Wednesday night will be the second-ever meeting between college basketball coaches who each have 800 or more career wins _ sort of.
UConn’s Jim Calhoun will miss his seventh consecutive game when the Huskies visit Jim Boeheim’s Orange at the Carrier Dome. So while George Blaney will fill in for Calhoun again, Calhoun still could get credit for a victory.
The only other 800-800 game came when Calhoun faced off against Duke’ Mike Krzyzewski earlier this season.
Anyway, here are some items from UConn’s practice Tuesday afternoon:
– Calhoun remains on an indefinite leave of absence but the Huskies really miss him, Blaney says.
“I think they miss him a great deal. His passion, his drive, his ability to motivate them, to get them to do the things we’ve been built to do,” Blaney said. “The sooner it is he can come back, the better it is for himself and for the players.”
Blaney and Calhoun have kept in close contact.
“I talk to him every day,” Blaney said.
Still no timetable for his return, it seems.
“As soon as he and doctors are ready,” Blaney said.
So is Blaney surprised or concerned that Calhoun has been out so long?
“We haven’t had time to think about that,” Blaney said.
– Syracuse F Wes Johnson concerns the Huskies. So does G Andy Rautins.
But the biggest worry for UConn might be C Arinze Onuaku, a senior who has become an offensive weapon.
“He’s just burying people,” Blaney said. “His body is just so huge, it’s a little bit like when Shaq turns on you. He just moves you because he turns, not because he’s pushing you or shoving you. He just turns and he’s into you, and you’ve automatically moved.”
– Count Blaney among those who isn’t surprised by Syracuse’s strong play despite their player losses in the offseason.
“No. I said last summer that I thought they were going to be a great team,” Blaney said. “I said it all fall and I believe I picked them first or second. I thought they were going to be really good. I thought they had good combinations. And the guy (Boeheim) wins all the time. It’s just like our Jim. They know how to win. You put 25 or 27 wins a year up for 30 years, you have a pretty good idea what you’re doing.”
– Once again it seems the UConn “reserves” had strong efforts in practice. We’ll see if it finally translates to the games.
“The guy that’s coming along, and he’s actually starting, is Ater Majok,” Blaney said. “I think Ater is gaining confidence every single day. He’s starting to do more and more things every day. He certainly is more of a factor in games. He can affect games. And that’s what you’re looking for from guys that come off the bench.”
– G/F Jamal Coombs-McDaniel continues to perhaps the greatest mystery.
“Shooters are a rare breed,” Blaney said. “They kind of think a little differently than most people.
“A lot of times it takes a game or like the half he had against Georgetown,” Blaney continued. “Normally something like than can really get you going and really can change your whole approach to how you play and your own confidence in yourself.”
Even though Coombs didn’t exactly get in a roll after that Georgetown performance (seven points total in the eight games since) the coaches still believe he can and will contribute.
“He is a good shooter. He really can shoot the ball,” Blaney said. “He just needs to get it done a couple more times.”
– UConn will face a top 10 team for the fourth time this season on Wednesday, with No. 4 Villanova and No. 5 West Virgina just ahead on the schedule.
– UConn 1-4 against ranked teams this season.
– George Blaney was 2-6 against Syracuse in his days as a head coach, 2-3 while at Seton Hall and 0-3 at Holy Cross.
– UConn is 11-17 at the Carrier Dome, 10-15 against Syracuse in the regular season
– The Huskies are now 20-7 in games Calhoun has missed.
– UConn is 0-5 on road (1-7 including neutral site games).
- Neill
