Connecticut Huskies
Big East Conference (20-13, 8-10)
Who could have expected them to live up to last season? Winning five straight in five days to take the Big East crown was not enough. Winning another six to take the NCAA Championship was what succeeded a less than stellar regular season. UConn got hot; they got a bit lucky, as all champions do; and Kemba Walker went HAM on the rest of the country. It was the thing of legends, a plot so utterly unexpected it would be thrown out of movie script meetings. How can you follow that? Starting the year with a pre-season All-American and one of the top high school recruits in the nation did not help impede expectations. Coach Jim Calhoun, already with recruitment violations and suspensions to deal with, then encountered more health issues after repeatedly battling and beating cancer. 2012 could not be 2011 no matter how much everyone wanted it to be.
Big Wins: 11/26 vs Florida State (78-76), 12/8 Harvard (67-53), 1/14 at Notre Dame (67-53)
Bad Losses: 11/25 vs UCF (63-68), 1/7 at Rutgers (60-67), 2/28 at Providence (70-72)
Coach: Jim Calhoun (26 seasons at Connecticut)
Why They Can Surprise:
Even with a regular season far worse than anyone predicted, this team was ranked in the top five to start the year for a reason: they are loaded with talent. Jeremy Lamb is one of the best scorers in the nation, with a bevy of moves, length and a silky demeanor that makes him seem like he’s trying less than Tracy McGrady ever did and yet still puts up 20+ points per game. Meanwhile, the double-headed point guard of Shabazz Napier and freshman Ryan Boatright is one of the best tandems in the conference if their shots are falling. And inside, veteran Alex Oriakhi is teamed with freshman star recruit Andre Drummond who is expected to go in the top five of the NBA draft if he decides to leave school after the season. No team in the Big East can match Connecticut’s inside-outside depth. Combine that with a bona fide star scorer in Lamb and UConn could give opposing coaches nightmares come tournament time.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Much like in the regular season, disappointment can arise during March as well simply because something just seems “off” with this Huskies team. There are a number of possible explanations and excuses, any of which may be correct or the truth may combine elements of each. Perhaps this team ended up relying too heavily on Kemba Walker last season, setting themselves up for alpha dog problems this following season. Everyone outside the organization thinks Jeremy Lamb should be the go-to guy. However, Napier shoots way too much and Boatright is really a shoot-first point guard as well. In addition, there are feelings that with such size and strength in the front court, UConn should be forcing the ball inside more, especially to Drummond. The fact that Coach Calhoun has missed time because of violations and, more recently, health issues, only adds to the uncertainty on the offensive end. For some reason, no matter the opponent, there are some nights where the Huskies cannot score points: a large red flag for a team with tournament hopes.
Probable Starters:
Shabazz Napier, Sophomore, Guard, 12.7 ppg, 5.8 apg
Jeremy Lamb, Sophomore, Forward, 17.7 ppg, 1.8 apg, 4.9 rpg
Roscoe Smith, Sophomore, Forward, 4.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg
Alex Oriakhi, Junior, Forward, 6.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.3 bpg
Andre Drummond, Freshman, Center, 10.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.7 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Ryan Boatright, Freshman, Guard, 10.5 ppg, 4.1 apg
DeAndre Daniels, Freshman, Forward, 3.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg
Niels Giffey, Sophomore, Forward, 2.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg
Tyler Olander, Sophomore, Forward, 4.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 68.8 (153rd in nation, 11th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 64.1 (93, 7)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.4 (92, 4)
Field-Goal Defense: 38.7 (15, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.2 (254, 12)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 32.4 (236, 10)
Free-Throw Percentage: 67.4 (232, 13)
Rebound Margin: 3.5 (67, 5)
Assists Per Game: 13.5 (120, 11)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.7 (98, 7)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
Connecticut 2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over Bucknell
Connecticut 2011 NCAA Round of 32 win over Cincinnati
Connecticut 2011 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over San Diego State
Connecticut 2011 NCAA Regional Final win over Arizona
Connecticut 2011 NCAA National Semifinal win over Kentucky
Connecticut 2011 NCAA National Final win over Butler
Connecticut 2010 NIT First Round win over Northeastern
Connecticut 2010 NIT Second Round loss to Virginia Tech
Connecticut 2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over Tennessee-Chattanooga
Connecticut 2009 NCAA Round of 32 win over Texas A&M
Connecticut 2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Purdue
Connecticut 2009 NCAA Regional Final win over Missouri
Connecticut 2009 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Michigan State
Connecticut 2008 NCAA Round of 64 loss to San Diego
Connecticut 2006 NCAA Round of 64 win over Albany
Connecticut 2006 NCAA Round of 32 win over Kentucky
Connecticut 2006 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Washington
Connecticut 2006 NCAA Regional Final loss to George Mason
*all team stats through 3/4
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
