A few notes from Friday’s practice at Gampel Pavilion:
– PG Kemba Walker wasn’t 100 percent at practice but he should be ready to go Saturday against Providence. His sprained left ankle didn’t seem to be bothering the freshman too much.
“He’s just fine,” UConn coach Jim Calhoun said. “He likes the tape.”
Calhoun joked that the injury is all an act by Walker.
“I think he’s trying to get some sympathy from some co-eds,” Calhoun said.
– PG A.J. Price thinks UConn-Providence is a rivalry.
“It is. It’s not talked about much in that sense but I think this is one of the better rivalries,” Price said. “They always play us tough. It’s always a tough game.”
PF Jeff Adrien, who is very familiar with the PC roster, seems to agree.
“I think it makes it more intense,” Adrien said of the familiarity between the teams. “There’s more bragging rights since you see these guys so often.”
“I played with a couple guys on that team. Jonathan Kale, I played AAU basketball with him. Weyinmi (Efejuku), I played prep school basketball with him,” Adrien said. “I’ve seen Jeff Xavier, just being from New England and seeing him play.”
– Last year Price pretty much guaranteed a UConn victory over Providence in the second meeting. (the first was a painful blowout by the Friars that clearly ticked the Huskies off)
This year he wasn’t as brash.
“I can’t foresee anything this year,” Price said.
Adrien says he’s over that throttling UConn suffered at the XL Center last year. Sort of…
He took some playful shots at the Friars’ lack of a postseason.
“They got it. They won. They enjoyed it,” Adrien said. “They didn’t do too much after that. It matters what you do after that. … You have to build from that. I don’t think they really did that last year.”
– Calhoun often talks in riddles and circles but this one threw me for a loop. Talking about how his team hasn’t been playing awesome (though pretty good) at home recently, the coach said:
“We’ve had a lot more less looseness,” Calhoun said.
Uhhh….right.
– The starting five will be the same but Calhoun said backup guard Donnell Beverly might see some action Saturday.
“Donnell Beverly has a chance to play,” Calhoun said. “We may go three guards against three guards the whole game. That may or may not happen.”
– Why are the Friars winning so much? Because they’re winning, of course.
“The winning thing is what’s made them better. Winning breeds winning,” Calhoun said.
OK, that really is a good point. Still sounds funny, though.
– This one….not sure how believable it is.
When explaining his team’s only defeat of the season (that 74-63 loss to Georgetown) Calhoun claimed that center Hasheem Thabeet at first had some big plans for Hoya freshman Greg Monroe.
“I remember Hasheem, who I love to death, said ‘I’ll take care of that rookie,’ ” Calhoun said. “Well, that rookie somewhat took care of us.”
Did Hasheem really say that? Didn’t get a chance to ask him Friday. We’ll have to bring it up later.
- Neill
