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Page 12
Thursday, November 29, 2012
UConn, I’m sorry
www.dailycampus.com
ROLLING THE RAIDERS Huskies crush Colgate with balanced attack By Matt Stypulkoski Staff Writer
Andrew Callahan
It was a cruel, crafted chunk of irony. At around 7 a.m. yesterday, the sun both slowly rose over snow-touched Storrs and speedily set on any dreams UConn had to ditch the dying Big East. The ACC welcomed Louisville as its 14th full-time member with a wake-up call that simultaneously served as a knockout punch to Husky hope. The ACC got together that chilly morning and decided that UConn was to be left out in the cold. At this stage there’s not much left to say about the root cause of arguably the worst day in this school’s sports history. The decision of the school presidents was made. The deal is done. It’s over for the foreseeable future and likely beyond. So, I’ll say something you won’t hear a lot in the coming days: I’m sorry. For everyone involved and to everyone following the multi-year dance, tease and now two-time rejection, I’m sorry. Why? I’m sorry that I truly don’t have a good reason for what’s happened. I’m sorry that when I graduate this spring most of you will remain and receive marketing efforts to get you to spend money on games against lesser Tulane, Houston, SMU, UCF, East Carolina and Memphis. I’m sorry that the additions of those schools are really a disguise for the tapping into the TV markets of New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, Orlando, Charlotte and Memphis. I’m sorry for the folks that remember the old Big East; the group universally known as strong, fierce, bonded and competitive. And now this jumbled mess will have to go by the same name. I’m sorry any semblance of a rivalry UConn had in recent years is gone. I’m sorry this isn’t about the student-athletes anymore, no matter how much school presidents and the NCAA want to champion the phrase. I’m sorry this top-20 public university, top 30 market and remarkably consistent and successful athletic program couldn’t cut it. I’m sorry that one of the bigger reasons the ACC took Louisville is because of the strength of their major sports and facilities: the Cardinals men’s basketball team that can’t boast the same amount of titles or Final Four appearances as UConn in the last fifteen years, the women’s basketball program that’s lost to Husky hoops by an average of 28 points per game since 2009 and the Cardinal baseball club that watched conference foe Connecticut advance to a Super Regional not even two years ago. Oh, and football? I’m sorry that UConn was passed over for a team it’s actually beaten four times in the last six years, during which time UConn has had a comparatively better overall record by the margin of 43-32 to 38-34. I’m sorry that the one time conference realignment wasn’t about money or TV markets, UConn had the bigger bills. I’m sorry that the ACC, one of the most prideful academic conferences in the country uncharacteristically took a school that U.S. News ranked outside 160. I’m sorry to the student-athletes who now have to take
» CALLAHAN, page 10
The points may not have come from the usual suspects, but the final score against Colgate wasmade in typical UConn fashion, 101-41. The Huskies started the game with a 10-0 run and never looked back. By halftime, No. 2 UConn was trotting into the locker room with a comfortable 49-22 lead. Of those 49 points, 43 came from three players. Both junior Stefanie Dolson and sophomore Brianna Banks tallied 14 points and senior Kelly Faris put up 15. The offensive explosion from Banks and Faris was unusual for the Huskies; the pair entered the night averaging a combined 16 points per game. But both players eclipsed that mark with ease. Banks totaled 20 points for the game – a new career-high – while shooting 60 percent from the floor. Faris finished with a season high of 17 points and shot 5-for-6 in the contest, including a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc. “You look at her stat sheet today and that’s pretty impressive for someone to be able to do all that,” Coach Geno Auriemma said of Faris after the game. “Like somebody said at practice
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
101 41
KEVIN SCHELLER/The Daily Campus
Senior guard Kelly Faris lets go of a three-pointer midway through the first half against Colgate last night at the XL Center in Hartford.
» MARYLAND, page 10
» MEN’S BASKETBALL
Huskies welcome New Hampshire, seek sixth win
By Danny Maher Staff Writer Although some believed that the world was coming to an end with the Atlantic Coast Conference’s decision to replace the departing Maryland with Louisville instead of Connecticut, the sun still rose this morning over UConn Country. Head Coach Kevin Ollie and the UConn men’s basketball team are not worried about the everchanging conference realignment. “I don’t pay attention to it too much,” Ollie said. “I believe and have faith in Susan [Herbst] and Warde [Manuel] that they’ll make the best decision for the university.” The only thing on the minds of the coaches and players is tonight’s game at the XL Center against
the New Hampshire Wildcats at UConn. The Wildcats have been 7 p.m. outrebounded in three of five This is the 117th meet- games and only have two players ing between the former Yankee above 6’6.” Conference foes; Junior Shabazz against whom UConn Napier leads the team has won every game with 20.8 points per since 1983. game and has been For many, UConn’s the Huskies’ leading lack of size has been scorer in every game cause for concern. this year. Napier also The Huskies have holds a desirable 3:1 been outrebounded assist to turnover in all six games this ratio and leads the Preview season by an average team with 12 steals. of 38-30 on the glass. His backcourt “I’ve seen progress,” Ollie said. mate, sophomore Ryan Boatright, “But we still have a ways to go. averages 12.8 points and five We still have to box out consis- assists per game. Boatright, a tently.” vocal leader on the team, reiterUNH appears to be a good ated Ollie’s sentiments regarding match, size-wise, for leading- Louisville’s move to the ACC. rebounder Tyler Olander of “Us as players don’t have any
MEN’S BASKETBALL
control over where we go, so there’s no point to worry about. We have to suit up and play no matter what conference we’re in,” Boatright said after practice on Wednesday. Freshman Omar Calhoun rounds out the trio of Huskies with double digit shooting averages. After an impressive preseason (44 points in two games), the Brooklyn guard with an unorthodox shot has averaged 10 points per game. R.J. Evans, who has been sidelined with an injured clavicle, is tentatively set to return for Friday’s home game against Harvard. Statistically, Evans is UConn’s most efficient scorer; in the first five games of the season, he made 63.6 percent of his shots. New Hampshire is the third America East opponent that
UConn has faced this season. The Huskies defeated Vermont 67-49 in the home opener, and used 10 three-pointers to down Stony Brook 73-62 last time out. The Wildcats are 2-3 overall this season but have dropped their last three games to Bryant, NJIT and Holy Cross. New Hampshire boasts four players who average double-figures, including leadingscorer Patrick Konan. He has averaged 13.2 points per game and is 10 for 30 from behind the arc this season. Senior Ferg Myrick has provided a boost of energy off the bench for UNH Head Coach Bill Herrion. Myrick averages 12 points and seven rebounds per game.
Daniel.Maher@UConn.edu
» WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Banks, Faris combine for offensive explosion
By Dan Agabiti Sports Editor With Kaleena MosquedaLewis on the bench with a concussion, there was no question that someone would step up and score a lot of points; it was a matter of who would be the one do so. After the first half, it was clear which two players would rise to the occasion. In the 2011-2012 season, guards Brianna Banks and Kelly Faris scored 3.6 and 6.7 points per game respectively, for a combined total of 10.3 points per game. Last night, during the Huskies’ 101-41 rout of the Colgate Raiders, their combined score was significantly higher. Banks, the night’s leading scorer, finished the game with 20 points, five assists and four steals. Her 20 points helped her reach a new career record, surpassing the 17 points she scored against Farleigh
Dickinson in November of last year. UConn Head Coach Geno Auriemma said after the game that Banks’ improvement between her freshman and sophomore seasons shows that she has a promising career ahead of her. Time and time again, he’s seen that the players who accomplish the most during that time are the ones who will be the most successful. Unlike last season, when Banks was over-thinking decisions and getting nervous when the ball was in her possession, Auriemma said that this year, she’s just going out and playing. It’s not just her coach that sees the improvement. Her teammates are also impressed by her play so far this season. “She’s obviously greatly improved and I’m proud of her for that,” Faris said of Banks. Faris also had a good game on Wednesday night. She fin-
ished with 17 points and added five assists and three steals. After last night’s game, Faris increased her points per game total from 8.6 to 10 points, over three points higher than what it was last season. Auriemma has always been
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Notebook
outspoken about the advantage that Faris gives the Huskies, even though it hasn’t historically been on the offensive end. “Making shots is just a bonus,” Auriemma said. Stanford series renewed During the game, it was announced that the series with Stanford had been renewed
through the 2014-2015 season. even with the Big East losing On Dec. 29, in Palo Alto, the a lot of its muscle. “We just want to win every two will face off in the last game of a contract that was championship that we can,” Auriemma said. signed back in 2010. He went on to say that the Under the new deal, the Huskies will play Stanford at conference realignment is home for the season opener completely out of the control before facing the Cardinal in of the coach, even the athletCalifornia during the 2014- ic director and the university president. Things like confer2015 season. Auriemma said he always ence affiliation cannot be conloved playing Stanford and has trolled, he said. Auriemma also wanted to immense respect for the program. He’s excited that the two dispel the notion that schools teams will continue to play one can successfully vie for certain spots in certain conferences another. “As long as Stanford wants and that’s where their proto play, we’ll play them,” grams will end up. “That’s not how it works,” Auriemma said. Afterward, he jokingly asked Auriemma said. “You don’t go whose idea it was to schedule on a campaign and get yourself the Cardinal as the Huskies’ into a different situation than home opener in the 2013-2014 the one you’re in now.” season. Conference Instability After the game, Auriemma did not seem at all concerned about the way in which teams are switching conferences, Daniel.Agabiti@UConn.edu