On Saturday, the  UCONN Men’s Basketball Team may have beaten the Notre Dame Fighting Irish by a score 72 to 65 but, they looked real ugly, if not disorganized and even dense, at times during this game. The college basketball experts keep stressing that the one thing that separates this UCONN team from most, if not all others is Hasheem Thabeet. Well, I must agree with them. After all, the two games we’ve lost, this entire season, were due to Thabeet being in early foul trouble. Without a doubt,  he was the reason UCONN won this physical Big East battle and moreover, this Monday, he is why this team will once again be ranked #1 in the nation.  Sure, Jeff Adrien scored a career high 25 points, in his last home game as a Husky but, it was Hasheem, who  plugged up the middle (Harangody was limited to just 14 points) and swatted away (Game high 8 blocks) all those shots.  ND stuck around in this one by hitting 8 three pointers yet, because of the “Monster in the middle”, they shot only 38.9 % from the field for the game. Couple that with getting their butts kicked on the boards, 39 to 29 and only 5 attempts from the foul line (1 of 5)  and you can see why UCONN prevailed and despite themselves. Yeah, hitting only 12 of 23 shots at the foulline should compute to a loss.

Now, if Hasheem is “The Monster”, then A.J. Price is “The Turtle. Not just because he looks like one but because he again went and hid inside his shell for most of this game.  Just when I thought he’d lead this team offensively the way he did when he scored 36 against Marquette, he got off to a slow start and shy-ed away from shooting the remainder of the game. Unfortunately for UCONN and the bettors I told to lay the points, A.J ’s  3 point shot was repeatedly coming up short and so he went and  decided to go and let others lead the way offensively. Wrong move A.J. and because, if you thought Craig Austrie or Stanley Robinson was going to be a factor, you were dreaming. Austrie’s continued poor shooting perplexes me yet, it was again Sticks or Stinks Robinson who made me, as well as “Jimbo” Calhoun,  want to vomit. He started the game off by taking and missing outside shots he never makes and it only got worse from there. Besides stepping out of bounds a couple of times he led the team with 4 turnovers. Moreover, there was one sequence that made me wonder why he wasn’t sent to the locker room for a cold shower. If you watched the game, you know the sequence I’m referring too. It started with a turnover at our end by Stanley and it culminated with him being called for an obvious goal tending. If that wasn’t bad enough, he later was hit with  a senseless foul, against Harangody, and just as A.J. Price was hitting a beautiful 3 point shot, from well beyond the top of the key. Of course, that shot was waved off and so we’ll never know if that was the one that would have finally got A.J hot and on a streak.

On another note, why isn’t Calhoun giving Haralson more minutes? He was a perfect one for one from three point range yet, his minutes played in this game amounted to only three. “Jimbo” please tell me he arrived late and that is why you didn’t play him the entire first half and most of the second? It’s obvious we need more offense and this guy has the potential to deliver. You said the same a few games ago yet you don’t seem to be in a hurry to get him the playing time he needs to really get comfortable. Personally, I think you quit on him too soon, early in the season and now, you’re going to get regret you didn’t play him more and even if it cost a win or two along the way.

Lastly, two poor shots UCONN  took in this game should be addressed by Calhoun. I say that because both were foolish as well as rally killers. The first was Hasheem’s longest shot attempt of the season and the second, by Adrien, also from long range, came after a time out and when I thought the team would surely deliver something much smarter. The lead at the time was only one and so, I have to say that shot selection by Adrien was horrible to say the least. What do you think?

Next game is the last one of the regular season and away against Pittsburgh. Hopefully the Providence tape is on the reel and the Huskies watch it from now until the game. The Friars big men fronted Blair, instead of playing behind him and I’d like to think we will do some of the same. As for who will win this one, I haven’t got a clue. Nonetheless, I’ll look at the spread on Saturday and try to come up with something.

I’m out of here! Sic Rick