Be honest. You didn’t think UConn could get this far without Jerome Dyson.
You thought the six overtimes would lead them into another pitiful postseason, didn’t you?
Oh ye of little faith.
Kemba Walker puts up 23 points and five assists in 25 minutes, and the rest is history.
UConn 82, Missouri 75 and the Huskies are headed to Detroit.
– That first pump/haymaker punch you saw Jim Calhoun throw after the final buzzer wasn’t fake emotion. It’s been a long week/month/year for the coach.
“I’m ecstatic,” Calhoun said after.
“I’m as happy as I possibly can be about the basketball situation,” he added. “I’m so proud, so happy for this group. I mean, I feel like busting out because I just think they are really special. What they did once they get dealt a real tough blow. It took some bounces, it took too many bruises. Here we are going to the Final Four and, once again, I’m just elated.”
– Walker, an 18-year-old freshman, was perhaps the best player on the court.
“For a freshman to go off in a game like Kemba did is really, really special,” Calhoun said.
He handled the Missouri pressure quite well.
“It makes you play at a fast pace,” Walker said. “That’s something I like to do very much, play at a fast pace. I was able to keep my composure out there and just play fast.”
– The Huskies made their final 11 free throws in the game (10-for-10 in the last 1:02) to sew it up.
“It felt like we were trying to get out of practice,” A.J. Price said. “We have to make a certain ammount before we leave the gym.”
Price scored 18 points and was the West Regional MOP (don’t say MVP, they get real mad at you at the NCAA if you do that).
Price was in-and-out of the lineup a lot near the end of the game. He looked like he might be sick. But no, just drained.
“Just tired. Gassed,” Price said. “Missouri puts a lot of pressure on you, a lot of pressure.”
– Jeff Adrien played 39 minutes Saturday. He had 12 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three blocks, two steals and played some outstanding defense.
He also had a bloody chin by the end.
“I think it was a scratch, somebody’s nail,” he said.
– Hasheem Thabeet did not block a single shot in Saturday’s game, the first time he’s gone blockless all season.
– Stanley Robinson played the role of Thabeet. He was credited with four blocks, though some people (including the Connecticut Post’s intrepid all-star beat guy) counted six.
Robinson also beat DeMarre Carroll for the first time. Carroll and Robinson are both from Birmingham, Ala., and the younger Robinson was always on the losing end.
“Glad to beat him,” Robinson said. “I’d rather beat him here, to get to the Final Four, than in high school.”
– The Huskies are 6-0 in greater Phoenix. They won national titles in 1999 and 2004 by coming out of regional play in the area. They plan to do the same this year.
Calhoun joked about buying a house in the area. He also said it’s not quite like playing in Jersey.
“This is not like playing at the Meadowlands, trust me,” Calhoun said. “The guys at the Meadowlands tell you ‘Get your stuff in the locker room and move! We got hockey tonight!’ ”
– The team chose not to cut down the nets at the Phoenix Dome (I know, fake name).
They did it in 1999 but also chose not to in 2004.
“Hopefully we will have a chance to cut them down somewhere else,” Price said.
- Neill
