finley (119 yards against Washington State) and wide receivers Thomas White and David Gettis.

As for a winner, I like Connecticut's defense to get it done tonight. But if they allow Griffin to get loose too many times, look out.

Ohio State RB Chris Wells is out this weekend.

The toe injury that kept Wells out of the Buckeyes' loss at USC will sideline him for their game against Troy this weekend. Look for the same platoon at running back, along with more playing time for QB Terrelle Pryor. Head coach Jin Tressel announced earlier in the week that Pryor and Todd Boeckman would get an even number of plays on Saturday.

Virginia had dismissed QB Peter Lalich from the team.

Lalich was dismissed because of an admission in court that he's violated the terms of his probation stemming from an underage drinking charge this summer. Sophomore Marc Verica got the start at Connecticut last weekend, but was replaced in the second half by Scott Deke. They have this weekend off before travelling to Duke.

State of '08: Connecticut

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 08:44:40 -0700

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Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a ranking of every program in every state.. based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

Up today: Connecticut. For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

CONNECTICUT

UCONN - Not much thought involved in making this pick. Outside of a dismal 2007 campaign, Jim Calhoun's Huskies have always hovered around the Top 25, and this year's crew has Elite Eight potential. UCONN blows away their in-state competition.

CENTRAL CONNECITCUT STATE - Despite coming off a down year (208 RPI), CCSU is consistently one of the best teams in the NEC. The other Blue Devils have made three NCAA Tournaments under Howie Dickenman, including 2000, 2002, and 2007.

FAIRFIELD - With the exception of a weak 2006 campaign, Fairfield is almost always competitive in the MAAC. In fact, except for '06, the Stags have won 10+ league games every season since 2003 and should once again reach that mark in 2009 (CHN projects they'll finish 4th in the league). But despite this consistency, the program hasn't made the big dance since 1997.

YALE - After taking over in 1999, James Jones has done a good job giving Yale basketball some needed respect. While the 2002 NIT trip (Yale won their only postseason game in 107 years that season) seems like a bit of an aberration, at least the Bulldogs are now consistently mediocre. Yale has gone .500 or better in the Ivy League in every season since 2001.

SACRED HEART - After joining D1 in 1999, Sacred Heart was one of the worst teams in the country (3 wins in 2000 with a 308 RPI for example), but long-time head coach Dave Bike has finally found some success at the top level. The Pioneers have won 18 games each of the last two years, and won 2 NEC Tournament games each season as well

6. HARTFORD - Since a horrible 2005 campaign (300 in the RPI), Hartford has improved each season. Now under the guise of Dan Leibovitz, the Hawks are coming off an 18-win season in which they finished 2nd in the America East (their best ever AE finish) and are our preseason pick to win the league in 08-09.

7. QUINNIPIAC - The Bulldogs are coming off of one of their bests seasons in years, winning 15 games and going 11-7 in the NEC. But that's not saying much considering from 2004 to 2006, they were one of the worst programs on the East Coast..

Last: Colorado - Next: Washington, D.C.

State of '08: The Introduction

Poll: What is the Best Game on ESPN's College GameDay Schedule?

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:28:52 -0700

Poll: Who is the Big East's Top Incoming Freshman?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:39:54 -0700

Lots of changes at Marist...and some other Northeast news

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:41:33 -0700

Well, today marks the beginning of the Spring Signing Period, and many fans are awaiting the decision of guard Tyreke Evans. The explosive prerimeter player is said to be leaning in the direction of Memphis, and that's who I'd expect him to sign with due to the departure of Derrick Rose. But the school with the most going on in recent days has to be Marist, who will any day be gaining a head coach, but they've already lost two players. - Memphis assistant Jose "Chucky" Martin to be named Marist head coach. Many services have reported that the official announcement is coming any day now. Martin, a native of New York City, has many ties to the area due to both his playing at St. Raymond's in the Bronx and assistant stints at Manhattan and St. John's. That's the good news for fans of the Red Foxes, who head into this critical portion of the offseason with a head coach in place. As for the bad... - Guard Jay Gavin is transferring to VCU. According to Phil Strum of the Poughkeepsie Journal, star freshman guard Jay Gavin will be leaving Marist at the end of the semester to attend Virginia Commonwealth. He'll have to sit out next season due to NCAA transfer rules, but with the coaching change the people most instrumental in getting him to Marist are now gone (the entire coaching staff went with Matt Brady to James Madison). And speaking of James Madison, former Marist verbal commitment Andrey Semenov will follow Brady and his staff to JMU. Coach Martin will have a lot of work to do in regards to filling out his roster for the upcoming season. - G Doug Wiggins has asked to be released from his scholarship in order to transfer. A couple of weeks ago head coach Jim Calhoun talked about some imminent changes that would be coming this offseason for his program. One domino has fallen apparently, that being East Hartford native Doug Wiggins. Some moves were expected in regards to playing time/off-court issues, and Wiggins certainly had to deal with the latter during his two years in Storrs. But the main thing for Wiggins is to find a place in which he'll see a lot of playing time over his final two seasons. - "Christmas in April" for Rutgers? Maybe. Reported on Monday by Stacey Davis of NYCHoops.net, there is the possibility of St. Benedict's Prep forward and Rutgers commit Greg Echinique accelerating his coursework in order to graduate in time to join the Scarlet Knights this fall. A member of the Class of 2009, sources have told Davis that Echinique has entered an accelerated program with hopes of getting this done. If it can happen, look out for RU next season. - Sources say that Travis Ford could be the new head coach at Oklahoma State any day now. According to ESPN.com, UMass head coach Travis Ford is expected to take the same position at Oklahoma State any day now, just about a week after turning down Providence and agreeing to a new deal to stay at UMass. He replaces Sean Sutton, who was let go after two seasons in Stillwater.

Poll: Who Who Will be Preseason #1 for 08-09?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:57:29 -0700

Poll: Who Had the Most Disappointing Early Exit?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:14:41 -0700

2008 NCAA Tournament Capsule: UCONN

Joel Welser — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:25:34 -0700

UCONN

Big East

by Joel Welser

Last NCAA Appearance: 2006, Elite Eight loss to George Mason

Coach: Jim Calhoun (41-17 in 19 NCAA appearances)

Probable Starters:

A.J. Price, Junior, Guard

Jerome Dyson, Sophomore, Guard

Stanley Robinson, Sophomore, Forward

Jeff Adrien, Junior, Forward

Hasheem Thabeet, Sophomore, Center

Key Roleplayers:

Doug Wiggins, Sophomore, Guard

Craig Austrie, Junior, Guard

Gavin Edwards, Sophomore, Forward

Curtis Kelly, Sophomore, Forward

Why They Can Surprise:

This year Connecticut has done things the right way on the court. The team plays efficient basketball on both ends of the floor and has very few things they do poorly. However, it is their defense that truly stands out and that all starts with 7-3 center Hasheem Thabeet. The sophomore averages over four blocks a game and is an absolute beast in the paint. Forwards Jeff Adrien and Stanley Robinson are solid shot blockers as well and the team leads the nation in blocked shots per game. It is extremely difficult to get any points inside against the Huskies and it is understandable that the opposition shoots a meager 37.9 percent from the floor.

Not to overlook the frontcourts ability to score, but besides their defense, the best attribute they bring to the table is their rebounding ability. Adrien leads the way, but all three will hit the glass very effectively. Few teams in the country can rival the Huskies ability to get easy buckets on offensive rebounds and that can be extremely demoralizing for the opposition.

Why They Can Disappoint:

A.J. Price is the team’s leading scorer and has developed into a superb point guard. But other than him, the team has a tendency to commit a few too many turnovers. Overall the numbers are not bad, but players like Adrien and guard Jerome Dyson will commit nearly three turnovers a piece per game. Most of the time there will not be two players on the floor that can handle the ball at the same time and that can become a problem when the team is being pressured. Dyson is an excellent scorer so Uconn wants to keep him in the game, but if he becomes a liability when teams are pressing, the Huskies will lose his scoring prowess in favor of Doug Wiggins or Craig Austrie who can handle the ball a little better.

Who To Watch:

Guard play is so important come tournament time and the Huskies guards will need to be prepared. The group may be young, but they do not lack in experience. This is a group that has survived last year’s debacle and has had a great season this time around. Price has nearly doubled his scoring and assist numbers this year and brings some much needed leadership to the unit. There is some quality depth to the group as well with Wiggins and Austrie, both of whom have earned some starts over the last two years.

- More 2008 NCAA Tournament Coverage

- All 2008 Tournament Capsules

Picture of the Day: Jerome Dyson

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 07:54:17 -0800
Thanks to our friends over at Icon Sports Media, we now have access to thousands of great college basketball photos to use on the site. Each day, CHN will feature a Picture of the Day, which might include a newsworthy, funny, or simply interesting subject. At the bottom will be a caption or headline that might be informative or amusing. The possibilities are endless!

Jerome Dyson

There's a #11 on UCONN? Yep, you might not remember who this is.. but Jerome Dyson returns from his 9-game suspension tonight. The Huskies won of 8 of 9 without the former starting two-guard, so apparently they can survive without him.

- Check out recent Pictures of the Day!

- Also check out the Cheerleader of the Day!

Wednesday Report Card: Aaron Bruce's Struggles

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:48:53 -0800

A - Hasheem Thabeet

The big 7-3 soph lacks the consistency of conference rival Roy Hibbert.. but considering the experience gap, Thabeet's having a much more impressive season. (Thought it should be noted they're similar in actual age despite Thabeet being a sophomore and Hibbert being a senior.) With 8 blocks last night against DePaul, its now 5 games in a row with at least 6 blocks. Thabeet is averaging 4.4 blocks per game, twice the amount of Hibbert, and he also averages more rebounds. I compare these two for obvious size & position reasons, and also because they'll be vying for position in this summer's NBA Draft. Coming into the year, Hibbert was considered to be a much better prospect, but Thabeet is steadily moving up the charts.

B - Oklahoma

How many more close wins does this team have left? Last night's wild double-OT win.. which Baylor basically gave away multiple times, was one of many close wins for the Sooners. There was the miracle shot against Texas Tech, down to the wire wins over OSU and Tech again, and back in December they beat WVU in double-OT and escaped with a close win over Gonzaga. For all the tight wins, the only real heart-breaking loss was to Kansas State when Michael Beasley hit a late game-winner. Something tells me this team's good luck will run out when it counts.. early in the NCAA Tournament.

C - Justin Fuehrmeyer

The Missouri State sophomore guard might seem like an odd choice for the Report Card considering his so-so stats and his team's mediocrity. A couple years back I saw him play in some late round of the Missouri high school tournament, shortly after he had signed with Barry Hinson. At the time he didn't really look like a D1 player due to his tiny build and lack of height. Yet here he is playing almost 30 mpg for a team that although itsn't good, isn't bad either. Who knew.

D - Jerome Dyson

I still find it hilarious how good UCONN's been since Dyson was suspended.

F - Aaron Bruce

Bruce has had a nice career and deserves respect for really being the first guy to get on-board Drew's rebuilding project at Baylor. He's stuck it through lean times and the four-year starting point guard should finally reach the NCAA Tournament this year. Yet, he's had a rough stretch here.. fouling Crocker on a 3-point attempt that turned into a 4-point play, and then there was the phantom time-out call late in the recent loss to Texas. On an unrelated note, Bruce is a rare player whose mpg has diminished in each of his four years.. from 34.8 to 31.1 to 29.7 and now 23.0

The Daily Report Card tells you all you need to know about the day in college hoops. From good to bad and bad to worse, I'll be laying down the law.

Previous Best / Worst

February 19th - Josh Duncan / Tim Welsh

February 18th - Wake Forest / NJIT

February 15th - Oral Roberts / Big Ten Predictions

February 13th - Mike Green / Ed Donato

February 11th - Charron Fisher / Tim Morris

February 8th - Big West / Virginia

February 6th - Chris Lofton / Dick Vitale

February 5th - Bob Knight / Josh Heytvelt

February 4th - New York Giants / Washington State

February 1st - Nevada / Penn

January 31st - Kansas State / St. John's

January 29th - Winthrop / Dyson & Wiggins

January 28th - Rutgers / Doris Burke

January 25th - Ron Hunter / Princeton Offense

January 23rd - Kentucky / Archbishop Burke

January 22nd - DJ Augustin / Scott Sutton

January 21st - New York Giants / Marquette

January 20th - Maryland / ESPN.com editors

January 18th - Cleveland State / Marquette

January 17th - Drake / HP Laptops

January 14th - Roy Hibbert / Michigan State

January 10th - Tony Bennett / Saint Louis

January 9th - DJ White / CSTV

January 8th - Robert Morris / Schedule Makers

January 7th - Wayne Ellington / Illinois

January 6th - Herb Sendek / Kentucky