tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-355456692024-03-14T05:20:04.110-04:00UConn Men's BasketballDavid Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.comBlogger571125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-38169805345844198742009-09-03T09:39:00.001-04:002009-09-03T09:44:06.371-04:00The Register's UConn basketball blog has movedThe Register's UConn basketball blog has moved.<br />Please read all the <a href="http://borgesblognhr.blogspot.com/">latest Huskies' news here</a>.David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-8664938440679605712009-07-27T09:37:00.004-04:002009-07-27T12:35:19.866-04:00Male Bonding<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/Sm2v4ffFwAI/AAAAAAAAAfo/onzmd5hw71M/s1600-h/UConn_Majok_Ater%5B2%5D+(2).jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/Sm2v4ffFwAI/AAAAAAAAAfo/onzmd5hw71M/s320/UConn_Majok_Ater%5B2%5D+(2).jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363136116327563266" /></a><br />Here's a feature from <a href="http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/07/27/sports/27_majok_okwandu.txt">today's Register on the friendship Ater Majok and Charles Okwandu have formed over the past year</a>. They share plenty in common: both are big men with lots of raw potential; both had to sit out the final two months of last season (Majok after getting cleared to enroll at UConn by the NCAA, Okwandu after being declared academically ineligible by the school); both wound up such defensive presences on the practice squad that only one was allowed on the court at the same time while the Huskies were practicing their offense; and, of course, both share African heritage (Majok from Sudan, Okwandu from Nigeria).<br /><br />Actually, the latter doesn't mean as much as I thought it might.<br /><br />"Even if (Okwandu) was Chinese or anything ... brothers can be from anywhere," Majok said.<br /><br />The two are also on the same Greater Hartford Pro-Am summer league team, the Springfield Slamm. Big Chuck has been sidelined for about a week after having his ankle stepped on in a game. It's just precautionary, and he's expected to return to the court for the Slamm's next game, on Friday at 8:15 p.m. against Ryan Gomes and Harte Nissan at the Sport & Medical Sciences Academy in Hartford. Should be a good test for both Majok and Okwandu.<br /><br />One other thing: I was reminded while chatting with a UConn fan that Majok has similarities with Charlie Villanueva. Certainly, his propensity to shoot 3's (at least in the pro-am) remind some of a young Villanueva, who also apparently was in love with the 3 at first. Well, UConn's coaching staff recognizes this similarity. They don't mind Majok hoisting up an occasional trey, but they want to start their game inside. Remember, last year the Huskies made more free throws than their opponents attempted!<br /><br />Majok should get a chance to showcase his perimeter skills from time to time. On the Huskies' secondary fast break, the four-man trails. So, Majok will have the chance to spot up and pop some 3's.David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-80626955531762660882009-07-25T08:36:00.003-04:002009-07-27T09:48:12.522-04:00So Nice He's Named TriceHere's a <a href="http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/07/25/sports/25-uconn_men_feature.txt">mini-feature from today's Register on Jamaal Trice</a>, who could be a pleasant surprise for the Huskies over the next few years. Some say Trice is a defensive specialist, some a shooter. Trice believes he's a slashing-type player. UConn assistant coach Patrick Sellers calls him a "bigger Jerome (Dyson)."<br /><br />No doubt, the Huskies are glad to have him. And Trice is glad to be here. He spurned visits to other programs after his Dec. 29 visit to Storrs "because nothing gets better than (UConn)."<br /><br />Then he committed on New Year's Eve.<br /><br />"I had to start the New Year off good," Trice said.David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-23112319410477447562009-07-24T17:20:00.003-04:002009-07-24T17:29:58.644-04:00A Strange, Sad StoryGrowing up a college basketball fan in Rhode Island, and eventually attending URI, one of my favorite players was Kenny Green. A 6-9 shot-blocking fool, Green (a Waterbury native) was a freshman sensation on the Rams' surprise Sweet 16 team in 1988. After the Rams advanced past the first two rounds and the team plane arrived at T.F. Greene Airport, a banner with the name "Kenny" was placed over the T.F., temporarily changing the name of the airport to "Kenny Greene Airport."<br /><br />Anyway, I loved me some Kenny Green. <a href="http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=245095&version=1&template_id=57&parent_id=56">Reading this story on Green from a Middle Eastern newspaper's website is both shocking and sad</a>. Never mind the strange grammar, which seems to be a result of some poor translation (i.e., it reports that Green's "mum" had "prostrate" cancer). The fact that Green has fallen on terrible times, a result of trying to help out his ailing (and now deceased) mother, is sad to read about.David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-39575394021590121932009-07-23T23:15:00.004-04:002009-07-23T23:52:34.462-04:00Darius Smith Can PlayTook in the lone game at the Greater Hartford Pro-Am this evening and watched the Springfield Slamm (featuring UConn freshmen Darius Smith and Ater Majok) defeat the Mizner All-Stars, 104-88.<br /><br />Majok and Smith didn't get to leave campus until about 15 minutes before the game was supposed to start and didn't arrive at Hartford's Sport & Medical Sciences Academy until about five minutes were left in the first quarter. They didn't enter the game until the second quarter and both looked a bit rusty early on after the long drive. In fact, neither scored a point in the first half.<br /><br />The latter half was a different story.<br /><br />Majok looked pretty good, knocking down a few long-range jumpers, making a few nice passes and displaying some impressive athleticism for a 6-foot-10 player. He committed five fouls and made a few poor decisions (at one point dribbling the ball behind his back deftly at midcourt, only to throw away a long pass) but overall was fine. He scored eight points.<br /><br />Smith was simply magnificent. He scored 15 points on a variety of drives to the lane, a couple of jumpers, even a putback of a Majok missed fallaway jumper:<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" width="416" height="312" id="mbox_player_7a9adbb31e1fe5c0f5"><param name="movie" value="http://www.motionbox.com/external/hd_player/type%253Dsd%252Caffiliate_name%253Daol%252Cvideo_uid%253D7a9adbb31e1fe5c0f5" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullscreen" value="true" /><embed src="http://www.motionbox.com/external/hd_player/type%253Dsd%252Caffiliate_name%253Daol%252Cvideo_uid%253D7a9adbb31e1fe5c0f5" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" width="416" height="312" allowFullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" name="mbox_player_7a9adbb31e1fe5c0f5"></embed></object><br /><br />Smith is quick, intense and energetic. He's non-stop on defense and pushes the ball well on offense. He's an excellent ballhandler and just looks fundamentally sound at everything he does. Smith could stand to get a little stronger, but otherwise, there's a lot to like here.<br /><br />Here's a couple more clips of Smith (No. 31) and Majok (No. 32) in action:<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" width="416" height="312" id="mbox_player_7a9adbb31e13eac3f5"><param name="movie" value="http://www.motionbox.com/external/hd_player/type%253Dsd%252Caffiliate_name%253Daol%252Cvideo_uid%253D7a9adbb31e13eac3f5" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullscreen" value="true" /><embed src="http://www.motionbox.com/external/hd_player/type%253Dsd%252Caffiliate_name%253Daol%252Cvideo_uid%253D7a9adbb31e13eac3f5" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" width="416" height="312" allowFullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" name="mbox_player_7a9adbb31e13eac3f5"></embed></object><br /><br /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" width="416" height="312" id="mbox_player_7a9adbb31114e2c3f5"><param name="movie" value="http://www.motionbox.com/external/hd_player/type%253Dsd%252Caffiliate_name%253Daol%252Cvideo_uid%253D7a9adbb31114e2c3f5" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullscreen" value="true" /><embed src="http://www.motionbox.com/external/hd_player/type%253Dsd%252Caffiliate_name%253Daol%252Cvideo_uid%253D7a9adbb31114e2c3f5" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" width="416" height="312" allowFullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" name="mbox_player_7a9adbb31114e2c3f5"></embed></object><br /><br />Smith finished with 15 points to spearhead the win.<br /><br />Also, Charles Okwandu (normally on the Slamm team) didn't make the trip due to a sore ankle. Jonathan Mandeldove was in the house and said that he's waiting on a grade from summer school to see if he's OK academically. Jim Calhoun told me last week that Mandeldove's status for this upcoming season was "up in the air" due to academic issues.David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-71718122534068299612009-07-23T11:48:00.006-04:002009-07-23T13:03:24.402-04:00Some Pro-Am Chatter<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/SmiKntuCoDI/AAAAAAAAAfg/gfc2gQYtob0/s1600-h/gomes.bmp"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 206px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/SmiKntuCoDI/AAAAAAAAAfg/gfc2gQYtob0/s320/gomes.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361687771276812338" /></a><br />Went over to the Greater Hartford Pro-Am last night at the Sport & Medical Sciences Academy in Hartford. As always, some good run on display, particularly last night's nightcap between Ryan Gomes' Harte Nissan against All Axxess Entertainment.<br /><br />Gomes was terrific, as one would expect from a double-figures NBA scorer. What most impressed me, however, was his competitiveness. He hit a terrific driving layup while being fouled with less than 30 seconds left, and went to the free throw line. After knocking down the foul shot to give his team a fairly insurmountable five-point lead, Gomes pumped his fist in joy.<br /><br />Here's the top scorer in Providence College basketball history (and, of course, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX6FDEDbesE">subject of one of Jim Calhoun's greatest rants</a>), who averaged about 13 ppg. for the Minnesota Timberwolves last year, and he's pumped and excited about winning a summer league basketball game.<br /><br />"Every time you step on the floor, you want to win," Gomes said. "It's about competitiveness. I missed a lot of free throws, too, so when I made one, I was excited."<br /><br />Gomes, a Waterbury native, has been playing in this league for every year but one since about his sophomore year at PC. He loves coming back every summer.<br /><br />"It's nice, and it's great competition, that's why I like to come back and play," said Gomes, who has homes in both Minnesota and Waterbury. "I play here and I play in a league in New York City, so every day I've got a game to play. I like coming back here so some of my family members who don't travel to Minnesota get to see me play. And I like playing against these guys ... it's good coming back and playing with those guys, give them motivation and work on my game, also. I get a little conditioning."<br /><br />Gomes has another year on his contract with the T'wolves, after which the team could exercise an option, or he could become a free agent. Will he evere be a teammate of Ricky Rubio?<br /><br />"I don't know. Our general manager went over there (Tuesday), I think, to try to work on a deal to see if he can come over this year. If not, the good thing about it is, we'll still have his rights when he does decide to come over. But the buyout is such a large number. Do you wait another year and it becomes lower?"<br /><br />Can Rubio play?<br /><br />"I think he can. He has a lot of flash and flair to his game. I think he can help us because he's a great passer. You can't teach that kind of stuff. Shooting, yeah, but when you can see the court, he'll help us out getting a lot of guys get shots. Especially guys like me, so I'd love to have him."<br /><br />***Yes, I know, this is a UConn blog. There's one pro-am game tonight at 8:15 p.m. between the Springfield Slamm and the Mizner All-Stars. UConn's Ater Majok and Charles Okwandu play for the Slamm (though Okwandu has been slowed recently by an ankle injury).David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-24951386044392876532009-07-22T11:08:00.002-04:002009-07-22T11:11:10.980-04:00Huskies-Vols Start in 2010-11UConn and Tennessee will begin a two-game series starting in the 2010-11 season. The Huskies and Vols will meet in Connecticut that season, then meet in Knoxville in 2011-12.<br /><br />"This is a great intersectional series for us to add to our future schedules," said UConn head coach Jim Calhoun. "It will be an exciting match-up of styles and players, something fans of both teams can look forward to. For us, it continues our tradition of trying to schedule some of the best teams in the country, such as this year, where we will play at Michigan (Jan. 17) and Texas at home (Jan. 23), as well as Kentucky (Dec. 9) in New York and also the Pre-Season NIT." <br /><br />The remainder of UConn's 2009-10 non-conference schedule will be released within the next few weeks and the complete 2009-10 schedule is expected to be released in late August or early September.David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-27887577062924846572009-07-20T11:09:00.004-04:002009-07-21T09:43:11.739-04:00Majok Could Have Major ImpactBrought the family up to Toronto this weekend to catch the Sox-Blue Jays on Sunday (Roy Halladay's last game in a Jays uniform?), and just got the good news for UConn fans that Ater Majok will play for the Huskies this season. <br /><br />Obviously, this is good news for the Huskies. Majok may not have overly impressed NBA scouts, but they all agree on his potential and upside. He has talent, he's 6-foot-10 with about a 7-2 wingspan, and he's a bright kid with the capacity to learn under Jim Calhoun & staff -- who have done a pretty good job developing big men over the years.<br /><br />With Majok in the fold, UConn boasts a talented -- if inexperienced -- front line. As it stands now, vastly improved 7-footer Charles Okwandu would be the Huskies' starting center and 6-9 senior Gavin Edwards the power forward. But both could be pushed by Alex Oriakhi, the 6-9, 245-pound freshman who's been favorably compared, physically, to ex-Providence reboundin' fool Michael Smith, and now Majok. (We're not counting 7-foot senior Jonathan Mandeldove right now because he played a grand total of 16 minutes last year and may not even play this season due to academic issues).<br /><br />UConn's backcourt will be its strength next year. The questions will reside in the frontcourt. The Huskies will be young up front -- but there's little question they'll also be very talented.David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-83368161946204294182009-07-16T22:43:00.015-04:002009-07-16T23:47:36.605-04:00UConn-Tennessee ... on Men's Side?Will Calhoun vs. Pearl replace Geno vs. Summit as the defining rivalry between UConn and the University of Tennessee?<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/Sl_nvTzmdKI/AAAAAAAAAfY/eVu6Lxe9mZA/s1600-h/calhoun+yell.bmp"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 241px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/Sl_nvTzmdKI/AAAAAAAAAfY/eVu6Lxe9mZA/s320/calhoun+yell.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359256881550750882" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/Sl_nnkdXp7I/AAAAAAAAAfQ/lwl4YcZMvIw/s1600-h/bruce+pearl.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 253px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/Sl_nnkdXp7I/AAAAAAAAAfQ/lwl4YcZMvIw/s320/bruce+pearl.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359256748581955506" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/Sl_l3tOzBiI/AAAAAAAAAe4/lAPxYXjTYJA/s1600-h/pat-gino.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 235px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/Sl_l3tOzBiI/AAAAAAAAAe4/lAPxYXjTYJA/s320/pat-gino.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359254826791405090" /></a><br /><br />While the UConn-Tennessee women's basketball rivalry may be on ice, the respective men's teams may start up a rivalry of their own this season. <br /><br />According to a well-placed university source, the Huskies are looking to host Pearl and his Volunteers this season, shoring up what's already a tough non-conference schedule for UConn. It would be just the second time the two programs have ever met in men's basketball. Tennessee topped UConn, 65-51, in an NCAA South Regional second round game on March 19, 2000 in Birmingham, Ala.<br /><br />The game, which hasn't been finalized yet, would likely be played late in the season.<br /><br />The Huskies will also play in the preseason National Invitational Tournament (where they could end up playing Duke) and will play Kentucky at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 9 as part of the third annual SEC/Big East Invitational. They will also travel to Michigan for a bout with the Wolverines.<br /><br />In other UConn news:<br /><br />***Little-used 7-foot senior center Jonathan Mandeldove has some academic issues, and it's "up in the air" whether he'll play for the Huskies this season, according to UConn coach Jim Calhoun.<br /><br />***Calhoun said he is "95 percent" sure that Ater Majok will remain at UConn and forego heading over to Europe to play professionally. Majok would be eligible to play for the Huskies in mid-December.<br /><br />***Calhoun attended Rip Hamilton's wedding in Boca Raton last week. Kevin Freeman was in the wedding party, and Khalid El-Amin was the only member of the 1999 national championship team's starting five that wasn't in attendance.<br /><br />Also present: Tom Moore, Dave Leitao and Karl Hobbs, among others. (Presumably, Josh Nochimson wasn't there. Sorry, couldn't resist).<br /><br />***If anyone's wondering why prized, 6-9 recruit Andre Drummond of Capital Prep hasn't been playing in the Greater Hartford Pro-Am this week, it's because he's traveling with an AAU team.David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-63623605708848153902009-07-15T23:20:00.010-04:002009-07-16T00:57:00.782-04:00Dyson Pours in 50Jerome Dyson went all Bernard King on us and dropped 50 points in a Greater Hartford Pro-Am league game Wednesday night at the Sports & Medical Science Academy in Hartford.<br /><br />"He's officially back!" emcee Ashon "Chewy" Avent shouted into the mic -- while also pointing out that Dyson would have had about 60 if he had made his free throws.<br /><br />Dyson looked good, slashing to the hole and knocking down 3-pointers (although he missed a trey with about 2 seconds left that would have sent the game to overtime. Dyson's Next Level lost to the Mizner All-Stars, 94-81).<br /><br />We've got some video evidence of Dyson's impressive night that further proves he is pretty much, indeed, "officially back" from the torn meniscus in his right knee that ended his season in mid-February. <br /><br />Here is perhaps Dyson's most impressive sequence of the night. He glides in to finish off a layup. Then, after a missed shot on the other end of the floor, Dyson (No. 15) takes the ball at midcourt, drives in, makes a nice mid-air move for a layup and gets the foul. Dyson pumps his first with true emotion after making the layup and getting the whistle:<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" width="416" height="312" id="mbox_player_7a9dd0b91a1ae5c7f5"><param name="movie" value="http://www.motionbox.com/external/hd_player/type%253Dsd%252Caffiliate_name%253Daol%252Cvideo_uid%253D7a9dd0b91a1ae5c7f5" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullscreen" value="true" /><embed src="http://www.motionbox.com/external/hd_player/type%253Dsd%252Caffiliate_name%253Daol%252Cvideo_uid%253D7a9dd0b91a1ae5c7f5" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" width="416" height="312" allowFullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" name="mbox_player_7a9dd0b91a1ae5c7f5"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br />Here's a nice move in the corner by Dyson, a drive to the hoop and a foul:<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" width="416" height="312" id="mbox_player_7a9dd0b91b1fe2c4f5"><param name="movie" value="http://www.motionbox.com/external/hd_player/type%253Dsd%252Caffiliate_name%253Daol%252Cvideo_uid%253D7a9dd0b91b1fe2c4f5" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullscreen" value="true" /><embed src="http://www.motionbox.com/external/hd_player/type%253Dsd%252Caffiliate_name%253Daol%252Cvideo_uid%253D7a9dd0b91b1fe2c4f5" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" width="416" height="312" allowFullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" name="mbox_player_7a9dd0b91b1fe2c4f5"></embed></object><br /><br />Finally, here's our boy dropping a nice dime to a teammate:<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" width="416" height="312" id="mbox_player_7a9dd0b91a1ee2c4f5"><param name="movie" value="http://www.motionbox.com/external/hd_player/type%253Dsd%252Caffiliate_name%253Daol%252Cvideo_uid%253D7a9dd0b91a1ee2c4f5" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullscreen" value="true" /><embed src="http://www.motionbox.com/external/hd_player/type%253Dsd%252Caffiliate_name%253Daol%252Cvideo_uid%253D7a9dd0b91a1ee2c4f5" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" width="416" height="312" allowFullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" name="mbox_player_7a9dd0b91a1ee2c4f5"></embed></object><br /><br />Despite the above evidence, Dyson says he's not quite 100 percent yet.<br /><br />"I'm still not jumping off my right leg as well as I was (before the injury)," he said. "I'm not all the way there yet, but my conditioning is getting there."<br /><br />Dyson was cleared to play about 2 1/2 weeks ago. He has been spending a lot of time in the weight room, strengthening his leg. Right now, his leg is about "85-percent, strength-wise," and he's got to keep strengthening his hamstring and quad. <br /><br />As for getting over a mental hurdle?<br /><br />"I felt like I was over that the first day. I was going hard the first time I got on the court, so it really hasn't affected me too much ... as you saw today."<br /><br />Yes, we did.<br /><br />***In other news, Dyson's former UConn and current pro-am league teammate, Doug Wiggins, is still pondering his options after being booted off the team at UMass. According to Wiggins, he's considering several NAIA schools -- Campbellsvile (Ky.) and Missouri Baptist, among others. He's had some D-II and III offers, including the University of Bridgeport and Elms College, but says he needs to get away from this area and get a fresh start.<br /><br />As to why he was kicked off the UMass team, Wiggins claims it was a huge misunderstanding. He said a teammate was involved in a fight with a bouncer at a bar, and that somehow Wiggins' name came up as being involved with the fracas. Wiggins claims he wasn't even there. Nevertheless, according to Wiggins, coupled with a prior infraction of breaking and entering (Wiggins said he had been drinking but thought he was going into a friend's apartment, which looked exactly like countless other apartments in a complex near campus) that was enough for his dismissal.David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-67233378597250266522009-07-10T19:47:00.003-04:002009-07-10T19:54:27.886-04:00Who Produces the Best NBA Talent?<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/SlfUoO-76GI/AAAAAAAAAeg/axZeuj7idRo/s1600-h/Ray_allen_Uconn250.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356984069462419554" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/SlfUoO-76GI/AAAAAAAAAeg/axZeuj7idRo/s320/Ray_allen_Uconn250.jpg" border="0" /></a>Here's a decent piece sent to me by Patrick Crawley, managing editor of the Basketball Fiend blog. He lists the top 10 collegiate programs in terms of sending players to the NBA, and UConn checks in at No. 1, with 12 players currently in the league (13 with Hasheem Thabeet, and maybe 14 with A.J. Price) and 14 cumulative All-Star appearances. The blog entry was written shortly before the 2009 NBA draft.<br /><div></div><br /><div>Anyway, thought you all might enjoy it:</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://davissportsdeli.com/wordpress/2009/06/25/which-college-program-has-produced-the-best-current-nba-talent-a-top-10-list/">Which College Program Has Produced the Best Current NBA Talent (A Top 10 List).</a></div><br /><div></div>David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-62526203487474652332009-07-10T08:55:00.004-04:002009-07-16T09:47:40.668-04:00Springfield the Place to Be this WeekendMany of the top prep players in the country -- many of whom are being recruited by UConn -- will be in Springfield, Mass. this weekend for a pair of BasketBull, LLC tournaments.<br /><br />Today, the inaugural First Eight tourney will pit the best 17u and 16u travel teams not only from New England but around North America, including Canada.<br /><br />Here's a small sampling of some of the 17u players who will be in action July 10th. Grassroots Canada Top Players: Tristan Thompson, 6'10 PF, Findlay Prep '10 (committed to Texas; #1 PF in 2010 Scout.com); Myck Kabonga, 6'2 PG, St. Benedict's Prep '11 (committed to Texas; #3 PG in 2011 Scout.com); Dwight Powell, 6'10 PF, IMG Academy '10 (Harvard, Stanford, Vanderbilt, UCLA, Virginia); Cory Joseph, 6'3 PG, Findlay Prep '10 (Ohio St., Georgetown. among others; #7 PG in 2010 Scout.com); <strong>JP Kambola, 6'9 PF, St. Benedict's Prep '10 (UConn, Kansas, Rutgers, among others)</strong> New England Playaz Top Players: Nate Lubick, 6'8 WF, St. Mark's School '10, (committed to Georgetown; #11 PF ESPN.com); Austin Carroll, 6'4 '10, Brewster Academy '10 (Davidson, Washington St, Fordham, among others); <strong>Naadir Tharpe, 6'1 PG, Brewster Academy '11 (Arizona, BC, UConn, Purdue, among others);</strong> <strong>Dajuan Coleman, 6'9 F/C, Jamesville-Dewitt '12 (Syracuse, UConn; #1 Player in 2012 ESPN.com);</strong> <strong>Denzel Brito, 6'1 PG, Lawrence Academy '10 (UConn, Stanford, Providence, among others) </strong>Mass Rivals Top Players: Carson Desroisers, 6'11 C, Central Catholic HS '10 (Pitt, Syracuse, Stanford, BC; #8 C ESPN.com); Evan Smotrycz, 6'9 F, New Hampton School, '10 (committed to Michigan; #12 PF ESPN.com); Matt Brown, 6'3 Combo Guard, Northfield Mount Hermon '10, (Providence, George Mason, among others); Jordan Laguerre, 6'0 PG, Trinity HS '10, (Patriot League, A-10's) Connecticut Basketball Club Top Players: <strong>Majok Majok (Ater's cousin), 6'8 PF, South Kent School '10 (Arkansas, Oklahoma, Providence, among others);</strong> Danny Lawhorn, 5'10 PG, Hartford Public HS '10 (committed to: Boston College); Chris Evans, 6'1 G, Taft School '10, (America East, NEC schools); Dominque Langston, 6'3 SG, St. Thomas Moore '10 (Penn St, Rutgers, Quinnipiac, among others New Heights (NY) Top Players: <strong>Devon Collier, 6'7 PF, St. Anthony's HS '10, (Memphis, St. John's, UConn, Villanova, among others);</strong> Ashton Pankey, 6'7 PF, St. Anthony's HS '10, (Seton Hall, St. John's, Rice, among others); Jayvaughn Pinkston, 6'5 SF, Bishop Laughlin '10, (Louisville, Tennessee, Florida, Memphis, among others); Corey Edwards, 6'0 PG, Christ the King HS '11, (Kentucky, Villanova, St. John's, among others); Hakeem Harris, 6'1 PG, Blair Academy '10, (Davidson, Vanderbilt, Stanford, Harvard, among others); Derrick Williams, 6'6 PF, St. Anthony's HS '10, (Fordham, Miami (FL), Seton Hall, among others) Florida Rams Top Players: <strong>Fabricio de Melo, 7'0 F/C, Sagemont HS '10, (UConn, Syracuse, Louisville</strong>;<strong> #4 C in 2010 ESPN.com); </strong>Damien Leonard, 6'4 SG, JL Mann HS '11, (Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida, among others); Tim Hardaway Jr., 6'4 SG, Miami Palmetto HS '10, (Michigan, Minnesota, Florida, among others); Josh Langford, 6'6 WF, J.O. Johnson HS '10, (committed to: Louisville); William Sheehay, 6'5 SG, South Fork HS '10, (Auburn, Stanford, Northeastern, among others); Khyle Marshall, 6'7 F, Flanagan HS '10, (Auburn, Miami (FL), Kansas St., among others) Expressions Elite (MA) Top Players: Billy Baron, 6'2 Combo Guard, Worcester Academy '10, (Rhode Island, A-10's and Patriot League); Tyler Olander, 6'9 F, Worcester Academy '11, (Providence, Vanderbilt, La Salle, and Fairfield); Kaleb Tarczewski, 6'10 C, St. Mark's School '12, (Boston College, Providence, among others) Team Philly Top Players: Tony Chenault, 6'1 PG, Nueman-Goretti '10, (Committed to: Wake Forest); Daniel Stewart, 6'6 WF, Nueman-Goretti '10, (Rutgers. Delaware, St. Joe's, among others); Keith Coleman, 6'8 F, Cheltenham HS '10, (Marquette, Nebraska, among others); Tyrone Garland, 6'0 PG, Bartram John HS '10, (Butler, Temple, Drexel, Nebraska, among others) For further details on the First Eight Tournament, to view the schedule and list of committed teams please follow this link to the tournament webpage: <a href="http://www.basketbull.org/tournaments/26/First-Eight.php">http://www.basketbull.org/tournaments/26/First-Eight.php</a><br /><br />On Saturday and Sunday, the National Invitational will feature over 100 teams from all over the country in what's being called the strongest tournament in the northeast during the NCAA "live" period. National programs such as Florida Rams, Grassroots Canada, New Heights, Team Philly, New England Playaz, Hunting Park, Long Island Lightning and many others will converge on the birthplace of basketball for a chance to showcase their skills. Some notable players (17 & Under) participating in the event include:<br />* <strong>Fab Melo (ACC/BIG EAST)</strong><br />* Josh Langford (Louisville) of the Florida Rams<br />* Tristan Thompson (Texas)<br />* Myck Kabongo (Texas)<br />* Dwight Powell (ACC/BIG EAST) of Grassroots Canada<br />* Nate Lubick (Georgetown)<br />* <strong>DaJaun Coleman (ACC/BIG EAST)</strong><br />* Austin Carroll (A-10/BIG EAST)<br />* <strong>Nadir Tharpe (PAC-10/ACC) of NE Playaz</strong><br />* Tony Chennault (Wake Forest) of Team Philly<br />* Evan Smotrycz (Michigan)<br />* Carson Desrosiers (BIG EAST) of Mass Rivals<br />* Majok Majok (A-10/BIG EAST)<br />* <strong>Andre Drummond (ACC/BIG EAST) of CBC</strong><br />* Devon Collier (BIG EAST/ACC)<br />* Jayvaughn Pinkston (BIG EAST)<br />* Derrick Williams (BIG EAST/A-10) of New Heights<br />* Billy Baron (A-10) of Expressions<br />* Tyler Olander (A-10) of Expressions<br /><br />For further details on the National Invitational and to view the list of committed teams please follow this link to the tournament webpage: <a href="http://www.basketbull.org/tournaments/18/Hall-of-Fame-National-Invitatio">http://www.basketbull.org/tournaments/18/Hall-of-Fame-National-Invitatio </a>nal.phpDavid Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-9319324402421940062009-07-07T17:45:00.008-04:002009-07-16T09:48:42.235-04:00El-Amin Featured in This Week's SI<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/SlPC5KwpJmI/AAAAAAAAAeY/V71ZJrtdWF8/s1600-h/elamin.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355838669270361698" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/SlPC5KwpJmI/AAAAAAAAAeY/V71ZJrtdWF8/s320/elamin.jpg" border="0" /></a>Former UConn point guard Khalid El-Amin will be featured in this week's Sports Illustrated "Where Are They Now?" issue, which will update readers about stars from 1959, 1969, 1979, 1989 and, in El-Amin's case, 1999.<br /><div></div><br /><div>As you surely know, El-Amin lasted just 50 games in the NBA after leading the Huskies to their first NCAA tournament title in 1999. He has found success abroad, however, twice earning Turkish league MVP awards during a two-year stint with Besiktas Cola Turka. He earned the same honors in the Ukraine while carrying Azovmash Mariupol to the 2006 national championship.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-47888660436305263902009-07-02T21:09:00.001-04:002009-07-02T21:10:47.832-04:00Big East Announces League OpponentsHere are the opponents for each Big East team for the 2009-10 season:<br /><br /><br />CINCINNATI<br /> Home Connecticut , DePaul, Marquette, Notre Dame , Pittsburgh, Providence, USF, Syracuse , Villanova<br /> Away Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF, West Virginia<br /> <br /><strong>CONNECTICUT<br /> Home Cincinnati , DePaul, Louisville , Marquette, Notre Dame , Pittsburgh, St. John’s, Seton Hall , West Virginia<br /> Away Cincinnati , Georgetown, Louisville , Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, USF, Syracuse , Villanova</strong><br /> <br />DE PAUL<br /> Home Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette , Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, USF, Syracuse , West Virginia<br /> Away Cincinnati, Connecticut, Marquette , Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Villanova<br /> <br />GEORGETOWN<br /> Home Cincinnati, Connecticut, Notre Dame, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse , Villanova<br /> Away DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, Syracuse, Villanova , West Virginia<br /> <br />LOUISVILLE<br /> Home Cincinnati, Connecticut , Georgetown, Notre Dame, Rutgers, St. John’s , USF, Syracuse , Villanova<br /> Away Connecticut, DePaul, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse, West Virginia<br /> <br />MARQUETTE<br /> Home DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence , Rutgers, USF, Villanova<br /> Away Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul , Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia<br /> <br />NOTRE DAME<br /> Home Cincinnati , Connecticut , DePaul, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, USF, Syracuse , West Virginia<br /> Away Cincinnati , Connecticut , Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF, Villanova<br /> <br />PITTSBURGH<br /> Home DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s , Seton Hall, Villanova , West Virginia<br /> Away Cincinnati, Connecticut, Marquette, Notre Dame, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse, West Virginia<br /> <br />PROVIDENCE<br /> Home Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette , Rutgers, Seton Hall, USF, Syracuse , West Virginia<br /> Away Cincinnati, DePaul, Marquette , Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, St. John’s, USF, Syracuse , Villanova<br /> <br />RUTGERS<br /> Home Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul , Georgetown , Notre Dame, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse , Villanova<br /> Away DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence, Seton Hall, USF, West Virginia<br /> <br />ST. JOHN ’S<br /> Home Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh , Providence, Seton Hall, Villanova , West Virginia<br /> Away Connecticut, DePaul , Georgetown, Louisville , Notre Dame, Pittsburgh , Rutgers, USF, Syracuse<br /> <br />SETON HALL<br /> Home Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh , Rutgers, Syracuse , West Virginia<br /> Away Connecticut, Georgetown, Pittsburgh , Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, USF, Villanova , West Virginia<br /> <br />USF<br /> Home Cincinnati , Connecticut, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence , Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall , West Virginia<br /> Away Cincinnati , DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Providence, Syracuse , Villanova<br /> <br />SYRACUSE<br /> Home Connecticut, Georgetown , Louisville , Marquette, Pittsburgh, Providence , St. John’s , USF, Villanova<br /> Away Cincinnati, DePaul, Georgetown , Louisville, Notre Dame, Providence , Rutgers, Seton Hall , West Virginia<br /> <br />VILLANOVA<br /> Home Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown , Marquette, Notre Dame, Providence, Seton Hall, USF, West Virginia<br /> Away Cincinnati, Georgetown , Louisville, Marquette , Pittsburgh, Rutgers, St. John’s, Syracuse , West Virginia<br /> <br />WEST VIRGINIA<br /> Home Cincinnati, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Pittsburgh , Rutgers, Seton Hall, Syracuse , Villanova<br /> Away Connecticut, DePaul, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall, USF, Villanova<br /> <br />Each school’s three repeat opponents are in italicsDavid Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-72314738106845513032009-07-02T08:23:00.004-04:002009-07-16T09:49:21.449-04:00Of Oriakhi and Calipari<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/Skyn_W0SUGI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/479HojG6mkA/s1600-h/alex+oriakhi.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353838763935158370" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 109px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 122px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/Skyn_W0SUGI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/479HojG6mkA/s320/alex+oriakhi.jpg" border="0" /></a>Here's a story from <a href="http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/07/02/sports/2-uconn_oriakhi.txt">today's Register about UConn freshman Alex Oriakhi</a>, who is finally a UConn student after committing to the school nearly three years ago, when he was 16. Like Emeka Okafor, Oriakhi was born in the U.S., but both his parents were born in Nigeria. One of the main reasons his father wanted him to come to UConn was because of Okafor.<br /><br />Also, found <a href="http://www.projo.com/sports/billreynolds/sp_bill_reynolds_calipari_30_06-30-09_MFESUUS_v2.26a1cdb.html">this story from the ProJo earlier in the week to be interesting</a>. Like most college basketball observers, I have my questions about John Calipari and the way he runs his program(s). But this column by Bill Reynolds certainly reveals a human side to Coach Cal.David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-66826429078269142902009-07-01T16:21:00.003-04:002009-07-16T09:49:56.080-04:00Parliament-Hashadelic<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/SkvGju5OzCI/AAAAAAAAAeI/d5zQhhPeMak/s1600-h/hash+bigger.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353590899245763618" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 252px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/SkvGju5OzCI/AAAAAAAAAeI/d5zQhhPeMak/s320/hash+bigger.jpg" border="0" /></a>Hasheem Thabeet is back on the UConn campus for about a week before heading out to Las Vegas to play for the Memphis Grizzlies' summer league team. According to Thabeet, his summer league teammates will include former UConn teammate Jeff Adrien, as well as ex-Husky stars Marcus Williams and Kevin Ollie.<br /><br />Over the next week, Thabeet will be staying with his mother, who lives in Springfield, Mass., while working out at Gampel – lifting weights under UConn strength and conditioning coach Chris West's watch. The Grizzlies will also be sending a coach out this way to supervise Thabeet's workouts.<br /><br />Once summer league ends on July 18, Thabeet will fly back to his native Tanzania, where he's been invited by President Jakaya Kikwete to speak to Parliament.<br /><br />"I don't even know what to say," Thabeet said. "I'm not up on politics and things like that."<br /><br />Knowing Thabeet's effervescent personality, however, it says here he'll do just fine.<br /><br />"I should be good," he admits.<br /><br />Prior to training camp, Thabeet will have to take part in the NBA's rookie transition program in New York City.<br /><br />After being drafted by the Grizzlies as the No. 2 overall pick on Thursday night, Thabeet flew to Memphis on Friday and worked out for the team over the weekend. In between workouts, Thabeet was able to do a little house-hunting. He's honing in on some five-bedroom estates which, eventually, his mother and some other family members would move into with him.<br /><br />Must be nice.David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-61713167462763286452009-06-30T20:37:00.001-04:002009-07-16T09:50:17.811-04:00Chris Smith New Coach at KolbeChris Smith, the all-time leading scorer in UConn men’s basketball history, has been named boys basketball coach at his alma mater, Bridgeport’s Kolbe Cathedral.<br /><br />Smith graduated from Kolbe in 1988 and was coach Jim Calhoun’s first major in-state recruiting coup. In his four years with the Huskies, Smith scored 2,145 career points, still a school record. Detroit Pistons forward Richard Hamilton is second with 2,036 (in three seasons).<br /><br />Smith was selected in the second round of the 1992 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves and played three seasons for the team.David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-88862103020958490022009-06-27T18:47:00.004-04:002009-07-16T09:50:46.390-04:00Knight School?Brandon Knight, the reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year, made an unofficial visit to UConn today.<br /><br />Knight, 6-foot-3, is the top-rated point guard in the nation among Class of 2010 players, according to scout.com. He plays at Pinecrest School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.<br /><br />He's also an excellent student: so good, in fact, that he also paid a visit to Yale on Friday.<br /><br />(Update): Here's a mention of <a href="http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/06/28/sports/doc4a4745cdf3bb8671387830.txt">Knight's visit in Dave Solomon's column</a>.David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-43295769858128170292009-06-26T13:30:00.003-04:002009-06-26T13:37:13.449-04:00Train in VainA long night in New York City devolved into a long morning in (or near) Milford. The MetroNorth train that I and Mike Anthony (no, not the Van Halen bassist) took home from Grand Central Station at 1:12 a.m. caught fire about five minutes from the Milford station and caused a 1 1/2-hour delay. Yep, it caught fire.<br /><br />We were cruising along, me listening to my iPod at typically high volume, when suddenly I heard a loud explosion and saw a spark -- a real, big spark -- outside the train window. The train stopped, things get dark, and after what seemed like 10 minutes the announcement that we already knew came -- "Folks, we've experienced a technical problem, we're trying to fix it."<br /><br />Thanks.<br /><br />Anyway, they tell us all to move up to the first few trains of the car. As we pass through the car ahead of ours, smoke starts billowing through. Great.<br /><br />Long story short, after a near 90-minute wait, a "rescue train" comes to our rescue, hitches us up and takes us to the Milford and New Haven stops. I got home at 5 a.m. Was at TPC River Highlands for the Travelers by 11:30 a.m.<br /><br />Quiz question: Who sang "Train in Vain."David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-48721768916410294042009-06-26T00:01:00.003-04:002009-07-16T09:51:31.561-04:00No, Adrien!Jeff Adrien didn't get drafted tonight, but it says here he'll find a spot on an NBA roster next fall. He'll be a free agent and possibly have a chance to select which team he'd like to sign with. He may start getting calls tonight (this morning).<br /><br />Adrien's hometown Boston Celtics had the chance to take him with the 58th overall pick in the draft, but instead chose Tennessee-Martin guard Lester Hudson, who was the nation's second-leading scorer after Stephen Curry.<br /><br />Otherwise, a pretty good night for the Big East – four Big East alums in the first round and 10 overall. First round: UConn's Hasheem Thabeet, Syracuse's Jonny Flynn (No. 6), Louisville's Terrence Williams (No. 11) and Earl Clark (No. 14).<br /><br />In the second round, Villanova's Dante Cunningham (No. 33), Georgetown's DaJuan Summers (No. 35), Pitt's Sam Young (No. 36) and DeJuan Blair (No. 37), UConn's A.J. Price (No. 52)<br /><br />Maybe it's because I watched the two torch UConn twice this past season, but if you ask me, both Young and Blair are much better NBA prospects than Cunningham and Summers. Cunningham deservedly won the Big East's most improved player award, but he doesn't have the skills or athleticism of either Pitt player. Just as Jim Calhoun.<br /><br />***Some real doozies asked by a couple of media members at Hasheem Thabeet's press conference.<br /><br />Here's one question: "Memphis is known for great music, great food … pro basketball, not so much. How much do you know about the city of Memphis and are you concerned about a franchise that has been a colossal failure?"<br /><br />Another one, from the same guy, to No. 1 overall pick Blake Griffin: "Blake, the philosopher Santayana once said, 'Those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' With 30 years of losing in an organization, is it going to take time?"<br /><br />Not every day you hear Santayana quoted in a presser.<br /><br />***Brandon Jennings elected not to wait in the "green room" (which isn't green at all and in fact, isn't even a room, as Phil Chardis pointed out) with his fellow likely lottery picks. A statement released by his agent earlier in the day indicated he'd be watching the draft on TV with his family in a "more private setting, with the people he loves the most." Apparently, the Jennings camp believed he had slipped far in the draft and didn't want to have a Brady Quinn-like situation, sitting around, embarassingly waiting forever to be picked.<br /><br />But Jennings wound up going No. 10. Then, after absent Earl Clark was picked at No. 14, Jennings emerged onto the stage to be congratulated by NBA commissioner David Stern. Seems that "private setting" wasn't too far from the Garden.<br /><br />***The New York crowd, as always, let us know how it really felt. When Stern kicked off the proceedings by congratulating the Lakers for their NBA title, the chant of "Lakers (stink)!" went through the building.<br /><br />The crowd was extremely disappointed when Stephen Curry went to Golden State at No. 7 – one pick before the Knicks. Curry seemed to be hoping to go to the Knicks, whose style of play would seem to suit him to a 'T.' Instead, the Knicks took Arizona's Jordan Hill, a power forward.<br /><br />There were (unnecessary, if you ask me) chants of "Over-rated!" when UNC's Tyler Hansbrough was picked at No. 13 by the Pacers. And when Israel's Omri Casspi was picked by Sacramento at No. 23, there was actually cheering on press row by (we presume) an Israeli writer.David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-50545429660846970042009-06-25T23:30:00.002-04:002009-07-16T09:51:54.642-04:00Price a PacerA.J. Price goes to Larry Bird's Indiana Pacers with the 52nd overall pick. Good for him. Now, we'll see if Jeff Adrien goes with one of the final eight selections.David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-47364001800760068642009-06-25T21:32:00.003-04:002009-07-16T09:52:17.325-04:00He's No. 2!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/SkQmjQCiy_I/AAAAAAAAAeA/ARllo1pnikk/s1600-h/hash+bigger.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351444644265905138" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 252px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/SkQmjQCiy_I/AAAAAAAAAeA/ARllo1pnikk/s320/hash+bigger.jpg" border="0" /></a>Some quotes from Hasheem Thabeet's press conference, after he was selected by Memphis with the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft:<br /><div></div><br /><div>"I'm happy and excited.I look forward to being part of the Grizzlies' organization."<br /><br /><em>On whether he had an inkling that Memphis would select him:</em><br /><br />"I was surprised. (The Grizzlies) were calling my agent … I was waiting to hear what's going to happen. I ended up in Memphis, so I'm happy. I was going to be happy wherever I ended up. This is, for me, a great opportunity to go out there and play ball and have fun."<br /><br /><em>On his improvements from his freshman year at UConn to now:</em></div><br /><div>"When I came here, I never thought, first of all, that I would be able to make it to Division I. I ended up at UConn, and when I got to UConn, I got to be coached by Jim Calhoun. He pushed me since day one ... I had to believe in myself that I can definitely do it. After my freshman year, I was young and I had to grow up and (Calhoun) prepared me mentally pretty well for me to believe in myself. He challenged me and I can challenge myself to be man enough to go out there and play ball, and I ended up believing in myself since my freshman year."<br /><br />Thabeet considered leaving for the NBA after both his freshman and sophomore seasons. Calhoun told him leaving after his freshman year "is going to be the worst mistake in your life. I had to believe in him and trust him and told my family that I can wait a couple off years for me to be in the NBA … To me, this is a blessing."<br /><br />Thabeet, who becomes the first Tanzanian ever selected in the NBA draft, was seated with his mother, Rukia Manka, who still lives in Tanzania. His father, Thabit Manka, passed away several years ago. </div><br /><div>"The first five years (away from home), I didn't get to see my family … I used to speak to them on the phone every two or three weeks, and now they are here and get to experience this with me. I don't even know how to explain that. It's just a great feeling and I'm happy that (my mother) was there to experience it."</div><br /><div></div><div>Still waiting to see if A.J. Price and/or Jeff Adrien get selected. Stay tuned ...</div>David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-51412003947966309132009-06-25T19:42:00.003-04:002009-07-16T09:52:44.531-04:00All the Way to MemphisHasheem Thabeet has been selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with the No. 2 pick in the 2009 NBA draft. He'll join former Husky Rudy Gay on a team that also features (for now, anyway) four other 7-footers: starting center Marc Gasol, who averaged 11.9 points per game last season, Chris Mihm, rookie Hamed Haddadi, infamous draft bust Darko Milicic and Thabeet.<br /><br />Heading off to Thabeet's press conference, will be back with more ...<br /><br />(P.S. -- Who sang "All the Way to Memphis"?)David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-4102167297150579162009-06-25T19:22:00.001-04:002009-06-25T19:24:11.886-04:00Separated at Birth ...?<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/SkQHBj1MbBI/AAAAAAAAAd4/DY6Et4K-pyk/s1600-h/ronn+wood.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351409980602608658" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 218px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/SkQHBj1MbBI/AAAAAAAAAd4/DY6Et4K-pyk/s320/ronn+wood.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/SkQG7sH98fI/AAAAAAAAAdw/bSfzsC0mkZE/s1600-h/ricky_rubio_preparandose_lanzar_tiro_libre.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351409879749620210" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 235px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7LXoEaTLiuQ/SkQG7sH98fI/AAAAAAAAAdw/bSfzsC0mkZE/s320/ricky_rubio_preparandose_lanzar_tiro_libre.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div></div>David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35545669.post-66165844772809208872009-06-25T18:43:00.002-04:002009-06-25T18:47:48.675-04:00Jennings Feeling Jilted?With his draft stock apparently plummeting, Brandon Jennings has decided not to join the rest of the potential lottery picks at tonight's NBA draft festivities.<br /><br />This statement from his agent, Bill Duffy: "Because we do not have a strong grasp of Brandon's draft position, I've advised that he and his family enjoy this day in a more private setting with the people he loves the most. Brandon Jennings will have a very illustrious career in the NBA, and at the end of the day, that is all that is important."<br /><br />Jennings, of course, went to play in Italy this past season straight out of high school, rather than attend college for a year.David Borgeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18076952029033761095noreply@blogger.com0