Remember when I wrote that games like this don’t usually live up to the hype? Yeah, I’d like to forget about that.
Just finished sweating through my game story for the Post (computers are stupid…there, I said it), so here are a few tasty leftovers from UConn’s 93-82 win over Marquette:
– A.J. Price was better than good. He was Gordon-esque or Allen-esque or (insert UConn great)-esque against Marquette.
Price made 8 three’s and scored a career-high 36 points.
“I had a good shoot-around and I felt like my shot was going down, everything was in rhythm,” Price said. “I just got off to a good start and it continued throughout the game.”
Price said later he was kind of insulted that Marquette kept going under the ball screens that were set for him. Instead of getting mad, however, Price just kept shooting.
“When I look at what A.J. did I think of Ben (Gordon), I think of Ray (Allen), I think of Richard (Hamilton), some of the great players that we’ve had,” UConn coach Jim Calhoun said. “A.J. put on a performance that I’ve only seen from our great ones.”
– Calhoun also moved into the category of great one (he was already there, really) with victory No. 800.
A little congratulations from his team in the locker room, led by associate head coach George Blaney, I’m told, and a phone call from wife Pat followed the milestone.
“My wife was crying when I talked to her on the phone,” Calhoun said.
Pat apparently has (or had depending on when you read this) a cake waiting for Jim when he arrives (arrived) home Wednesday night/Thursday morning.
– Calhoun talked to Gov. Jodi Rell Wednesday morning, on the heels of the her calling his exchange with Ken Krayeske last Saturday “embarrassing.”
The coach didn’t go into any detail, however.
“I talked to the governor this morning,” Calhoun said. “We had a nice conversation this morning.”
The student section at the Bradley Center had a few choice words and signs for Calhoun. They chanted “How much money!” followed by “Not one dime!” quite a bit.
There was also a sign with Calhoun’s head on a giant dime instead of FDR’s.
– It’s too bad we couldn’t see what would have happened if Marquette G Dominic James played the whole game.
Instead, the senior broke the fifth metatarsal in his left foot early on and is now out for the season.
“His career at Marquette is over,” coach Buzz Williams said.
“We are hurtful as a program and hurtful as an institution for Dominic,” Williams said. “He has been absolutely incredible throughout his career.”
– UConn has a bye bye, err, a double bye in the Big East Tournament now. The Huskies won’t play until Thursday in the event.
– UConn is still perfect on the road, winning for the 13th time in 13 games away from the state. It was Marquette’s first home loss of the season.
– Lest you think A.J. took that Richard Hamilton comparison lightly, think again. He was glad Calhoun gave him such a compliment, however.
“He’s seen the best of them. He’s made pros,” Price said. “For him to even mention my name in the same sentence as those guys is special.
“On the other hand I can’t really enjoy it too much right now. We’re still in the season and if I wanted to be mentioned with guys like Rip, we’ve got to take this team somewhere special. That’s to the Final Four.”
– P.S. Sorry for the “Scandal” reference in the headline of the blog. It’s not the coolest of songs (I would call it “gay” but that would be politically incorrect and an insult to the homosexuals whose taste in music is much more manly than mine) but it was in some NBA highlight video tape I used to watch as a kid and it’s been stuck in my head for about two decades now.
– P.P.S. Isn’t it ironic that “I am the warrior” is going through my head during a game in which UConn’s warrior (that would be Jeff Adrien) had by far his worst game of the season?
- Neill
