Went to check out Zach Brown in his debut with Putnam Science Academy. There's a lot to like here, but certainly room to improve, as well.



Brown didn't start (he did just enroll at the school less than two weeks ago) but came off the bench 4 minutes, 43 seconds into the game and made his presence felt. He wound up with 14 points on 7-for-11 shooting, with four rebounds and three blocks. He also had his shot blocked twice in a row by a smaller player early on, when some rust was evident.

There's no doubt, he's skilled -- more so than other recent UConn big men (Hasheem Thabeet, Amida Brimah, maybe Steve Enoch). He's a little ungainly, maybe needs to get a little stronger, but has some impressive low-post moves, keeps the ball high and has a nice lefty jump hook that's got to be hard to guard -- especially from a 7-footer.

Brown helped PSA crush a Lee Academy team that has some talent and size but is a middle-of-the-pack team in the league.

Meanwhile, Mamadou Diarra struggled a bit, with 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting from both the field and the foul line. He did hit a 3-pointer and grabbed 10 boards to go with four blocks, some of them rafter-shaking.

And Hamidou Diallo? Wow, he's special. Finished with 20 points, five boards and five assists, as well as an incredible dunk through the lane, in traffic. Incredible talent, though a bit yappy with the refs and the opposing team.

Unfortunately, I missed his dunk on video, but did get this stickback late in the game:



Former UConn player Boo Willingham, who was Brown's AAU coach and mentor down in Miami, was at the game (he still lives in Hartford) and had some nice things to say about the big man. We'll have that and more in a feature story on Monday.

For now, here's what Brown and Putnam coach Tom Espinosa had to say about his debut:

BROWN:

"I was nervous at first, but I got it together. An elite player should never be nervous to play any competition."

"It's a lot better. It's competitive. I can't just go out and get easy dunks, I have to work hard for it. Down in Miami, I'm not trying to talk bad, but it was a little easy. Up here, it's really competitive. I was really working and stepping my game up."

(on Putnam Science Academy)

"At first, I was like, 'Oh my God, why am I here? They sent me away just for this?' But now, I like it. My teammates love me, I love my teammates, I love my coach. I just love it here. It just feels right."

(on what parts of his game are his strengths, and what he needs to work on)

"Playing defense, blocking shots rebounding, my left-hand jump hook, layups. But I have to work on my right hand. I've been working on it a little bit so I can get that up-and-under ready."

"I wanted to get out of Miami, because I had a lot of distractions with suspensions and crazy stuff. Miami is like a party city, so I wasn't focused mentally, so I had to come up here if I wanted to be successful. So, that's what I did."

(on re-classifying)

"It depends on the schoolwork. If I can get it down pat and get these grades up, it'll happen. If not, I have to stay one more year. So, we'll have to see."

Would he prefer to move up to the Class of 2016?

"Yes."

PUTNAM COACH TOM ESPINOSA:

"We have a pretty good relationship with UConn, we have Mamadou here. The bottom line is, UConn's staff wanted to get Zach out of Miami and get him into a prep school. It wasn't just us, it was other prep schools. It just worked out with us."

"I think UConn's pretty happy he's here. We're 30 minutes away from UConn."

"He's extremely quick for a 7-footer. He moves extremely well. Defensively, he's got to work on. He closes, no space, and he fouls constantly. He blocked maybe one or two shots, but he's gotta be a better shot-blocker. Defensively, he's kind of way behind, I believe. But offensively, he's very quick, he keeps the ball high, he's got great up-and-under moves. The last two days of practice, he's dominated."

(could he be ready to play at UConn next season)

"This fall, at UConn? I think he could, but I think he would benefit a lot more coming back. He's got a lot of work to do. In Miami, he put up big numbers, but he wasn't playing against the highest competition that he's gonna play here, at a prep school in New England."

"He would love to go next year. He's a true junior, he's right on track. His plan is to maybe take some summer classes, graduate early and get to UConn in the fall. But, it's a very slim chance. I don't think it's gonna happen. I think he'll be back here next year."

Because Brown transferred to PSA past deadline, he won't be able to play in the national prep tournament.

Where do we even start? This is a very talented team. Sure, it's Maine, but we've seen UConn teams of the past -- even good ones -- slog through early-season cupcake games with little energy or passion.

That doesn't appear to be in this team's DNA.

More later, but here's some of what Shonn Miller (double-double, 17 points, 10 rebouns) and Amida Brimah (18 points, nine blocks, one off the school record held by Hasheem Thabeet, Emeka Okafor and Donyell Marshall) had to say afterwards:

A lot of talk about and with Amida Brimah at practice Saturday, after UConn prepared for Sunday's 2K Sports Classic with Boston University. Kid's off to a great start, with 14 blocks in his first three collegiate games. The Huskies were 55th in the nation in blocked shots last year. They're fifth early in this season, thanks largely to the 7-footer from Ghana via Miami.

Here's a story I wrote about Brimah shortly after he committed to UConn last February, chronicling his path from the soccer fields of Ghana to the hardwood of the U.S.

Asked Brimah today if he knew about UConn's legacy of shot-blockers (Emeka Okafor, Hilton Armstrong, Hasheem Thabeet, etc.) before coming to America. Not even close. In fact, the only basketball player he knew about while growing up was Michael Jordan.

Brimah went up against Thabeet this summer during pick-up games at Gampel. He said he played well against him -- didn't block any of his shots, but didn't get blocked, either -- and marveled at just how big and strong Thabeet was.

Thabeet also gave Brimah a bit of advice.

“He told me, when I was playing against him, even though he was bigger than me, I was playing hard, and he just gave me the advice to keep playing hard and stuff," Brimah said.

It's natural to compare Brimah and Thabeet. Both are 7-footers from Africa who were converted soccer players relatively new to basketball when they arrived at UConn. A.J. Price noticed the similarities during the Greater Hartford Pro-Am this summer.

"You hate to compare somebody to somebody, but that's the first thing you see," Price said. "I watched Hasheem be the same way when he first came here, not really knowing how to use his body, know how big he is. (Brimah) has the same problems right now, but he has a good basketball IQ, which is unteachable."

I asked Jim Calhoun if Brimah was ahead of where Thabeet was as a freshman, and he quickly answered, "No." But he also pointed out that Brimah is ahead of where Thabeet was offensively.

Kevin Ollie was still in the NBA when Thabeet arrived at UConn as a freshman.

“I know Hasheem was blocking shots and was amazing," Ollie said. "They used to have Hasheem in the sand pits, working on his hands and things like that so he could probably catch a little bit better. But it would be unfair for me to compare him, because he’s going to be his own player, anyway. He’s not going to be Hasheem Thabeet, he’s going to be Amida.”

Shabazz Napier recalls when Brimah committed to the Huskies, nobody knew much about him.

“I think we looked, but he didn’t have a lot of highlights on YouTube. He had one where he was just blocking little kids’ shots, so we were like, that’s one thing he knows how to do well, but we didn’t expect much. We expected a helping hand, but he’s been doing so much for this team.”

Napier was impressed by what he saw from Brimah this summer, however.

“He didn’t whine about getting hit down in the post, he blocked a lot of shots in pick-ups. I saw a lot, but you don’t know what was going to happen during the game atmosphere. You didn’t know if he was going to play well against Maryland, with that big atmosphere. That’s kind of a shock to a lot of freshmen coming in.”

“It’s rare, but when you have it, it’s spectacular … We’re just happy he’s on our team.”

*** No official word on letters-of-intent from Daniel Hamilton, Rakim Lubin and Sam Cassell, Jr., though it appears UConn is waiting to receive all three (or two, or however it may work out) before making an announcement.

But we'll reiterate: the Huskies are not worried about Hamilton backing off his commitment, as has been speculated.

*** Napier knows UConn can't keep shooting 54 percent form 3-point land forever. When the shots aren't falling at some point, he'll be ready to step up.

"That’s when I’ve got to be more aggressive," he said. "I haven’t taken a lot of shots, just because my teammates are making a ton of shots. That’s good for us. As long as I put myself in the right position to get my teammates open, they’re going to knock it down. Niels is on a crazy streak shooting … I don’t expect him to make his next eight in a row again. But he’s a great shooter, guys are getting it to the right spots, Omar’s getting to the right spots. Once that point in time comes when a lot of guys aren’t hitting shots, then I’ve got to be more aggressive.”

*** UConn is in the midst of a stretch of six games in 14 days.

“It’s a good grind, the grind we like. It’s how it’s going to be in the tournament in Memphis, then we’ve got to come back and play in the march to the Final Four. I like this kind of grind. We’ve got to understand that it’s part of basketball, every team is going to go through it. Even in conference play, you’re going to be in a grind and a bind when we get into January and February. This is going to be a great tune-up for us.”

Went to check out Kentan Facey and Amida Brimah square off against each other at the Greater Hartford Pro-Am Sunday evening. Both players, without question, need to put on weight and get stronger. Both are a bit raw, and it all was exposed against the older, bigger, stronger competition at Crosby High (including Edmund Saunders, who is pushing 300 pounds but still has some game. More on that later).



From where I was sitting, Facey is definitely the more polished player right now. He blocked a couple of shots, grabbed some boards and made a couple of inside baskets, finishing with five points. Brimah outscored him with nine, but was definitely more raw and mistake-prone. There was a nice reverse layup and a couple of easy dunks, but also a dropped pass on a breakaway and had some happy feet in the lane.



I asked A.J. Price (who poured in 31 points, including seven 3-pointers) if he saw similarities between Brimah and Hasheem Thabeet when Thabeet was a freshman.

“Without a doubt," Price said. "You hate to compare somebody to somebody, but that’s the first thing you see. I watched Hasheem be the same way when he first came here, not really knowing how to use his body, know how big he is. He has the same problems right now, but he has a good basketball IQ, which is unteachable. I think once he gets in there with the coaching staff, he’ll be fine.”

There was another UConn player with whom Brimah shared an unfortunate similarity on Sunday. With about seven seconds left, Brimah tossed up a wild, midcourt shot, thinking time was expiring. It was pure Roscoe Smith. Everybody had a good laugh about it, including (much to his credit) Brimah.

“I thought the time was over, so I put it up before time (was over)," he explained, with a smile.

Added Facey: "We know we’re not going to have a chance to take that shot unless we have like a second left in a regular game at UConn. If he had realized it, he would have made a smarter play.”

It's interesting: Facey and Brimah are good friends. They share a lot of similarities: both have lived in the U.S. for about three years (Facey's from Jamaica, Brimah from Ghana), both have three sisters ... and both could be battling for minutes at center for UConn come mid-October.

A few weeks ago, Kevin Ollie told me and a couple of other reporters that, essentially, Shabazz Napier, Ryan Boatright, Omar Calhoun and DeAndre Daniels were going to be in his starting lineup. That basically just leaves the five position, with improving Phil Nolan and veteran Tyler Olander (coming off a disappointing season) likely the front-runners. But Facey and Brimah will certainly try to be in the mix, as well.

“That’s why we’re all here, that’s why we play the game, to be the best we can best we can be and be in a good situation," Facey said.

I jokingly asked Facey who got the better of whom on Sunday, but he wasn't kidding with his answer.

“Today, I feel like I had a more all-around game. Amida probably had two or four more points, but I feel like I had a better game all-around.”

Can't disagree with him there.

Price, a Long Island native, actually played with Facey a few times at Long Island Lutheran (Facey's alma mater) the past two summers.

"I think he’ll have a good career," Price said. "He’s gotten better since I saw him.”

As for Brimah: “The big fella has a lot of potential. I think when he gets with Coach Ollie and they teach him how to use his size and be effective as he can, I think he’ll be very good.”

*** After playing his first three seasons with the Indiana Pacers and last year with the Washington Wizards, A.J. Price is an NBA free agent. His agent, Cheshire's Jeff Schwartz, is in the process of looking for potential fits for him.



Price is proud of his career to this point.

“Considering how I came into the league, 52nd pick, not a lot of 52nd picks make teams," he said. "So just to make my first team was an accomplishment in itself. I think it took a couple of years to get acclimated to the NBA style, but I think now I have more of a grasp on it and I’m just eager to get with somebody this season to show what I can do.”

*** Saunders added nine points in Sunday's victory, and was able to get his large frame in the air for a pair of late-game dunks -- one of them an alley-oop.

*** Facey is looking forward to getting some more instruction from the coaching staff in the ensuing weeks.

"Everything’s going tremendous," he said. "Classes are great, workouts are good. We get to work out with coaches now because they’re going to be back from the live period, so we’re going to be able to work out with them more than we have the past couple of weeks.”

Although Jim Calhoun wasn't able to attend the event due to a broken hip suffered in a bike accident earlier in the day, there was still plenty of fun and action at Saturday night's charity all-star game. Here's some video evidence:

Kemba Walker, Ray Allen introduced to the crowd; MVP Walker drains a 3-pointer; Big Ed Nelson blows a dunk; Rudy Gay finds Edmund Saunders for a nice reverse layup:



Hasheem Thabeet and Rudy Gay mess around prior to the game; Kemba talks about how special UConn will always be to him; Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton shoot the breeze:

Here are some notes 'n quotes from Saturday's Mohegan Sun/Jim Calhoun Charity Classic:

Kemba Walker is one of the most celebrated winners in UConn basketball history. The run to the 2011 Big East and national championships is proof of that.


So imagine how it killed him as a rookie this season with the Charlotte Bobcats, who had an all-time worst record of 7-59.

“Of course (it did),” he said Saturday, prior to the Mohegan Sun/Jim Calhoun Charity All-Star Game. He added that his goal for the team in the future is “winning, that’s it. I just want to win.”

Adding another national champion (2012 No. draft pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist) to the mix can only help, Walker figures.

“But it takes more than just me and him,” he noted. “As long as (we)can try to bring that winning culture to the team, it’ll help a lot.”

Walker was a winner again on Saturday, scoring 38 points to lead the White Team to a sudden-death overtime (seriously), 109-107 victory over the Blue Team. In an interesting twist, however, Walker had two chances to give his team the win and came up short both times.

At the end of regulation, he put up a 16-footer (similar to his famous game-winner against Pitt in the 2011 Big East tournament) but had it blocked by Rudy Gay.

In OT, Walker made some terrific crossovers and put up a similar shot with Jeremy Lamb guarding him. The shot was an air ball.

The White Team won thanks to Jerome Dyson’s steal and layup.

*** Shabazz Napier is still in a walking boot after fracturing the pinky toe on his right foot a few months ago, but he’s 100-percent confident that he’ll be ready to go once practice starts in mid-October.

Napier said he’s due to get the boot off in 2 ½-3 weeks, and hopefully begin basketball activities shortly after that.

Jim Calhoun has mentioned that Napier will likely play off the ball more this season, allowing Ryan Boatright to control the point. That’s fine with Napier.

“In high school I was more of a combo guard,” he noted. “When I came to college, I realized I had more potential being a pro point guard. If I was blessed enough to make it to the NBA, that’s what I’d be. But, I’m willing to do anything coach wants me to do. Whatever he wants me to do, I’ll do it – whether it be running in the rain at (midnight), I’ll do it.”

He’ll be asked to score more this season.

“I started scoring well at the beginning of the season, but then I allowed a lot of things that were going on with the team to get in my head,” Napier noted.

What type of things?

“Things that were going on throughout the whole season, whether it be inside or outside. Sometimes as a young athlete, you let things get to your head. I learned from my mistakes.”

*** UConn is expected to have several recruits come in on official visits this week. One of them is Kentan Facey, a 6-foot-9 Class of 2013 power forward out of Long Island Lutheran High.

Per NCAA rules, UConn could not have any recruiting visitors at Saturday's game. If any came, it was on their own accord.

*** Hasheem Thabeet recently signed with the defending NBA Western Confernece champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

“It’s another opportunity for me,” he said. “I just have to put in the work.”

*** Stanley “Sticks” Robinson was at the game, but didn’t play due to a torn left Achilles tendon he suffered in March while playing for the Iowa Energy of the NBA developmental league.

*** Donnell Beverly, a 2011 graduate, played in China last year.

*** The announced attendance was 7,241.

As you probably know by now, Jim Calhoun isn't at tonight's Mohegan Sun/Jim Calhoun Charity All-Star Game after fracturing his hip in a bike accident today in Madison. He will have surgery tonight at the John Dempsey Hospital at UConn Health Center in Farmington, and a UConn spokesman said Calhoun is expected to make a full recovery.

The players and coaches at Saturday's game learned of Calhoun's accident at various times during the day (Hasheem Thabeet said he found out this morning). Here's some of their reactions:

Thabeet: "I hope he recovers soon. I just hope for the best for him. He's one of the people who's always been there for me, in all kind of ways."

Kemba Walker: “I wish he was here, I wish he was coming, but things happen in life. He’ll be alright, though.”

Shabazz Napier: “He’s a competitor, no matter what he’s doing – riding a bike, playing golf, especially basketball. Hopefully, he’ll be better soon. We wish he was here with us, but we’re just hoping nothing serious happened to him.”


UConn AD Warde Manuel: "First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with Jim for a speedy recovery. He’s had some bad breaks this last year or so ... I know it's tough on him and Pat and the family."

George Blaney, on whether he'd consider telling Calhoun to stay off his bike from now on: "Have you ever tried to tell him anything?"

A reminder that the Mohegan Sun/Jim Calhoun Charity All-Star Game will be held Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena. Many of the top UConn stars of the past (Kemba Walker, Ray Allen, Rudy Gay, Jeremy Lamb, Hasheem Thabeet, etc.) are expected to be there.

Here's a little feature I did on Jerome Dyson, who's now a Phoenix Sun. He'll be at the game, too.



And remember, you can get autographs from most of the players once the game is over.

As Rod Sellers, Jerome Dyson and just about every other former UConn basketball player has learned, it pays to have Jim Calhoun on your side.

Sellers recently got a job, thanks in no small part from a phone call from Calhoun to Sellers' interviewer. "The guy came in and he was so happy," Sellers recalled. "He was saying, 'Man, I can tell all my friends I got a personal call from Jim Calhoun.'"

Dyson, of course, ran into some trouble during his four years at UConn, including a 30-day suspension for a positive drug (marijuana) test. But Calhoun stuck by his side.

"A lot of times, Coach could have easily looked the other way and forgot all about me," Dyson noted. "There were some incidents where he could have just given up on me, and he didn’t. I think the opportunity he’s given me was big for me."



Dyson and Sellers will be among the many UConn alumni at Saturday's Mohegan Sun/Jim Calhoun Charity All-Star Game. Kemba Walker, Ray Allen, Caron Butler, Rudy Gay, Jeremy Lamb, Khalid El-Amin, Hasheem Thabeet and Jake Voskuhl are among the many other ex-Huskies expected to play and/or participate.

Here's the info:

What: The Mohegan Sun/Jim Calhoun Charity All-Star Game

Where: Mohegan Sun Arena

When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Why: To raise money for the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center at the UConn Health Center

Who: Kemba Walker, Ray Allen, Caron Butler, Rudy Gay, Jeremy Lamb, Khalid El-AMin, Ricky Moore, Jake Voskhul, Hasheem Thabeet, Kevin Ollie, Travis Knight, Rod Sellers and Scott Burrell are among those expected to play and/or participate.

How: Tickets are $12 to $25 and can be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 800-345-7000, going to Ticketmaster.com or visiting the Mohegan Sun box office.

Many of the regulars -- Ray Allen, Caron Butler, Rudy Gay, etc. -- are expected to be at the annual Mohegan Sun/Jim Calhoun Charity All-Star Game on Saturday, Aug. 4 at the Mohegan Sun Arena. But there will be some new blood there, as well.

Kemba Walker will make his first appearance in the game. Jeremy Lamb, a Houston Rockets lottery pick just a month ago, is also expected to play, along with Hasheem Thabeet, Jerome Dyson and Gavin Edwards.  (Andre Drummond doesn't appear too likely, since his new employer, the Detroit Pistons, apparently would like him to attend a big man's camp around the same time).

Other likely participants include Kevin Ollie, Khalid El-Amin, Ricky Moore, Rod Sellers, Jake Voskuhl and Travis Knight. Of the big names, Rip Hamilton and Ben Gordon don't seem too likely to appear. Neither do Josh Boone, Hilton Armstrong and Stanley Robinson.

Allen, who underwent surgery last month to remove bone spurs from his ankle, will dress, but will only play depending on how his ankle's feeling. (He is, however, expected to play in the event's two golf outings, on Aug. 5 at the Mohegan Sun Golf Course and the following day at the Golf Club of Avon).

The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Ticketts are $12 to $25 and are now on sale at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office. To purchase game tickets, call Ticketmaster at 800-345-700 or go to Ticketmaster.com or visit the Mohegan Sun box office.

Proceeds from the game and the entire Mohegan Sun/Jim Calhoun Celebrity Classic will benefit the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center at the UConn Health Center.

"I am excited to be able to once again bring so many of my former players back together for what should be a special reunion for them and for the fans of Connecticut," said Calhoun. "I am also pleased that proceeds from the game will go to fight American's No. 1 killer -- heart disease."

Since 1999, the Mohegan Sun/Jim Calhoun Celebrity Classic has raised more than $6 million for cardiology research and care.

Hasheem Thabeet may be one of the bigger busts in recent NBA Draft history, but as this story from fiba.com points out, he's been a great success helping out kids in his native Tanzania.

And that's really the most important thing, isn't it? Too many times, we judge athletes by what they do on the floor. And certainly, Thabeet was a bad investment for Memphis. But -- and I know this sounds like a cliche -- the most important thing celebrities and athletes can do is give back to their communities (or, in Thabeet's case, his home country, where he remains an "inspirational figure"). 

And Thabeet is doing just that. Always was a really good person and an enjoyable kid to cover who was very proud of his roots.

Some interesting stuff from today's conference call with Jim Calhoun:

*** First off, Niels Giffey will start at small forward tomorrow night (for the first time this season) against Rutgers. Calhoun said Giffey has "great, great focus," and hopes he'll give the Huskies more production than what they've been getting from the 3-spot.

By my count, this will be the sixth different starting lineup UConn has used over its first 15 games. Not a stunning amount, but certainly a bit more unsettled than usual. It speaks to two things: the Huskies' depth, and the fact that they still haven't quite found the right rotation to this point.

Giffey will be the eighth different UConn player to start a game.

Also, Tyler Olander may start over Alex Oriakhi at power forward. Calhoun started Oriakhi in practice yesterday, but Olander had a "great practice," so a decision will likely be made after tonight's 6-8 p.m. practice at The RAC.

Shabazz Napier didn't practice yesterday and may not practice tonight. He should be able to play on Saturday night, however, according to Calhoun.

*** Now, this was really interesting: Calhoun said that a big part of his decision not to retire and to return as UConn's head coach for a 26th season stemmed from making sure he took the bullet, so to speak, for the NCAA violations and served his 3-game suspension.

“When I contemplated over the spring and summer about what I was going to do, I had (visions) of being Al Maguire … I always felt this was hanging out there, and we needed to get finality on it," he said. "My own personal opinions about the NCAA (decision) are my own personal feelings. The university, myself included, we were penalized, and I wanted to make sure that I was the guy that sat out, I was the guy that finalized it. As far as I’m concerned, it’s something in the past. What was done was done, it is what it is.”

“Trust me – part of my contemplation during the summer had to do with making sure that there was closure," he added. "As far as I’m concerned, it’s in the rear-view mirror … I love my university, I love my life there, I love my players. I always feel I need to be there when they need me to finish something that, like it or not – and I didn’t like it, necessarily – that I was part of, and let’s move on.”

*** And so, we move on to Rutgers Saturday night. Calhoun has a propensity to insist how difficult it is to play at The RAC -- and certainly, Florida's Billy Donovan would agree.

Still, Calhoun has won nine of the 10 games he's coached there at UConn. UConn has won its last five games at The RAC, its last four by totals of 18, 18, 10 and 22 points, respectively. That’s an average 17-point victory margin. The last time the Huskies were challenged in Piscataway was on Jan. 6, 2004, when they eked out a 75-74 win.

The last time UConn lost at The RAC was on Jan. 30, 2002, a 61-53 setback.
In fact, that’s the only time UConn has lost to the Scarlet Knights, home or away, in the 19 times they’ve met since Rutgers joined the Big East in 2005. The Huskies have won the last 10 meetings overall.

Of course, UConn had also won 11 straight and (eerily) 18 of its last 19 against Seton Hall before being tripped up Tuesday night in Newark.

Bottom line: there is no such thing as an easy road game in the Big East.

*** Forget all the chatter about Napier or Ryan Boatright needing to play better. UConn's biggest problem right now, offensively, is a lack of production from its bigs. Oriakhi's troubles have been well-chronicled -- the ungainly low post moves, the countless missed putbacks and bunnies -- but Andre Drummond hasn't exactly been Tim Duncan on the low post, either.

Drummond has very little offensive skill in the paint. He doesn't make spin moves, doesn't really have a hook shot (like Hasheem Thabeet was able to develop ... sorta) or any other signature low-post shot. Sure, he's made a couple of short baseline jumpers here and there, but his form is still very raw and I'm not convinced he's a real threat from more than a few feet out. Drummond's entire offensive arsenal has largely been slamming home alley-oops, to this point.

"If we have no inside game, we have no outside game," Calhoun surmised. "They're going to go out and play Jeremy's jump shot, they're going to try to take away the drive of Ryan and Shabazz. We can't play like that ... We have a terrific outside game. We’re probably the best 3-point shooting team in the league.”

(When's the last time you could have said that about a UConn team. It may be true, though).

Calhoun said about 75-percent of yesterday's practice focused on the inside game -- making the guards conscious of getting the ball inside, and getting the bigs to execute when they do get the rock.

*** Calhoun said, "If today was the NCAA tournament, we'd be a No. 2 seed."

I'm not so sure about that, but maybe.

*** As for watching the last three games at home on TV (with the volume off), Calhoun said: “I felt attached. I felt the same feelings in my stomach, the television did not … react. I didn’t get a ‘T’ from it … I can’t think of a positive, but it is what it is, and we’re moving on.”

“The price of being a little more refreshed doesn’t offset the anxiety you feel when you’re watching your team on TV … To me, personally, I don’t think you can be removed the way a ‘normal’ person can be removed.”

*** Oh, and apparently UConn is back in the mix for Darrick Wood, who just de-committed from St. John's.

Interesting lineup of NBA players, including Rudy Gay and Hasheem Thabeet, playing in an all-star charity game on Nov. 18 at Bridgeport's Webster Bank Arena.

Ryan Gomes, Jordan Williams among the other locals; John Wall and Tyreke Evans among the other stars who'll play.

Hectic day at Big East Media Day. On the short walk over from the subway station to the New York Athletic Club, my Big East umbrella (a gift from last year’s media day) practically ripped apart from the rain and strong winds. Symbolic, I’d say, given the Big East’s current uncertain state.

Got there at 10 a.m., just as the event was getting underway. I made out better than Jim Calhoun, who didn’t arrive until about 11 a.m. after getting stuck in traffic on his drive from Storrs. He said he left Storrs at about 6:30 a.m.

Calhoun is always a bit fashionably late for his availability to the media throng at this event, but never 45 minutes tardy like today.

“A new record,” he boasted.

Obviously, he was the subject of lots of interest from the assembled media. Calhoun mostly repeated what he’s been saying all along: that he wants to stay in the Big East, but will look out for what’s best for UConn.

“We’re in the best basketball conference in America, and that’s where we want to play,” he said. “The Big East made so many things possible for Connecticut, for me and my players. We’d love to be in the Big East.”

He did note, however, that he has been and will continue to be reaching out to his connections in the ACC and Big 12.

Here are some of the more interesting quotes I gathered throughout the day:

ALEX ORIAKHI:


(on UConn’s strong frontcourt)

“The good thing with our big men, we’re not a black hole. If you throw it into us and we see an open man, we’re willing to pass. I think our wings know that.”

(on Andre Drummond)

“He’s just a crazy athlete, man. The thing about his, with all the hype around him, you’d think he’d be arrogant. But he’s not. He listens. I try to coach him out there and tell him what he’s doing wrong, and he just takes it in like sponge. That’s the greatest part about him. When you have a kid with that much talent and is willing to listen and get better … the sky’s the limit.”

(on what Drummond needs to do to improve)

“He’s definitely still raw. He has to get a better understanding of actually playing the game. He’s so athletic, he does everything off pure athleticism. But once he’s able to get a face-up jump shot or a jump-hook, he can really be unstoppable. I think he has to work on his overall skill set. Once he does that, he’s going to be real scary.”

SHABAZZ NAPIER:


(on what Drummond needs to get better at)

“He needs to improve on a lot, like we all do. The one thing he’s been working on is his post moves. That’s one thing, coming in, he wasn’t really good at. I can tell you now he’s improved a lot. His ability to get to the glass and post his man up underneath the basket is one of the best I’ve seen. He just wants to get better, and that’s one thing about the guy I like. He wants to be the best player he can be.

JEREMY LAMB:

(on whether he’s thought if this will be his last year in college)

“I haven’t been thinking about that. I’m in college right now, I’m on the team right now.”

(on his own confidence level)

“I definitely have more confidence. Just the fact that I’m going to be a sophomore this year and I know how the Big East is.”

But …

“I don’t think my confidence is where it should be right now. My shot’s been falling, but I’ve been missing too many little shots that I probably should make.”


CALHOUN

(on freshmen Drummond, DeAndre Daniels and Ryan Boatright)

“Our three freshmen are really, really good players. All three are terrific.”

(on Drummond)

“You go out on the street and find me a 6-11, 277-pound kid that can touch the top of the backboard, I’ll find a place to fit him in.

“The biggest surprise is just how athletic he is, and how he can do so many effective things right now, instinctively. I’m not gonna tell him, but he’s really talented. He doesn’t know how talented he is yet, so we’re going to keep it a secret between us.

“Now, the thing is to take this athletic, wonderful kid who listens all the time, and turn it into a terrific basketball player. He’s not that yet, he really isn’t. But he’s got some things you just can’t teach.”

PROVIDENCE COACH ED COOLEY

(on Andre LaFleur, who left UConn to become Cooley’s associate head coach)

“Andre’s been tremendous. He thought it was a different opportunity. To this day, he tells me he misses Connecticut. He loves Jim Calhoun, he’s a father figure to him … but he also thought it was a chance to spread his wings and do something different. He’s added a great element to our program, given us a good profile. We’re really, really fortunate to have Andre.”

“I didn’t ask him why he left … maybe it just was a change. I’ve never asked him that, because I really don’t care.”

(on another Andre … you guessed it – Drummond)

“Great player. I’ve watched him for two years in the summertime, obviously watched him a lot this summer with the young men we recruited who were on his team. Jim’s going to do a great job with him. He’s a tremendous talent.”

A few other tidbits:

*** In the national preseason polls for Blue Ribbon Yearbook, Athlon Sports, Sporting News, Lindy’s, ESPN.com and Yahoo ! Sports, UConn is ranked, respectively: No. 5, 4, 4, 8, 6 and 7. First AP poll of the season will be released on Friday, Oct. 28.

*** Calhoun said that Rudy Gay and Ben Gordon may be practicing with the team this weekend. Kemba Walker and Hasheem Thabeet apparently have already done so.

*** This is the ninth time that UConn has been picked to finish first in the preseason coaches’ poll.

*** Napier and Lamb are on the cover of this year’s Big East media guide, embracing after last year’s national championship victory.

While NBA owners continue to lock out their players to the general disinterest of much of the country, the college basketball season kicks off tonight with great fanfare.

UConn is one of hundreds of schools to kick off its season with First Night festivities this evening. It all starts on Fairfield Way outside of Gampel Pavilion with a Fan Fest. Doors to Gampel open at 6 p.m. and there will be an autograph session with the players from both the men's and women's teams.

After that comes player introductions, etc., as well as 3-point and dunk contests. Alex Oriakhi, Andre Drummond, Jeremy Lamb and Roscoe Smith are all said to be competing in the dunk contest. Hasheem Thabeet says he'll be a judge and may serve as a "prop" of some kind. But the early favorite to win the dunk competition will be 6-foot freshman Ryan Boatright.

"I think Boat's gonna steal the show," Oriakhi said.

Boatright boasts some boundless athleticism (I witnessed a small sampling of it this summer in Greater Hartford Pro-Am action). He should be a fun player to watch tonight, and all season, for that matter.

The Huskies will also have some recruits on hand. Omar Calhoun, a Class of 2012 commit, will be there (he was on campus on an unofficial visit last week, as well), and we're told that Amile Jefferson, a 6-foot-7, 190-pound Class of 2012 power forward out of Philadelphia will also be in the house, among others.

Admission to the event is free.

Jim Calhoun participated in his fifth annual ride and walk against cancer on Saturday. Starting amidst a torrential downpour ("I'm a rain-maker," he noted), the clouds were clearing by the time he finished his bike ride.

Fitting, as things couldn't be much sunnier for the UConn men's basketball program these days.

Here's a little of what Calhoun said on a number of topics Saturday afternoon in Simsbury:

(On what he's telling prospective recruits about his future at UConn)

“Whatever answer I’m giving them, apparently, they like it.”

(On the Huskies' program as a whole)

“I want the program to be like Carolina’s and, somewhat Duke, but more like Carolina’s in the sense that Bill Guthridge went to the Final Four when Dean (Smith) left, Matt (Doherty) had a really great year then a not such a great year and Roy (Williams) came in and they moved on. What we’re selling in our situation is the ability to get you ready to succeed, get to postseason play and get to the NBA. We had a pretty good year this year doing that.”

“The program is exactly where we want it to be.”

(On the team's APR situation)

“We just need some change, so that we don’t have a situation like we did with the APR. Not drastic change, just change. It’s actually already built in there, we’ve just got to get everybody aboard.”

“Having Susan (Herbst, the school's incoming president) out here like this is, I think, terrific. She was at the Final Four, at the Big East. We need people to be active, just like our coaches are active.”

(On the recruiting efforts of Kevin Ollie and Glen Miller)

“They’ve done a terrific job, I didn’t expect anything less. When Kevin Ollie talks, you’re going to listen … (Glen) knows the terrain, he knows what he’s doing, he’s smart and he’s a great basketball guy. I thknk a lot of times we lock too many things into Kevin Ollie, Glen Miller or whomever it may be. It’s UConn. We happen to have very good guys in place, doing a wonderful job. But we’ve had other good players come in before. We got Ray Allen, we got Emeka, we got Ben Gordon ... we've got some guys who can play a little bit. I’ve always said that one of the greatr recruiting jobs of all-time in recognizing that he would be good was Andre (LaFleur) with Hasheem Thabeet. I didn’t’ see what he saw. He saw that, and plenty of other coaches didn’t see that. He did.”

I always prefer to lay out my annual Big East prognostications just before the conference season begins. That gives us a couple of months to take a look at each team, get a feel for what incoming players will have an impact, which players have improved and what teams seem to be on the rise -- or on the decline.

The conference slate couldn't get off to a better start on Monday when UConn takes on Pittsburgh at the Petersen Events Center. This has become one of the Big East's best rivalries over the past several years. Who could forget two seasons ago, when DeJuan Blair flipped Hasheem Thabeet over his back (and Thabeet was called for the foul), and Pitt handed UConn two of its three regular-season losses before being bounced from the NCAA tourney in the Elite Eight while the Huskies cruised to the Final Four.

It should be another showdown on Monday. I expect the Panthers to win the game, but I think UConn will keep it close. Let's say Pitt wins, 87-81.

Even if the Huskies lose, it won't derail what should be a nice season. Obviously, a 10-0 start, with wins over Michigan State and Kentucky, and a national No. 4 ranking bode well. Are the Huskies really the fourth-best team in the country? I don't think so. They may not even be the fourth-best team in the Big East. But I like their chances of having a strong season and making a nice run in the NCAA tourney.

Why? Two reasons: Kemba Walker and Jim Calhoun.
With these two leaders, I don't see UConn losing too many games it shouldn't lose, while it'll win some games it might not be favored to win. The biggest concern is Walker getting worn down during the grind of the Big East. He's not the biggest, strongest guy in the world, obviously, and if teams continue to harass him and throw junk defenses at him and essentially force him to play 37, 38 hard minutes every night, it will take its toll.

That's why I envision UConn hitting a rut somewhere in the middle of the season -- maybe that Villanova-Tennessee-Marquette-Louisville-Syracuse stretch from Jan. 22 to Feb. 2. Maybe PC-Georgetown-Louisville-Marquette from Feb. 13-24. Somewhere in there, I see a few double-digit losses.

But I also believe that, because of Walker and Calhoun, this is a team that can make runs in tournaments -- both the Big East (finally) and the Big Dance. What makes a good tourney team, after all? Guard play, leadership and good coaching. UConn's got all three.

Anyway, here's how I see the Big East playing out this season:

1. Pittsburgh (14-4) Befitting of their city, Panthers are toughest defensive, rebounding team in conference.

2. Syracuse (13-5) The Orange's 2-3 zone is always long, but this year's overall team wing span is ridiculous.

3. Georgetown (13-5) Has anyone ever seen Chris Wright and Jamie Foxx in the same room together?









4.UConn (12-6) Junior Walker & the All-Stars? Other players besides Kemba must step up.

5. Villanova (12-6) Jay Wright says he doesn't think his team deserves to be ranked No. 8 right now. He's probably right.

6. Louisville (11-7) Rick Pitino. The KFC Yum! Center. There's gotta be a Karen Sypher joke in there somewhere.

7. Notre Dame (10-8) Tim Abromaitis is the type of player fellow Nutmegger Tyler Olander should someday hope to be.

8. West Virginia (10-8) After a great 2008 NCAA tourney, Joe Mazzulla has never really returned to form.

9. Marquette (9-9) Buzz Williams seems to get the most out of his teams.

10. St. John's (8-10) Give Steve Lavin a pretty good, deep, veteran (10 seniors) team and see the Red Storm improve this season.

11. Cincinnati (8-10) Along with Syracuse and UConn, Bearcats are currently only other current undefeated Big East team (11-0).

12. Providence (8-10) After an offseason even worse than UConn's, frosh-laden Friars aren't nearly as bad as many predicted.

13. Rutgers (6-12) Mike Rice may turn this program around. Just not yet.

14. Seton Hall (5-13) So much depends on when Jeremy Hazell returns from wrist surgery. Probably not 'til mid-January, at the earliest.

15. South Florida (3-15) Gus Gilchrist, suspended due to "philosophical difference" with Stan Heath, returns to lineup in time to crucify Huskies (again) on New Year's Eve?em>

16. DePaul (2-16) Cleveland Melvin, who de-committed from UConn last fall, averaging 9.3 points and 3.3 boards for Blue Demons.

ALL-BIG EAST
First Team
Kemba Walker, UConn
Austin Freeman, Georgetown
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh
Corey Fisher, Villanova
Kris Joseph, Syracuse
Rick Jackson, Syracuse

Second Team
Corey Stokes, Villanova
Jimmy Butler, Marquette
Casey Mitchell, West Virginia
Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame
Peyton Siva, Louisville

Third Team
Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette
Marshon Brooks, Providence
Ben Hansbrough, Notre Dame
Chris Wright, Georgetown
Brad Wanamaker, Pittsburgh

Honorable Mention
Scoop Jardine, Syracuse
Alex Oriakhi, UConn
Dwight Hardy, St. John's

AWARDS:

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kemba Walker, UConn: He probably won't end up leading league in scoring (PC's Marshon Brooks is my bet), but has there been a player more valuable to a program in recent years?

COACH OF THE YEAR: Jim Calhoun, UConn: No homer bias here. After being picked to finish 10th in conference, a top-five finish should cement Calhoun's first COY since 1997-98.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Vander Blue, Marquette: Tough one to call. Fab Melo has been anything but Fab for Syracuse. We'll go Blue, who's averaging 10.3 points and 1.73 steals thus far.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Rick Jackson, Syracuse: Shabaz Napier will win this award some day.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Casey Mitchell, West Virginia: Averaged 3.7 ppg last year; netting 17.8 ppg this year (fourth in Big East).

SIXTH MAN AWARD: Dominic Cheek, Villanova: But really, your guess is as good as mine on this one.

A few awards that won't be handed out at the Big East tournament:

THE 'PLAYER WHO SHOULD BE BETTER THAN HE IS' AWARD: Yancy Gates, Cincinnati: His heart hasn't matched his body size (6-9, 265 pounds) ... at least not yet. (Runner-up: Gary McGhee, Pittsburgh).

THE JEFF ADRIEN AWARD: Rick Jackson, Syracuse: Already has eight double-doubles this season.

THE 'WHAT DID I GET MYSELF INTO?' AWARD: Oliver Purnell, DePaul: Always seemed to underachieve at Clemson. He'll have a lot less talent to work with here.

THE 'UZI' AWARD: Marshon Brooks, Providence: With Jeremy Hazell sidelined for the foreseeable future, Brooks -- who never met a shot he doesn't like -- gets this one.

Kemba Walker swished the second of two free throws just 20 seconds into tonight's game to notch the 1,000th point of his career. He's the 45th player in Husky history to do so.

Perhaps more impressively, Walker is well on his way to a triple-double with 12 points, nine rebounds (!) and five assists here at the break.

Here are the only triple-doubles in UConn history:

Hasheem Thabeet 1/31/09 vs. Providence 15p, 11r, 10b
Marcus Williams 2/21/06 vs. Notre Dame 18p, 10r, 13a
Ben Gordon 12/20/03 vs. Iona 17p, 16r, 11a
Emeka Okafor 12/6/03 vs. Army 18p, 15r, 10b
Caron Butler 12/26/00 vs. URI 14p, 12r, 11a
Doron Sheffer 12/30/95 vs. Hartford 10p, 10r, 11a
Donyell Marshall 1/17/94 vs. Hartford 23p, 11r, 10b

Only seven. I don't know, I figured there would be more, but it shows they're tough to get and truly special. Let's see if Kemba can notch one. His biggest obstacle may be playing time, if the Huskies open up their current 44-32 lead.

Sandwiched UConn's bouts with Rutgers on Saturday and West Virginia tonight with a visit to the IZOD Center to talk to Hasheem Thabeet for a feature story.

Must admit, as chronicled in the story, the big guy doesn't seem too happy with Memphis. That'll happen when you're playing time is down to single digits and you're part of a rumored trade (with O.J. Mayo to Golden State for Monta Ellis) less than 50games into your rookie season.

Hash hardly dignified himself on Sunday, with two fouls and a turnover in 59 seconds of action. I left soon after (I had talked to everyone I needed to prior to the game and finished my story by halftime. Would you watch any more of a Nets game than you absolutely had to?).

Anyway, here's a few more notes 'n quotes that didn't make the story:

***Thabeet and teammate Rudy Gay planned to head about 20 minutes down the road to UConn's game at Rutgers on Saturday, but the Grizzlies plane didn't get in until about 6 p.m. -- just as the Huskies' game was ending. Thabeet said he still went down to Piscataway to see his former coaches and teammates before they boarded the bus back to Storrs.

***Thabeet, Rudy Gay and Marcus Williams -- all Grizzlies teammates -- were concerned about Jim Calhoun's recent medical leave of absence. Thabeet and Williams tried to contact him, to no avail.

"I knew everybody was at him, so I kind of gave him his space," said Gay. "This summer, I'll sit down and talk to him."

"He's a tough man," Thabeet said of Calhoun.

***Thabeet suffered a fracture alignment in his jaw on Nov. 10 but missed just one game.

***Williams on the UConn bond inside the Grizzlies' locker room: "We've kind of got used to it. We've got a lot of haters in the locker room. UConn's been losing a little bit lately, so of course we're hearing it from everybody: 'UConn lost, you're not that good, you're sorry this year.' We take pride in being alumni of Connecticut."

***Gay and Williams on the Huskies' chances this season.

Gay: "We've had some really good wins, and some tough losses. They're on the right track. It's been tough this year, up and down, with coach being out. But coach is a great coach, and he's going to get it back."


Williams: "They need some big wins, and they need to get far in the Big East tournament if they want anything to happen."

***Thabeet's advice to Jerome Dyson, Stanley Robinson and Gavin Edwards, who all hope to be in "the league" next season.

"I told them it's a lot of hard work. It looks like it's easy, because everybody's good. But it's all a lot of hard work."

***Williams said he's down eight pounds, from 215 to 207, this season after a summer devoted to getting into better shape.


Oh, and here's the Top 25 I submitted late last night:

1. Kansas
2. Kentucky
3. Syracuse
4. Purdue
5. Kansas State
6. Duke
7. West Virginia
8. Villanova
9. New Mexico
10. Ohio State
11. Brigham Young
12. Michigan State
13. Gonzaga
14. Wisconsin
15. Butler
16. Georgetown
17. Texas
18. Vanderbilt
19. Tennessee
20. Temple
21. Texas A&M
22. UTEP
23. Pittsburgh
24. Richmond
25. Virginia Tech

UConn could have a couple or very big fans on hand at the RAC on Saturday afternoon.

Hasheem Thabeet and Rudy Gay are expected to be in attendance when the Huskies face Rutgers at 4 p.m. The two Memphis Grizzlies play a home game on Friday night vs. Miami, then fly to Jersey for a Sunday night bout with an alleged NBA team called the Nets. In between, they're slated to root on their alma mater in Piscataway, N.J.

Thabeet will apparently have extra incentive to cheer on the Huskies. Rutgers has a 7-foot shot-swatting force in the middle, Hamady N'Diaye from Senegal. I'll never forget A.J. Price's quote last year when we asked him if Thabeet would have any extra motivation going up against a fellow 7-footer.

"Yeah," said Price, "I don't think Hasheem likes other Africans."

(Music quiz: Who sang "All the Way to Memphis"?)