Well, the players who are of little use anyways. They need to go and free up those vital scholarships. UConn only has two scholarships available for the incoming class thanks in part to the departure just prior to the season of Marcus Johnson. That means nothing. Coach Jim Calhoun expects to have at least 4 new players for next year.
...Calhoun said he doesn't foresee wholesale changes, but strongly hinted that a couple of players are not welcome back. Others, he said, might be unhappy with the amount of playing time he thinks they'll get next year.It figures. Both Dyson and Wiggins have been suspended for a mandatory 30-day period for failed drug tests in their careers. Dyson just happened to be the second leading scorer on the team. Wiggins has been a disappointment as a back-up point guard. Any wonder why Calhoun spoke highly of Dyson learning, while Wiggins doesn't exist?
"We feel that life doesn't begin and end on the court," Calhoun said. "It's how we show ourselves as a basketball program. Academics are very important here, and we've had some disappointments. Social behavior is very important here."
Calhoun pointed to the suspensions of guards Jerome Dyson and Doug Wiggins in January after they were caught on campus with alcohol. He said "one young man" had really grown from his suspension, and talked about his plans for Dyson, including possible workouts this summer with former Husky Ben Gordon, who plays for the Chicago Bulls.
But Calhoun refused to discuss Wiggins' status.
I'm not saying Wiggins has earned much sympathy, he hasn't. He's been in trouble with the program and hasn't been the model citizen. At the same time, there is clearly a sliding scale based on talent and contributions to the team at work.
The one player, Calhoun isn't trying to rush out the door is Hasheem Thabeet. The 7'3" Center is projected in multiple mock drafts as a mid-first round draft pick. So, rather than argue that he can improve his draft status, he is taking a different angle.
"I'm trying to have him look at the thing 15 years out," Calhoun said.That's a little hard to swallow. Considering the sheer volume of stiffs pulling down a good paycheck at center, and pulling them down for a long time. Players like DeSagana Diop, Mark Blount, Kwame Brown, Kelvin Cato, Raef LaFrentz, Chris Mihm, Joel Przybilla and Jake Voskuhl have been playing for at least 7 years and don't look to be going anywhere, anytime soon.
A native of Tanzania, Thabeet wants to help out people in that country, and is very interested in the NBA's Basketball without Borders program, which does community outreach in Africa, Calhoun said.
"The only way you're going to be a leading figure (in that program), you've got to play," Calhoun said. "You can't be a project."
It should be, uh, fun to see who
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Captain Hook {AKA Calhoun]would be well served to demonstrate some patience with his players. His player are always looking at the bench instead of playing to see if they are coming out for messing up. When you pull a player 6 seconds after the open tip like I saw him do to Josh Boone in the Eastern Round 1 and 2 at Philadelphia to years ago would make me wonder why some of the guys want to leave Uconn.
Posted at 10:03AM on Mar 28th 2008 by Bob
2. you dont thnk he demonstrates patience with his players? you really should follow the team for the whole season, for a few years, and not once in a while during march,,you will see that he has demonstrated LOTs of patience with lots of players,,he just doesnt tolerate players who suck
Posted at 11:07AM on Mar 28th 2008 by ruusta
3. I'm a big time UConn fan and kudos for Jimmy C for showing some players the door. This year's squad was a MAJOR disappointment (thanks for making Jimmy C lose in the first round EVER). The thing that annoyed me the most was that this year's squad didn't show the heart like past UConn teams.
Posted at 11:19AM on Mar 28th 2008 by john.mccartney
4.
But who recruited these ne'er do wells, Jimbo? Look in the mirror!
Posted at 2:47PM on Mar 28th 2008 by Donnie Beisbol
5. Couldn't happen to a better program. The chickens come home to roost for Jimmy 'C' Note!
Posted at 7:50PM on Mar 28th 2008 by Tortuga Grande
6. Over the past two years I have no idea what has happened to the UCONN team. Mr. C. should look for
new players, how about recruiting a three shot player
UCONN is one of the only teams which does not have
three shot players. Duke and Villanova seem to find them and ND. As a fan I was very disappointed this
year, some of the players never left the bench, if they were good enought to make the team give them a shot.
Posted at 9:16PM on Mar 28th 2008 by True Blue Husky Fan