UConn News and Notes: June 29, 2010

Overall it’s been a pretty quiet month for UConn athletics, which is to say a good thing. After a rough May with all of the NCAA Violations issues, UConn athletics can start to get focused on the 2010-2011 school year. Here are the latest news, links, and nuggets on UConn sports.

Stanley Robinson

- Former UConn Forward Stanley Robinson was drafted last week by the Orlando Magic as the 59th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. Robinson was expected to go earlier (was once considered a possible lottery pick), but had to settle for the third to last pick in the draft. While his contract will not be as big as he hoped, he might have ended up in the perfect place for him to grow. He’s going to an Orlando team that has become an annual NBA Championship contender. He will get to play with players such as Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, and Jameer Nelson. Sticks has a great opportunity to make the roster and grow as a player in Orlando. Congrats Stanley.

- In other UConn Basketball news… It looks like Jim Calhoun is set to announce within the next few days that Kevin Ollie and Glenn Miller will join the UConn basketball staff, as the UConn men’s basketball team’s new assistant coach and director of basketball administration, respectively. Ollie and Miller will replace Patrick Sellers and Beau Archibald, who each resigned last month in the wake of the NCAA’s announcement of alleged recruiting violations by the program.

- The UConn Football team is in the midst of summer workouts as they prepare for the 2010 season, a season with a great deal of hope and expectations. Many college football writers, reporters, and even fans of other schools are looking at UConn to the Big East Champs this season. Rivalry Esq., a respected Big Ten Blog, put out its summer bowl selections, and they seem pretty high on the Huskies.

- UConn Football has already picked up four recruits for the Class of 2011. The Huskies recently held their skills camp for high school players, which is a place where the coaches usually extend offers to players they like, so even more commitments could be coming soon. The four recruits already on board are running back Max DeLorenzo, quarterback Michael Nebrich, offensive lineman Paul Nwokeji, and defensive back David Stevenson.

Lawrence Wilson

- UConn senior linebacker Lawrence Wilson and senior offensive guard Zach Hurd have both been named preseason All-American by the Sporting News. Both players were selected to the third team.

UConn Basketball Progam In a Free Fall?

The UConn men’s basketball program has seen brighter days. Jim Calhoun has seen better days. The Hall-of-Fame head coach, and the program he has built into a perennial college basketball powerhouse, have both fallen on hard times. Just a year-and-a-half removed from reaching the 2009 Final Four, UConn has been in a steady decline since they walked off the court in Detroit’s Ford Field.

As it was announced a few weeks ago, the NCAA, after a year-long investigation, found eight violations into the UConn basketball program. The violations, which were centered around the recruitment of Nate Miles, cost two UConn coaches their jobs, millions of dollars in legal bills, and possibly the fall of Calhoun and the UConn program he has built. While UConn will have to wait till October to find out their punishment, it is easy to see how the program has been in a steady decline.

Going into last season there was some hope and buzz surrounding the program, as they we’re ranked as high as 14th in the preseason. This ranking came after losing A.J. Price, Hasheem Thabeet, Jeff Adrien, and Craig Austrie from the 2009 Final Four team. Calhoun lost arguably his three best players, but the return of Jerome Dyson, Stanley Robinson, and Kemba Walker, along with the incoming class of Alex Oriakhi and Jamal Coombs-Mcdaniel, gave the Husky faithful hope for the 2009-2010 season. However, the team was unable to play up to expectations, as they suffered many tough losses throughout the season. The program also took a hit, when Calhoun had to take a medical leave of absence in January. The team was able to get a few marquee wins as they beat #1 Texas, #3 Villanova, and #7 West Virgina, but were unable to put a considerable winning streak together. The Huskies missed the NCAA Tournament for just the second time since 1999, and headed to the NIT, where they once again were disappointing, as they lost to Virginia Tech in the second round. UConn finished with an 18-16 record.

Since that final game to the disappointing 2009-2010 season, UConn hasn’t seen much hope. During the spring signing period, UConn missed out on a few top national recruits in Corey Joseph, Brandon Knight, and Josh Shelby, settling for just one top-tier recruit in Roscoe Smith.

The notification of violations by the NCAA kept the bad news coming, and as Calhoun and his program prepare for next season, the bad news might keep coming. Kemba Walker and Alex Oriakhi are the only two returning starters (It’s hard to even count Oriakhi as a starter for as bad as he played last season), along with Ater Majok, Jamal Coombs-Mcdaniel, and Donnell Beverely who all received decent amounts of playing time last season (none were huge contributors). Calhoun has a decent incoming class for the 2010 season, highlighted by Smith, but the Hall-of-Fame coach will have his work cut out for him next season.

Many college basketball experts, including ESPN’s Andy Katz and Dick Vitale, are not to high on the 2010-2011 UConn Huskies. Vitale recently released his Preseason Top-40 teams for next year. Want to know where UConn landed on that list? I’ll give you one guess….. Well, if you guessed NO-Where, then you are correct. That’s right, the two-time National Champion, 16-time Big East Champion, with a Hall-of-Fame coach, can’t even find itself in a preseason TOP-40 poll.

It’s a sad decline for Calhoun and his Huskies, hopefully for his sake, the players sake, and for the UConn faithful’s sake, the team is able to move on in the right direction and get this program back to where it belongs…at the top.

UConn Sports News and Notes – June 2010

News and notes from around UConn sports over the past month.

Recent UConn News:

- Men’s Basketball player Darius Smith has decided to transfer. Smith’s decision has a lot to do with incoming freshman guard Shabazz Napier being on board.

- Kevin Ollie has been rumered to replace Patrick Sellers as an assistant on Jim Calhoun’s staff. Ollie, who is still beloved by the UConn fan base, has mentored some of the game’s greats – from Allen Iverson to Ray Allen – and has become a dependable backup point guard for 11 teams since going undrafted in 1995.

- Stanley Robinson has a workout planned with the New Jersey Nets in the coming week. Robinson is preparing for the NBA Draft, which will take place on June 24th. Robinson is projected to be a late first round draft pick.

- Former UConn running back Andre Dixon was the second overall pick in the 2010 UFL Draft by the Hartford Colonials. The expansion Colonials have recently added two more former Husky football players, in Mike Hicks and Keith Gray.

- It was announced that the UConn football season opener against Michigan on September 4th, will be televised to a national audience on ABC, with kick-off coming at 3:30pm ET.

News and Notes on UConn Football and Basketball From the Past Month

In case you missed anything over the past month concerning UConn football or basketball, this “News and Notes” post will fill you in with anything and everything UConn.

UCONN FOOTBALL

- UConn started spring practice on March 16 in Storrs. They practice three times a week: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

- Head Coach Randy Edsall is excited about the 2010 season, and is looking for younger players to step during spring drills.

- The Spring Game aka the “Blue and White Game” will be held April 17, at Noon at The Rent. The event will be a little different this year, as Coach Edsall has decided to bring back former players to be the Honorary Captains of the two teams. The former players selected were Dan Orlovsky, Ryan Krug and Alfred Fincher from the 2004 team that won the first ever bowl game in program history, as well as Donald Brown and Tyler Lorenzen from the 2008 team.

- UConn held its annual Pro-day on March 25. UConn seniors that participated were Robert McClain, Andre Dixon, Marcus Easley, Lindsey Witten, Brandon Dillon, Robbie Vaughan, Mike Hicks, Dan Ryan, Desi Cullen, Brad Kanuch. Over 25 NFL scouts were on hand for the event. Many experts expect that up to four Huskies will be drafted in April’s NFL Draft. The players who have a good shot at being drafted include, running back Andre Dixon, receiver Marcus Easley, defensive end Lindsey Witten, and cornerback Robert McClain.

- Head Coach Randy Edsall made a few position changes after the first week and a half of practice. Senior outside linebacker Kijuan Dabney will be moved to safety, and freshman safety Andrew Opoku, who is 6 feet 4, will move to outside linebacker. The ‘ole swith-er-roo.

- The Huskies begin their season on September 4th, when they travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan to face the college football powerhouse Michigan Wolverines.

UCONN BASKETBALL

- After a disappointing finish to a very disappointing season, as the Huskies lost in the second round of the NIT at Virginia Tech, the Huskies have begun to move forward, as they are forgetting about this past season and starting to prepare for next year.

- UConn will head into the offseason with a few question marks: Who will replace the production of Stanley Robinson, Jerome Dyson, and Gavin Edwards? Will Kemba Walker stay for his Junior year? Will UConn land another top-flight recruit? Will Alex Oriahki and Ater Majok improve and become more consistent? Will any players transfer?

- Speaking of transfering…it is almost certain that the Huskies will have at least one, possibly two players transfer from the program. The most likely candidates are Darius Smith and Jamaal Trice.

- The Huskies got a commitment from two players this past weekend. One is still in high school, while the other is already on the team. Kemba Walker will return for his Junior season, and will most likely be one of, if not the best, point guards in the nation next year. The other player to commit to the Huskies is point guard Shabazz Napier of Lawrence Academy. Napier is currently listed as a Junior, but is in the process of reclassifying as a Senior, and will most likely be the fifth recruit for the 2010-2011 season. He is currently ranked the 9th best point guard in the Class of 2011 by Rivals.com.

- The Huskies got a verbal commitment from an in-state product. E.O. Smith Forward Tyler Olander, a three-star prospect, made his verbal commitment to his hometown Huskies. He picked UConn over offers from Florida, Notre Dame, Virginia, and Wake Forest.

- Speaking of recruiting….Mike Anthony of the Hartford Courant put together an update of how this years recruiting is going. Possibly really good news for the Huskies.

- Coach Jim Calhoun has pledged he is close to signing a contract extension that will keep him at the school for 5 more years.

Three in A Row: UConn Takes Down #7 West Virginia

The UConn Huskies out-fought the West Virginia Mountaineers Monday night, in a Big East fist fight. In a very physical contest, UConn used the play of Kemba Walker, Jerome Dyson, and Stanley Robinson, to secure their third straight victory.

Coming off his first ever Big East Player of the Week Award, for his play last week, Walker led the Huskies with 21 points as he went 14-17 from the free-throw line. His massive one-handed dunk with less than a minute to go, put the seal on the win and made the XL Center go crazy.

UConn is now 17-11 on the season and 7-8 in the Big East. They have three games remaining, Sunday vs Louisville, then they close the season with two away games at Notre Dame and South Florida.

The NCAA Tournament hopes are alive for the Huskies, as the win over West Virginia is their third over a top-10 team this season(Texas and Villanova). If the Huskies can win on Sunday, which is the home finale and Senior Day, then they will put themselves on the right side of the “bubble”.

Finally A Big Win: UConn 84, No.3 Villanova 75

“Don’t give up, Don’t ever give up.” The famous quote by Jimmy Valvano rang through the Wachovia Center tonight, as the UConn Huskies finally put together a full 40 minutes of basketball, and were finally able to finish a game. Led by Kemba Walker, who finished with a career high 29 points, the Huskies were able to knock off the third ranked Villanova Wildcats.

Just two days after what Jim Calhoun called an “embarrassing” loss to Cincinnati, the Huskies put a little life back into its season. The Huskies earned their first road victory of the season, and improved to 2-5 against ranked opponents.

Jerome Dyson finished with 15 points and 6 assists, while Stanley Robinson added 10 points and 7 rebounds. However, Walker was the star. The sophomore point guard added 9 rebounds and hit 14 of 16 free throws, including 6 in the last-minute of the game to seal the victory. Walker, whose had his ups and downs this season, played “the best game of his career,” said ESPN analyst Jay Bilas.

“I told them let’s start from the jump. That’s what we did,” said Walker. “We put together a 40-minute game. Probably the first one of the season, to tell you the truth. It was great.”

UConn’s record improved to 15-11 on the season and 5-8 in the Big East. The Huskies travel to Rutgers on Saturday, before hosting #8 West Virginia next Monday at the XL Center.

Let’s hope the Huskies can build off this win, and keep the momentum going. They have five games left in the regular season, and if they can run the table they can put themselves in position to make the NCAA Tournament, which is a goal that looked lost after the embarrassing loss to Cincy, but is now back within reach.

UConn Takes Down #1 Texas, 88-74

For the first time all year the UConn men’s basketball team defeated a ranked opponent. Funny thing about that, is that it happened to be the number one team in the nation.

Overcoming a 10-point second half deficit, UConn fought back and took the lead with a little over 12 minutes left in the game. They wouldn’t look back. Behind the spectacular performance of senior Jerome Dyson, who had a career high 32 points, the Huskies were able to hold off the Texas Longhorns for their first big victory of the season.

The Huskies were once again without Hall of Fame head coach Jim Calhoun, who is still on a medical leave of absence. Associate Head Coach George Blaney has stepped in and has led the Huskies to, two straight victories. This win was big for UConn, but the players made it clear they wanted this one for Coach Calhoun.

“We’ve got to play for him,” said Dyson, who said Calhoun was proud and excited on the phone after the game. “We know these wins will help him get better, because it will take some of the stress off him having to worry about us, and he can focus on getting himself better.”

Along with Dyson’s strong performance, Kemba Walker and Stanley Robinson also had big games, finishing with 19 and 17 points respectfully. The supporting cast of Gavin Edwards, Donnell Beverly, and Ater Majok also played a prominent role in the big win.

The Huskies played well on the court, but they received a lot of help from the sell-out crowd at Gampel Pavillion. The student section was at an all time best, and gave the team and the rest of the crowd energy. The students were able to celebrate the win with the Huskies, as they rushed the court once the game ended.

The win gives the Huskies confidence heading forward, and Blaney realizes how big of a win this is for the team.

“Now you know you’re good, you know you can play,” said George Blaney. “You just beat the number-one team in the country, so that should tell you that you’re good.”

UConn Set to Take on #1 Texas

The number one team in the nation will be playing at Gampel Pavillion on Saturday, but for the first time that team won’t be UConn. The Texas Longhorns(17-1) travel to Storrs to take on the Huskies, making them the first team to be ranked number one to play as a visitor at Gampel.

The Longhorns may be the number one team in the nation, but that will end next week…no matter what the outcome is on Saturday. Kansas State and former UConn player Curtis Kelly beat the Longhorns on Tuesday, giving Texas their first loss of the season.

The Huskies(12-6) hope to pull off a similar upset, but they are a man down, with head coach Jim Calhoun still out on a medical leave of absence. In their first game since Calhoun leaving, UConn defeated St. Johns 75-59 at the XL Center on Wednesday. Associate Head Coach George Blaney coached the team in Calhoun’s absence, which is something he’s done a few times over his nine years at the university.

Blaney is optimistic with UConn’s chances against the top ranked Longhorns. “We practiced with some great energy and some enthusiasm,” Blaney said. “They realize who is coming to town tomorrow and they’re anxious to play the game. Anytime you pick yourself up from two losses or three losses, as we’ve had, and you get a win, it makes you feel better about what you’re doing. You probably can get their attention a little better when that happens. But I think Texas gets their attention. It’s something that every kid dreams about that comes to Connecticut, to play these kind of games and to be in this kind of national spotlight.”

UConn will need great play out of Seniors Jerome Dyson, Stanley Robinson, and Gavin Edwards, if they hope to compete. Besides Edwards, UConn needs another big man to step up and play well. UConn does not get a lot of scoring out of Alex Oriakhi, Ater Majok, or Charles Okwandu, but one or more of these guys will need to step up and put some points on the board if the Huskies hope to get a win.

UConn needs to be focused on Texas, and need to play within themselves. Coach Blaney knows the Huskies have a chance to win, but its all about playing the game, and not getting caught up in the hype.

“We’ve played the best schedule in the country, so we know what playing teams like this is like. They know what it’s like and they’ll be ready to play. The outcome of the game will depend on who plays better. That’s what we keep talking about with this group. It’s today. How are you going to play today.”

Really UConn???: Huskies Blow 19-Point Lead, Lose to Georgetown

First Half

Everything started great for UConn. Stanley Robinson was playing like a NBA lottery pick, Jamal Coombs-McDaniel hit a few three pointers, and Jim Calhoun’s tie was yet to be un-done. The Huskies went into halftime with a 15-point lead, and looked like they were going to handle the Hoyas with ease.

However, the second-half was the complete opposite for UConn. They couldn’t shoot, rebound, play defense(especially on Austin Freeman), and they lost all of their fire and momentum. The Hoyas charged back and took control of the game, behind the 28 second half points by Freeman. The Huskies could never regain control or the momentum. The Hoyas made the plays down the stretch to get the 72-69 win.

UConn drops to 2-2 in Big East play, and 11-4 overall. The Huskies have yet to win a game away from home this season, and will need to improve their play before Wednesday’s showdown with Big East foe, Pittsburgh.

Second Half

Big Day For UConn

What a day it was for the University of Connecticut. The UConn Huskies had two(well three, if you count the Women’s Basketball team’s 91-24 blowout win over Seaton Hall) huge victories on Saturday. The men’s basketball team defeated Big East Rival Notre Dame 82-70, for their first conference win of the year. Led by Stanley Robinson, who finished with 22 points and a career high 16 rebounds, the Huskies were able to beat the Fighting Irish for the third straight time. Robinson had some help from Jerome Dyson and Kemba Walker, who both added double-doubles(each had 10 assists).

The second big victory of the day came all way down in Birmingham, Alabama. The UConn football team ended their season with a 20-7 victory over South Carolina in the Papa Johns.com Bowl. The Huskies had a dominating performance as they controlled the clock and the game. Senior Andre Dixon had 126 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries and was named the games MVP. The UConn defense also had a big day as they had countless big hits and sacks on the day, and held the Gamecock offense in check.

UConn head coach Randy Edsall made it clear that this was a huge victory for the Huskies, especially considering all they have gone through this year. “I couldn’t be more happy and thrilled for the players and the assistant coaches,” Edsall said. “We did an excellent job and got the kids to go out and execute and do the things we need to do and we came away with an outstanding victory. I couldn’t be more proud of those young men.”

The Huskies ended the season with an 8-5 record, and will head into next season with a lot of support and even higher expectations. The team returns the majority of their starters and will be heavily considered a preseason top-25 team and Big East favorite.