the daily campus: husky hoopla
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It's Husky Hoopla time!TRANSCRIPT
Husky HooplaVolume CXVIII No. 53 Friday, November 11, 2011
Lamb, Napier go for repeat– McDonough, Pg. 3
Oriakhi leads champs ... Pg. 3
Calhoun adds top freshmen to program... Pg. 4
Huskies try to fill void left by Walker ... Pg. 6
WATCH THE THRONE
Husky HooplaPage 2 Friday, November 11, 2011
On The Front: All photos property of The Daily Campus. Image created by Jim Anderson. On The Back: All photos property of The Daily Campus. Image created by Ashley Pospisil.
November Time TVFri 11 Columbia (GP) 7 p.m. ESPNUMon 14 Wagner (GP) 7:30 p.m. SNYThurs 17 Maine 7 p.m. SNYSun 20 Coppin State (XL) 1 p.m. SNYThu 24 vs. UNC Asheville (Paradise Island) 7 p.m. TBDWed, Thu 25, 26 Battle for Atlantis TBD TBD
December Time TVSat 3 Arkansas (XL) 3:15 p.m. ESPNThu 8 Harvard (GP) 7 p.m. ESPN2Sun 18 Holy Cross (XL) 1 p.m. SNY
Wed 28 at USF 9 p.m. SNYSat 31 St. John’s (XL) 12 p.m. SNY
January Time TVTue 3 at Seton Hall 7 p.m. SNYSat 7 at Rutgers 8 p.m. SNYMon 9 West Virginia 7 p.m. ESPN2
Wed 18 Cincinnati (GP) 7 p.m. ESPNSat 21 at Tennessee 4 p.m. CBSSun 29 Notre Dame (XL) 12 p.m. SNY
February Time TVWed 1 at Georgetown 7 p.m. ESPN2Sat 4 Seton Hall (XL) 12 p.m. SNYMon 6 at Louisville 7 p.m. ESPNSat 11 at Syracuse 1 p.m. CBSWed 15 DePaul (GP) 7 p.m. SNYSat 18 Marquette (XL) 12 p.m. ESPN/2Mon 20 at Villanova 7 p.m. ESPN
Tue 28 at Providence 7 p.m. SNYMarch Time TV
THE OPPOSITION
Pittsburgh (Gampel Pavilion), 12 p.m., ESPN/2On Senior Day UConn will try to send Pitt out of the Big East with a loss, in what could be one of the final games between the two rivals.
3SAT
Syracuse (Gampel Pavilion), 9 p.m., ESPNCollege Gameday will broadcast live from Storrs in the morning, then the rivalry game at night will keep Gampel rocking during one of the biggest games of the year.
25SAT
at Notre Dame, 11 a.m., ESPN2The Huskies will look to avenge two losses to the Irish last season, in UConn’s first big road game in Big East play.
14SAT
Fairfield (XL Center), 7 p.m., SNYIt will be a battle of brothers in Hartford as Tyler and Ryan Olander will face each other. Ryan is a senior cap-tain for the Stags, who could be a stiff test for UConn.
22THu
GP = Gampel Pavilion, Storrs; XL = XL Center, Hartford; italics = Big East conference game
THE HuSKIES
Enosch WolfC – Sophomore
Goettingen, Germany1 DeAndre Daniels
F – FreshmanLos Angeles, Calif.
2
Jeremy LambG – Sophomore
Norcross, Ga.3
Niels GiffeyF – SophomoreBerlin, Germany
5
Tyler OlanderF – Freshman
Mansfield, Conn.10
Andre DrummondC – Freshman
Middletown, Conn.12
Shabazz NapierG – SophomoreRoxbury, Mass.
13
Roscoe SmithF – SophomoreBaltimore, Md.22
Ben StewartF – SeniorDenver, Colo.
23
Alex OriakhiC – Junior
Lowell, Mass. 34
Michael BradleyC – RS Freshman
Chattanooga, Tenn.25
Ryan BoatrightG – Freshman
Aurora, Ill.11
Jim CalhounHead Coach26th season
THE CALHOuN FILEOverall record: 855-367 (.696); 607-230 (.722) at UConnNational titles: 3 (1999, 2004, 2011)Big East titles: 17 (regular season: 10 – 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006; postseason: 7 – 1990, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2011)
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McDonough, Mac Cerullo
Copy Editors: Nick Rondinone, Allison Downey
Friday, November 11, 2011
Melanie Deziel, Editor in ChiefMac Cerullo, Managing Editor
Brendan Fitzpatrick, Business Manager/Advertising DirectorNancy Depathy, Financial Manager
Brian Zahn, Associate Managing EditorNicholas Rondinone, News EditorAmy Schellenbaum, Associate News EditorArragon Perrone, Commentary EditorRyan Gilbert, Associate Commentary EditorPurbita Saha, Focus EditorJohn Tyczkowski, Associate Focus EditorBrendan Albetski, Comics Editor
Matt McDonough, Sports EditorColin McDonough, Associate Sports EditorJim Anderson Photo EditorEd Ryan, Associate Photo EditorDemetri Demopoulos, Marketing ManagerDawn Tarabocchia, Graphics ManagerNicole Butler, Online Marketing ManagerJoseph Kopman-Fried, Circulation Manager
Husky HooplaPage 3 Friday, November 11, 2011
When Jeremy Lamb came away with the rebound off a Matt Howard miss with eight seconds left in the 2011 NCAA national championship game, the freshman was about to fulfill a childhood dream.
Yes the UConn men’s basketball team was seconds away from beat-ing Butler, 53-41, and claiming the school’s third national champion-ship, but the celebration was even sweeter for Lamb because he was the one who had the ball at the end. He was the one who was able to dribble out the clock.
“Yeah it was funny,” Lamb said. “I always thought about at the end when you throw the ball up and I always thought, I wonder where the ball lands. I’m going to throw it up and look at it. But I threw it up and Shabazz [Napier] was hugging me and I didn’t even see where it went.”
Lamb threw the ball towards the Reliant Stadium roof after the buzz-er had sounded. But it looked as though Lamb had began celebrating a little too early. As Napier jumped on his back, Lamb started jumping up and down while holding onto the ball with three seconds remaining. It was a clear traveling violation, but the referees let it slide.
“That’s another thing,” Lamb said. “Me and my brother used to always say, I wonder at the end of the game, if you travel, what would they do? So I traveled and I wanted to see what they’d do and they didn’t do anything.”
The 2010-11 UConn recruiting class was a bit of a mystery, so it was fitting Lamb and Napier, perhaps the two most underrated recruits in the national class, were the ones celebrating together at the end.
“We could’ve never expected them to do what they did in many ways, with all those freshmen and no experience, but they did it” said coach Jim Calhoun.
Now it’s up to Lamb and Napier to avoid a sophomore slump and put last season behind the team.
“Once we got our championship rings, that was the end of the cel-ebration... Last year is over with,” Napier said.
Lamb agreed and said he doesn’t expect a letdown this season. He did add that he won’t be forgetting the Huskies title run anytime soon.
“I definitely still think about it but I guess we’ve had to put it behind us,” Lamb said. “That’s what you have to do to move on and have another good season. I definitely put it behind me but I’ll always have those memories.”
Calhoun believes that the two sophomores have done a good job building team chemistry with the freshmen.
“I have a great deal of confidence that we’re good,” Calhoun said. “If every coach had a bottle of chem-istry, then everybody would win every championship and nobody does.”
Napier thinks that last year did nothing but recharge his coach.
“The championship didn’t do anything but make him hungrier,” Napier said.
Napier is hungry too. The point guard spent the summer doing workouts at home with his brother. He also attended bas-ketball camps hosted by Lebron James and Deron Williams as well as tried out for Team USA’s World University Games team after Alex Oriakhi withdrew. The result is s stronger and more seri-ous Shabazz.
“Luckily I was able to put on some weight,” Napier said.
In addition to more muscle, Napier has a more serious demean-or. The first indication was Napier not dancing during player introduc-tions at First Night.
“I didn’t really like the music and I just wanted to be professional in a way,” Napier said. “Hopefully I could get someone to dance in the circle before our games because I hate dancing in the circle before our games. I’m always doing it so I’m trying to get [Ryan] Boatright, somebody to do it. Right now I have to be stuck with it”
A more subtle change for Napier was his hometown. After being list-ed and announced as a Randolph native last season, Napier made sure his hometown, Roxbury Mass., was correct for the media and fans this season.
“That’s where I’m from,” Napier said. “Randolph is where I live. I always told [men’s basketball SID Kyle Muncy] can you change that for me because I don’t want to be coming out to Randolph and people at home say they keep saying you’re from Randolph... God-willing he did it for me.”
Napier, Oriakhi, another Mass. native, and Lamb are expected to be the three top dogs this season.
“I’m a leader and so are they,” Lamb said. “Alex, he’s our inside presence and he’s really going to lead the boards. Shabazz is a great floor general, he runs the team well. He really knows how to pass and find us on the court. I’m a leader in the aspect of scor-ing and encouraging my team-mates. You put that all together and we’re all pretty good leaders for this team.”
Oriakhi will take on different roleAlex Oriakhi begins the
2011 season in an uncer-tain position. For the first time since he was 14 years old, Oriakhi will be play-ing on a team without Jamal Coombs-McDaniel.
“I’m not going to lie, it’s weird,” Oriakhi said. “He’s been my roommate since I was 16, so it’s like my first time being without him. It’s definitely weird but you have to move on. He already knows I hope nothing but the best for him.”
Coombs-McDaniel trans-ferred to Hofstra after last season, citing a need for more playing time. He will sit out this season due to NCAA rules and play for the Pride in 2012. Coombs-McDaniel, who was arrested for marijuana possession last April, chose Hofstra over Missouri and Miami. The forward played in all 41 games for the national champions last year, averag-ing 5.6 points per game. He scored 25 points in a win over Providence. Oriakhi said Coombs-McDaniel is making a fine adjustment
without him.“He said he likes it,”
Oriakhi said. “He’s been working hard. He said he’s happy because he has a whole year to get his stuff straight, get his knee better. He should have a good year out there.”
Both Oriakhi and Coombs-McDaniel played for the BABC AAU squad coached by Leo Papile and attended the Tilton School in New Hampshire. The Massachusetts natives co-captained Tilton to the 2009 NEPSAC Class B Championships and National Prep School Title before arriving at UConn in fall of that year. After a freshmen season togeth-er that ended with a trip to the NIT, the two helped the Huskies to an NCAA nation-al championship as sopho-mores. Coombs-McDaniel, who did not attend UConn’s trip to the White House, has moved on to another school. Oriakhi, the lone upperclass-man on scholarship, will have to move on to his junior season.
“It is crazy I am the most experienced,” Oriakhi said. “The good thing about it is I have about seven sopho-
mores who experienced it with me so they’re going to be right there with me. I feel once you play in the Final Four and the national cham-pionship, you’ve really seen it all, so nothing can really get you now. All you have to do is go out there and play basketball.”
Oriakhi, who averaged 9.6 points and 8.7 rebounds last season, had 11 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in the Huskies’ 53-41 win over Butler in the title game. Now he’s the face of UConn bas-ketball, appearing on most posters and promos across the state.
“It definitely weird,” Oriakhi said. “I’m always used to seeing Kemba’s face or Jerome [Dyson] or Stanley [Robinson] because I’ve been here. To have my face on there, it’s a little sur-prising, I’m not going to lie.”
Oriakhi, along with Shabazz Napier and Jeremy Lamb, will have to step up and lead the Huskies this season.
“I would think Jeremy, Shabazz and Alex [are our leaders],” Calhoun said.
“The personalities become so different, it’s really hard to judge the per-
sonalities,” Calhoun added. “They each have their own way of leading, part of our job is to make sure they lead in the right way. Criticizing a teammate after a coach has yelled at them is not leader-ship. Getting on a guy, when we don’t see a move, he didn’t screen, we couldn’t see it, we were blocked out, that’s an entire different story. That’s barking at a guy to get it going.”
Although Oriakhi is expected to be barking at his teammates, one thing he refuses to do is brag to all the former UConn players who came up short in the NCAA tournament.
“Roscoe [Smith] did it to Hasheem [Thabeet] but I’m not bragging,” Oriakhi said. “I know just how hard it was to get there. We had a special year so I’m definitely not bragging.”
Oriakhi and the Huskies have a chance to win it all again this season. It’s an opportunity for the veteran to do something Richard Hamilton, Emeka Okafor and Kemba Walker didn’t stay to do: repeat as national champions.
“For the fact that we just made history there and now
we have a chance to make history again, there’s defi-nitely a lot of pressure but last year we didn’t even see a national championship,” Oriakhi said. “All we did was work hard and play hard so we’ll still do the same
thing we’ve been doing. I really pray to God it works out for us again.”
A chance at a repeat? For Oriakhi, that’s not a bad position to be in.
By Matt McDonoughSports Editor
Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier celebrate UConn’s 53-41 win over Butler in the national championship on April 4 in Houston.
AP PHOTOS
By Matt McDonoughSports Editor
Lamb and Napier look to celebrate again
Alex Oriakhi helped lead the Huskies to the national title last season. JIM ANDERSON/The Daily Campus
Husky HooplaFriday, November 11, 2011 Page 4
When Tropical Storm Irene hit the Storrs campus, so did Andre Drummond.
On Aug. 26, the Middletown native joined Los Angeles’ DeAndre Daniels and Aurora, Ill. product Ryan Boatright in the No. 4 UConn men’s bas-ketball team’s freshman recruit-ing class by announcing he was a Husky in the “Tweet heard ‘round the world.”
“It’s official I’m heading to the university of connecti-cut to be a husky this year!” Drummond posted. “Husky fam welcome me cause I’m coming this year!!”
And after Drummond asked UConn Country, “Do I hear #repeat?” the chances of a sec-ond consecutive national cham-pionship for the Huskies greatly improved. Drummond, who was ranked as a No. 1 or No. 2 over-all recruit by most media out-lets, was expected to attend prep school this year before making a college decision.
“We had a family meeting,” Drummond said. “My mom said going to prep school is not going to help you at all. She was just like, ‘I know you’re ready for college.’”
Drummond said that his moth-er and uncle were integral in him making his decision. He said his uncle told him that he “had all the tools to be a great player.”
Due to the program’s loss of scholarships because of NCAA violations, redshirt freshman Michael Bradley, gave up his scholarship so that Drummond could join the team. Although Drummond enrolled at the start of classes, he has caught up to college life.
“I think it was a good tran-sition,” Drummond said. “The coaches, my mom and all the players on the team helped me have a great transition from high school to college. They
all helped me get settled into my classes, help me find all my books and places I need to be on time.”
There is one thing that’s sur-prised the freshman.
“I didn’t expect so many essays, writing five-page papers everyday,” Drummond said.
Although NBA players can’t help Drummond with essays, the lockout has helped the entire team, with players like Hasheem Thabeet, Kemba Walker, Jerome Dyson and Ray Allen coming to practice to work out with the team.
“He’s rebounding against some of the best pros who have come back,” said coach Jim Calhoun.
Alex Oriakhi said Drummond already has the makings of a pro.
“I would say he has Dwight Howard athleticism, that’s how athletic he is,” Oriakhi said of Drummond.
While his fellow freshmen Boatright and Daniels come from two of the biggest met-ropolitan areas in the country, Drummond is used to life in Connecticut and enjoys staying in his home state for college.
“It’s great,” Drummond said. “A lot of people say, you’re a hometown hero. That’s what it really boils down to, what people say. It’s a humbling experience so far and I’m just trying to put forth a great sea-son this year.”
The Three AmigosBoatright committed to UConn
last year, and was the only com-mit before Daniels signed on to be a Husky on June 18.
“Kemba was going to go pro and I knew that when I came in here but I just saw the potential that we had,” Boatright said. “Even if they didn’t do what they did last year I knew they had the potential this year... I know me and Shabazz are going to terrorize the backcourt if we work hard.”
Walker is still helping the
team, especially working with the point guards prior to the start of the season.
“Me being a guard, I could work with Shabazz and Ryan,” Walker said.
Watching Walker lead the Huskies to the national cham-pionship last year was inspiring, but Daniels said it didn’t pull him to Storrs.
“Yes I think I would’ve been here if they didn’t win the national championship,” Daniels said. “The reason why I picked UConn was because of the coaching staff and I just felt that I’d get better here, as a person on and off the court.”
Coming to Northeastern Connecticut is a big change of scenery for Daniels, but he is enjoying his time here thus far.
“I like Storrs a lot,” Daniels said. “It’s totally different from L.A., a lot of trees and cows and stuff but I like it a lot.”
The three freshmen have already made a splash together on campus, and have become very good friends.
“We’re pretty much already like brothers,” Daniels said.
Boatright said: “Honestly, truly this team is one big family. We all get along and do every-thing together.”
Drummond said: “Me and DeAndre and Boat, we hang out with each other every single day. Me and DeAndre, we go in other people’s dorms and introduce ourselves. We just go out and have fun. We’re not trying to be like with just basketball play-ers... we have to hang out with the people around campus, not just our teammates.”
Repeat?The impact that these fresh-
men can make was apparent to a sold out crowd at First Night, when Boatright beat Drummond in the finals of the dunk contest. The pair sent the packed gym into a frenzy with NBA Dunk Contest-like jams. Last season at this time, players
like Shabazz Napier, Jeremy Lamb and Roscoe Smith were question marks, there weren’t large expectations for them on campus at that point. This year it’s different. The three freshmen have already been exposed to the national cham-pionship atmosphere.
Drummond, Daniels and Boatright were on the field with their teammates on Sept. 16 at Rentschler Field. Alex Oriakhi announced the new recruiting class to the crowd while hold-ing last year’s national cham-pionship trophy. On Oct. 6, the freshmen went to the national
championship dinner where members of last year’s team received their rings.
“I was really happy, I enjoyed being there,” Daniels said. “It also motivated the three fresh-men, me, Andre and Ryan to get ours.”
Tonight, as the three freshmen watch the curtain come down on the 2011 national champion-ship banner, perhaps they’ll be dreaming of getting theirs.
Drummond headlines freshman class
BIG EAST CONFERENCE AT A GLANCE
Tuesday, March 6 – First RoundNo. 9 seed vs. No. 16 seed (noon, ESPN2)No. 12 seed vs. No. 13 seed (2 p.m., ESPN2)No. 10 seed vs. No. 15 seed (7 p.m., ESPNU)No. 11 seed vs. No. 14 seed (9 p.m., ESPNU)
Wednesday, March 7 – Second Round9/16 winner vs. No. 8 seed (noon, ESPN)12/13 winner vs. No. 5 seed (2 p.m., ESPN)10/15 winner vs. No. 7 seed (7 p.m., ESPN)11/14 winner vs. No. 6 seed (9 p.m., ESPN)
Thursday, March 8 – Quarterfinals8/9/16 winner vs. No. 1 seed (noon, ESPN)5/12/13 winner vs. No. 4 seed (2 p.m., ESPN)7/10/15 winner vs. No. 2 seed (7 p.m., ESPN)6/11/14 winner vs. No. 3 seed (9 p.m., ESPN)
Friday, March 9 – Semifinals7 p.m. and 9 p.m., ESPN
Saturday, March 10 – Championship9 p.m., ESPN
All games at Madison Square Garden, New York
•Pittsburgh
•St. John’s
Seton Hall
•Syracuse
•Villanova
•West Virginia
Providence
•Notre Dame
•UConn
•Cincinnati
Rutgers
•Louisville
•Marquette
•Georgetown
South FloridaDePaul
Team15-3
12-6
12-6
9-9
11-7
4-14
14-4
9-9
11-7
5-13
12-6
7-11
10-8
3-151-17
W-L.833
.667
.389
.667
.500
.611
.222
.778
.500
.611
.278
.667
.389
.556
.167
.056
Pct.–
3
8
3
6
5
11
1
6
4
10
3
8
5
1214
GBConference
28-6
21-12
13-18
27-8
21-12
21-12
15-17
27-7
32-9
26-9
17-15
25-10
22-14
21-11
12-197-24
W-L.824
.636
.419
.636
.636
.469
.794
.780
.743
.469
.714
.611
.656
.303
.226
Pct.Overall
» 2010-2011 STANDINGS 2011 NCAA TOuRNAMENT » 2012 BIG EAST TOuRNAMENT
• indicates team qualified for 2011 NCAA Tournament2011 Big East TournamentSecond Round: UConn 79, Georgetown 62; St. John’s 65, Rutgers 63; Cincinnati 87, South Florida 61; Marquette 87, West Virginia 66Quarterfinals: UConn 76, Pittsburgh 74; Syracuse 79, St. John’s 73; Notre Dame 89, Cincinnati 61; Louisville 81, Marquette 56 Semifinals: UConn 76, Syracuse 71 ot; Louisville 83, Notre Dame 77 ot Championship: UConn 69, Louisville 66
Second, Third Round – March 17-20Southeast: [1] Pittsburgh 97, [16] UNC Asheville 83Southeast: [11] Gonzaga 86, [6] St. John’s 71West: [3] UConn 81, [14] Bucknell 52West: [6] Cincinnati 78, [11] Missouri 63East: [3] Syracuse 77, [14] Indiana State 60East: [8] George Mason 61, [9] Villanova 57East: [5] West Virginia 84, [12] Clemson 76East: [11] Marquette 66, [6] Xavier 55Southwest: [13] Morehead St. 62, [4] Louisville 61Southwest: [11] VCU 74, [6] Georgetown 56Southwest: [2] Notre Dame 69, [15] Akron 56West: [3] UConn 69, [6] Cincinnati 58Southwest: [10] Florida St. 71, [3] Notre Dame 57East: [4] Kentucky 71, [5] West Virginia 63East: [11] Marquette 66, [3] Syracuse 62Southeast: [8] Butler 71, [1] Pittsburgh 70
Regional Semifinals – March 24-25West: [3] UConn 74, [2] San Diego St. 67East: [2] North Carolina 81, [11] Marquette 63
Regional Finals – March 26-27West: [3] UConn 65, [5] Arizona 63 National Semifinals – April 2West: [3] UConn 56, East: [4] Kentucky 55 National Championship – April 4 West: [3] UConn 53, Southeast: [8] Butler 41
7-11
.771
By Colin McDonoughAssociate Sports Editor
Andre Drummond dances during introductions at First Night on Oct. 14. Along with Ryan Boatright and DeAndre Daniels, the new freshmen class will try to dance in New Orleans in April.
ED RYAN/The Daily Campus
Husky HooplaFriday, November 11, 2011 Page 5
* indicates returning letterwinner
Walking the walk without
Walker
The wait is finally over.Tonight the men’s basketball team will offi-
cially begin its title defense. The championship banner will be unveiled, tributes will be paid and the Huskies will take the court for the first time in a meaningful game since winning the champi-onship in Houston.
And once the whistle blows and the ball goes up, the whole cycle will begin anew. It’s a whole new year with a whole new team, but the goal remains the same – to bring the championship back to Storrs once again.
The team is loaded and expectations are high, so there’s no reason to believe this year shouldn’t be a good one. But before we cancel the season and crown the team right now, there’s a big ques-tion remaining that can’t be ignored.
How will they do without Kemba Walker?I don’t have an answer to that question now,
and we probably won’t get one until midway through the Big East schedule, but you can’t lose a player like Walker and expect to just carry on smoothly without him. He was the best player in the country and the engine that drove last year’s team to the championship. You take him out of the equation and what happens?
Last year? Probably disaster.But this year?The team will have to recalibrate somehow,
but this year’s team should have the pieces to transition successfully, even if nobody is quite at Walker’s level. I expect we’ll likely see a shift toward a more frontcourt-oriented style of play as a start. Last year, there wasn’t much depth up front, at least not early on, but this year the Huskies will have the luxury of an improved Alex Oriakhi, a dominant newcomer in Andre Drummond, two versatile wingmen in Roscoe Smith and DeAndre Daniels and a solid, fun-damentally sound body off the bench in Tyler Olander.
If you can’t have Walker torment every defender who gets in his way, then you might as well take advantage of the superfreshman who can dunk on anyone and the gang of big men who can wear down everyone who tries.
But even if you don’t have Walker to break down defenses, the guards who remain from last year’s team might be more than up to the task.
Jeremy Lamb is a preseason All-American and is considered by most people to be one of the best players in the country going into this year. He emerged late last year to become a force, and now he will likely become the guy taking the last shot at the end of games in place of Walker. There isn’t anyone else quite like Lamb out there, with his height, long arms, shooting ability and composure, so it’ll be interesting to see just how productive he will be.
And then, of course, there is Shabazz Napier. A sophomore co-captain, Napier will likely be called upon to be the engine of this year’s offense, much like Walker was last year. He’s the best ball handler on the team, a lockdown defender and most impor-tantly, he can log minutes.
And that matters, because there isn’t going to be a lot behind him in terms of backup. Freshman Ryan Boatright will be relied upon a lot because Napier shouldn’t have to play 40 minutes a game, but beyond him, that’s about it.
The pieces are clearly there, and they are good ones, but the tricky thing is that unlike last year, nobody jumps out as “the guy” quite as obvi-ously as Walker did. Lamb could be the best player, Oriakhi could be the biggest presence, Napier could be the ringleader on the court and Drummond could be the difference maker.
But together, could the Huskies be champions?
Follow Mac Cerullo on Twitter at @MacCerullo.
Mac Cerullo
Breaking down the Huskies
Guards — The guard position appeared to be an area of great strength for the Huskies, with Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier returning to play big minutes and Ryan Boatright entering the mix as a freshman. But with the recent eligibility questions surrounding Boatright, a chink in the armor has been highlighted for the Huskies, who are a little thin at point guard. If Boatright happens to miss any time, look for newly added walk-on Brendan Allen to log some min-utes, and his play could be big for UConn if either Napier or Boatright should miss time due to suspension or injury.
Centers — Freshman Andre Drummond is the clear headliner at this position, as the Middletown native was the top recruit this year in the nation at his position. He’s off to a solid start in the two exhibition games he’s played in, scoring a total of 26 points in 42 minutes. Alex Oriakhi also rotates in at center occasionally, backed up by sophomore Enosch Wolf and redshirt freshmen Michael Bradley.
Forwards — If UConn wants to repeat as national champions it will undoubtedly be due to the return of a group of forwards with arguably the most talent in the country. Junior Alex Oriakhi looks to build on an impressive 2010-11 season where he averaged 9.6 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game. With the departure of Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, sophomores Niels Giffey, Tyler Olander and Roscoe Smith are expected to earn more playing time. Highly touted freshman DeAndre Daniels rounds out the deep and experienced group of forwards.
2010-2011 FINAL STATISTICS
WALKER, Kemba 41-41 223 184 93 7 77 965 23.55.4316-739 258-31575-227.428 .819.33015
BEVERLY, Donnell 39-0 49 47 29 4 10 68 1.71.320-54 21-287-15.370 .750.46702
SMITH, Roscoe* 41-33 213 19 36 51 21 258 6.35.287-227 59-7525-83.383 .787.30122
ORIAKHI, Alex* 41-39 358 15 45 67 16 393 9.68.7153-302 87-1380-0.507 .630.00034
WOLF, Enosch 7-0 6 0 5 0 0 7 1.00.93-5 1-20-0.600 .500.00001
OKWANDU, Charles 41-19 113 22 36 51 11 119 2.92.854-115 11-210-0.470 .524.00035
LAMB, Jeremy* 41-40 183 66 52 25 35 457 11.14.5182-374 47-5946-125.487 .797.36803
OLANDER, Tyler* 72 22 14 7 4 58 1.51.825-67 8-120-2.373 .667.00010
COOMBS-MCDANIEL, J. 41-2 108 22 30 7 10 230 5.62.681-197 44-5524-84.411 .800.28604
NAPIER, Shabazz* 41-0 99 124 75 5 66 320 7.82.4100-270 74-9646-141.370 .771.32613
STEWART, Ben 4-0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0.50.51-2 0-00-0.500 .000.00023
GIFFEY, Niels* 41-10 56 6 11 4 9 90 2.21.431-77 17-2111-34.403 .810.32405
Player GP-GS Reb Ast TO Blk Stl Pts PPGRPGFG-FGA FT-FTA3FG-3FGAFG Pct. FT Pct.3FG Pct.##
39-21
NOVEMBER3 GP AIC (exh.) W, 96-587 XL Bridgeport (exh.) W, 103-9712 GP Stony Brook W, 79-5217 XL Vermont W, 89-73 EA Sports Maui Invitational22 % Wichita St. W, 83-7923 % Michigan St. W, 70-6724 % Kentucky W, 84-6730 GP New Hampshire W, 62-55
DECEMBER3 XL UMBC W, 94-618 GP Fairleigh Dickinson W, 78-5420 XL Coppin State W, 76-6422 XL Harvard W, 81-5227 at Pittsburgh L, 78-6331 XL Cincinnati W, 66-61,ot
JANUARY4 at Notre Dame L, 73-708 at Texas W, 82-8111 XL Rutgers W, 67-5315 at DePaul W, 82-6217 GP Villanova W, 61-5922 XL Tennessee W, 72-6125 at Marquette W, 76-6829 GP Louisville L, 79-78,2ot
Scores in bold indicate Big East opponents.
FEBRUARY2 XL Syracuse L, 66-585 at Seton Hall W, 61-5910 at St. John’s L, 89-72 13 GP Providence W, 75-5716 XL Georgetown W, 78-7018 at Louisville L, 71-5824 XL Marquette L, 74-67, ot27 at Cincinnati W, 67-59
MARCH2 at West Virginia L, 65-565 GP Notre Dame L, 70-67
2011 Big East Championship8 * DePaul (R1) W, 97-719 * Georgetown (R2) W, 79-6210 * Pittsburgh (Quarters) W, 76-7411 * Syracuse (Semis) W, 76-71, ot12 * Louisville (Finals) W, 69-66 2011 NCAA Tournament17 $ Bucknell (R2) W, 81-5219 $ Cincinnati (R3) W, 69-5824 # San Diego St. (Sweet 16) W, 74-6726 # Arizona (Elite Eight) W, 65-63APRIL2 ! Kentucky (Final Four) W, 56-554 ! Butler (NCAA Final) W, 53-41Bold indicates Big East game.% Maui Invitational (Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Hawaii)*Big East Championship (Madison Square Garden, New York)$ Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. #Honda Center, Anaheim, Calif.! Reliant Stadium, Houston, TexasGP = Gampel Pavilion; XL = XL Center; bold denotes conference game
2010-2011 SEASON IN REVIEWSCHEDULE AND RESULTS – 32-9, 9-9 Big East tournament champs, NCAA champs
Husky HooplaPage 6 Friday, November 11, 2011
CINCINNATIMick Cronin (6th year)
Last Season: 26-9 (11-7), 6thMick Cronin’s Bearcats enter the season ranked
preseason No. 22. Cincy returns its top two scorers in Yancy Gates and Dion Dixon, and adds what should be a strong seven-member freshman class. After finishing seventh in the Big East last year with an 11-7 conference record, Cincinnati will look to make a return trip to the NCAA tournament, where they lost to UConn in the third round.
LOuISVILLERick Pitino (10th year)
Last Season: 25-10 (12-6), 4thThe Louisville Cardinals return much of
last years squad that finished tied for third in the regular season, as well as breakout start Peyton Siva. With another top recruiting class entering the 2011-12 season, the Cardinals should be a force to reckon with in the Big East.
PITTSBuRGHJamie Dixon (9th year)
Last Season: 28-6 (15-3), 1stPittsburgh had a great Big East season in 2010-11,
going 15-3 and winning the regular season title. Pitt is only returning two starters, as Gary McGhee, Gilbert Brown and Brad Wanamaker have all graduated; however, one of those starters is Ashton Gibbs (16.8 ppg, 49 3P%), the Big East Preseason Player of the Year. Freshman big man Khem Birch was ranked 12th overall in the 2011 recruiting class.
SETON HALLKevin Willard (2nd year)
Last Season: 13-18 (7-11), 12thThe number one issue for the Pirates this season
is replacing the scoring lost by the dangerous Jeremy Hazell, who averaged 19.8 points per game last year. Seton Hall also lost Jeff Robinson, the team’s second leading scorer at 12.1 points per game. In order to fill those voids, Jordan Theodore, Fuquan Edwin and rebound-machine Herb Pope will need to pick up some of the scoring slack.
SYRACuSEJim Boeheim (34th year)
Last Season: 27-8 (12-6), 3rdCoach Jim Boeheim may not exactly be thrilled
with his school’s pending move to the ACC, but one thing that does put a smile on his face these days is his team. Seniors Scoop Jardine and Kris Joseph, along with guard Brandon Triche and talented incoming freshmen Rakeem Christmas and Michael Carter-Williams will help the Orange this year.
GEORGETOWNJohn Thompson III (8th year)Last Season: 21-11 (10-8), 8thThis will be the eighth year coaching Georgetown
for John Thompson III. The Hoyas were a major disappointment last season, limping into the NCAA tournament after losing its last four games before falling to Cinderella favorite VCU in the Second Round. Thompson is a very capable coach, but a young team will prove a challenge for the Hoyas this season.
NOTRE DAMEMike Brey (12th year)
Last Season: 27-7 (14-4), 2ndThe Notre Dame Fighting Irish should be a
solid team in the Big East this season but the loss of Ben Hansbrough is going to hurt a lot. Lucky for them, they have Tim Ambromaitis who can step in and be the senior leader that Hansbrough was last season.
RuTGERSMike Rice (2nd year)
Last Season: 17-15 (5-13), 13thThe Scarlet Knights are a very young team,
but head coach Mike Rice pulled in the No. 16 recruiting class this summer. Big things are expected out of freshmen guards Myles Mack and Kadeem Jack, while sophomore Gilvydas Biruta (9.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg) is expected to lead Rutgers in the paint.
ST. JOHN’SSteve Lavin (2nd year)
Last Season: 21-12 (12-6), 5thWith six new faces in their seven-man rotation, the
highly anticipated recruiting class of this year will have to step up big time for the Red Storm to achieve the success of last year’s team. Expect Nurideen Lindsey and God’s Gift Achiuwa (yes, that’s his name) to lead the team this year, with freshmen forwards Moe Harkless and Sir’Dominic Pointer making significant contributions.
WEST VIRGINIABob Huggins (5th year)
Last Season: 21-12 (11-7), 7thJim Boeheim recently said WVU headman
Bob Huggins has a chance to break the all-time wins record someday. Huggins might have his toughest test this year, however, as the Mountaineers already lost an exhibition game. Darryl “Truck” Bryant and Kevin Jones (13.1 ppg) must carry the load.
DEPAuLOliver Purnell (2nd year)
Last Season: 7-24 (1-17), 16th
MARQuETTEBuzz Williams (4th year)
Last Season: 22-14 (7-11), 11thWith the return of leading scorer Darius
Johnson-Odom, the Marquette Golden Eagles will once again find themselves right in the middle of things in the Big East. Having only one senior will hurt the Golden Eagles but they always seem to find their way into the tournament when all is said and done.
PROVIDENCEEd Cooley (1st year)
Last Season: 15-17 (4-14), 14thProvidence made a big move this offseason by
firing head coach Keno Davis and hiring former Fairfield head coach, Ed Cooley. With Marshon Brooks (24.6 ppg) gone, the Friars will likely turn to point guard Vincent Council (13.7 ppg) and shooting guard Gerard Coleman (10.3 ppg, 53.7 FT%) to pick up the scoring load.
SOuTH FLORIDAStan Heath (5th year)
Last Season: 12-19 (3-15), 15thWith four of their top-five scorers returning,
the Bulls should look to improve on their horri-ble Big East record of 3-15 last year. They have transfers Ron Anderson and Victor Rudd who should look to contribute, and guard Jawanza Poland should be a staple in the offense once he returns from a back injury.
VILLANOVAJay Wright (11th year)
Last Season: 21-12 (9-9), 10thGone are the Corey brothers, Stokes and
Fisher, as well as steady bruiser Antonio Peña. The reins have been handed to bonafide point guard Maalik Wayns, who will have the big responsibility of leading a very young Wildcats squad. Mouphtaou Yarou is poised for a break-out year in the post.
PROSPECTuS DC Staff Predicted Order of Finish:
1.
5.
3.
7.
2.
6.
4.
8.9. Wes t V i rg in ia10. V i l l anova11. Prov idence12. S t . John ’s13. Se ton Ha l l14. DePau l15. Rutger s16. USFTeam, order of finish and Player of the Year was compiled by a majority vote of the Daily Campus sports department.
Alex Oriakhi, C, UConn Yancy Gates, F, Cincinnati Tim Abromaitis, F, Notre Dame Jeremy Lamb, G, UConn Ashton Gibbs, G, Pittsburgh
AP PHOTOS
2011-12 Daily Campus Men’s All-Big East TeamPreseason Player of the Year — Ashton Gibbs, G, Pittsburgh
The Blue Demons were only able to muster one win in the powerful Big East last year, a three-point road victory at Providence. DePaul has already lost three freshmen to eligibility issues, and it will be a struggle for them to improve this season. They will try to build some chemistry against mid-major opponents before entering Big East play.
Husky HooplaFriday, November 11, 2011 Page 7
Harry Perretta (33rd Year)Last Season: 12-19 (3-13), 14thA 3-13 Big East record last year put
Villanova near the bottom of the conference. Big East coaches picked the Wildcats to finish 13th this season. They will return three of their starters and eight members of last year’s team, but a tough Big East schedule will prove a challenge for the Wildcats.
Quentin Hillsman (6th Year)Last Season: 25-10 (9-7), 7th
Syracuse finished last season at 22-9 with a 9-7 conference record, good for seventh in the Big East. They finished their season in the NIT quarterfinals, where they lost to Toledo. While not being ranked, the Orange did receive votes in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. Three of last year’s starters are returning, and sixth-year coach Quentin Hillsman will try to guide the Orange back into the NCAA Tournament.
Kim Barnes Arico (10th Year)Last Season: 22-11 (9-7), 9th
Phil Seymore (7th Year)Last Season: 13-16 (6-10), 11th
Agnus Berenato (9th Year)Last Season: 14-17 (5-11), 12th
Terri Williams-Flournoy (8th Year)Last Season: 24-11 (9-7), 9th
With the return of four starters, including junior guard Sugar Rodgers, the 2011 season is looking bright for the preseason No. 10 Hoyas. After a near upset of top ranked Connecticut in the regional semifinals last season, Georgetown will rely on its depth and experience to make a deep tournament run.
Jamelle Elliott (3rd Year)Last Season: 9-20 (2-14), 15thAfter a rough season in which the lady
Bearcats finished 9-20, Cincinnati is losing their 2010-2011 top scorer in Shareese Ulis but have the next four top scorers returning, including Kayla Cook and Jeanise Randolph, who were both named to last year’s BIG EAST All-Freshman team.
CINCINNATI
LOuISVILLE
PITTSBuRGH
SETON HALLAnne Donovan (2nd Year)
Last Season: 8-22 (1-15), 16th
SYRACuSE
GEORGETOWN
NOTRE DAME
RuTGERS
ST. JOHN’S
WEST VIRGINIA
DEPAuL
MARQuETTE
PROVIDENCE
SOuTH FLORIDA
VILLANOVA
PROSPECTuSDC Staff Predicted Order of Finish:
1.
5.
3.
7.
2.
6.
4.
8.9. Wes t V i rg in ia10. C inc inna t i11. Syracuse12. Prov idence13. V i l l anova14. P i t t sburgh15. Sou th F lo r ida16. Se ton Ha l l
Doug Bruno (26th Year)Last Season: 29-7 (13-3), 2nd
The Blue Demons earned a spot in the Top 25 preseason rankings with the return of three starters, including senior guard and leading scorer Keisha Hampton. Although depth may be an issue for the team late in the season, DePaul has the tools to stay competitive in the Big East and return to the Sweet 16.
Muffet McGraw (24rd Year)Last Season: 31-8 (13-3), 3rd
The Irish come into this season ranked No. 1 over perennial favorite UConn. Notre Dame’s squad includes four starters that brought the team to the school second NCAA national title game in school history. The Irish are led by Preseason Big East Player of the Year Skylar Diggins, who averages 15 points a game and by Senior forward Devereaux Peters, who was the Big East Defensive Player of the Year last season.
Terri Mitchell (16th Year)Last Season: 24-9 (10-6), 5th
Marquette comes into this season ranked 11th in the coach’s poll. The Golden Eagles return two start-ers but will need to replace many key players due to graduation. With 74.8 of Marquette’s scoring lost to graduation the Golden Eagles will need to rely on their freshmen to compete in the highly competitive Big East.
Jeff Walz (5th Year)Last Season: 22-13 (10-6), 6thLouisville is fresh off their most recent sweet
sixteen appearance, their third in the past four seasons. The Cardinals return four starters, including sophomore point guard Shoni Schimmel, who aver-ages 15.1 points a game. Louisville looks to build off its 22-win season of last year in which they upset second seeded Xavier in the NCAA Tournament.
C. Vivian Stringer (17th Year)Last Season: 20-13 (11-5), 4thRutgers is eager for a 10th-straight trip to the
NCAA Tournament. Under the direction of head coach Vivian Stringer, the Scarlet Knights finished last season with a record of 20-13. Stringer, an experienced coach, is one of only three female coaches with 850 wins under her belt. Not to mention Rutgers has five returning starters, including Khadijah Rushdan, who averaged 11.8 points per game.
Jose Fernandez (12th Year)Last Season: 12-19 (3-13), 13thThe South Florida Bulls (12-19, 3-13 Big East)
had an overall disappointing 2010-11 season but finished the year with two impressive road wins over Villanova and then No. 18 Georgetown. Head coach Jose Fernandez looks to carry the momentum into this season with the top two scorers from last season returning, Andrell Smith and Andrea Smith.
St. John’s (22-11, 9-7 Big East) are coming off a second round NCAA tournament loss to eventual Final Four Team, Stanford. The back court is led by a pair of experienced juniors, Shenneika Smith and Nadirah McKenith. McKenith was a key piece to St.John’s tournament run recording 130 assists and 276 points last season.
Mike Carey (11th Year)Last Season: 24-10 (8-8), 10thThe Mountaineers went an even 8-8 in the Big
East last year, compiling a 22-8 regular-season record that was good enough to make it to the NCAA tournament. After an opening-round win against Houston, WVU ran into Brittney Griner and the Baylor Bears, this season’s preseason favorite. The team lost five seniors and has four true freshmen on this year’s roster.
Pittsburgh is hoping to bounce back after a loss to Marquette in the quarterfinals of last year’s Big East tournament. Head Coach Agnes Bernato has the youngest team in NCAA women’s basketball for 2011-2012. Four of the Panther’s leading scorers graduated, leaving no seniors and making sophomore guard and top-scorer Ashlee Anderson the only returning starter.
The Providence Friars finished last year 11th in the Big East regular season. Under head coach Phil Seymore, the Friars have won a total of 13 conference games the past two years. After the loss of their top scorer, Mi-Khida Hankins, who averaged 10.4 points per game, Providence now has six seniors and two juniors to lead the team.
The good news for Seton Hall (8-22, 1-15 Big East) is that after finishing last in the conference last season; the only place to go is up. Second-year coach Anne Donovan’s squad is returning all but one player from last year’s team, including Ka-Deidre Simmons who earned a spot on the 2010-11 All-Big East freshman team. Simmons averaged 7.2 points per game in 30 games.
Team and order of finish compiled by a majority vote of the Daily Campus sports department.
Skylar Diggins, G, Notre Dame
Preseason Player of the Year — Skylar Diggins, G, Notre DameBria Hartley, G, UConn Tiffany Hayes, G, UConn Devereaux Peters, F, Notre Dame Sugar Rodgers, G, Georgetown
AP
2011-12 Daily Campus Women’s All-Big East Team
Husky HooplaPage 8 Friday, November 11, 2011
2010-2011 SEASON IN REVIEWNOVEMBER4 GP Franklin Pierce (exh.) W, 112-4110 XL Indiana Pa. (exh.) W, 100-4114 GP Holy Cross W, 117-3716 XL Baylor W, 65-6421 at Georgia Tech W, 71-51 WBCA Classic26 GP Howard W, 86-2527 GP Lehigh W, 81-3828 GP LSU W, 81-51
DECEMBER2 at South Florida W, 80-545 XL Sacred Heart W, 86-329 GP Marquette W, 79-4719 MSG Ohio State W, 81-5021 XL Florida State W, 93-6228 at Pacific W, 85-4230 at Stanford L, 59-71
JANUARY5 GP Villanova W, 81-358 at Notre Dame W, 79-7612 at St. John’s W, 84-5215 XL Louisville W, 78-5517 at North Carolina W, 83-5722 GP Pittsburgh W, 66-4626 at Rutgers W, 63-4029 at Cincinnati W, 80-4631 GP Duke W, 87-51
FEBRUARY5 XL DePaul W, 89-668 at West Virginia W, 57-5112 at Providence W, 68-3814 XL Oklahoma W, 86-4519 GP Notre Dame W, 78-5722 XL Seton Hall W, 80-5926 at Georgetown W, 52-4228 GP Syracuse W, 82-47
MARCH2010 Big East Championship
6 XL Georgetown (QF) W, 59-437 XL Rutgers (SF) W, 75-518 XL Notre Dame (F) W, 73-64
2010 NCAA Tournament
20 % Southern Univ. (R1) W, 75-39 22 % Temple (R2) W, 64-40 27 ^ Georgetown (Sweet 16) W, 68-63 29 ^ Duke (Elite Eight) W, 75-40 APRIL 3 # Notre Dame (Final Four) L, 63-72
Bold indicates Big East game.% - NCAA First and Second Round (Storrs, Conn.)^ - NCAA Regionals (Philadelphia, Pa.)# - NCAA Final Four (Indianapolis, In.)GP = Gampel Pavilion; XL = XL Center; bold denotes conference game
SCHEDULE AND RESULTS – 36-2, 16-0 Big East; Big East Tournament Champions; NCAA Final Four
Guards — After averaging more than 13 points-per- game last season, senior guard Tiffany Hayes will lead the way for the Huskies this season. Assisting her will be Caroline Doty, who is returning after knee surgery sidelined her for the entire 2010-2011 season, sophomore Bria Hartley, who average more than 12 points per game last year, and junior Kelly Faris. Looking to make a name for herself will be fresh-man Brianna Banks, a 2011 McDonald’s All-American.
Centers — 6-foot-5 sophomore Stefanie Dolson will look to build off last season’s numbers where she scored an average of 10.2 points a game and blocked 46 shots. Dolson also earned All-Freshmen team honors playing center for the Huskies. Junior Heather Buck and freshmen Kiah Stokes will also look to do great things for UConn.
Forwards — Likely the weakest spot on the court for the Huskies, the forward positions will be filled by mostly inexperienced players this season. The three returning forwards for UConn – Heather Buck, Lauren Engeln and Michala Johnson – each averaged less than 10 minutes per game last season, with Buck, who splits time between forward and center duties, leading the way at 8.5 minutes per game. On top of the three returning players, the Huskies will have Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, who will be sporting Maya Moore’s old No. 23.
Breaking down the Huskies
* indicates returning letterwinner
2010-2011 FINAL STATISTICS
MOORE, Maya 38-38 313 151 85 46 89 868 22.88.2333-636 134-159 68-177.524 .843.38423
ENGELN, Lauren* 30-0 22 4 16 2 6 49 1.60.718-46 11-152-7.391 .733.28612
FARIS, Kelly* 38-38 256 142 86 22 70 296 7.86.7102-240 62-8230-97.425 .756.30934
HARTLEY, Bria* 38-34 138 110 100 2 45 472 12.43.6173-370 57-7869-176.468 .731.39214
DIXON, Lorin 37-4 91 106 53 10 30 109 2.92.543-94 18-305-25.457 .600.20030
HAYES, Tiffany* 38-38 174 139 91 15 52 519 13.74.6167-383 134-17351-146.436 .775.34903
Johnson, Michala* 30-0 45 4 15 3 3 38 1.31.516-36 6-110-1.444 .545.00025
WALKER, Samarie* 17-1 99 13 21 5 17 105 6.25.844-75 17-32 0-0 .587 .531.00011
DOLSON, Stefanie* 38-36 233 60 78 46 20 386 10.26.1162-263 62-760-1 .616 .816 .000 31
BUCK, Heather* 32-1 63 9 27 12 11 67 2.12.025-50 17-21 0-0.500 .810.00032
Player GP-GS Reb Ast TO Blk Stl Pts PPGRPGFG-FGA FT-FTA3FG-3FGAFG Pct. FT Pct.3FG Pct.##
Huskies are out of the spotlight
Pressure is a funny thing.Physics tells us it’s a matter of force and
area, yet the growing pit we all get in our stomachs as the clock ticks tells us some-thing entirely different.
This season, the UConn women’s basket-ball team will have very little in the way of outside pressure, regardless of definition. For the first time in years, they’re not tabbed as the preseason No. 1, and for that matter, they’re not even in the top 3. The Huskies are currently being overlooked for the likes of Notre Dame, Baylor and Tennessee this season, and it is simply wonderful.
Sure, any program in the country would rather bear the burden of a No. 1 ranking rather than any stake claim other spot. Sure, the perks that come with the title of “top dog” typically include being the best team in every game they’ll play. But it’s about time for a break.
In his immediate reflection of the Huskies’ Final Four loss to Notre Dame last year, Geno Auriemma remarked that his fresh-men were caught up in the “bigness of the moment.” Having witnessed the game one row up from the out-of-bounds line, I could see this plainer than the hardcourt in front of me. The pressure had indeed gotten to UConn.
Of course, this happens to all of us. But for the last few years, this remarkable pro-gram hasn’t just dealt with the pressure of one Final Four appearance– but four of them. Also, try carrying the titles of reigning champions, two-time reigning champions and “best team ever.” Finally, imagine shoul-dering a 90-game winning streak, conference championships and taking the best shot of every single opponent for 40 minutes.
No other team in the history of sport – or at least very few – has ever had to deal with the accumulation of such monumental expecta-tions and external pressure.
The reason the Huskies were able to sus-tain all of this force from the outside was because they matched it with pressure they put on themselves internally. Their quest for perfection in every practice, cut, pass and shot drove them and blocked out every-thing else. UConn did this at a remarkable level for an even more remarkable length of time, even when looking at last season. 36-2 doesn’t just happen on its’ own.
However, when the spotlight got hot-test and the pressure built up, there simply weren’t enough shoulders to carry the load. Auriemma’s short bench couldn’t alleviate his struggling freshmen or replace an inef-fective Tiffany Hayes. Thus, the Huskies finally fell to the Fighting Irish despite the courageous efforts of four-time All-American Maya Moore.
But this year, they’re deeper. The spotlight has shifted elsewhere. And even if it were to return in full, any sort of outside force could be spread to more Huskies, thereby lessening the pressure on the overall team.
Maya Moore is indeed gone, and the chance at winning a national title is less than it has been in recent years. But it’s not gone entirely. Never will a shot at victory disap-pear– especially in college sports. So, get excited for the season. Get excited for the start of a new chapter ready to be written in UConn women’s basketball history. Let’s just hope it has that same old happy, cham-pionship ending.
Andrew Callahan
Husky HooplaPage 9 Friday, November 11, 2011
Doty to make long-awaited return
Caroline Doty, seen here against Hofstra in 2009, missed last season after tearing her ACL. The redshirt junior will return to the court Sunday against Holy Cross.
ASHLEY POSPISIL/The Daily Campus
BIG EAST CONFERENCE AT A GLANCE
Friday, March 2 – First RoundNo. 12 seed vs. No. 13 seed (noon)No. 9 seed vs. No. 16 seed (2 p.m.)No. 10 seed vs. No. 15 seed (6 p.m.)No. 11 seed vs. No. 14 seed (8 p.m.)
Saturday, March 3 – Second Round12/13 winner vs. No. 5 seed (noon, BETV*)9/16 winner vs. No. 8 seed (2 p.m., BETV*)10/15 winner vs. No. 7 seed (6 p.m., BETV*)11/14 winner vs. No. 6 seed (8 p.m., BETV*)
Sunday, March 4 – Quarterfinals5/12/13 winner vs. No. 4 seed (noon, ESPNU)8/9/16 winner vs. No. 1 seed (2 p.m., ESPNU)7/10/15 winner vs. No. 2 seed (7 p.m., ESPNU)6/11/14 winner vs. No. 3 seed (9 p.m., ESPNU)
Monday, March 5 – Semifinals6 p.m. and 8 p.m., ESPNU
Tuesday, March 6 – Championship7 p.m., ESPN
All games at XL Center, Hartford *BETV – local regional sports networks
•UConn
•Marquette
Pittsburgh
•Notre Dame
•West Virginia
Syracuse
Villanova
•DePaul
•St. John’s
•Louisville
South Florida
•Rutgers
Providence
•Georgetown
CincinnatiSeton Hall
Team16-0
10-6
5-11
13-3
8-8
9-7
3-13
13-3
9-7
10-6
3-13
11-5
6-10
9-7
2-141-15
W-L1.000
.625
.313
.812
.500
.563
.188
.812
.563
.625
.188
.688
.375
.563
.125
.063
Pct.–
6
11
3
8
7
13
3
7
6
13
5
10
7
1415
GBConference
36-2
24-9
14-17
31-8
24-10
25-10
12-19
29-7
22-11
22-13
12-19
20-13
13-16
24-11
9-208-22
W-L.947
.727
.452
.795
.706
.714
.387
.806
.667
.629
.387
.606
.448
.686
.310
.267
Pct.Overall
» 2010-2011 STANDINGS 2011 NCAA TOuRNAMENT » 2012 BIG EAST TOuRNAMENT
• indicates team qualified for 2010 NCAA Tournament2010 Big East Tournament
Second Round: Georgetown 61, Syracuse 60; Marquette 65, Pittsburgh 61; St. John’s 59, West Virginia 51; Louisville 69, Villanova 47Quarterfinals: Rutgers 68, Marquette 62; UConn 59, Georgetown 43;
DePaul 66, St. John’s 54; Notre Dame 63, Louisville 53Semifinals: UConn 75, Rutgers 51; Notre Dame 71, DePaul 67Championship: UConn 73, Notre Dame 64
First and Second Rounds – March 20-23Philadelphia: [1] UConn 75, [16] Hartford 39Philadelphia: [5] Georgetown 65, [12] Princeton 49Philadelphia: [3] DePaul 56, [14] Navy 43Dayton: [8] Marquette 68, [9] Texas 65Dayton: [2] Notre Dame 67, [15] Utah 54Dallas: [7] Rutgers 76, [10] Louisiana Tech 51Dallas: [9] West Virginia 79, [8] Houston 73Spokane: [7] Louisville 81, [10] Vanderbilt 62Spokane: [9] St. John’s, [8] Texas Tech 50Philadelphia: [1] UConn 64, [9] Purdue 40Philadelphia: [5] Georgetown 79, [4] Maryland 57Philadelphia: [3] DePaul 75, [6] Penn State 73Dayton: [1] Tennessee 79, [8] Marquette 70Dayton: [2] Notre Dame 49, [10] Temple 33Dallas: [2] Texas A&M 70, [7] Rutgers 48Dallas: [1] Baylor 82, [9] West Virginia 68Spokane: [7] Louisville 85, [7] Xavier 75Spokane: [1] Stanford 75, [9] St. John’s 49Regional Semifinals & Finals – March 28-31Philadelphia: [1] UConn 68, [5] Georgetown 63Philadelphia: [2] Duke 70, [2] DePaul 63Dayton: [2] Notre Dame 78, [6] Oklahoma 53Spokane: [11] Gonzaga 76, [7] Louisville 69Philadelphia: [1] UConn 75, [2] Duke 40Dayton: [2] Notre Dame 73, Tennessee [1] 59National Semifinals and Finals – April 3-5
Dayton: [2] Notre Dame 72, Philadelphia: [1] UConn 63Dallas: [2] Texas A&M 76, Dayton: [2] Notre Dame 70
On Sunday, shooting guard Caroline Doty will return to the court for the first time in a year and a half. After three ACL tears, she’ll put her rehab, attitude and body to the test.
On Tuesday, she joked that no one told her how much business casual clothing she’d need for a sport that she thought she’d be in a jersey and shorts, but she’s taken the hard-ship of sitting on the bench with a mindset that will propel her to success this season.
After finally getting cleared to play, Doty sprained her ankle just a few days before the first exhibition game. The sight looked all too familiar: sweater, flats and hair down. But she didn’t express any frustration. Instead, she provided the same off-court energy she provided to the team all last season, jumping off the bench, clapping, smiling and high-fiving.
“I’ll raise my voice, get people energized,” Doty said. “I want to help the young kids. We’re going to need them. I’ll do anything to help them.”
Last time Doty played in uniform, she was one of the “young kids.” Doty played the first 17 games of her freshman year before her ACL tear against Syracuse. But over the span that seems to have lasted nearly a whole college career, she said she has grown.
“However many games I’ve missed, how-ever many injuries, I know everyone has a problem and things could be worse,” Doty said. “I truly believe everything happens for a reason. If I can keep that in mind and handle every day the best I can, there will be more good days than bad days. You have to have more good days than bad.”
The 5-foot-10 redshirt junior has focused on the success of her team rather than the setbacks of her personal injury. “
I’ve been a part of two national champion-ships. Not many people can even say they’ve been to the Final Four,” Doty said. “And I’ve and been part of a 90-in-a-row win streak. No one has done that.”
She attributes her ability to stay positive to everyone who surrounds her.
“My teammates keep me laughing all the
time, and my supporting staff of coaches and trainers have made rehab enjoyable,” Doty said.
As quick as Doty is to thank everyone else, she is just as much responsible for her optimism.
“While I’m here and playing, I’m going to work my hardest. My No. 1 passion is basketball, and I’m here to play basketball. I’m not a quitter. No matter what happens, I’m always going to keep working at it. I’ve learned so much off the court. ”
That’s not to say it’s been easy to keep that outlook. “It’s tough when something is nag-ging day in and day out. But I have to deal and adjust,” Doty said, adding that, rather than feeling unfortunate, she finds herself to be lucky.
“I still have the opportunity to play basket-ball. I’m focused in school more than ever. I feel so strong, and I’ve met so many new people from the training room,” Doty said.
As much time as Doty has devoted to her own recovery, she still manages to find time for everyone else. Freshman Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, the top-ranked recruit, cited Doty as one of her role models.
“She’s taken me under her wing,” Mosqueda-Lewis said. “When I get pulled out, she’s the first one encouraging me and telling me what I need to work on.”
As Mosqueda-Lewis faces her first-ever New England winter, Doty plans on buying Lewis her first beanie.
“She says I need to keep my ears warm,” Mosqueda-Lewis said.
Some doubt her play will be as tenacious before for fear of a re-injury. “I’ll be a little cautious, of course. I need to be smart,” Doty said. At the same time, she has no plans of playing soft. “If there’s a loose ball, I’m going after. If there’s an opportunity for a rebound, I’ll go for it. It’s a game, and you’ve got to compete to win. That’s what we all are here for.”
Now, she’s more confident than ever that her knee is 100 percent and is restless to return to action.
“There are some nerves,” said Doty with a smile, “but I am so ready to play.”
By Danielle EnnisStaff Writer
After missing all of last season with ACL injury, junior guard ready to make up for lost time
Husky HooplaFriday, November 11, 2011 Page 10
Freshman has massive shoes to fillThe expectations for 2011 ESPNU’s high-
est-ranked recruit, who will be coming to women’s basketball’s most successful pro-gram of the last 10 years, were already high enough. Those expectations increased expo-nentially when she took UConn legend and recent graduate Maya Moore’s number, 23.
For the 6-foot forward, pressure is not something to shy away from. Instead, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis considers it a good challenge and something she looks forward to.
“It’s exciting to play for the program,” Mosqueda-Lewis said. “A lot of people don’t get a chance to be on a team. Most people aren’t contending for a national championship every year.”
Mosqueda-Lewis comes to Storrs from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif. Mater Dei has a rich history of successful athletes at the collegiate level, including USC quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Matt Barkley and Hawaii’s Colt Brennan.
In her days at Mater Dei, Mosqueda-Lewis had no shortage of accomplishments. Last year, her team won the Fab-50 National Title as the best high school women’s bas-ketball team in the country. It was the sec-ond year in a row that her school won the award.
She also earned the Gatorade National Player of the Year award last season. She was the first California player to do so in 21 years. Legendary center Lisa Leslie of Morningside High School in Inglewood last won the award in 1990.
One of the things that impressed scouts about Mosqueda-Lewis was her maturity. It is common for her to pass up shots when
a teammate is open for a better look. Aside from maturity, she demonstrates an incred-ible ability to defend and a high level of offensive versatility.
Outside of basketball, Mosqueda-Lewis said she loves cooking, and that her favorite thing to do when she’s not playing basket-ball is sleep. At some point in her life, she would love the chance to take on former Husky great Sue Bird in a one-on-one game.
As a native of sunny Southern California, the change in weather has caused her to get used to wearing heavy jackets more frequently.
“It’s not been warm,” Mosqueda-Lewis said. “But I finally got a winter coat. I wish there were more days like [Tuesday], but I know there are few left.
She said the snowstorm that occurred the weekend before Halloween was the first time she physically saw snow fall from the sky. For her teammates, it was all too com-mon, but Mosqueda-Lewis thought it was cool to see.
“That was really pretty,” she said. “My teammates said that’s not that cool, but I’ve never seen it.”
So far this season, the pressure has not gotten to her. In her first 19 minutes of play, she scored 14 points, going 4-7 on 3-point-ers.
Mosqueda-Lewis fits in perfectly with the Huskies’ team mentality of practicing and playing hard. She’s ready to play and take on the highest level of competition that the NCAA has to offer. Auriemma typi-cally recruits players who are winners, and Mosqueda-Lewis is no exception.
“We’re all winners. It’s in our heads,” Mosqueda-Lewis said.
By Dan AgabitiSenior Staff Writer
Lone senior Hayes hopes to go out on topKaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, here in UConn’s 89-30 win over Assumption on Nov. 3, will take Maya Moore’s spot.
ED RYAN/The Daily Campus
Tiffany Hayes, seen here in UConn’s Final Four loss to Notre Dame, will look to make a return trip her senior season. ASHLEY POSPISIL/The Daily Campus
When Tiffany Hayes arrived at UConn in the summer of 2008, she was part of a loaded four-member recruiting class that included top-ranked prospect Elena Delle Donne, No. 10 Caroline Doty and No. 31 Heather Buck.
Three years later, after Buck and Doty used medical redshirts and Delle Donne transferred to Delaware, Hayes is now the lone senior on the Huskies’ roster.
Throughout her first three seasons, Hayes has been surrounded by both talent and experience. As a fresh-man, she played in the same back-court as All-American point guard Renee Montgomery. During her sophomore year, she had National Player of the Year center Tina Charles to dump the ball to down low, and last season she had Maya Moore, a four-time All-American and the program’s all-time leading scorer, to carry the bulk of the load.
“I’ve always had help,” Hayes said after Tuesday’s practice, although she added that she doesn’t think it’s changed that much.
“I’ve had help every year,” Hayes said. “It’s just the fact that I’m the only senior, I’m the oldest.”
With Moore gone, the Huskies, who were ranked No. 4 in the preseason poll and picked to finish second in the Big East behind Notre Dame, will look to new faces to shoulder more responsibil-ity on the court. When asked on Tuesday who he thought those players would be, coach Geno Auriemma had a couple players in mind.
“I would say the two people who have added more to their roles would be Tiffany [Hayes] and Kelly [Faris],” Auriemma said. “I think the two of them have taken on a much greater role in
every area, offensively and defensively. I really believe that a lot of our offense is going to come from those two.”
Hayes put that increased role on dis-play last Thursday in UConn’s 89-30 exhibition win over Assumption, a Divison II school out the Northeast-10 conference. The 5-foot-9 combo guard scored 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting, stole the ball four times and dished out a game-high 10 assists.
“[She’s] much better in making deci-sions when to do what,” Auriemma said. “As she gets in the lane it’s way more under control… It’s more, ‘I’m going to get in there and make a play, but if not I can be a playmaker,’ and that’s been the biggest difference that I’ve seen.”
On Tuesday, Hayes agreed with much of her coach’s assessment.
“I haven’t been fouling as much, or getting in there and not knowing where to go,” she said. “Just lately in prac-tice I’ve been finding the open 3-point player, or Stef or whatever post player’s been in there. So just the fact that I can get in there and do that, I think that’s a big change from last year.”
Hayes, a 2010-11 Big East First Team selection, enters her senior campaign with career averages of 10.7 points (1,242 overall), 4.0 rebounds (459), 3.1 assists (357), 1.2 steals (136) and 142 total 3-pointers. She’s currently 457 points, 116 assists and nine 3-pointers shy of breaking into UConn’s top 10 in each category.
While Hayes’ personal goals may have changed – she listed consistency as her main one for this year – she said her goal for the team hasn’t wavered.
“Of course [it’s] a National Championship,” she said.
By Ryan TeppermanStaff Writer
Husky HooplaFriday, November 11, 2011 Page 11
THE HuSKIES
Tiffany HayesG – SeniorLakeland, Fla.
3Caroline DotyG – Redshirt JuniorDoylestown, Pa.
5
Brianna BanksG – FreshmanNewnan, Ga.
13Lauren Engeln
F - SophomoreLaguna Hills, Calif.
12
Bria HartleyG – Sophomore
North Babylon, N.Y.14
Michala JohnsonF – SophomoreBellwood, Ill.
25
Kiah StokesC – FreshmanMarion, Iowa
41
Stefanie DolsonC – SophomorePort Jervis, N.Y.
31
Heather BuckG – Redshirt Junior
Stonington, Conn.32
Chris DaileyAssoc. Head Coach
27th season
Shea RalphAssistant Coach
4th season
Kelly FarisG – Junior
Planfield, Ind.34
Kaleena Mosqueda-LewisF – Freshman
Anaheim Hills, Calif.23
Marisa MoseleyAssistant Coach
3rd season
November Time TVSun 13 Holy Cross (GP) 2 p.m. CPTVSun 15 Pacific (GP) 7:30 p.m. CPTVFri 25 Fairleigh Dickinson (GP) 7:30 p.m. CPTV
Sat 26 Buffalo (GP) 7:30 p.m. CPTVSun 27 Dayton (GP) 4:30 p.m. CPTVWed 30 Towson (XL) 7 p.m. CPTVDecember Time TVFri 9 at Seton Hall 7 p.m. WTIC
Wed 21 at College of Charleston 7 p.m. CPTV
Thu 29 Fairfield (GP) 7:30 p.m CPTVJanuary Time TVWed 4 West Virginia (XL) 7 p.m CPTV
Tues 10 Providence (XL) 7 p.m. CPTVSat 14 at Villanova 2 p.m. CPTV
Thu 19 Cincinnati (GP) 7:30 p.m. CPTVSat 21 at DePaul 8 p.m. CPTVWed 25 at Syracuse 7 p.m. WTIC Sat 28 USF (XL) 1 p.m. WTIC
February Time TVSat 4 Rutgers (GP) 7 p.m. CPTVTue 7 at Louisville 7 p.m. CBSSNSat 11 Georgetown (GP) 4 p.m. CPTV
Sat 18 St. John’s (GP) 7 p.m. CPTVTue 21 at Pittsburgh 7 p.m. CPTVSat 25 at Marquette 5 p.m. CPTVMon 27 Notre Dame (XL) 9 p.m. ESPN2
THE OPPOSITIONvs. Stanford (XL Center), 7:30 p.m., ESPNu
The team that ended the Huskies’ 89-game win streak last season makes the trip up to Connecticut.
21MON
at Baylor, 2:30 p.m., ESPNuBrittney Griner and the Lady Bears welcome UConn to Waco in a potential Final Four matchup. Griner has yet to get the best of the Huskies.
18SuN
vs. Texas A&M (XL Center), 7 p.m., ESPN2The Huskies host the defending NCAA national champion Aggies at the Jimmy V Classic in what could’ve been the title game matchup last year.
6TuES
North Carolina (Gampel Pavilion), 7 p.m., ESPN2
The Lady Tar Heels will battle both the Huskies and rowdy Storrs crowd in this nationally televised contest.
16MON
at Notre Dame (Purcell Pavilion), 4 p.m., CBSUConn will look to avenge their loss to the Fighting Irish in last season’s national semifinal. Notre Dame was also picked to finish ahead of the Huskies in the Big East conference.
7SAT
at Duke (Cameron Indoor Stadium), 7 p.m., ESPN2
The Huskies will have to fend off the Blue Devils and the Cameron Crazies in this late-January game.
30MON
at Oklahoma (Lloyd Noble Center), 9 p.m., ESPN2Big 12 heavyweight Oklahoma hosts UConn in Norman Okla. The Huskies will try to pull of the road win against the Sooners.
13MON
GP – Gampel Pavilion, Storrs; XL – XL Center, Hartford; italics indicates Big East conference game.
Geno AuriemmaHead Coach27th season
THE GENO FILEOverall record: 771-124 (.861), all at UConnNational titles: 7 (1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010)Big East titles: 33 (regular season: 17 – ‘89 - 91, ‘94 - ‘04, ‘07, ‘08, ‘09, ‘10, ‘11; postseason: 16 – ‘89, ‘91, ‘94, ‘95, ‘96, ‘97, ‘98, ‘99, ‘00, ‘01, ‘02, ‘05, ‘06, ‘08, ‘09, ‘10, ‘11.)
Husky HooplaPage 12 Friday, November 11, 2011
Out of the spotlight- Callahan, Pg. 8
HAYES’ LAST DANCE
Breaking down the Big East... Pg.10
Mosqueda-Lewis dons No. 23 ... Pg. 10
Doty returns from injury... Pg. 9