UConn sports

The UConn football team has captains. Coach Randy Edsall made the announcement to the team Friday.

LB Scott Lutrus, CB Robert McClain, P Desi Cullen and FB Anthony Sherman were given the duties.

- Neill

It’s the offseason here at the blog, which means it’s really football AND basketball season. You never know which UConn program will provide us with news but you do know there are few who work as hard to keep tabs on both team (Messrs Daigneault and D’Ambrosio aside, perhaps).

Working on an offseason basketball story, too, but here are some notes from the football team as it heads into Saturday’s spring game:

– The Blue-White Game will begin at noon. The parking lots open at 9 a.m. and the stadium doors open at 11 a.m.

Radio coverage on WTIC-1080 (not sure about affiliates, I’ll check). It will also be streamed at www.uconnhuskies.com.

– UConn’s spring game won’t be scored in the usual way. It will be the offense against the defense, as opposed to the way it was last season when the coaches split the team up (It was the 1-offense and the 2-defense against the 1-defense and the 2-offense).

Offense: Six points for a touchdown, three points for a field goal, one point for a first down, three points for run play of more than 15 yards or a pass play of more than 20 yards.

Defense: Six points for a touchdown, four for a turnover, two for a drive stop, three for a three-and-out, two for a sack, three for a blocked field goal, one for a TFL or blocked PAT.

Expect the defense to win big. Not necessarily because the offense is that far behind but because the scoring system is rigged (there, I said it).

The first half will be played just like a normal game (no live punts or kickoffs). After a 12-minute halftime the game will use a running clock in the second half.

– Don’t expect too many zone blitzes or flea-flickers on Saturday.

“It’s going to be watered down a bit in terms of what we allow the defense to do and the things the offense will do,” coach Randy Edsall said. “We’re not going to throw everything out there that we worked on this spring.”

– WR Brad Kanuch will have surgery to repair his collarbone Tuesday. Kanuch was hurt in practice this week.

Edsall said he expects Kanuch to be back in action by June 1.

– OT Dan Ryan will have surgery on Tuesday, too, on his shoulder. The operation is minor according to Edsall, perhaps evidenced by the fact that Ryan will be playing Saturday.

– CB Jasper Howard missed practice Thursday, something that has happened more than once this spring. Apparently Howard missed a class and was forced to stay on the sidelines. He’ll likely play Saturday, though.

- Neill

Small note from the folks over at ESPN.

The Papajohns.com Bowl, which features a Big East team against an SEC foes, is changing dates and will now be played Jan. 2.

The game is played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.

The Papajohns will begin at 2 p.m. and it will be part of an ESPN college football tripleheader, along with the Liberty Bowl (5:30) and Alamo Bowl (9 p.m.).

“Traditionally Saturdays have been great for bowl ratings, and this shows the confidence we have in the Papajohns.com Bowl,” Dave Brown, vice president for programming & acquisitions at ESPN said in a statement. “Saturdays have been terrific in offering bowls more exposure than they’ve had before.”

The 2008 game drew 36,387 fans as Rutgers beat N.C. State 29-23. That game was played on Dec. 29.

South Florida beat East Carolina in the 2006 version of the Papajohn’s Bowl (the first one). Cincinnati beat Southern Miss in 2007.

UConn has yet to appear in Birmingham. Don’t be surprised if the Huskies end up there next season, assuming they’re bowl-eligible (don’t know how big of an assumption that is yet) and assuming they’re not something like 11-1 (I’ll reserve comment on how safe an assumption that is).

- Neill

Sorry for the late update. In the category of “I already heard that” let me let you know that UConn center Hasheem Thabeet has decided to forgo his senior year and enter the NBA Draft.

“After spending time with my family and friends and speaking with Coach Calhoun, I have decided to give up my final year at UConn and enter my name in the 2009 NBA Draft,” Thabeet said in a statement. “I have had a great experience at Connecticut and cannot thank my coaches and teammates enough. I look forward to the challenge of playing professionally and know that my time here at UConn has prepared me to be successful in the future. I also want to thank all of the fans in Husky Nation that have followed my career, especially those from my homeland of Tanzania, and hope they will all be as supportive of me at the professional level as they have been to this point.”

Now, let’s be honest. We all knew this was coming. It was just a matter of when.

But…..when enterprising young reporters met with UConn coach Jim Calhoun Tuesday morning, he said Thabeet wasn’t ready to announce anything. A few hours later _ when at least one enterprising young reporter had gone to see some friends in the hospital with their new baby (It’s a girl!) _ UConn put out a statement that announces Thabeet’s plans to enter the draft. Nice timing!

It’s all whining on my part that has nothing to do with you getting the news faster, just wanted to get that off my chest and explain why this blog is a little tardy.

- Neill

UConn basketball coach Jim Calhoun spent a few minutes with some esteemed members of the media (as well as me) to recap the season and look ahead.

Here are the highlights:

– Calhoun talked to Hasheem Thabeet on Monday but no final plans have been made for an announcement on the center’s future.

“He hasn’t told me anything,” Calhoun said. “I met with him (Monday). He will announce within a week, he said.”

UPDATE: Read blog post above. It’s a done deal. Forget this stuff.

– In case there was any doubt (there really wasn’t) Calhoun said Stanley Robinson is staying in school and not leaving early for the NBA.

“I talked to him (Monday) and he’s had no thoughts,” Calhoun said. “He knows he’s not ready.”

“If you’re an NBA general manager what you want to see a real good year, a consistent year,” Calhoun said.

If Robinson has one of those, of course, the NBA will be waiting.

– Former UConn G Rashad Anderson has signed a two-year, $2.1 million deal to play in Italy’s top league (Serie A).

Calhoun said Anderson was the leading scorer last season in the league (I think he was second, but nonetheless…)

“Which none of us don’t believe, because we know he’d take enough shots,” Calhoun joked.

Anderson is playing for Snaidero Cucine Udine. (Don’t ask me to pronounce that)

– Calhoun found it amusing that Thabeet’s travels were considered news.

“They find it strange that since he has a girlfriend in Miami that he goes to Miami,” Calhoun said. “I don’t find any of that stuff strange at all.”

“I thought I was reading People magazine or Entertainment Tonight.”

Good one.

– Calhoun made it clear he was pleased with the season that just ended.

“If you could book 31 (wins) next year and a Final Four, I think I’ll take that,” Calhoun said. “I think any coach in the country would take that.”

He admits the team wasn’t as strong without Jerome Dyson but…

“Could it have beaten Michigan State? Without question,” Calhoun said, adding that it may have even beaten North Carolina under the right circumstances. “But they gave everything they possibly had.”

– The coach took exception to something written about Robinson recently (I won’t mention names and neither did Calhoun, but enterprising well-read folks will know the source).

“The things that have been said about him are unfair,” Calhoun said.

Calhoun was referring to those who questioned Robinson’s leave from the team in the fall semester.

“He left for medical reasons,” Calhoun said. “I don’t think we have to define a kid’s medical condition. … He has straightened his medical condition out. I think he should be allowed to do that without being chastised for having an illness.”

As for Robinson’s future?

“He’s committed to doing well in school and we’re happy about his progress,” Calhoun said.

– In scheduling news, UConn is slated to play Michigan (on the road), Texas (at home) and will be part of the preseason NIT (Duke, LSU and Arizona State also in there) next season.

There is a chance the Huskies will face Kentucky at MSG as part of the SEC-Big East Challenge.

“We haven’t signed anything,” Calhoun said. “That would be great for our fans and for basketball.”

– What is the future for Donnell Beverly, Jonathan Mandeldove and Scottie Haralson?

All could be back, if there was any doubt (there was some).

“I want Donnell to be here next year,” Calhoun said of the junior-to-be. “He hasn’t indicated anything about leaving but I just wanted him to know as he goes through any thought process.

“I want Donnell Beverly as part of our team. There couldn’t be many better kids anywhere, anytime,” Calhoun continued. “And I think he has an opportunity to play.”

There was one report that Mandeldove was leaving but that seems unlikely.

“I haven’t talked to Jonathan. I have seen rumors about Jonathan,” Calhoun said. “Jonathan hasn’t talked to me about going any place.”

Calhoun hasn’t talked to Haralson yet, either.

“I haven’t talked to Scott. I don’t know how he feels. I don’t know how he sees the future,” Calhoun said. “I will lay out everything in front of him. We’d be more than happy to welcome him back to the program. But it’s up to him.”

– Kemba Walker will play with Team USA this summer, according to Calhoun.

Not sure which team Walker will be part of but we’ll keep you informed.

– Calhoun certainly speaks highly of Charles Okwandu. The center teamed with Ater Majok for some pretty good “green team” efforts during practice this season.

“He and Ater were a lot tougher to go against than a lot of the frontcourts we went against,” Calhoun said.

- Neill

Darius Smith got a good look at the UConn campus Friday _ almost two weeks after he committed to the Huskies.

Yes, the 6-foot-2 guard from Chicago liked what he saw.

The only other visits Smith made were to George Washington and Minnesota.

“The schools I went to were big programs but this is a BIG program,” said Smith, whose on campus this weekend with his coach Henry Cotton.

After arriving on Friday (he’ll leave Sunday), Smith spent some time with current Huskies Jerome Dyson and Ater Majok.

Smith averaged 23 points for Marshall Metropolitan High last season but is known as a defensive stopper.

“If you can’t get a defensive stop, it’s like trading baskets,” Smith said.

Smith is a point guard by trade but will obviously do whatever is needed at UConn.

“It would be a great thing to play with Kemba (Walker) in the backcourt,” Smith said.

Smith, guard Jamaal Trice, small forward Jamal Coombs-McDaniel and center/power forward Alex Oriakhi make up UConn’s Class of 2009. Oriakhi and Coombs have already signed. Smith and Trice are expected to do so soon (signing period begins Wednesday).

- Neill

Just in case there was any doubt (there wasn’t much here), Jim Calhoun announced Thursday he would be back coaching the Huskies next season:

“It is my full intention to return for the 2009-10 season,” Calhoun said in a statement. “I look forward to coaching next season and to continuing as the head coach at Connecticut into the future. In many ways, the journey of this past season has made me realize how much I love coaching this game, how much I love my kids and how much I enjoy being at Connecticut.”

AD Jeff Hathaway also weighed in, via the statement.

“I am very excited that Coach Calhoun will continue as our head men’s basketball coach,” Hathaway said. “We look forward to continued success in our men’s basketball program for years to come under the leadership of our Hall of Fame coach.”

- Neill

It’s over then. Quite a season by the Huskies, if I’m throwing opinions out there.

Not the worst of losses, either. This one won’t be in the Florida, Mississippi State or George Mason categories. Not even close.

No, the Huskies didn’t play their best. Yeah, they could have done a lot of things better. But all things considered…a good season and not a terrible loss.

Michigan State 82, UConn 73

“I love my kids. They had an incredible season,” coach Jim Calhoun said.

“We never quit,” guard Craig Austrie said. “We always stuck together and we got to the Final Four. That’s a great accomplishment. The guys in this locker room never quit.”

– Calhoun spent much of the postgame saying how much he loves his team and how proud he is of them for their season.

That seems true. So why would he consider leaving UConn now?

“Some of the things, some of the disappointments I’ve had over the last few weeks,” Calhoun said.

The disappointments, in Calhoun’s mind, are not only the allegations of NCAA wrongdoing, but those who have already formed final opinions on the matter.

“I don’t think they’ve ever given me the benefit of the doubt,” Calhoun said.

He swears he’ll be back for year 24 at UConn but…

“I don’t plan to go any place but I’m going to do some reflecting _ more reflecting than I’ve done in previous years,” Calhoun said.

– There is also some doubt as to Hasheem Thabeet’s future. His decision is lot easier to handicap, though.

The junior center pretty much has to leave. If he’s projected to go high in the NBA Draft, as it looks like he will, it would be tough for him to return.

Hasheem heard chants of “one more year” from the UConn students when he made his way back onto the floor and into the stands (to greet his mother, I believe) after the game. And he even made is sound like he was coming back after the game.

“I’m a junior so I still have my senior year,” Thabeet said. “I’ve got one more chance.”

He said it with a straight face but Hasheem knows the drill. He knows this was probably his last game.

“I’ve still got classes to finish,” he pointed out.

– A.J. Price finished his college career with 15 points against the Spartans. But he hit only five of his 20 shots.

“We had to work to get ourselves into the lane,” Price said. “Once we got in the lane, they converged. Like I said, they were physical. They just kept their hands up, kept the body on us, made it tough for us to score over the top of them.”

– Kalin Lucas had 21 points for Michigan State but it was Raymar Morgan that made the difference in the game.

Morgan has been sick for much of the year and broke his nose recently, too. But he was back on his game Saturday.

“He came off that slump today,” UConn forward Jeff Adrien said. “He could have waited a couple more days but he didn’t.”

Morgan had 18 points, nine rebounds and five steals.

– State’s bench scored 33. UConn’s had 7.

“We thought we had depth over them,” State coach Tom Izzo said. “That’s why we had to run and wanted to run.”

– The attendance of 72,456 was the highest ever for an NCAA Tournament game. It was the second-highest ever for any college basketball game.

How much of a difference did all those Green and White outfits make?

“The 72,000 people quite frankly could have been 7,000 people as far as I’m concerned,” Calhoun said. “I thought the court was great. I thought everything about it was fantastic, except for the outcome.”

Price agreed.

“It didn’t make a difference at all,” Price said. “When you’re on the court, you’re not paying attention to the crowd. I know we have a lot of fans here, sorry to say that, but you don’t pay attention to the crowd. You pay attention to the game.”

– It’s actually kind of nice story that a Detroit-area team made it to the title game in Detroit, a city that has been hit harder than most in these rough economic times.

“That’s one thing we talked about,” MSU’s Travis Walton said, “bringing hope to the city.”

Walton was pretty funny when talking about the lack of funds.

“I think everybody’s had a hard time,” Walton said. “Rich people losing their money. Poor people not getting any money.”

– State guard Kalin Lucas kind of showed his feelings without saying it after the game. When asked if he’d like another shot at North Carolina (The Heels pounded State earlier this season), Lucas said both the second semifinal teams were worthy.

“UNC’s a great team an so is the other team,” Lucas said.

Right, the other team. Just guessing, but Lucas wasn’t game planning for Villanova.

Of course, Lucas and everyone else was correct. The other team lost anyway.

– Adrien finished his career with 1,603 points and 1,126 rebounds. He’s 12th in UConn history in the first one and third in the second one.

– Price finished his career with 1,284 points.

– Thabeet “finished” his career with 417 blocked shots. Only Emeka Okafor (441) had more.

- Neill