Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Miles Looks Good

Took in a UConn 5-on-5 pick-up game today at Gampel. Nate Miles, Hasheem Thabeet, Jerome Dyson, Gavin Edwards and Donnel Beverly were among the participants.

It’s hard to gauge how players are doing in a setting like this where … well, let’s just say defense isn’t a priority. But this writer came away impressed with Miles.

We’ve heard plenty about Miles’ shooting ability, and he certainly boasts a feather-soft touch. But what impressed me more were his ballhandling skills and his ability to take the rock to the hole.

Miles played point guard for his team, matched up against Beverly. Though known as a wing, Miles says he’s played plenty of point in high school.

“I used to bring it down and shoot it,” he said with a smile. “I used to have to dribble through presses and all sorts of stuff.”

Of course, the Huskies have point guard covered. A.J. Price’s rehab is going better than expected (he’s now running, though only in straight lines), and McDonald’s All-America Kemba Walker is on his way. But in a pinch …

“We’ve got two really good point guards,” Miles noted, “but if I might have a mismatch or something, (coach Calhoun) will probably let me bring it down, or late in the (game), I don’t know. I feel like I can handle the point, though.”

Even more impressive was how effortlessly Miles glides to the basket. He made several nice slashes to the hoop for floaters and running jumpers during today’s pick-up

Also came away impressed with Miles’ personality. As has been well-chronicled, he’s been to five high schools in four years, and everyone wondered whether he and his spotty transcript would ever arrive at Storrs. But he’s here, and he seems to be a personable young man.

Seated with two of his “boys” – football players Gerrard Sheppard and Dwayne Gratz, both fellow incoming freshmen – Miles talked about his disappointment that Kobe Bryant and the Lakers didn’t win this year’s title, his respect for LeBron James but lack thereof for the rest of the Cavaliers team, and … well, we’ll just say his lack of respect for a certain other NBA team located not far from here.

He’s taking two classes (English and freshman orientation), lifting weights every day and running with his soon-to-be UConn teammates each afternoon. Most importantly, he’s enjoying life at UConn – a place some thought he’d never be.

“Everybody said I’m not going to make it here,” he said, “and now look where I am. I’m here.”

As far as the other players today, Beverly was perhaps the most impressive. One UConn assistant said that Beverly could be a real surprise this season, and watching him today, it’s apparent why. The sophomore-to-be looked much more athletic, at one time gliding in for an impressive fast-break dunk. Of course, with Price and Walker ahead of him, it’s hard to see how much PT Beverly gets at the point this season.

As for the others: Dyson, Thabeet and Edwards looked good enough, and it should be noted that walk-on Kyle Bailey looked good, replete with a two-handed fast-break stuff of his own.

Read tomorrow’s Register for more on Miles

UConn's "West Coast" schedule

The Big East announced its 2008-2009 men's basketball schedule matchups today, and UConn will be spending a lot of time in the Midwest this season.

The Huskies' road opponents will be Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and West Virginia, as well as more local opponents St. John's and Seton Hall. Couple that with a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam in November, and a literal West Coast trip to Seattle to face Gonzaga in December, and UConn will be logging a lot of travel miles this winter.

UConn will host Georgetown, Notre Dame, Pitt, Providence, Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse and Villanova. They'll face Pitt, Seton Hall and Notre Dame twice and every other conference foe once.

Here are the home and away conference opponents for all the Big East teams in 08-09:

CINCINNATI

Home Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, West Virginia

Away DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, USF, Syracuse, Villanova


CONNECTICUT

Home Georgetown, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse, Villanova

Away Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Seton Hall, West Virginia



DE PAUL

Home Cincinnati, Connecticut, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF, Villanova

Away Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, USF, Syracuse, West Virginia



GEORGETOWN

Home Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, Syracuse, West Virginia

Away Cincinnati, Connecticut, Marquette, Notre Dame, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse, Villanova



LOUISVILLE

Home Connecticut, DePaul, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, Seton Hall, USF, West Virginia

Away Cincinnati, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Rutgers, St. John’s, USF, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia



MARQUETTE

Home Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia

Away DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, USF, Villanova



NOTRE DAME

Home Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF, Villanova

Away Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, Syracuse, West Virginia



PITTSBURGH

Home Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Marquette, Notre Dame, St. John’s, USF, Syracuse, West Virginia

Away Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Providence, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Villanova, West Virginia



PROVIDENCE

Home Cincinnati, DePaul, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, St. John’s, Syracuse, Villanova

Away Cincinnati, Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF, Villanova, West Virginia



RUTGERS

Home DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse, West Virginia

Away Cincinnati, Connecticut, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Villanova



ST. JOHN’S

Home Cincinnati, Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse

Away Cincinnati, DePaul, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, Seton Hall, Villanova, West Virginia



SETON HALL

Home Connecticut, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, USF, Villanova, West Virginia

Away Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Rutgers, St. John’s, Syracuse



USF

Home Cincinnati, DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Providence, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia

Away Connecticut, DePaul, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, West Virginia



SYRACUSE

Home Cincinnati, DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Villanova, West Virginia

Away Connecticut, Georgetown, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, USF, Villanova



VILLANOVA

Home Cincinnati, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, Syracuse

Away Connecticut, DePaul, Marquette, Notre Dame, Providence, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse, West Virginia

WEST VIRGINIA

Home Connecticut, DePaul, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, USF, Villanova

Away Cincinnati, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse