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Fans of their outstanding basketball programs...both men and women and their up and coming football team. I lived in Tolland County for 10 years, although living in the Portland, OR area now, I'm still an avid fan.
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Sad Ending to UConn Season
Ole! Jackson’s shot helps Toreros upset UConn 70-69 in
By MARK LONG, AP Sports Writer
Mar 21, 8:07 pm EDT
More NCAAB Videos TAMPA, Fla. (AP)—San Diego’s Rob Jones didn’t even bother leaving his feet when the ball was tossed up to start the game.
The 6-foot-6 forward knew he didn’t have a chance against Connecticut’s 7-foot-3 center Hasheem Thabeet.
When the same thing happened to begin overtime, Jones jumped so high he nearly got the tip—a clear indication of how confident the Toreros had become. They were even more fearless in the final seconds.
De’Jon Jackson hit the biggest shot in school history—a long jumper with 1.2 seconds left in overtime—and 13th-seeded San Diego beat No. 4 seed Connecticut 70-69 Friday in the first round of the NCAA’s West Regional.
“The thing I put on the board: Don’t let them get a sniff that we’re two equal teams,” UConn coach Jim Calhoun said. “We allowed them to believe that it wasn’t going to be what everybody said it was going to be.”
Instead, UConn is heading home much earlier than expected. The Huskies (24-9) hadn’t lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament since 1979 and never during Calhoun’s 22 seasons.
San Diego, meanwhile, got its first tournament victory in four tries. The Toreros (22-13) advanced to play No. 12 Western Kentucky in the second round.
And if Brandon Johnson and Gyno Pomare play like they did against Connecticut, the small, Southern California school known mostly for its scenic ocean views could be in for an extended tournament stay.
Johnson had 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Pomare had 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting.
Together, they gave UConn all it could handle, especially after leading scorer A.J. Price left the game with a knee injury.
But both of San Diego’s stars fouled out in overtime.
Jackson picked up the slack. He drove right on Jerome Dyson, stopped a step inside the arc, then sank the biggest shot of his career.
The celebration had to wait, though.
UConn had one final chance, but Jackson intercepted the inbound pass. The Toreros rushed the court, mobbed their hero and then celebrated in front of a small group of fans who traveled cross country to see them make history.
Ole! Ole! Ole!
“This feeling right now, I can’t even explain it,” Jackson said. “It’s like the best feeling I’ve had in my life.”
Jeff Adrien had 18 points and 12 rebounds for UConn, which ended an inconsistent season with another up-and-down performance.
The Huskies had an excuse in this one. They played most of the game without Price, who Calhoun said may have torn his anterior cruciate ligament.
The junior point guard landed awkwardly on his knee while driving to the basket with 9:39 to play in the first half. He was carried off the floor, examined on the bench and then helped to the locker room for more tests.
He briefly returned to the bench on crutches, but wasn’t around for the start of the second half.
The game was tied at 16 when Price fell. Without him, San Diego pulled out to an 11-point lead early in the second half and UConn was left without its top playmaker in overtime.
The Huskies turned to Dyson down the stretch and in the extra frame.
He sank two free throws with 10.4 seconds to play in regulation, tying the game at 60 and sending it to overtime. He finished with 14 points.
“Jerome was fearless,” Calhoun said.
Thabeet added 14 points, six rebounds and four blocks for the Huskies.
Some thought San Diego might get pushed around in this one, especially since Pomare and Jones were giving up at least 7 inches to Thabeet.
But there was just one embarrassing moment for the Toreros.
It wasn’t when the 6-foot Johnson walked to center court during pregame introductions and shook hands with Thabeet, who was 15 inches taller. Johnson came away laughing.
And it wasn’t when Thabeet swatted two of Johnson’s shots into the front row early in the game.
It came when San Diego’s dance team ran lined up to perform early in the game and waited more than a minute for the music to start.
When it finally began, it wasn’t the right track, so the dancers sheepishly stood up and started chanting, “Go San Diego.”
The players certainly answered the call, adding UConn to their growing list of upset victims that includes Kentucky, Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s twice.
“This group has been very tough here these last two months,” coach Bill Grier said. “We’ve won a lot of close games. They know how to win. … This group has found a way to get it done.”
By MARK LONG, AP Sports Writer
Mar 21, 8:07 pm EDT
More NCAAB Videos TAMPA, Fla. (AP)—San Diego’s Rob Jones didn’t even bother leaving his feet when the ball was tossed up to start the game.
The 6-foot-6 forward knew he didn’t have a chance against Connecticut’s 7-foot-3 center Hasheem Thabeet.
When the same thing happened to begin overtime, Jones jumped so high he nearly got the tip—a clear indication of how confident the Toreros had become. They were even more fearless in the final seconds.
De’Jon Jackson hit the biggest shot in school history—a long jumper with 1.2 seconds left in overtime—and 13th-seeded San Diego beat No. 4 seed Connecticut 70-69 Friday in the first round of the NCAA’s West Regional.
“The thing I put on the board: Don’t let them get a sniff that we’re two equal teams,” UConn coach Jim Calhoun said. “We allowed them to believe that it wasn’t going to be what everybody said it was going to be.”
Instead, UConn is heading home much earlier than expected. The Huskies (24-9) hadn’t lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament since 1979 and never during Calhoun’s 22 seasons.
San Diego, meanwhile, got its first tournament victory in four tries. The Toreros (22-13) advanced to play No. 12 Western Kentucky in the second round.
And if Brandon Johnson and Gyno Pomare play like they did against Connecticut, the small, Southern California school known mostly for its scenic ocean views could be in for an extended tournament stay.
Johnson had 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Pomare had 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting.
Together, they gave UConn all it could handle, especially after leading scorer A.J. Price left the game with a knee injury.
But both of San Diego’s stars fouled out in overtime.
Jackson picked up the slack. He drove right on Jerome Dyson, stopped a step inside the arc, then sank the biggest shot of his career.
The celebration had to wait, though.
UConn had one final chance, but Jackson intercepted the inbound pass. The Toreros rushed the court, mobbed their hero and then celebrated in front of a small group of fans who traveled cross country to see them make history.
Ole! Ole! Ole!
“This feeling right now, I can’t even explain it,” Jackson said. “It’s like the best feeling I’ve had in my life.”
Jeff Adrien had 18 points and 12 rebounds for UConn, which ended an inconsistent season with another up-and-down performance.
The Huskies had an excuse in this one. They played most of the game without Price, who Calhoun said may have torn his anterior cruciate ligament.
The junior point guard landed awkwardly on his knee while driving to the basket with 9:39 to play in the first half. He was carried off the floor, examined on the bench and then helped to the locker room for more tests.
He briefly returned to the bench on crutches, but wasn’t around for the start of the second half.
The game was tied at 16 when Price fell. Without him, San Diego pulled out to an 11-point lead early in the second half and UConn was left without its top playmaker in overtime.
The Huskies turned to Dyson down the stretch and in the extra frame.
He sank two free throws with 10.4 seconds to play in regulation, tying the game at 60 and sending it to overtime. He finished with 14 points.
“Jerome was fearless,” Calhoun said.
Thabeet added 14 points, six rebounds and four blocks for the Huskies.
Some thought San Diego might get pushed around in this one, especially since Pomare and Jones were giving up at least 7 inches to Thabeet.
But there was just one embarrassing moment for the Toreros.
It wasn’t when the 6-foot Johnson walked to center court during pregame introductions and shook hands with Thabeet, who was 15 inches taller. Johnson came away laughing.
And it wasn’t when Thabeet swatted two of Johnson’s shots into the front row early in the game.
It came when San Diego’s dance team ran lined up to perform early in the game and waited more than a minute for the music to start.
When it finally began, it wasn’t the right track, so the dancers sheepishly stood up and started chanting, “Go San Diego.”
The players certainly answered the call, adding UConn to their growing list of upset victims that includes Kentucky, Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s twice.
“This group has been very tough here these last two months,” coach Bill Grier said. “We’ve won a lot of close games. They know how to win. … This group has found a way to get it done.”
UConn Wins Final Regular Season Game!
Robinson’s 18 leads No. 13 UConn to 96-51 win over BearcatsPreview | Box Score | Recap
By DONNA TOMMELLEO, AP Sports Writer
1 hour, 22 minutes ago
STORRS, Conn. (AP)—Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun got the response from his team that he had hoped to see heading into this week’s Big East tournament.
The 13th-ranked Huskies (24-7, 13-5) rebounded from one of their worst defensive efforts and closed out the regular season with one of their best—a 96-51 rout of Cincinnati on Sunday. It was the Huskies’ largest margin of win in the conference in school history.
The win came three days after UConn lost 85-76 at Providence, stumbling along the way with 21 turnovers. The coaching staff replayed the tape of that game in preparation for Cincinnati and edited out the few things the Huskies did well. Calhoun said he wanted to “show them just how bad they were.”
They got the message.
“Tonight we played great, great defense,” Calhoun said. “In turn, as our defense got good, our offense got terrific.”
Stanley Robinson scored 18 points and had eight rebounds. Hasheem Thabeet finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and eight blocked shots, setting a Big East season record with 94.
The game was postponed a day because of the Midwest snowstorm that grounded the Bearcats until Saturday night. With an extra day to prepare, Calhoun said they focused on helping out on defense.
“Hopefully we tried to make it a statement game that we can play defense and that was my whole key,” Calhoun said.
The Huskies put this one away early with a 30-0 run in the first half. The UConn defense held the Bearcats (13-17, 8-10) scoreless for nearly 11 minutes.
Robinson had three 3-pointers in the spurt and the Huskies led 47-15 at the break. The Bearcats managed just 16 percent shooting in the first half, and struggled with UConn’s speedy transition game that started with tough defense in the post.
The Huskies also finished 9-17 from behind the arc.
Bearcats coach Mick Cronin said the last three days had been a travel “debacle” and that his team hadn’t played well lately.
“We looked like a tired ball club, but you have to give Connecticut credit. Because of their size and athleticism, if they make perimeter shots the way they made them tonight, especially early in the game, it doesn’t leave you with a lot of options as a coach.”
Jeff Adrien finished with 13 points for UConn, and Craig Austrie added 15.
The game was in sharp contrast to UConn’s 84-83 win in Cincinnati on Jan. 23. The Huskies rallied from 12 points down with just under 6 minutes left for the win. It was the second victory in a 10-game winning streak for the Huskies that eventually landed them in the Top 25.
Deonta Vaughn, who had 34 points for the Bearcats in the last meeting, was held to nine.
The Huskies shot 57 percent from the floor and made 25-of-30 from the foul line.
Thabeet said the Huskies made good on their goal of atoning for their sloppy loss against the Friars.
“That game we were so flat. We played lousy,” Thabeet said. “This time we’re going to start being alert from the beginning of the game to the end. We went out there and showed (Cincinnati) today was going to be a long day, and it was a long day.”
By DONNA TOMMELLEO, AP Sports Writer
1 hour, 22 minutes ago
STORRS, Conn. (AP)—Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun got the response from his team that he had hoped to see heading into this week’s Big East tournament.
The 13th-ranked Huskies (24-7, 13-5) rebounded from one of their worst defensive efforts and closed out the regular season with one of their best—a 96-51 rout of Cincinnati on Sunday. It was the Huskies’ largest margin of win in the conference in school history.
The win came three days after UConn lost 85-76 at Providence, stumbling along the way with 21 turnovers. The coaching staff replayed the tape of that game in preparation for Cincinnati and edited out the few things the Huskies did well. Calhoun said he wanted to “show them just how bad they were.”
They got the message.
“Tonight we played great, great defense,” Calhoun said. “In turn, as our defense got good, our offense got terrific.”
Stanley Robinson scored 18 points and had eight rebounds. Hasheem Thabeet finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and eight blocked shots, setting a Big East season record with 94.
The game was postponed a day because of the Midwest snowstorm that grounded the Bearcats until Saturday night. With an extra day to prepare, Calhoun said they focused on helping out on defense.
“Hopefully we tried to make it a statement game that we can play defense and that was my whole key,” Calhoun said.
The Huskies put this one away early with a 30-0 run in the first half. The UConn defense held the Bearcats (13-17, 8-10) scoreless for nearly 11 minutes.
Robinson had three 3-pointers in the spurt and the Huskies led 47-15 at the break. The Bearcats managed just 16 percent shooting in the first half, and struggled with UConn’s speedy transition game that started with tough defense in the post.
The Huskies also finished 9-17 from behind the arc.
Bearcats coach Mick Cronin said the last three days had been a travel “debacle” and that his team hadn’t played well lately.
“We looked like a tired ball club, but you have to give Connecticut credit. Because of their size and athleticism, if they make perimeter shots the way they made them tonight, especially early in the game, it doesn’t leave you with a lot of options as a coach.”
Jeff Adrien finished with 13 points for UConn, and Craig Austrie added 15.
The game was in sharp contrast to UConn’s 84-83 win in Cincinnati on Jan. 23. The Huskies rallied from 12 points down with just under 6 minutes left for the win. It was the second victory in a 10-game winning streak for the Huskies that eventually landed them in the Top 25.
Deonta Vaughn, who had 34 points for the Bearcats in the last meeting, was held to nine.
The Huskies shot 57 percent from the floor and made 25-of-30 from the foul line.
Thabeet said the Huskies made good on their goal of atoning for their sloppy loss against the Friars.
“That game we were so flat. We played lousy,” Thabeet said. “This time we’re going to start being alert from the beginning of the game to the end. We went out there and showed (Cincinnati) today was going to be a long day, and it was a long day.”
12th Win in 13 Games for Huskies!!!
Price’s 24 points leads No. 15 Connecticut to 12th win in 13 games, 79-71 over West VirginiaPreview | Box Score | Recap
By PAT EATON-ROBB, Associated Press Writer
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)—A.J. Price said he never doubted Connecticut would beat West Virginia, not even when the Mountaineers trimmed a 17-point deficit to just three late in the second half.
Price scored 24 points and the 15th-ranked Huskies held on for a 79-71 victory Saturday, their 12th win in 13 games.
“We know how good we are,” said Price, who had five 3-pointers. “We know what we have here. We know if we stay true to what we do, we’re going to win. It’s just staying mentally tough.”
Jeff Adrien had 17 points and 10 rebounds—his 16th double-double of the season—for Connecticut (23-6, 12-4 Big East).
Joe Alexander had a career-high 32 points for West Virginia (20-9, 9-7), including 20 in the second half as he tried to bring the Mountaineers back from a 60-43 deficit.
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West Virginia scored 20 of the next 26 points, cutting the UConn lead to 66-63 on a goaltending call against Stanley Robinson with just over 4 minutes to play. Alexander had eight points during that stretch.
“We showed tonight we can play with anybody, especially on the road,” Alexander said. “We just didn’t play strong in the first half for a few minutes and that really hurt us.”
Robinson hit a 3-pointer with 3:30 to play to push UConn’s lead back to eight, and Craig Austrie made an off-balance runner to give the Huskies a 74-65 lead. Hasheem Thabeet then blocked a shot on the other end, and UConn hung on.
It was Thabeet’s third block of the game, giving him 245 for his career and tying Donyell Marshall for second place on Connecticut’s all-time list.
“I like the way we played at times today, I really did,” UConn coach Jim Calhoun said. “I just thought we let up. We haven’t played with too many big leads.”
Ten of the wins during the Huskies’ run have been by single digits.
Robinson and Austrie both finished with 12 points.
The 7-foot-3 Thabeet scored just two points and spent much of the game in foul trouble after picking up two early ones as West Virginia’s Jamie Smalligan brought him outside.
With Thabeet on the bench, Gavin Edwards played 16 minutes, one off his season high, and had seven points, three rebounds and two blocked shots.
“I thought Gavin gave us a real spark,” Calhoun said. “And if I had it to do over again, Dougie Wiggins would have played more minutes. Dougie is a real spark.”
The Mountaineers took a 10-4 lead, before Wiggins got the Huskies running. He found Price for two consecutive 3-pointers that gave UConn a 21-15 lead with 11:30 left in the half.
UConn used a 14-2 run to go up 37-23 and the Huskies led by as many as 17 points on the way to a 42-29 halftime lead. Price had 13 first-half points and the Huskies defense held West Virginia to just 12-of-32 shooting from the field.
“Our problem is, we’re not consistent enough,” West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. “We lack some consistency and we’re young. Thank God we have (senior) Darris Nichols, but the rest of our guys are young.”
Nichols finished with seven points and Alex Ruoff had 12, hitting 4-of-9 from 3-point range.
Smalligan picked up three fouls in the first 3 minutes of the second half, giving him four and sending him to the bench for much of the second half.
The Mountaineers have never won at Connecticut.
The Huskies improved to 15-1 at home this season, 8-1 in Hartford
By PAT EATON-ROBB, Associated Press Writer
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)—A.J. Price said he never doubted Connecticut would beat West Virginia, not even when the Mountaineers trimmed a 17-point deficit to just three late in the second half.
Price scored 24 points and the 15th-ranked Huskies held on for a 79-71 victory Saturday, their 12th win in 13 games.
“We know how good we are,” said Price, who had five 3-pointers. “We know what we have here. We know if we stay true to what we do, we’re going to win. It’s just staying mentally tough.”
Jeff Adrien had 17 points and 10 rebounds—his 16th double-double of the season—for Connecticut (23-6, 12-4 Big East).
Joe Alexander had a career-high 32 points for West Virginia (20-9, 9-7), including 20 in the second half as he tried to bring the Mountaineers back from a 60-43 deficit.
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West Virginia scored 20 of the next 26 points, cutting the UConn lead to 66-63 on a goaltending call against Stanley Robinson with just over 4 minutes to play. Alexander had eight points during that stretch.
“We showed tonight we can play with anybody, especially on the road,” Alexander said. “We just didn’t play strong in the first half for a few minutes and that really hurt us.”
Robinson hit a 3-pointer with 3:30 to play to push UConn’s lead back to eight, and Craig Austrie made an off-balance runner to give the Huskies a 74-65 lead. Hasheem Thabeet then blocked a shot on the other end, and UConn hung on.
It was Thabeet’s third block of the game, giving him 245 for his career and tying Donyell Marshall for second place on Connecticut’s all-time list.
“I like the way we played at times today, I really did,” UConn coach Jim Calhoun said. “I just thought we let up. We haven’t played with too many big leads.”
Ten of the wins during the Huskies’ run have been by single digits.
Robinson and Austrie both finished with 12 points.
The 7-foot-3 Thabeet scored just two points and spent much of the game in foul trouble after picking up two early ones as West Virginia’s Jamie Smalligan brought him outside.
With Thabeet on the bench, Gavin Edwards played 16 minutes, one off his season high, and had seven points, three rebounds and two blocked shots.
“I thought Gavin gave us a real spark,” Calhoun said. “And if I had it to do over again, Dougie Wiggins would have played more minutes. Dougie is a real spark.”
The Mountaineers took a 10-4 lead, before Wiggins got the Huskies running. He found Price for two consecutive 3-pointers that gave UConn a 21-15 lead with 11:30 left in the half.
UConn used a 14-2 run to go up 37-23 and the Huskies led by as many as 17 points on the way to a 42-29 halftime lead. Price had 13 first-half points and the Huskies defense held West Virginia to just 12-of-32 shooting from the field.
“Our problem is, we’re not consistent enough,” West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. “We lack some consistency and we’re young. Thank God we have (senior) Darris Nichols, but the rest of our guys are young.”
Nichols finished with seven points and Alex Ruoff had 12, hitting 4-of-9 from 3-point range.
Smalligan picked up three fouls in the first 3 minutes of the second half, giving him four and sending him to the bench for much of the second half.
The Mountaineers have never won at Connecticut.
The Huskies improved to 15-1 at home this season, 8-1 in Hartford
Another UConn Win!
Adrien’s double-double leads No. 15 Connecticut to 79-61 victory over RutgersPreview | Box Score | Recap
By JIM O'CONNELL, AP Basketball Writer
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP)—Jeff Adrien scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead No. 15 Connecticut to a 79-61 victory over Rutgers on Tuesday night, the Huskies’ 11th win in 12 games.
Stanley Robinson, who had 13 rebounds, and Craig Austrie both added 18 points for Connecticut (22-6, 11-4), which moved one game ahead of Marquette in fourth place in the Big East Conference, the last spot that secures a first-round bye in the league’s tournament.
Freshman Earl Pettis had a season-high 18 points for the Scarlet Knights (10-19, 2-14), who lost their eighth straight game. The last three losses were to ranked teams: Notre Dame, Marquette and Connecticut.
Adrien’s double-double was his 15th of the season and the 31st of his career, the most of any active player in the Big East.
Rutgers, behind 11 points from Pettis—one better than his previous season high for a game—was within 43-37 at halftime, shooting 48.4 percent from the field (15-for-31), an impressive stat against Connecticut, which entered the game third in the conference in field goal percentage defense (38 percent).
The Scarlet Knights opened the second half on an 8-4 run with Anthony Farmer’s 3-pointer with 17:12 to play bringing them within 47-45.
Then came the Huskies’ run it seemed everyone in the building was waiting for.
Connecticut scored the next 11 points, the last a baseline jumper by Adrien that made it 58-45 with 13:02 left. During the run, Rutgers missed six shots and turned the ball over once. All of a sudden the Huskies were contesting every shot and it worked to get them some breathing room.
The Scarlet Knights shot 35.7 percent in the second half (10-for-28) and were able to stay reasonably close by going 4-for-8 from 3-point range in each half, led by Farmer’s 3-for-4.
Hasheem Thabeet had 10 rebounds and six of Connecticut’s 11 blocked shots. Reserve Jonathan Mandelove had four blocks for the Huskies, who lead the nation in blocked shots at 8.8 per game.
Connecticut sophomore guard Jerome Dyson returned after a nine-game suspension for violating team rules. Dyson, who averages 14.3 points per game, had three points and five assists.
By JIM O'CONNELL, AP Basketball Writer
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP)—Jeff Adrien scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead No. 15 Connecticut to a 79-61 victory over Rutgers on Tuesday night, the Huskies’ 11th win in 12 games.
Stanley Robinson, who had 13 rebounds, and Craig Austrie both added 18 points for Connecticut (22-6, 11-4), which moved one game ahead of Marquette in fourth place in the Big East Conference, the last spot that secures a first-round bye in the league’s tournament.
Freshman Earl Pettis had a season-high 18 points for the Scarlet Knights (10-19, 2-14), who lost their eighth straight game. The last three losses were to ranked teams: Notre Dame, Marquette and Connecticut.
Adrien’s double-double was his 15th of the season and the 31st of his career, the most of any active player in the Big East.
Rutgers, behind 11 points from Pettis—one better than his previous season high for a game—was within 43-37 at halftime, shooting 48.4 percent from the field (15-for-31), an impressive stat against Connecticut, which entered the game third in the conference in field goal percentage defense (38 percent).
The Scarlet Knights opened the second half on an 8-4 run with Anthony Farmer’s 3-pointer with 17:12 to play bringing them within 47-45.
Then came the Huskies’ run it seemed everyone in the building was waiting for.
Connecticut scored the next 11 points, the last a baseline jumper by Adrien that made it 58-45 with 13:02 left. During the run, Rutgers missed six shots and turned the ball over once. All of a sudden the Huskies were contesting every shot and it worked to get them some breathing room.
The Scarlet Knights shot 35.7 percent in the second half (10-for-28) and were able to stay reasonably close by going 4-for-8 from 3-point range in each half, led by Farmer’s 3-for-4.
Hasheem Thabeet had 10 rebounds and six of Connecticut’s 11 blocked shots. Reserve Jonathan Mandelove had four blocks for the Huskies, who lead the nation in blocked shots at 8.8 per game.
Connecticut sophomore guard Jerome Dyson returned after a nine-game suspension for violating team rules. Dyson, who averages 14.3 points per game, had three points and five assists.
UConn now ranked 13th!
Before the season started, I believe that they were ranked #37...not that that's too bad, considering there are over 320 NCAA Division 1 teams, but it's real nice to see them come from where they were to where they are!
Latest Yahoo Article:
Connecticut Team Report
Yahoo! Sports
Feb 22, 3:21 am EST
Getting Inside
Another night, another Connecticut win, and another run on Tums in Storrs.
The Huskies extended their win streak to 10 games with a 65-60 victory over DePaul. It came on a night when the Huskies trailed by 13 at home in the second half.
It’s the sixth time during the streak that the margin of victory has been five points or fewer, but one of the first where the Huskies’ star guard wasn’t a factor.
A.J. Price had been averaging 18 points per game over the first nine games, but DePaul held him to six points on 1-of 7 shooting. Fellow guard Craig Austrie took up some of the slack by scoring 14, and Doug Wiggins added eight off the bench.
Hasheem Thabeet, however, was the star of the show. On a night when his teammates spent a lot of time looking flat, he scored 13 points, pulled down 13 rebounds, and blocked eight shots.
“The only reason that we won, I think, is because we have won,” coach Jim Calhoun said after the game. “There is no other logical reason that comes to mind.”
If winning begets winning, he’s in good shape these days.
CONNECTICUT 65, DePAUL 60: The Huskies trailed by 13 points in the second half, and were down nine in the final six minutes before roaring back to knock off the Blue Demons at home.
DePaul began the second half on a 14-0 run to take a 42-29 lead and was up 57-48 when Will Walker made a layup with 6:12 to play.
A 9-0 run tied the game, and after a Draelon Burns free throw put the Blue Demons back on top, Hasheem Thabeet made a layup and the Huskies never trailed again.
Thabeet had a monster game, with 16 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocked shots. Craig Austrie scored 14, and Jeff Adrien added 12.
Notes, Quotes
• With a 10-game winning streak, there’s no team more confident than Connecticut. Even when the team was admittedly outplayed against South Florida, it still found a way to win in dramatic fashion as Craig Austrie knocked down the winning basket with less than a second to play.
Connecticut has five games left, but it is done playing the teams it is tied with. Its road games are against Villanova, Rutgers and Providence, three teams fighting simply to make the 12-team conference tournament. It is home against West Virginia, which is red hot, and Cincinnati, which can match the Huskies’ toughness but not their talent.
If Connecticut ties for the title, it’s in decent shape in the tiebreaker as well. The Huskies beat Louisville head-to-head and split with Notre Dame. It lost to Georgetown by three early in the season in a game the team would dearly love to have back.
Regardless, the NCAA Tournament looks like a safe bet, and Connecticut appears to be firing on all cylinders. There might be more talented or deeper teams in the Big East, but right now Jim Calhoun’s squad is the one nobody wants to play.
• Apart from the result, the South Florida game wasn’t a very good one for the Huskies. Among the worrisome stats was the rebounding margin; the Huskies were beaten on the boards by the Bulls 44-35.
• UConn’s 10-game winning streak may be the most stressful in history. The average margin of victory over that stretch is less than six points per game, and four have been by two points or fewer.
Quote To Note: “There was no doubt—and I know this sounds crazy, maybe it’s because we’re on a winning streak—that he was going to get off a real good shot. And when he [gets] that deep, he doesn’t miss that shot. He’s a very good shooter.”—UConn coach Jim Calhoun told the Connecticut Post about Craig Austrie’s last-second shot that beat South Florida.
Strategy And Personnel
Player Rotation: Usual Starters—F Stanley Robinson, F Jeff Adrien, C Hasheem Thabeet, G Craig Austrie, G A.J. Price. Key Subs—G Doug Wiggins, F Curtis Kelly, F Gavin Edwards
In Focus: Villanova will be a desperate team, badly in need of a victory to remain in NCAA Tournament consideration, when the teams square off Feb. 23. The Wildcats have a strong and deep backcourt and are on a roll defensively as well, but they haven’t faced as powerful an offense as the Huskies’ in some time. If they are successful at denying A.J. Price the ball, the rest of the UConn backcourt will need a strong effort to win on the road.
Roster Report:
• Craig Austrie had an efficient game Tuesday, scoring 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting. He’s the UConn good luck charm—the team is 34-5 in his career when Austrie has been in the starting lineup.
• Jeff Adrien got his 13th double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds against DePaul. He finished the night with 998 points, two away from becoming the 40th player in school history to score 1,000 points in his career.
• Stanley Robinson had a tough night shooting the basketball Tuesday, going 3-of-10 from the floor. However, he proved to be one of the team’s best all-around performers against DePaul, contributing seven rebounds, three blocked shots, two assists and one steal.
• C Hasheem Thabeet moved into third place on the career blocked-shots list when he swatted away eight attempts against South Florida. That left him with 225 for his two-year career; Donyell Marshall is next at 245. However, he’ll probably have to stay all four years to pass Emeka Okafor for the top spot—Okafor had 441 at UConn.
Latest Yahoo Article:
Connecticut Team Report
Yahoo! Sports
Feb 22, 3:21 am EST
Getting Inside
Another night, another Connecticut win, and another run on Tums in Storrs.
The Huskies extended their win streak to 10 games with a 65-60 victory over DePaul. It came on a night when the Huskies trailed by 13 at home in the second half.
It’s the sixth time during the streak that the margin of victory has been five points or fewer, but one of the first where the Huskies’ star guard wasn’t a factor.
A.J. Price had been averaging 18 points per game over the first nine games, but DePaul held him to six points on 1-of 7 shooting. Fellow guard Craig Austrie took up some of the slack by scoring 14, and Doug Wiggins added eight off the bench.
Hasheem Thabeet, however, was the star of the show. On a night when his teammates spent a lot of time looking flat, he scored 13 points, pulled down 13 rebounds, and blocked eight shots.
“The only reason that we won, I think, is because we have won,” coach Jim Calhoun said after the game. “There is no other logical reason that comes to mind.”
If winning begets winning, he’s in good shape these days.
CONNECTICUT 65, DePAUL 60: The Huskies trailed by 13 points in the second half, and were down nine in the final six minutes before roaring back to knock off the Blue Demons at home.
DePaul began the second half on a 14-0 run to take a 42-29 lead and was up 57-48 when Will Walker made a layup with 6:12 to play.
A 9-0 run tied the game, and after a Draelon Burns free throw put the Blue Demons back on top, Hasheem Thabeet made a layup and the Huskies never trailed again.
Thabeet had a monster game, with 16 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocked shots. Craig Austrie scored 14, and Jeff Adrien added 12.
Notes, Quotes
• With a 10-game winning streak, there’s no team more confident than Connecticut. Even when the team was admittedly outplayed against South Florida, it still found a way to win in dramatic fashion as Craig Austrie knocked down the winning basket with less than a second to play.
Connecticut has five games left, but it is done playing the teams it is tied with. Its road games are against Villanova, Rutgers and Providence, three teams fighting simply to make the 12-team conference tournament. It is home against West Virginia, which is red hot, and Cincinnati, which can match the Huskies’ toughness but not their talent.
If Connecticut ties for the title, it’s in decent shape in the tiebreaker as well. The Huskies beat Louisville head-to-head and split with Notre Dame. It lost to Georgetown by three early in the season in a game the team would dearly love to have back.
Regardless, the NCAA Tournament looks like a safe bet, and Connecticut appears to be firing on all cylinders. There might be more talented or deeper teams in the Big East, but right now Jim Calhoun’s squad is the one nobody wants to play.
• Apart from the result, the South Florida game wasn’t a very good one for the Huskies. Among the worrisome stats was the rebounding margin; the Huskies were beaten on the boards by the Bulls 44-35.
• UConn’s 10-game winning streak may be the most stressful in history. The average margin of victory over that stretch is less than six points per game, and four have been by two points or fewer.
Quote To Note: “There was no doubt—and I know this sounds crazy, maybe it’s because we’re on a winning streak—that he was going to get off a real good shot. And when he [gets] that deep, he doesn’t miss that shot. He’s a very good shooter.”—UConn coach Jim Calhoun told the Connecticut Post about Craig Austrie’s last-second shot that beat South Florida.
Strategy And Personnel
Player Rotation: Usual Starters—F Stanley Robinson, F Jeff Adrien, C Hasheem Thabeet, G Craig Austrie, G A.J. Price. Key Subs—G Doug Wiggins, F Curtis Kelly, F Gavin Edwards
In Focus: Villanova will be a desperate team, badly in need of a victory to remain in NCAA Tournament consideration, when the teams square off Feb. 23. The Wildcats have a strong and deep backcourt and are on a roll defensively as well, but they haven’t faced as powerful an offense as the Huskies’ in some time. If they are successful at denying A.J. Price the ball, the rest of the UConn backcourt will need a strong effort to win on the road.
Roster Report:
• Craig Austrie had an efficient game Tuesday, scoring 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting. He’s the UConn good luck charm—the team is 34-5 in his career when Austrie has been in the starting lineup.
• Jeff Adrien got his 13th double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds against DePaul. He finished the night with 998 points, two away from becoming the 40th player in school history to score 1,000 points in his career.
• Stanley Robinson had a tough night shooting the basketball Tuesday, going 3-of-10 from the floor. However, he proved to be one of the team’s best all-around performers against DePaul, contributing seven rebounds, three blocked shots, two assists and one steal.
• C Hasheem Thabeet moved into third place on the career blocked-shots list when he swatted away eight attempts against South Florida. That left him with 225 for his two-year career; Donyell Marshall is next at 245. However, he’ll probably have to stay all four years to pass Emeka Okafor for the top spot—Okafor had 441 at UConn.
Uconn Blasts Maine!
Connecticut 105, Maine 60
December 22, 2007
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Stanley Robinson scored 32 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and blocked three shots as he led Connecticut to an easy 105-60 victory over Maine on Saturday.
The first meeting in 15 years between the former Yankee Conference foes turned out to be no contest as Connecticut took control of the game midway through the first half.
The Huskies (8-2) had a 53-28 lead at halftime and coasted to their third straight win and fifth in six games. Maine, suffering its third straight loss, drops to 4-7.
Robinson, a sophomore from Birmingham, Ala., scored his career-high on a variety of alley-oop dunks, mid-range jump shots, high-flying putbacks and three-point shots.
Jeff Adrien added 19 points and 13 rebounds for UConn, his fifth double-double of the season, while Hasheem Thabeet added 16 points and 10 rebounds, and A.J. Price had 17 points and nine assists.
Junior Bernal had 16 points to lead Maine.
Robinson, charged with a technical foul with 11:09 remaining in the first half and Connecticut leading by 18-13, took over the rest of the first half.
The sophomore scored Connecticut's next three baskets, two of them on alley-oop dunks, as he led the Huskies on one run of 13-3 and another of 22-9 to send UConn into halftime with the commanding lead.
The Huskies began the second half with nine unanswered points against the overmatched Black Bears and continued the onslaught, widening the gap to 66-33, 80-43, and the 45-point final margin.
It was Connecticut's first 100-point game since Dec. 3, 2006, a 106-55 win over Texas Southern.
Updated on Saturday, Dec 22, 2007 5:13 pm, ES
December 22, 2007
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Stanley Robinson scored 32 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and blocked three shots as he led Connecticut to an easy 105-60 victory over Maine on Saturday.
The first meeting in 15 years between the former Yankee Conference foes turned out to be no contest as Connecticut took control of the game midway through the first half.
The Huskies (8-2) had a 53-28 lead at halftime and coasted to their third straight win and fifth in six games. Maine, suffering its third straight loss, drops to 4-7.
Robinson, a sophomore from Birmingham, Ala., scored his career-high on a variety of alley-oop dunks, mid-range jump shots, high-flying putbacks and three-point shots.
Jeff Adrien added 19 points and 13 rebounds for UConn, his fifth double-double of the season, while Hasheem Thabeet added 16 points and 10 rebounds, and A.J. Price had 17 points and nine assists.
Junior Bernal had 16 points to lead Maine.
Robinson, charged with a technical foul with 11:09 remaining in the first half and Connecticut leading by 18-13, took over the rest of the first half.
The sophomore scored Connecticut's next three baskets, two of them on alley-oop dunks, as he led the Huskies on one run of 13-3 and another of 22-9 to send UConn into halftime with the commanding lead.
The Huskies began the second half with nine unanswered points against the overmatched Black Bears and continued the onslaught, widening the gap to 66-33, 80-43, and the 45-point final margin.
It was Connecticut's first 100-point game since Dec. 3, 2006, a 106-55 win over Texas Southern.
Updated on Saturday, Dec 22, 2007 5:13 pm, ES
I still think they'll...
crack the Top 25 before the season's over! The Big East has 5 of the Top 25 ranked teams, but UConn isn't one of them...yet!
UConn Wins Against In-State Rival!!!
Connecticut 82, Quinnipiac 49
By PAT EATON-ROBB, Associated Press Writer
December 16, 2007
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Jerome Dyson scored 23 points as Connecticut beat Quinnipiac 82-49 Sunday, the Huskies' 62nd consecutive win over other teams from the state.
Stanley Robinson had 15 for the Huskies (7-2) and Jeff Adrien added his fourth double-double of the season, scoring 12 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.
The game was Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore's first against the Huskies after spending the past 13 seasons as a UConn assistant coach.
Casey Cosgrove hit five 3-pointers and led Quinnipiac (4-5) with 15. DeMario Anderson added 10.
Connecticut led 46-24 at the half, then went on a 16-4 run after intermission to put the game out of reach. Quinnipiac hit just 19 of 68 shots, and was just 5-of-25 from 3-point range.
The Bobcats (4-5) scored first, but missed their next nine shots and UConn jumped to a 9-2 early lead.
After a pair of 3-pointers from Casey Cosgrove tied the game at 10, UConn responded with a 13-0 run sparked by a pressing defense.
The Huskies went on a 19-3 run late in the first half, capped by three consecutive dunks, including an ally-oop from Dyson to 7-foot-3 Hasheem Thabeet and a tomahawk by Dyson off a feed from Wiggins.
Thabeet had four of Connecticut's nine blocked shots.
Quinnipiac has never beaten UConn in nine tries. UConn's last loss to an in-state foe came on Dec. 29, 1986 when Hartford beat the Huskies 49-48 in Calhoun's first season.
Moore is one of seven former Calhoun assistants who now has a Division I head coaching job.
During his time with Calhoun, the Huskies won both their national championships, eight Big East regular season titles and five conference tournament titles.
About 3,500 fans braved a winter storm to attend the game.
By PAT EATON-ROBB, Associated Press Writer
December 16, 2007
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Jerome Dyson scored 23 points as Connecticut beat Quinnipiac 82-49 Sunday, the Huskies' 62nd consecutive win over other teams from the state.
Stanley Robinson had 15 for the Huskies (7-2) and Jeff Adrien added his fourth double-double of the season, scoring 12 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.
The game was Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore's first against the Huskies after spending the past 13 seasons as a UConn assistant coach.
Casey Cosgrove hit five 3-pointers and led Quinnipiac (4-5) with 15. DeMario Anderson added 10.
Connecticut led 46-24 at the half, then went on a 16-4 run after intermission to put the game out of reach. Quinnipiac hit just 19 of 68 shots, and was just 5-of-25 from 3-point range.
The Bobcats (4-5) scored first, but missed their next nine shots and UConn jumped to a 9-2 early lead.
After a pair of 3-pointers from Casey Cosgrove tied the game at 10, UConn responded with a 13-0 run sparked by a pressing defense.
The Huskies went on a 19-3 run late in the first half, capped by three consecutive dunks, including an ally-oop from Dyson to 7-foot-3 Hasheem Thabeet and a tomahawk by Dyson off a feed from Wiggins.
Thabeet had four of Connecticut's nine blocked shots.
Quinnipiac has never beaten UConn in nine tries. UConn's last loss to an in-state foe came on Dec. 29, 1986 when Hartford beat the Huskies 49-48 in Calhoun's first season.
Moore is one of seven former Calhoun assistants who now has a Division I head coaching job.
During his time with Calhoun, the Huskies won both their national championships, eight Big East regular season titles and five conference tournament titles.
About 3,500 fans braved a winter storm to attend the game.
Narrow loss for UConn!
Wow. They made some terrible 3 point attempts coming down the stretch, after making well over 50% of them in the first half! On a few, they didn't even draw iron...they were just throwing up prayers. They had a good chance to win this IF....
(19) Gonzaga 85, (37) Connecticut 82
Preview - Box Score - Recap
By JIM O'CONNELL, AP Basketball Writer
December 1, 2007
BOSTON (AP) -- A couple of close wins made it a nice trip East for Gonzaga.
Jeremy Pargo scored eight of his 23 points in the final 4:17 and the 19th-ranked Bulldogs held off Connecticut 85-82 on Saturday in The Hartford Hall of Fame Showcase at TD Banknorth Garden.
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Gonzaga, which headed across the country after finishing third in the Great Alaska Shootout, started its Eastern swing with a 70-65 overtime victory at Saint Joseph's on Thursday night.
"It was a great win," Bulldogs coach Mark Few said of Saturday's victory. "It was a tough trip for us. This was a tough couple of days, to go into the band box where St. Joe's is so tough and to come into UConn country.
"This was a hard trip we came from Alaska, maybe were in Spokane for 48 hours and then here."
Pargo didn't want to hear about the trip making things tough on the Bulldogs, who are still without starting center Josh Heyvelt, who is expected back from ankle surgery around Christmas.
"Once you play basketball all that goes away," Pargo said of the trip. "If you think about it you come away with a loss. We play basketball. You can't think about things like that. You have NBA guys play back-to-back games for 82 games."
Pargo, a junior guard, made three field goals down the stretch, including a jumper with 1:43 left that gave the Bulldogs (7-1) a 79-76 lead. He missed two free throws with 1:12 left but made two 28 seconds later for an 81-76 lead.
"This guy managed the game the way we wanted him to," Few said of Pargo.
A.J. Price sandwiched a basket down low and two free throws around one free throw by Gonzaga's Matt Bouldin to get the Huskies (5-2) to 82-80 with 21 seconds to go.
Gonzaga freshman Austin Daye, a 90 percent free throw shooter this season, made two at the line with 15 seconds left for an 84-80 lead. Price scored on a layup off an inbound pass with 6.7 seconds to go for a two-point game.
Daye was fouled again with 4.2 seconds left and he only made the first.
Connecticut came down with a chance to tie but Price's 3 from the left side bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
Bouldin added 19 points for Gonzaga, while Micah Downs had 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Price led the Huskies with 24 points, while Jerome Dyson added 19 and Jeff Adrien had 15.
Connecticut finished 9-for-28 from 3-point range (32.1 percent), meaning the Huskies missed 15 of their last 17 shots from beyond the arc.
"We knew if they wanted to shoot the 3s that's not what they normally do," Few said of Connecticut. "We knew if we could weather the storm we could get back and make it manageable."
Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun was visibly upset with his team after the game.
"We did shoot well in the first half but in the whole second half we made three good plays and a bunch of bad ones," Calhoun said. "I can't say anything about a single UConn player. In 22 years I can count on one hand opportunities that were presented like that. It's best that's all I say. Gonzaga deserved to win because they made the plays when they had to. This game's going to stick with me for a while. We gave points away. We put ourselves in that position."
The Huskies started the game by making seven of their first 11 3-point attempts against Gonzaga's zone and they led by as many as 10 points in the first half. Gonzaga took its first lead of the game, 45-44, on a 3 by David Pendergraft with a second left in the half.
Connecticut opened a 67-63 lead, but Bouldin had all the points in a 9-2 run that put Gonzaga up 72-69 with 6:38 to play.
There were four more lead changes the rest of the way.
Former UConn star Ray Allen, now with the Boston Celtics, sat courtside and then talked to the team after the game.
"He said, `Just keep your head up and stay focused,"' Huskies forward Stanley Robinson recounted. "It starts with your heart. You have to stay together. We have to sit up as a team and correct mistakes. We can't always look to Coach to get it right."
Price echoed Calhoun's sentiment.
"I understand Coach was frustrated tonight and he had a reason to be, we let one get away," Price said.
Gonzaga returns home for a meeting with local rival No. 6 Washington State on Wednesday.
This was Gonzaga's first win in three meetings with Connecticut. The Huskies won in the 1999 West Regional championship game and in the 2005 Maui Invitational title game.
(19) Gonzaga 85, (37) Connecticut 82
Preview - Box Score - Recap
By JIM O'CONNELL, AP Basketball Writer
December 1, 2007
BOSTON (AP) -- A couple of close wins made it a nice trip East for Gonzaga.
Jeremy Pargo scored eight of his 23 points in the final 4:17 and the 19th-ranked Bulldogs held off Connecticut 85-82 on Saturday in The Hartford Hall of Fame Showcase at TD Banknorth Garden.
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Gonzaga, which headed across the country after finishing third in the Great Alaska Shootout, started its Eastern swing with a 70-65 overtime victory at Saint Joseph's on Thursday night.
"It was a great win," Bulldogs coach Mark Few said of Saturday's victory. "It was a tough trip for us. This was a tough couple of days, to go into the band box where St. Joe's is so tough and to come into UConn country.
"This was a hard trip we came from Alaska, maybe were in Spokane for 48 hours and then here."
Pargo didn't want to hear about the trip making things tough on the Bulldogs, who are still without starting center Josh Heyvelt, who is expected back from ankle surgery around Christmas.
"Once you play basketball all that goes away," Pargo said of the trip. "If you think about it you come away with a loss. We play basketball. You can't think about things like that. You have NBA guys play back-to-back games for 82 games."
Pargo, a junior guard, made three field goals down the stretch, including a jumper with 1:43 left that gave the Bulldogs (7-1) a 79-76 lead. He missed two free throws with 1:12 left but made two 28 seconds later for an 81-76 lead.
"This guy managed the game the way we wanted him to," Few said of Pargo.
A.J. Price sandwiched a basket down low and two free throws around one free throw by Gonzaga's Matt Bouldin to get the Huskies (5-2) to 82-80 with 21 seconds to go.
Gonzaga freshman Austin Daye, a 90 percent free throw shooter this season, made two at the line with 15 seconds left for an 84-80 lead. Price scored on a layup off an inbound pass with 6.7 seconds to go for a two-point game.
Daye was fouled again with 4.2 seconds left and he only made the first.
Connecticut came down with a chance to tie but Price's 3 from the left side bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
Bouldin added 19 points for Gonzaga, while Micah Downs had 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Price led the Huskies with 24 points, while Jerome Dyson added 19 and Jeff Adrien had 15.
Connecticut finished 9-for-28 from 3-point range (32.1 percent), meaning the Huskies missed 15 of their last 17 shots from beyond the arc.
"We knew if they wanted to shoot the 3s that's not what they normally do," Few said of Connecticut. "We knew if we could weather the storm we could get back and make it manageable."
Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun was visibly upset with his team after the game.
"We did shoot well in the first half but in the whole second half we made three good plays and a bunch of bad ones," Calhoun said. "I can't say anything about a single UConn player. In 22 years I can count on one hand opportunities that were presented like that. It's best that's all I say. Gonzaga deserved to win because they made the plays when they had to. This game's going to stick with me for a while. We gave points away. We put ourselves in that position."
The Huskies started the game by making seven of their first 11 3-point attempts against Gonzaga's zone and they led by as many as 10 points in the first half. Gonzaga took its first lead of the game, 45-44, on a 3 by David Pendergraft with a second left in the half.
Connecticut opened a 67-63 lead, but Bouldin had all the points in a 9-2 run that put Gonzaga up 72-69 with 6:38 to play.
There were four more lead changes the rest of the way.
Former UConn star Ray Allen, now with the Boston Celtics, sat courtside and then talked to the team after the game.
"He said, `Just keep your head up and stay focused,"' Huskies forward Stanley Robinson recounted. "It starts with your heart. You have to stay together. We have to sit up as a team and correct mistakes. We can't always look to Coach to get it right."
Price echoed Calhoun's sentiment.
"I understand Coach was frustrated tonight and he had a reason to be, we let one get away," Price said.
Gonzaga returns home for a meeting with local rival No. 6 Washington State on Wednesday.
This was Gonzaga's first win in three meetings with Connecticut. The Huskies won in the 1999 West Regional championship game and in the 2005 Maui Invitational title game.
Adrien and Thabeet Propel Men's Basketball Past Ga
Adrien and Thabeet Propel Men's Basketball Past Gardner-Webb, 89-72
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