In case you haven't heard, UConn is back in a New York groove for Friday's Sweet Sixteen bout with Iowa State. Huskies might just have a bit of a home court advantage.

It's not just the sights and sounds of New York that make it special to those who grew up in the Big Apple. It's the smells, too.

“When we got here on the bus, all the people from New York were like, ‘Man, it smells different here,'" Brooklyn native Omar Calhoun said on Thursday ."It’s definitely good to be home."

Calhoun is one of four Husky players on the UConn roster with New York roots, along with fellow Brooklynites Terrence Samuel and walk-on Tor Watts, as well as Kentan Facey, who grew up in Jamaica but moved to Long Island about four years ago.

“As a kid growing up in New York, playing basketball, you always dream of playing in Madison Square Garden," Calhoun said. "There’s nothing better than this.”

Of course, Calhoun has had better times on the basketball floor than this season. The sophomore guard hasn't scored a point since Feb. 6, and played exactly one minute in the Huskies' first two NCAA tournament games against St. Joe's and Villanova last week (one minute vs. the Hawks, DNP vs. the Wildcats). The few times he has touched the ball in recent weeks, it seems something always goes wrong.

Calhoun, who averaged 11.1 points per game as a freshman, attributes his woes to off-season surgery on both hips and the inability to work out over the summer at all.

“It’s been tough for me, coming off off-season surgery, not having time to work on my game," he said. "But I’m trying to stay team-oriented, helping guys, because I’ve still got knowledge for the game, even though I’m not all the way back where I need to be. I’m just trying to do what I can to help the team out.”

There has been plenty of speculation that Calhoun may want to transfer after this season. But that doesn't appear to be in his plans right now. Asked if he believes his future is at UConn, Calhoun said: “Yeah, yeah, definitely. Coach Ollie’s a great guy, he definitely knows what kind of player I am. He’s going to keep working with me. Off-season, I’m definitely going to put a lot of work in and build in to be the kind of player I’m supposed to be.”

But it's not the off-season yet. Just imagine what a great story it would be if Omar Calhoun, the New York kid, broke out of his season-long slump and made some sort of big contribution for the Huskies Friday night at the Garden.

“That’s definitely what I’m looking to do," he said. "Playing at home, if I get the opportunity to make big plays to help this team win … everyone knows I can do that, so that’s definitely what my mind’s still focused on.”

*** Here's UConn at its open practice on Thursday at the Garden. The practice was open to the public, though not much of a crowd showed. Probably had something to do with the fact that it was at noon on a Thursday:

*** Facey's freshman season has been marked by inconsistent playing time, as well. There have been highlights (10 points against USF, seven points and seven boards vs. Cincinnati), but for the most part, the PT hasn't been there. He's played exactly one minute in UConn's last four games (in garbage of time of the Round of 32 win over 'Nova).

He's not complaining.

“Being in the Sweet Sixteen kind of covers up for a lot," he said. "Not playing a lot, you know you’re on a good team so you‘ve got a good chance to learn from guys who are seniors or experienced vets. I don’t mind not playing, because I get to learn from them each day.”

He's happy to see fellow frosh Terrence Samuel getting some productive run lately.

“Terrence needs to go out there and take charge of this team. ‘Bazz being a senior, he needs to learn as much as he can from him right now.”

*** With the recent NLRB ruling stating that Northwestern football players (and, by extension, college athletes at private institutions) can unionize, Shabazz Napier was asked whether he feels like an "employee" at UConn.

“I don’t see myself as so much as an employee," Napier said. "But when you see your jersey getting sold, it may not have your last name on it, but to some (degree), you want something in return. Sometimes it feels that way. But I don’t think student-athletes should get hundreds of thousands of dollars. But there are hungry nights, when I go to bed starving. Something can change, something should change. But if it doesn’t, at the end of the day, we’ve been doing it this way so long …”

Shabazz Napier, Niels Giffey, Tyler Olander, Lasan Kromah and walk-on Tor Watts play their final games at Gampel Pavilion Wednesday night against Rutgers. Kevin Ollie talked about the players before Tuesday's practice:

"I think Tyler's learned in his four years being here -- national champion, starting, not playing a lot, going through the mistakes on and off the basketball court and learning. I mean, I think Tyler will be a hell of a coach, just the way he's been. I observe everything, I'm a point guard. I observe how he's treating the other guys that have pretty much taken his minutes. I've been in that role before. For him to embrace them, teach them the little nuances of the game has been great."

(has he matured?)

"Yeah, I mean, he was in Florida rappin' ... he's not doing that stuff anymore. He's grown. Even his GPA, being on time ... we know what he had to do to get reinstated, and he followed it. And what he's doing now, being a selfless leader, not getting all the accolades, not getting all the minutes. I believe in second chances. I got a lot of second chances in life. He's made the most out of his second and third chances."

"Niels is my rock. The typical UConn basketball player, ambassador for our program. Throughout the not playing or the playing, he's like, 'Coach, what do I need to do? How can I get better?' I love him for that, always."

"Bazz is just an incredible person. He's going to pass me on assists here in a little bit ... I think his name will be following Khalid's soon up in the rafters. He deserves all of the accolades that he's got. He's been a tremendous person, on and off the basketball court. He's grown as a leader. It's been great."

"His legacy's going to be great. I can't chart them 1 through 5, because that's not wise on my part. He'll be the first one to say that the only thing he wants to do is win. And he's won a lot of games here, always having his mark on the team, growing up as a person. He's done a great job understanding leadership from the inside out, going through the difficult times, which every leader does. Showing his vulnerability, showing that he doesn't know it all and (he needs) to help his teammates and (he can't) do it all (himself). All the things he's done here his four years are going to help him immensely outside of basketball."

(first memories of Napier)

"Just his confidence. Being around Kemba, him coming in and first working him out. Who as this little kid? Telling Kemba what we're doing next, this and that. Just him understanding the big moments. Even his freshman year, the Kentucky game, him turning the ball over then coming back and telling coach, 'I got it,' then making two big free throws."

"Lasan, coming in in his one year here, he's made a mark on this program. I appreciate his hard work, his dedication to the program also."

(on Napier, Giffey and Olander all being on pace to graduate on time)

"It speaks volumes on them as student-athletes. Shabazz has a big-time load. He's got two labs he's doing, but he wants to get that paper. He wants to walk across that stage, and he can say 'I graduated' to my mother."

(on the group sticking with the program through tough times)

"That loyalty, what they showed the program in the midst of adversity, the character that they showed, the leadership they showed when we were in a difficult time, it really means a lot to me."

"They won a national championship, been to two NCAA tournaments, 95 wins in their whole career and hopefully even more. Hopefully they can get that century mark, it would be tremendous. It's just been a pleasure to be around them. I came in the same time they came in. I was kind of a freshman myself in the college profession. I think all of us have grown together."

"Adversity always molds you. The character that you show in those difficult times, that's going to mold you. They're probably not going to see the benefits until after their career here, when life hits you -- how to continue to stay with it, not give in, understand and embrace pain. There was a lot of pain around here, but everybody in this program embraced it and success came. They're the beneficiaries of it."

What do you say about an 83-40 blowout (it was 45-14 at halftime) other than it's growing more and more obvious that the AAC has five very good teams ... and five very bad ones.

All 12 UConn players who dressed scored at least two points, including career-highs from Kentan Facey (12) and Terrence Samuel (eight), as well as walk-ons Pat Lenehan (four) and Nnamdi Amilo (two). It marked the first-ever points for both Lenehan and Amilo, the latter of whom dressed for the first time as Tor Watts continues to suffer from an ankle injury.

“It’s great to see Pat score, finally, and then Nnamdi," said Kevin Ollie. "Especially Pat. He does a great job for us. He’s selfless ... Sometimes, I have him on defense the whole practice, and they don’t ever give me a peep out of them. They just keep playing hard. We’ve got Pat’s name back on his jersey. I like that. My mom got on me, she said you’ve got to get the walk-ons their names on their jerseys. So, we made sure we got that done.”

*** Of course, those 12 players who scored didn't include Omar Calhoun (concussion) or Tyler Olander (flu-like symptoms). Calhoun remained on campus but is getting better every day, according to Ollie, while Olander (who was at the team's shootaround Wednesday afternoon) stayed back at the team's hotel for the game.

*** Ollie also expressed his condolences for the family of Walter "Doc" Hurley, who passed away earlier this week. A moment of silence was held prior to the game for Hurley, who did so much for local youth basketball players.

"He's a great man," said Ollie. "My wife was taking care of him at St. Francis. He was supposed to come to the Memphis game. One of his requests was to get a new Husky sweatshirt. I didn't get a chance to give him that, but I'm going to miss him a lot, just seeing him coming out of that tunnel, seeing him always here at the games. He's just a great man, and he'll be missed."

After Wednesday night's blowout, we'll just stop right there.

Here are the much-anticipated times in today's Husky Run:

1. DeAndre Daniels, 19:52
2. Pat Lenehan, 19:52.5
3. Ryan Boatright, 20:28
4. Kentan Facey, 20:52
5. Niels Giffey, 20:53
6. Leon Tolksdorf, 21:00
7. Amida Brimah, 21:35
8. Alex Enos, 22:55
9. Terrence Samuel, 23:14
10. Phil Nolan, 24:53
11. Lasan Kromah, 25:02
12. Tor Watts, 26:19
13. Rodney Purvis, 29:36

Overall winner: Derek Lockwood, a graduate student in UConn School of Physical Therapy, 17:40.3.

Here's some video of Daniels finishing as top Husky scholarship player for third straight year:



And here's Shabazz Napier addressing the runners at the start of the race:

A school project by Ryan Boatright, DeAndre Daniels and Tor Watts on YouTube.

Seems they've got some heavy hitters helping them on this project, too. (Is Kris Humphries a heavy hitter? I don't even know).

My lil homie Deandre Daniels & classmates need 75,000 views to get an A on their school project. Lets help them out!youtube.com/watch?v=KOFRX7…
— Kris Humphries (@KrisHumphries) April 25, 2013

Enosch Wolf suffered a concussion last Friday after being hit in the head during practice. He’s still being evaluated and is considered day-to-day. While concussions are taken ultra-serious these days (with good reason), and this is the third Wolf’s suffered within the past year, the early word is that he isn't necessarily out for long and could even be available to play by, say, UConn’s second exhibition game on Nov. 4.

Elsewhere: Brendan Allen, the sophomore guard out of Windsor, has been awarded a scholarship. He becomes UConn’s 11th scholarship player.

UConn’s walk-ons this year are local: Trey James of Middletown, Dave Vandal of Stonington, Terrance Ditimi of Stamford and Tor Watts of Brooklyn. Brooklyn, N.Y., that is, for Watts.

Hey, it's the second straight year UConn has had a walk-on from Middletown: Andre Drummond was, of course, a walk-on last season.

Oh, and frosh forward Phil Nolan has missed the last two practices with flu-like symptoms.