College, 72-70, in the semifinals of the 2K Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden. UConn led by as many as 11 in the second half, but couldn’t shake BC and the game was not decided until junior Ryan Boatright blocked a three-point attempt by BC’s Lonnie Jackson at the buzzer. The Huskies only shot 39.3 percent overall, but were 25 of 29 from the foul line and committed a season-low 3 turnovers to up their record to 5-0. DANIELS FOR 24: Junior DeAndre Daniels scored 24 points and senior Shabazz Napier recorded a double-double (12 points, 12 rebounds) as UConn defeated Boston University, 77-60, in the second game of the 2K Sports Classic at Gampel Pavilion on Nov. 17. Junior Ryan Boatright was also in double figures with 16 points. The Huskies let a 20-point first-half lead slip away and trailed by one, 43-42, with 17:31 left, but after the game was tied at 46, UConn regained control with an 18-6 explosion and recorded its fourth victory of the season. DOUBLE TIME: The Huskies put six players in double figures as they ran away from Detroit, 101-55, in the first game of the 2K Sports Classic on Nov. 14. It was the first time the Huskies scored 100 points since they defeated Tennessee-Chattanooga, 103-47, in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament. For the second consecutive game, sophomore Omar Calhoun led UConn in scoring, this time with 17 points, and for the second straight game senior Niels Giffey tied his career high with 15 points, all in the first half. Junior Ryan Boatright (12), junior DeAndre Daniels (11) and seniors Shabazz Napier (10) and Tyler Olander (10) were the other Huskies in double figures. TRIPLE THREAT: Senior Shabazz Napier added to the UConn record book on Nov. 11 when he became the only UConn player to ever record a second triple double in his career, scoring 14 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and handing out 10 assists to lead the Huskies past Yale, 80-62. Napier’s previous triple double came during his sophomore season, on Nov. 20, 2011, when he had 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists against Coppin State. Napier owns two of the 10 triple doubles in UConn history. Also helping the Huskies defeat Yale was sophomore Omar Calhoun, who scored a game-high 18 points, senior Niels Giffey, who tallied 15 on 5-of-6 three-pointers, and junior Ryan Boatright, who poured in 14 points, as the Huskies went to 2-0 on the season. STATE OF THE ART: UConn’s 80-62 win over Yale on Nov. 11 was the 68th straight win for the Huskies over an opponent from Connecticut. UConn’s last loss to an in-state foe came against Hartford, 49-48, on Dec. 29, 1986. Since that game, the Huskies are 17-0 vs. Fairfield, 13-0 vs. Hartford, 13-0 vs. Yale, 10-0 vs. Quinnipiac, 9-0 vs. Central Connecticut, 5-0 vs. Sacred Heart, and 1-0 vs. Southern Connecticut. The Huskies do not play any other Connecticut opponents during this regular season.
UCONN BASKETBALL ALL-TIME TRIPLE-DOUBLES Player
Date, Opponent
Shabazz Napier Shabazz Napier Kemba Walker Hasheem Thabeet Marcus Williams Ben Gordon Emeka Okafor Caron Butler Doron Sheffer Donyell Marshall
11/11/13 vs. Yale 14p, 11/20/11 vs. Coppin State 22p, 12/3/10 vs. UMBC 24p, 1/31/09 vs. Providence 15p, 2/21/06 vs. Notre Dame 18p, 12/20/03 vs. Iona 17p, 12/6/03 vs. Army 18p, 12/26/00 vs. URI 14p, 12/30/95 vs. Hartford 10p, 1/17/94 vs. Hartford 23p,
THRILLING START: UConn’s 2013-14 season got off to a thrilling start on Nov. 8 with a 78-77 victory over Maryland before 12,687 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Huskies led from start to finish, but watched their 17-point lead melt to two before senior Tyler Olander canned a threepointer with 1:58 left. Maryland came within one, but three straight defensive stops clinched the win for UConn. Senior Shabazz Napier led the Huskies in points (18), rebounds (7), and assists (7), while senior Niels Giffey had 13 points and sophomore Omar Calhoun added 10. The Huskies shot 51.7 percent for the game, handed out 16 assists and had 10 steals. TOP 25: UConn is ranked No. 13 in the AP Top 25 and No. 14 in the USA Today Top 25 in the latest polls, the highest the Huskies have been ranked since the AP poll of Jan. 16, 2012, when they were also ranked No. 13. It is the fourth straight week that Huskies are ranked in the polls. The first week was UConn’s first appearance in the Top 25 since the Huskies were ranked No. 21 on the poll of Nov. 19, 2012. Six of UConn’s 2013-14 opponents also appear in the AP Top 25 or ‘Others receiving votes.’ NATIONAL LEADERS: According to ESPN. com, the Huskies rank among the NCAA leaders in a few categories. As of Monday, Nov. 25, senior Shabazz Napier ranked No. 14 in total assists with 36 and 26th in assists per game at 7.8. Senior Niels Giffey was fifth in three-point shooting percentage at .700 (12-20) and Napier was 19th in the same category (.625). Freshman Amida Brimah was tied for 10th in total blocks with 21 and was 23th in blocks per game at 3.5. As a team, the Huskies were 20th in 3-point field goal percentage at .450 and 26th in three-pointers made with 49. UConn ranked 26th in blocks per game at 6.7. BLOCK PARTY: Although it is early in the season, UConn is showing signs of returning to the elite group of the top shot-blocking teams in the nation, mainly due to freshman center Amida Brimah. As of Thursday, Brimah
Stats
11r, 12r, 13r, 11r, 10r, 16r, 15r, 12r, 10r, 11r,
10a 13a 10a 10b 13a 11a 10b 11a 11a 10b
was 10th in the country in total blocks with 16 and the Huskies are 26st in blocks per game at 6.7. The Huskies led the nation
in blocks for eight straight seasons from 2002-2009.
NAPIER ON WATCH LISTS: UConn senior guard Shabazz Napier has been named to the preseason watch list of candidates for the 2014 Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award as well as to the list of the final 30 candidates for the 2013-14 Senior CLASS Award, the list of 15 candidates for the 201314 Oscar Robertson Trophy, the Preseason Top 50 for the John R. Wooden Award, and the Top 50 for the Naismith Trophy. The Cousy Award watch list includes 45 of the top point guards in the nation. That list will be narrowed to 20 in early February and then to a final five by early March and the winner will be announced on Championship Monday in Dallas. UConn’s Kemba Walker won the Cousy Award in 2010-11. The Senior CLASS Award, which combines on and off the court achievements, will be narrowed to a list of 10 finalists. The winner will come from a vote by the public and will be announced during the Final Four. The Robertson Trophy, awarded to the Player of the Year, will be announced the week following the Final Four. The Wooden Award, presented to the top collegiate player by the Los Angeles Athletic Club, will cut its list to 20 at midseason and the award will be presented the weekend of April 11-12. The Naismith Trophy is awarded at the end of the season by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the Player of the Year. AMERICAN PRESEASON LISTS: UConn senior guard Shabazz Napier was a unanimous pick to the American Athletic Conference Preseason All-Conference First Team, while junior guard Ryan Boatright was named to the Preseason All-Conference Second Team by a vote of the league’s coaches. UConn was picked to finish second in the conference, behind only defending national champion Louisville. American Athletic Conference Preseason Poll Team (first-place votes)..............Pts
2013-2014 University of Connecticut Basketball Media Notes November 26, 2013 vs. Loyola (Md.) UConnHuskies.com