University of Connecticut Athletics
Men's Basketball Final Four Notes
3/31/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 31, 2009
Salute PresentationSTORRS, Conn. - UCONN IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT: UConn has a record of 44-26 in 29 NCAA Tournament appearances. The Huskies have won two National Championships, in 2004 and 1999, in the school's only two previous NCAA Final Four appearances. The Huskies have reached the NCAA Elite Eight nine times and the Sweet Sixteen 14 times in school history. UConn is 40-12 in the NCAA Tournament in 16 appearances (1996 results declared null and void by the NCAA) under Jim Calhoun and were 4-14 in 13 appearances in the tourney prior to Calhoun's arrival in Storrs.
26-6 in LAST NINE NCAA'S: UConn has registered a 26-6 record in the last nine appearances in the NCAA Tournament, dating back to its 6-0 run to the National Title in 1999. UConn reached the NCAA Second Round in 2000, reached the NCAA Elite Eight in 2002 and 2006, advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2003 and also went 6-0 in 2004 en route to the school's second national title.
Jim Calhoun SHINES IN POST-SEASON: UConn head coach Jim Calhoun enters the 2009 NCAA Final Four with a sparkling 76.5 winning percentage in 21 national post-season tournaments while coaching at Connecticut (52-16 overall; 40-12 in NCAA play, 12-4 in NIT play). That post-season winning percentage is higher than Coach Calhoun's overall winning percentage at Connecticut (557-204, 73.2%).
UCONN'S SEEDS SINCE 1990: Connecticut's No. 1 seed in the West Region bracket of the 2009 NCAA Championship Tournament marks the fifth time that the Huskies will be a No. 1 seed since 1990. This is the 16th NCAA bid for UConn in Jim Calhoun's 23 years as head coach of the Huskies. Following are UConn's seedings in each of its 16 NCAA berths.
1990-No. 1 seed, East Region (advanced to Final 8)
1991-No. 11 seed, Midwest Region (advanced to Sweet 16)
1992-No. 9 seed, Southeast Region (advanced to 2nd Round)
1994-No. 2 seed, East Region (advanced to Sweet 16)
1995-No. 2 seed, West Region (advanced to Final 8)
1996-No. 1 seed, Southeast Region (advanced to Sweet 16)
1998-No. 2 seed, East Region (advanced to Final 8)
1999-No. 1 seed, West Region (won NCAA Championship)
2000-No. 5 seed, South Region (advanced to 2nd Round)
2002-No. 2 seed, East Region (advanced to Final 8)
2003-No. 5 seed, South Region (advanced to Sweet 16)
2004-No. 2 seed, Phoenix Region (won NCAA Championship)
2005-No. 2 seed, Syracuse Region (advanced to 2nd Round)
2006-No. 1 seed, Wash. D.C. Region (advanced to Final 8)
2008-No. 4 seed, West Region (lost in 1st Round)
2009-No. 1 seed, West Region (advanced to NCAA Final Four)
HUSKIES PACE BIG EAST IN NCAA: Since the 1990 NCAA Championship, Connecticut has been the "best" of the BIG EAST Conference in NCAA Championship play. UConn has won 40 NCAA games in the span starting with the 1990 tournament and continuing up into the 2009 tournament. Syracuse is second with 25 NCAA wins in that span while Georgetown has 18 NCAA wins followed by Villanova with 14, Pittsburgh with 13 and St. John's and Seton Hall with nine wins apiece.
PRICE AND WALKER EARN REGIONAL HONORS: A.J. Price and Kemba Walker each earned a spot on the West Regional All- Tournament team, with Price taking MVP honors. They joined an exclusive list of UConn players to earn NCAA All-Tournament distinction during their careers:
NCAA ALL-TOURNAMENT SELECTIONS
2009-- A.J. Price (MVP), Kemba Walker (West Regional)
2006-- Rudy Gay, Marcus Williams (Washington DC Regional)
2004-- Emeka Okafor (MVP), Ben Gordon, Rashad Anderson (Final Four); Ben Gordon (MVP), Rashad Anderson, Emeka Okafor (Phoenix Regional)
2003-- Emeka Okafor (South Regional)
2002-- Caron Butler, Tony Robertson (East Regional)
1999-- Richard Hamilton (MOP), Khalid El-Amin, Ricky Moore (Final Four); Richard Hamilton (MOP), Ricky Moore, Kevin Freeman (West Regional)
1998-- Richard Hamilton, Khalid El-Amin (East Regional)
1995-- Ray Allen, Donny Marshall (West Regional)
1990-- Tate George, Chris Smith (East Regional)
1976--Tony Hanson, Al Weston (East Region)
1964--Toby Kimball (East Region)
1956--Gordon Ruddy (East Region)
HUSKIES GO WEST AGAIN: UConn was slotted in the West Region for the fifth time under Jim Calhoun and the Region has been very kind to the Huskies, as UConn has reached the Final Four for the third time through the West. Before winning the West in 2009, UConn had reached the Final 8 in the West Region in 1995 and captured the West (Phoenix) Region title in both 1999 and 2004, going on to the national title both years. UConn was a No. 2 seed in 1995 and 2004 and was the No. 1 seed in 1999.
CALHOUN IN MARCH AND BEYOND: Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun has posted an impressive 23-year overall record of 100-45 (69.0%) in the months of March and April. During his tenure at UConn, Jim Calhoun's record post-February is as follows: 20-12 in regular season play, 28-17 in Big East Tournament play, 40-12 in NCAA play, and 12-4 in NIT play.
NO. 4 IN NCAA GAMES PLAYED SINCE 1999: The Connecticut basketball program heads to the 2009 NCAA "Final Four" having played in 32 NCAA contests since the Huskies won their first of two National Championships in 1999. UConn ranks No. 4 among all Division I teams in NCAA games played during the last 11 national post-season tournaments. Duke leads the way, having played in 38 NCAA games in the past 11 years. Kansas and Michigan State are tied in the No. 2 spot in games played since the 1999 NCAA tourney, each having played 37 games.
NCAA GAMES PLAYED SINCE 1999 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
(Through "Final 8" Games in 2009 Championship)
1. Duke-38 Games (28-10)
2. Michigan State-37 Games (28-9)
2. Kansas-37 Games (27-10)
4. CONNECTICUT-32 Games (26-6)
5. North Carolina-31 Games (24-7)
6. Florida-29 Games (22-7)
6. UCLA-29 Games (20-9)
8. Arizona-28 Games (17-11)
8. Texas-28 Games (17-11)
10. Kentucky-27 Games (17-10)
Other Big East Conference Schools
Pittsburgh-21 Games (13-8)
Louisville-20 Games (12-8)
Syracuse-20 Games (13-7)
Villanova-16 Games (11-5)
Georgetown-13 Games (9-4)
CALHOUN, McCRACKEN ONLY COACHES 4-0 IN FINAL FOUR: Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun is taking his UConn Huskies to their third NCAA "Final Four" and will carry a spotless 4-0 "Final Four" record into the 2009 national semi-finals in Detroit. Coach Calhoun won both the 1999 and 2004 NCAA Championships in his two previous "Final Four" appearances. The only other coach with a 4-0 "Final Four" record is Branch McCrackren who led Indiana to the 1940 and 1953 titles in his only two "Final Four" appearances.
Currently, the best coaching records for any head coach appearing in three "NCAA Final Fours" is 5-1. That 5-1 coaching record in "Final Four" play is shared by Billy Donovan of Florida (2000, 2006, 2007), Ed Jucker of Cincinnati (1961, 1962, 1963), and Phil Woolpert of San Francisco (1955, 1956, 1957).
THABEET AN ALL-AMERICAN: Hasheem Thabeet has been named a Second Team All- American by the Associated Press, USBWA, Sports Illustrated and FoxSports.com, as of March 30. He is also under consideration for All-American honors as a finalist for the Wooden Award, among others. The NABC will also announce its All-American team at the Final Four.
THABEET NAMED BIG EAST BEST: Hasheem Thabeet was named the BIG EASTConference Co-Player-of-the-Year for 2008-2009. He shares the Player-of-the-Year awardwith Pittsburgh sophomore center DeJuanBlair.The BIG EAST Player-of-the-Year honorfor Thabeet marks the seventh time aConnecticut basketball standout has beenthe recipient of the award in the 30-year history of the league. Other UConn stars honored as BIG EAST Player-of-the-Yearinclude: Donyell Marshall in 1993-94, RayAllen in 1995-96, Richard Hamilton in both1997-98 & 1998-99, Caron Butler in 2001-02,and Emeka Okafor in 2003-04.
Connecticut and Georgetown have eachhad seven Player-of-the-Year honorees inBIG EAST play since the 1979-80 season. St.John's and Notre Dame have each had fourhonorees, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Boston
College three each, Villanova and Seton Hall two honorees each, and Miami one award winner.
A THABEET REPEAT: Hasheem Thabeet was named the 2008-09 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, marking the second straight season he has been chosen as the league's top defensive performer.
Thabeet's selection marks the sixth time in seven seasons that UConn has had the league's top defensive player and he is the fifth Husky to earn the honor, joining Hilton Armstrong (2005-06), Josh Boone (2004-05), Emeka Okafor (2003-04 & 2002-03) and Donyell Marshall (1993-94).
HUSKY BIG EAST HONOREES: Fourmembers of the University of Connecticut men's basketball team received All-BIG EAST honors as announced by the conference on Sunday. Hasheem Thabeet was named to the first team while A.J. Price and Jeff Adrien were selected to the second and third teams, respectively. Kemba Walker earned a spot on the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team.
ALL-BIG EAST TIMES THREE: Jeff Adrien earned All-BIG EAST honors in 2008-09, marking the third straight season he was named All-BIG EAST. He becomes only the fourth player in UConn history to earn All-BIG EAST honors three times in his career, joining Emeka Okafor, Chris Smith and Corny Thompson.
THABEET AND CALHOUN HONORED: For the second-straight season, the University of Connecticut men's basketball team has received top honors form the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) with Hasheem Thabeet receiving the District I Player of the Year award and head coach Jim Calhoun being named the District I Coach of the Yearfor the second consecutive season. Jeff Adrien and A.J. Price earned spots on the All-District team, joining Thabeet. With three players selected to the all-district team, Connecticut had the most players honored. Both Adrien and Price were selected to the all-district team last year while Price was named the Player of the Year a season ago.
NABC ALL-DISTRICT PICKS: Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien have each been named to the NABC All-District teams announced March 4. Thabeet is a First Team selection along with Jerel McNeal of Marquette, Terrence Williams of Louisville, Luke Harangody of Notre Dame and Jonny Flynn of Syracuse. Adrien is a Second Team pick and is joined by DeJuan Blair and Sam Young of Pitt, Dante Cunningham of Villanova and Da'Sean Butler of West Virginia. The NABC realigned their districts this year to mirror the many conference realignments of the past several years. UConn is now a member of District 5, which is made up of the schools in the BIG EAST.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES: UConn enters the NCAA Final Four and its national semifinal against Michigan State with a record of 31-4 on the season and finished 15-3 in the BIG EAST Regular Season and in a tie for second place.
- Jeff Adrien is averaging 13.7 points and 10.0 rebounds on the year and has recorded 14 double-doubles in 2008-09. He was named to the All-BIG EAST Third Team, All-USBWA All-District 1 First Team and NABC All-District 5 Second Team. He comes off 12 points and ten rebounds in the Elite Eight win over Missouri. He had 23 points in the NCAA Second Round win over Texas A&M and had a season-high 25 points in the win over Notre Dame. He has 47 career double-doubles and has reached double figures in scoring in 87 games in his career. Adrien now has 1,590 points in his career with the Huskies, No. 13 all-time at UConn.
- A.J. Price is averaging 14.7 points this season and has reached double figures in 25 games this season. He was named to the USBWA All-District 1 First Team, the All-BIG EAST Second Team and the BIG EAST All- Tournament team. He is averaging 20.0 points per game in the NCAA Tournament and was the MVP of the West Regional. He had a career-best 36 points in the win at Marquette and is a Cousy Award finalist. Price was a second team USBWA All-American in 2007-08 and has scored 20 or more points in a game on 20 different occasions in his career.
- Hasheem Thabeet is averaging 13.5 points, 10.9 rebounds and 4.3 blocks per game this season and has recorded 18 double-doubles on the year, including a triple-double in the win over Providence. He is the 2008-09 Co-BIG EAST Player of the Year and was also named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season and was named to the All- BIG EAST First Team. He has been named a Second Team All-American by the Associated Press, USBWA, Sports Illustrated and FoxSports.com. He has recorded 27 career double-doubles and UConn is 24-3 when he notches a double-double. He is No. 2 all-time at UConn in blocked shots behind Emeka Okafor with 415 blocks in his career at Connecticut.
- Kemba Walker is averaging 9.0 points per game off the bench and was named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team. He matched his career-best with 23 points in the win over Missouri in the Elite Eight and was named to the West Regional All-Tournament team. He has scored 20 or more points four times this season. He is also averaging 3.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
- Stanley Robinson missed the first eight games while on a personal leave of absence. He is averaging 14.8 points and 7.3 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament. He had 24 points in the NCAA win over Chattanooga and 28 points and 14 rebounds in the BIG EAST quarterfinal loss to Syracuse. He also had a season-best 19 points in the win at Marquette, adding ten rebounds. He is averaging 8.2 points and 5.7 rebounds since his return and has started the last 23 games.
- Craig Austrie is averaging 7.3 points per game this season and has played in 130 career contests, including 68 starts, during which the Huskies are 56-12. He had 17 points in the win over Purdue in the Sweet 16.
- Gavin Edwards has seen action in all 35 games off the bench and is averaging 3.9 points and 2.9 rebounds. He had ten points in the win over Texas A & M. He had his first career double-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds and added three blocks against Gonzaga.
WILL THE STREAK CONTINUE?: UConn has led the nation in blocked shots for seven straight seasons, a streak that looked to be a long shot to continue in January. Through games of January 15, UConn was 7th in the nation at 6.8 per game, 41 total blocks behind the leader at the time, Mississippi St. (then at 8.8/game). Since that point, the Huskies have swatted shots at a prodigious pace and have surged into the lead in the race. Statistics will be counted through the conclusion of postseason play by the NCAA.
NCAA Division I Blocked Shot Leaders
School Gms Blks Avg./Gm
1. Connecticut 35 273 7.80
2. Mississippi St. 36 270 7.50
A 1,000 CAREER POINT-QUARTET: The 2008-09 team is the first team at UConn with four 1,000-point scorers playing together, as Hasheem Thabeet (1,011 career points) cracked the mark in the Sweet 16 win over Purdue. Jerome Dyson reached the 1,000-point mark for his career in the win at DePaul and A.J. Price turned the trick in the win over Providence three days later. Price (1,269) and Dyson (1,044) joined teammate Jeff Adrien (1,590) career points) in the UConn 1,000-point club and joined a decorated group of point scoring trios in Husky history. The 2003-04 Huskies featured three 1,000-point scorers in Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor and Taliek Brown. Brown filled out the trio during the 2004 NCAA First Round win over Vermont and the 1,000-point threesome played five more games together. The 1998-99 roster featured three 1,000-point scorers in Richard Hamilton, Kevin Freeman and Khalid El-Amin. Both Freeman and El-Amin reached the mark during the 1999 BIG EAST Tournament and that trio played six games together as 1,000- point scorers. The only other Husky team with a trio of 1,000-point scorers was the 1994-95 team which reached that mark when then-sophomore Ray Allen scored his 1,000th point in the BIG EAST Tournament Championship game against Villanova and joined teammates Donny Marshall and Brian Fair as career 1,000-point scorers for four more games. The 2003-04 and 1998-99 teams each captured the NCAA National Championship, while the 1994-95 team lost to eventual champion UCLA in the West Region Final.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE DUO: UConn features the only pair of teammates in the country (according to Stats, Inc.) that are averaging a double-double for the season, with a chance to become the first team with a duo to do so nationally since Southern University in the 1992-93 season. Hasheem Thabeet (13.5, 10.9) and Jeff Adrien (13.7, 10.0) are both averaging a double-double. The feat has not been accomplished at UConn in 45 years and has only been done twice in school history, 1962-63 (Toby Kimball and Ed Slomcenski) and 1956-57 (Bill Schmidt and Al Cooper).
HOLDING A HALFTIME LEAD: UConn has a record of 425-45 under Jim Calhoun when leading at the half, including 27-1 this season. UConn has only lost 14 times in the past eight seasons, including 2008-09, when leading at the half. The Huskies are 44-4 when leading at the half the past two seasons.
30 WINS AGAIN: UConn has reached the 30-win mark for the seventh time under Jim Calhoun, the third highest total of any coach in NCAA history, trailing only Mike Krzyzewski (10) and Roy Williams (9) in 30-win seasons. The school record for single season wins prior to Jim Calhoun's tenure at Connecticut was 23.
25 WINS AGAIN: With the win over USF on February 21, UConn and Jim Calhoun reached the 25-win plateau for the 11th time during his tenure at UConn, all coming in the last 20 seasons. The UConn record for wins in a season had been 23 before Calhoun's 1989- 90 squad went 31-6, the first of Coach Calhoun's 11 25-win teams to date.
20 WINS AGAIN: With the win over Providence on January 31, UConn reached the 20-win plateau. It marks the 23rd time in his career and 18th time in 23 seasons at UConn that head coach Jim Calhoun has reached the 20-win mark. It is the 17th time in the last 20 years UConn has won 20 or more times. UConn had compiled only eight 20-win seasons in 84 years before Coach Calhoun came to Storrs.
15 LEAGUE WINS: UConn finished with a record of 15-3 in the BIG EAST, marking the SIXTH time in school history that UConn has recorded 15 wins in league play. No other school in the history of the BIG EAST has ever won 15+ games more than ONE time. Georgetown, St. John's, Miami, Louisville and Pittsburgh each have won 15 or more games once in their BIG EAST history.
13 LEAGUE WINS: With the win over USF on February 21, UConn reached the 13-win mark in BIG EAST play for the tenth time in school history, extending a league standard for single season superiority. Georgetown has won 13 games five times, while Syracuse, St. John's and Pittsburgh have each won 13 games in a league season four times. Villanova has done so three times. Boston College reached 13 wins twice, while Seton Hall and Miami have done so once.
10 WINS AGAIN: UConn reached the ten win plateau in the BIG EAST for the 15th time in Jim Calhoun's 23 seasons at Connecticut. Coach Calhoun has the second highest total of ten-win BIG EAST seasons ever among league coaches. Syracuse has reached the ten-win mark 21 times in 29 seasons under Jim Boeheim. Georgetown hit ten wins in league play 13 of 20 seasons under John Thompson.
UCONN/CALHOUN IN BIG EAST: UConn has an all-time record of 320-219 in BIG EAST competition, including tourney play. Jim Calhoun has led the Huskies to a mark of 282- 151 in BIG EAST games and his win total in BIG EAST play is second all-time only to Jim Boeheim.
ADRIEN DOUBLES DOWN: Senior Jeff Adrien has 47 career double-doubles, among the active leaders in the BIG EAST and the Nation. Adrien led the BIG EAST in doubledoubles in his sophomore and junior seasons and is averaging 12.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in his 132 career games. He has 1,590 career points and 1,119 career rebounds, becoming only the fifth player in UConn history to record 1,000 points and rebounds. Emeka Okafor is the only other Jim Calhoun-coached player at UConn in that group.
HIGH PERCENTAGE HASHEEM: Hasheem Thabeet is shooting 61.4% from the field in his three seasons as a Husky, connecting on 353-of- 575 field goal attempts. He ranks No. 1 in UConn history, pulling ahead of Emeka Okafor (59.0%). It certainly helps to shoot the high percentage shot, as 140 of his 353 career field goals have been dunks (77-of-172 in 2008-09, 36-of- 87 in BIG EAST play). That includes an impressive stretch this season of ten straight dunks in the Bryant and Delaware State games. But, as if to show he is not just a dunker, in four of his most productive games, vs. South Florida (21 pts.), vs. Western Carolina (23 pts.), Miami (19 pts.) and Buffalo (21 pts.), only three of his 29 field goals in those games were dunks. Thabeet is shooting 64.9% from the field in 2008-09, up from 60.3% in 2007-08 and 55.4% in 2006-07.
AGAINST RANKED OPPS: UConn has won 15 of its last 19 against ranked opponents dating back to last season. The Huskies are 11-4 against ranked foes in 2008-09 with wins over Missouri, Purdue, Gonzaga, Wisconsin, Miami, West Virginia, Villanova, Notre Dame, Louisville, Syracuse and Marquette. The losses came to No. 18 Syracuse, at No. 3 Pittsburgh, to No. 4 Pittsburgh in Hartford and to then-No. 12 Georgetown in Hartford. The 15-of-19 stretch against ranked opponents comes on the heels of what was a seven-game losing streak to ranked opponents that stretched across 2006-07 (0- 4) into 2007-08 (lost 1st 3). UConn has played 45 games under Jim Calhoun where both teams were ranked in the top ten. The Huskies have a record of 28-17 in those 45 contests.
ADRIEN CLIMBS THE SCORING LIST...:
Jeff Adrien has 1,590 career points, which ranks him No. 13 on the UConn career scoring list. Next on the list for Adrien are:
12.) Earl Kelley (1,592)
11.) Mike McKay (1,633)
10.) Donyell Marshall (1,648)
9.) Khalid El-Amin (1,650)
... AND THE REBOUNDING LIST TOO: Jeff Adrien now has 1,119 career rebounds, which ranks him No. 3 all-time at Connecticut. Adrien passed Emeka Okafor (1,091) for the No. 3 spot in the win over Chattanooga.
PRICE FOR 36: With 36 points in the win at Marquette, A.J. Price takes a place among the great names and performances in UConn's BIG EAST history. He is one of only five individuals to score more than 35 points in a BIG EAST contest and the first to turn the trick in more than ten years, dating back to Richard Hamilton's 39 at BC on January 6, 1999. His 36 points are No. 7 on the UConn list for points in a BIG EAST game and his eight three's are No. 2 behind Ray Allen, both listed below:
MOST POINTS IN A BIG EAST GAME
Donyell Marshall (at St. John's 1/15/94) 42
Donyell Marshall (vs. St. John's 3/11/94) 42
Ray Allen (vs. Rutgers, 2/28/96) 39
Richard Hamilton (vs. Boston College, 1/6/99) 39
Richard Hamilton (at Boston College 1/11/98) 38
Chris Smith (vs. St. John's, 1/7/92) 37
A.J. Price (at Marquette, 2/25/09) 36
MOST 3- POINT FG'S MADE IN A BIG EAST GAME
Ray Allen (Rutgers, 2/28/96) 9
A.J. Price (at Marquette, 2/25/09) 8
Ray Allen (Miami, 1/31/95)
ON THE BIG EAST ROAD: Since winning the first of its league record ten BIG EAST regular season titles in 1989-90, UConn has made a habit of taking care of business on the road in league play. Since the start of the 1989-90 season, UConn is 107-64 on the road in league play, tops among all BIG EAST schools. Syracuse is the only other league team that is even over the .500 mark during that span. The Huskies were 9-1 overall on the road this season, 8-1 in the BIG EAST.
BEST STARTS TO A SEASON: UConn got off to a 24-1 start this season, matching the best start in school history. The 1995-96 Huskies also started the season 24-1 and the 1998- 99 squad began the season at 23-1. The 2005-06 team got off to a 22-1 start.
20-20 CLUB: With 25 points and 20 rebounds in the win over Seton Hall, Hasheem Thabeet became the first UConn player in 36 years to record a 20-20 performance. Cal Chapman had 26 points and 20 rebounds in a win over Dartmouth on January 24, 1973.
20 BOARDS UNDER CALHOUN: With 20 rebounds in the win at Seton Hall, Hasheem Thabeet became only the third Husky under Jim Calhoun to reach the 20-board mark, joining Emeka Okafor (22 vs. ND on 2/21/04) and Gerry Besselink (21 vs. URI on 12/11/ 86).
A BALANCED ATTACK: Through 35 games, UConn has featured a balanced scoring attack with four players averaging in double figures on the season. The Huskies have had eight different players reach double figures on the year and seven different players crack the 20- point barrier on at least one occasion. UConn has had all five starters reach double figures in a game two times this season while averaging 78.5 points per contest and 47.5% shooting from the field. The balance is also evident in the assist column, as the Huskies have six players with more than 20 assists on the year and featured a win over Stony Brook which saw four different players with five or more assists, the first time that has ever happened in school history.
MAJOK JOINS THE HUSKIES: Ater Majok (pronounced Ah-TARE Mah-jook) has joined the Husky roster and will be eligible to practice with the squad for the remainder of the season. He will be permitted to sit on the bench during home games in street clothes, but cannot travel with the team. He will become eligible for action at the conclusion of the Fall semester in 2009 and have freshman eligibility. Majok will be 22 on July 4. He attended the American International School in Sydney and is a 6-10, 233 lb. forward.
20 OFF THE BENCH: With his 23 points in the win over Missouri, freshman Kemba Walker hit the 20-point mark off the bench for the fourth time this season. Walker is the 12th player off the bench in Jim Calhoun's 23 seasons at UConn to reach the 20-point mark in a game. The other players in this group are Rashad Anderson (11 times), Brian Fair (9 times in his career), Ben Gordon (5 times), Ray Allen (4 times), Johnnie Selvie (4 times), Phil Gamble (3 times), Doug Wiggins (3 times), John Gwynn (2 times), Tony Robertson (1 time), Charlie Villanueva (1 time) and Rashamel Jones (1 time).
AUSTRIE AS A STARTER: Senior Craig Austrie has made a name for himself at UConn for his dependability and selfless style. The Huskies have benefitted from Austrie's steady hand, especially as a part of the starting line-up. The Huskies are 56-12 over the past four seasons with Austrie as a part of the starting five, including 19-3 this season. UConn was 12-4 in 2007-08 with Austrie as a starter, 3-3 in 2006-07 and 22-2 in 2005-06.
DOUBLING DOWN IN ASSISTS AND REBOUNDS: A.J. Price has three double-doubles this season after scoring 33 points and adding ten assists in the BIG EAST quarterfinal against Syracuse. The first one featured double figure points and rebounds (13 pts. and 11 reb. vs. Miami) and was then joined by his Gonzaga performance of 24 points and ten assists. He becomes only the fourth Husky under Jim Calhoun and the fifth UConn player on record to register both a points rebounds and points-assists double-double in the separate games in the same season. Marcus Williams (2005-06), Ben Gordon (2003-04) and Doron Sheffer (1995-96) all turned the trick under Jim Calhoun, each recording a triple-double during that given year. Tony Hanson (1975-76) also recorded separate double-doubles with rebounds and assists as a Husky.
FROM THE BACK PAGES OF THE NOTEBOOK: Some notes from previous games in the 2008-09 season... With the win over Seton Hall on February 14, the Huskies have now won 24 straight games against the three BIG EAST tri-state area schools, Seton Hall, St. John's and Rutgers. UConn has not lost a game to any of the three NY-area teams since February of 2002. The Huskies have not lost a home game to one of the trio since January of 2000... With the win at St. John's, UConn concluded a stretch of three straight road games, the 8th time under Jim Calhoun that UConn had played three straight games on the road and the 3rd time it was three straight BIG EAST road games. It was the first time UConn ever went 3-0 on one of those trips, having gone 2-1 in each of the two BIG EAST trips, in 2005-06 and 1997-98... For the sixth time in Jim Calhoun's 23 seasons at Connecticut, the Huskies were unbeaten through 11 games of the season. UConn's best start to open a season was 19-0 in 1998-99. The Huskies under Coach Calhoun started 15-0 in 1994-95, and 11-0 in 1991-92, 2005- 06, 2006-07 and 2008-09. The 1997-98 team holds the distinction of most wins before January, starting 12-1 in the first two months... With the wins over Fairfield (12/26/08) and Hartford (11/17/08), UConn has now won 64 consecutive games against opponents from the Nutmeg State. The last loss to an in-state foe for the Huskies came in Jim Calhoun's first season, a 49-48 loss to Hartford on December 29, 1986 at the Hartford Civic Center. Coach Calhoun is 80-5 all-time against teams from the state of Connecticut (66-2 at UConn, 14-3 at Northeastern)... The game against Gonzaga was the 41st game for UConn under Jim Calhoun where both teams were ranked in the top ten. The Huskies now have a record of 26-15 in those contests. It was the second time UConn and Gonzaga met with both teams ranked in the top ten. No. 3 UConn topped No. 8 Gonzaga in the 2005 Maui Invitational title game... In the win over Stony Brook, UConn had four players with five or more assists, the first time in school history that feat is known to have been accomplished. UConn also had a seasonhigh 26 assists (on 32 baskets). The assist/basket percentage of 81.3% was the highest for the Huskies since a 78-74 loss at Notre Dame on January 30, 2005. In that contest, the Huskies had 23 assists on 28 made baskets, good for a 82.1% ratio... UConn has had all five starters in double figures twice this season, in the wins over Stony Brook and Bryant. It marks the first time since March 24, 2006 that UConn had all five starters in doubles. In that NCAA Sweet 16 win over Washington, the Huskies took a 98-92 overtime win and had Marcus Williams (26), Hilton Armstrong (13), Josh Boone (13), Rudy Gay (12) and Denham Brown (12) as starters, while Rashad Anderson also contributed 19 points off the bench, including a game-tying three at the end of regulation... UConn's win in the Paradise Jam was its second tropical in-season tournament title in the last four seasons, having captured the Maui Invitational in 2005. The Huskies captured that title by defeating Arkansas, Arizona and Gonzaga on consecutive nights. That was the first Husky in-season tournament title in almost 40 years, dating back to the 1956 Orange Bowl. Jeff Adrien and Craig Austrie both saw action in Maui, with Austrie starting all three games in the win... UConn had only four turnovers in the win over Hartford (11/17/08), marking the second lowest turnover total for the Huskies in Jim Calhoun's 23 years at Connecticut. UConn had only three turnovers in an 88-58 win at West Virginia on February 7, 2004. Ben Gordon (2 to's) and Emeka Okafor (1 to) were the Husky culprits that night, although they both made up for it in other ways. Gordon had 24 points and seven assists, while Okafor had 23 points, ten boards and six blocks. The Huskies had 22 assists that night; against Hartford, UConn had 14 assists... The 17 rebounds for Hasheem Thabeet against Western Carolina is the most ever by a Husky under Jim Calhoun in the season opener and the most in a season opener by any Husky in thelid lifter in 41 years. The last time a Husky opened the year with more rebounds was Bill Corley, who grabbed 19 boards on December 2, 1967. Jeff Adrien had the Calhoun-era mark of 16 boards in the season opener in 2006-07 against Quinnipiac... After scoring 23 points in the season opener, Jerome Dyson is now averaging 19.7 points per game in his three season openers, hitting for 20 last year vs. Morgan State and 16 against Quinnipiac in his career debut in 2006-07.
