Unn H.'s Connecticut Huskies - Destroy and Rebuild

[Unn H.]

Legacy Hall of Fame

[Unn H.]

2004-2005 Roster

#3 PF Charlie Villanueva - 6'11" - 240 lbs - So. - 85 Ovr.

#31 SG Rashad Anderson - 6'5" - 215 lbs - Jr. - 83 Ovr.

#22 SF Rudy G a y - 6'9" - 220 lbs - Fr. - 80 Ovr.

#33 SF Denham Brown - 6'6" - 220 lbs - Jr. - 79 Ovr.

#32 PF Ed Nelson - 6'8" - 260 lbs - Jr. - 77 Ovr. (RS)

#12 PG A.J. Price - 6'2" - 190 lbs - Fr. - 77 Ovr.

#21 PF Josh Boone - 6'10" - 236 lbs - So. - 76 Ovr.

#5 PG Marcus Williams - 6'3" - 205 lbs - So. - 75 Ovr.

#23 PF Marcus White - 6'8" - 228 lbs - So. - 75 Ovr. (RS)

#11 PF Hilton Armstrong - 6'11" - 235 lbs - Jr. - 75 Ovr.

#20 SG Antonio Kellogg - 6'3" - 190 lbs - Fr. - 68 Ovr.

#13 SF Ryan Thompson - 6'6" - 215 lbs - Jr. - 67 Ovr. (RS)

#24 SF Jason Baisch - 6'6" - 250 lbs - Sr. - 50 Ovr.

[Unn H.]

Statistics/Standings

[Unn H.]

Recruiting

2004-2005
SG Vernard Grundy - #1 Recruit in Nation/#1 Shooting Guard (http://www.espnvideogames.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?p=427889#427889)

[Unn H.]

Awards

[Unn H.]

Drafted Huskies Alumni

[Unn H.]

2004-2005 Schedule

11/20 -- vs. Buffalo -- W 87-72 (http://www.espnvideogames.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?p=427841#427841)
11/30 -- vs. Florida International -- W 100-56 (http://www.espnvideogames.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?p=428195#428195)
12/4 -- vs. Indiana -- W 95-82 (http://www.espnvideogames.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?p=428251#428251)
12/6 -- vs. Northeastern -- W 102-79 (http://www.espnvideogames.com/community/forums/viewtopic.php?p=428452#428452)

[Unn H.]

Team Yearly Progression

2004/2005

Offense: 87
Defense: 82
Overall: 85


Roster Breakdown
FR: 3
SO: 4
JR: 5
SR: 1

Top Players

PF Charlie Villanueva - So. - 85
SG Rashad Anderson - Jr. - 82
SF Rudy G a y - Fr. - 79

Record:
Postseason:

[Unn H.]

Preseason Top 25

1. North Carolina - Up to five players could very well play in the NBA, three of them possibly being in the lotto of '05. With Rashad McCants and Roy Williams on the same page and Raymond Felton keeping the troops in check on the floor, the consensus most talented team in the country could do big things this year.

2. Kansas - This is Kanas's last chance for a good opportunity at the title for a good minute. With the trio of seniors (Aaron Miles, Keith Langford, Wayne Simien) leading the way with sophmore sensation J.R. Giddens, Kansas could capitalize on their chance now.

3. Illinois - Things poppin' in Champaigne? Illinois have a trifecta of guards (Dee Brown, Deron Williams, Luther Head) to make up the best backbourt in the nation. If they get big things out of big men James Augustine and Nick Smith, the Fighting Illini could be celebrating right across the river.

4. Georgia Tech - The backcourt-led Yellow Jackets are coming from a stellar run last year, ultimately losing to UConn in the championship game. Jarrett Jack/B.J. Elder tandem reak of veteran experience and can light up the scoreboard of neccesary. Post presence (aka the emergence of Luke Schenscher) will be vital for the Jackets in their journey to St. Louis.

5. Arizona - Run n' Gun 2005 starring Hassan Adams and head coach Lute Olson. Olson can very much so make a run also with such speed and athleticism of his players. Channing Frye and Salim Stoudamire and their consistency will be imperative to their success.

6. Connecticut
7. Wake Forest
8. Duke
9. Maryland
10. Cincinnati
11. Syracuse
12. Mississippi St.
13. Kentucky
14. Notre Dame
15. Florida
16. Louisville
17. Pittsburgh
18. Oklahoma St.
19. Texas
20. Michigan St.
21. NC State
22. Alabama
23. Charlotte
24. Memphis
25. Wisconsin

[Mariners in 2006]

Nice start so far. Should be interesting.

[Unn H.]

6 UConn (0-0) vs. Buffalo (0-0)

Bulls play the role of victim in 87-72 pole axing

Storrs, CT -- In the town where I grew up, in a time when parents were less concerned about what their neighbors thought, I lived next door to a family whose children were noted hellions, always into something and generally causing grief. The one thing that I always remembered about those kids was that on the odd occasions when their folks did catch them in the midst of their shenanigans, they had a very unusual means of administering discipline. Basically what happened was the offending child would be sent out to a tree that stood in their front yard and be required to pick the branch with which the father would wack them.

It was an interesting spectacle to be sure, and you could see the dilemma play almost as theatre across their faces as they considered their options. That one is too thick and would probably bruise, that one is too reedy and would likely sting like crazy. It was quite a predicament to be sure.

In a way, last night's contest between Connecticut and Buffalo was a similar situation for the Bulls. In the 87-72 lambasting, they were continually forced to pick their own poison, by an opponent that was simply hitting on all cylinders. Cover down low and the three's would rain down, get out on the perimeter and have the interior pounded like the side of beef in the movie "Rocky". The night was best summarized as an old fashioned whooping, terrible for the victim, but enormously entertaining for any witness.

"The hoop was looking like it was ten feet wide to our guys," offered Coach Jim Calhoun in analyzing his team's offensive fireworks.

"There are games like that and you take them when you can get them, because in your next contest, you might not be able to throw a rock into the ocean to save your life.

We found opportunites in the context of our offensive schemes and things just clicked. Once we started getting way out front, the other team was pressing in an effort to try and make up the whole difference on every possession. That just made matters worse for them."

"Like I said, we'll take this win tonight and make sure we prepare like crazy for our next opponent, because this is the type of performance that opposing teams tend to notice. I'm pretty sure that any team we play from here on will be ready for us."

Rashad Anderson's offensive outburst in last night's game at the Harry A. Gampel Pavillion was proof that given the right circumstances, even a blind squirrel can find the odd nut with a 29 point performance that warped reality, After connecting on an outrageously assortment of wildy conceived shot attempts, Anderson ought to head right out to the corner store to pick up some lottery tickets, because he was obviously the beneficiary of virtually limitless good fortune. Without a doubt, the Buffalo players had every right to feel cheated by fate, having executed effectively on defense, they were still victimized by a player equipped with a horseshoe hidden somewhere on his body.

Player of the Game
http://images.sportsline.com/images/collegebasketball/players/60x80/437993.jpg

SG Rashad Anderson - 29 Pts (10-15 FG, 5-7 3PT), 6 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 Blk, 4 Reb

Key Players

PF Charlie Villanueva - 29 Pts (12-18 FG, 1-2 3PT), 4 Ast, 3 Stl, Blk, 9 Reb
SF Rudy G a y - 15 Pts (6-15 FG, 1-3 3PT), 4 Ast, 2 Stl, Blk, 5 Reb

PG Turner Battle - 18 Pts (6-14 FG), 8 Ast, Stl, 4 Reb
C Yassin Idbihi - 16 Pts (6-10 FG), Ast, 2 Stl, 7 Reb
SF Daniel Gilbert - 10 Pts (3-9 FG, 1-1 3PT), 4 Ast, Stl, 4 Reb

[Unn H.]

Week 2 Top 25

1. North Carolina (5-0)

2. Kansas (3-0)

3. Georgia Tech (3-0)

4. Wake Forest (5-0)

5. Connecticut (1-0)


6. Syracuse (5-0)
7. Duke (3-0)
8. Cincinnati (3-0)
9. Notre Dame (3-0)
10. Illinois (3-1)
11. Lousiville (2-0)
12. Michigan St. (3-0)
13. Memphis (7-0)
14. Maryland (2-1)
15. Arizona (3-2)
16. Villanova (1-0)
17. Mississippi St. (4-2)
18. Charlotte (4-1)
19. Iowa St. (3-0)
20. Florida (2-1)
21. Michigan (3-1)
22. Oklahoma St. (3-1)
23. Oklahoma (1-0)
24. Arizona St. (2-0)
25. Pittsburgh (2-1)

NOTE: Week 1 Poll was not posted due to me being excited for recruiting.

[Unn H.]

Huskies gets major commitment

6-foot-7, 222-pound shooting guard Vernard Grundy of New York, Ny., has already made the decision of going to college - signing a letter of intent to enroll in UConn next year. Although talks of him jumping to the NBA, scouts had him pegged to be a lottery pick, he spoke to his mother and those close to him about the decision.

"I know that the NBA will always be there for me," explained Grundy, the number one overall recruit in the 2005 class. "I have time for that, it' not something I want to rush into just to make a quick buck. There are other things I want to accomplish before making that leap."

When asked why he chose UConn, he rebutted "I used to watch them on televison alot. Rip, Caron, Ben, I've seen all of them don that uniform. The teams they've put out have been contenders, and I really liked how Coach Calhoun treated me and came to visit me just to talk. No other coach did that. Plus it's nearby, so I can come and check in on my family, or they can come see me play at home."

The humble senior in high school is a two-time Prep All-American and was 2003's Mr. Basketball of New York. His career averages are 25.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recruit Card
Vernard Grundy
New York, NY
HS SR
SG
6'7"
222 lbs
* * * * *
Ranking: 1 OVR/1 SG
Offense: B --- Shooting: A- --- Rebounding: A- --- Hustle: A- --- Leaping: A --- Quickness: A- --- Intelligence: A --- Potential: B-

[Unn H.]

5 UConn (1-0) vs. Florida International (0-4)

Court's in session as Huskies handcuff Golden Panthers 100-56

Storrs, CT -- Somewhere John Wooden is smiling. The Wizard of Westwood was a notorious proponent of preperation. During his tenurae at UCLA, Wooden always held dear that talent, and still required the refinement provided by the repitiion of practice. With practice, talent could be married to purpose and thereby provide the types of results made famous by Wooden in the 60's and 70's.

The performance of the Connecticut Huskies last night was a fitting example of the merits of preperation. The Huskies seemed otherworldy in applying their well-concieved game plan, hanging a 100-56 beating on the Florida International Golden Panthers that had the potential to be even more severe. The Huskies purposely took their feet off the gass pedal throughout the second half and coasted to their lopsided victory.

"When you look at all the teams in college hoops, you recognize that every year there is going to be five or six teams that have about a 90% chance of winning anytime they step on the floor. Flor those teams, the talent base is so high that they could probably just step off the bus and run half the teams in the NCAA into the ground," suggested a pensive Coach Calhoun after his team's rout.

"We aren't in that group obviously, but we have the talent to be competitive and beyond that, any success we have will be effort-based. If we commit to doing all that the little things well, if we play fundamnetally sound and intelligent basketball, we'll become a concern to anyone playing against us. In this last game, doing those little things paid huge dividends and once we got some separation on the scoreboard, our momentum carried us away like a runaway train."

One of the Huskies key to victory was the heroics of Rudy G a y, who delivered a bone-crushing double-double of 21 points and 13 rebounds, as well as a variety of bruises to his opponents. G a y obviously did not feel the need to spare the rod as he laid the proverbial lumber down on any Florida International player foolhardly enough to enter into his general area, both early and often.

Player of the Game
http://images.sportsline.com/images/collegebasketball/players/60x80/441156.jpg

PF Charlie Villanueva - 31 Pts (13-22 FG), 4 Ast, 8 Stl, 3 Blk, 9 Reb

Key Players

SG Rashad Anderson - 27 Pts (9-21 FG, 4-12 3PT), 6 Ast, 3 Stl, Blk, 4 Reb
SF Rudy G a y - 21 Pts (10-16 FG, 1-2 3PT), 4 Ast, 6 Stl, 13 Reb

SG Junior Matias - 19 Pts (7-20 FG, 1-4 3PT), 5 Ast, Reb
PF Ivan Almonte - 11 Pts (3-8 FG), 4 Ast, 2 Stl, 12 Reb
PF Byron Burnett - 10 Pts (4-11 FG, 1-1 3PT), Ast, 12 Reb

[Unn H.]

5 UConn (2-0) vs. Indiana (1-2)

http://espn.starwave.com/i/ncaa/clubhouses/logos/41.gif vs. http://espn.starwave.com/i/ncaa/clubhouses/logos/84.gif

Call them the "Cuisinarts" - Huskies slice and dice Hoosiers

Storrs, CT -- In any game, there ultimately comes a time where the difference between victory and defeat comes down to desire. Wo wants it more? 'The thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat.' At one point that staement was the narrative for generations of fans on Saturdays, watching the Wide World of Sports in the times before there were media empires and ESPN. It was just Jim McKay and Vinko Bogataj, that Slovenian ski-jumper wiping himself out, that personified 'the agony of defeat.'

On Saturday night, the agony of defeat could very well have found a new face in the form of Coach Davis, the head of the Indiana program. After witnessing his team's futile efforts in the Connecticut Huskies 95-82 drubbing of the Hoosiers, Coach Davis's face was a mask of wretched agony and disillusionment, unable to conceive of how he might have made the difference in stemming the tide of the Huskie's attack that bordered on being as devastating as a College Hoops force of nature.

"I give full credit to Coach Calhoun. He had his team churning like a well-oiled machine, and their play was a credit to his coaching ability. I'm not sure if we're that bad man for man, but I think we were definately out-coached in this one."

"One of my favorite saying is 'Don't tell me about the pain, just show me the baby.' I use that one a lot when guys are complaining at the end of practices and don't want to run anymore. When their brains are telling them they're tired, I know there's still something to give because itf they were really tired, they wouldn't even have the energy to complain," offered Coach Calhoun.

"We were on the ball all night like stink on a wet dog. It was beautiful to watch and it led to a 'W'. Two things that I never get tired of are winning and dessert."

"This isn't going to change how we intend to progress with this group or make us think that we've arrived at our destination. College hoops isn't like a road, it's like a race track. Just when you think you're done, you're essentially right back where you started. The thing to remember is, even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."

Charlie Villanueva was a man among boys as he provided a physical double-double with 27 points and 14 boards. The Hoosiers were incredibly ineffective in trying to contain the sophmore power forward, but Villanueva was able to recognize his opportunities and make the most of them while punishing the various defenders sentenced to guard him.

Player of the Game
http://images.sportsline.com/images/collegebasketball/players/60x80/441156.jpg

PF Charlie Villanueva - 27 Pts (13-22 FG), 5 Ast, Stl, Blk, 14 Reb

Key Players

PG Marcus Williams - 20 Pts (7-14 FG, 2-5 3PT), 7 Ast, 4 Stl, 2 Reb
SG Rashad Anderson - 17 Pts (7-15 FG, 3-6 3PT), 4 Ast, 3 Stl, Blk, 3 Reb
SF Rudy G a y - 14 Pts (7-18 FG, 1-2 3PT), 4 Ast, 4 Stl, 7 Reb
SF Denham Brown - 12 Pts (5-10 FG, 2-3 3PT), 4 Ast, 3 Stl

SG Bracey Wright - 25 Pts (9-10 FG, 2-2 3PT), 6 Ast, Reb
PF Sean Kline - 18 Pts (6-12 FG), 11 Reb
PF D.J. White - 16 Pts (8-14 FG), 5 Ast, 2 Blk, 15 Reb

[Unn H.]

Week 3 Top 25

1. [1] North Carolina (7-0) - Ever since their late overtime scare against Santa Clara, the Heels have been kicking tar out of their opponents, their average a margin of victory is 20+. They beat Indiana 103-72 and Kentucky 104-62. Sheesh.

2. [3] Georgia Tech (5-0) - The Jackets are taking running amuck over their opponents also, beating their last three opponents (Ark.-Little Rock, Michigan, Georgia) by 30 or more points.

3. [5] Connecticut (3-0) - Jim Calhoun's Huskies aren't missing a beat. With Villanueva emerging as one of the best players in the country and getting a consistent bench support, they are steadily gaining momentum for conference play.

4. [6] Syracuse (7-0) - The OTHER contender in the Big East are getting more attention after beating Mississippi State and running through three lower team teams in dominating fashion. They do face a strong OK State team next week, though.

5. [7] Duke (5-0) - Special K is making due with the talent shortage after Deng and Livingston bolted and performing well.

6. [8] Cincinnati (4-0)
7. [2] Kansas (3-1)
8. [4] Wake Forest (6-1)
9. [11] Louisville (3-0)
10. [10 ]Illinois (3-0)
11. [--] Washington (2-0)
12. [20] Florida (4-1)
13. [9] Notre Dame (3-1)
14. [15] Arizona (4-2)
15. [14] Maryland (4-2)
16. [18] Charlotte (6-1)
17. [22] Oklahoma St. (4-1)
18. [17] Mississippi St. (4-2)
19. [13] Memphis (7-1)
20. [25] Pittsburgh (4-1)
21. [19] Iowa St. (4-1)
22. [--] NC State (3-1)
23. [--] Tennessee (2-1)
24. [12] Michigan St. (4-2)
25. [--] Florida St. (5-1)

[Unn H.]

3 UConn (3-0) vs. Northeastern (1-3)

http://espn.starwave.com/i/ncaa/clubhouses/logos/41.gif vs. http://espn.starwave.com/i/ncaa/clubhouses/logos/111.gif

Huskies steamroll Huskies 102-79

Storrs, CT -- Sometines there is beauty in brutality.

Nature is a fitting example of how one species' will to survive can, and usually does, come at the cost of another's. There are simple truths of evolutionary selection based around a basic premise; that the strong will survive and the weak will be left behind. An unknown pioneer reflecting on their completion of the hard trek known as the Oregon Trail onec observed that "Cowards never started and the weak died along the way." And so we understand, that even in relatively contemporary times, the threads that form the simple realities of basic survival are stil in effect and are woven through the entire human experience.

Last night in a crowded gymnasium, the Darwinian Theory of survival played out in the realitive terms of College Hoops, as the Connecticut Huskies crushed the Northeastern Huskies 102-79 and firmly established their dominance from the opening tip to the final buzzer. As a competition, it was horribly one sided, but as a spectacle, it shared the macabre intrigue of a snake swallowing a mongoose whole.

"I'm sure my contract is up for renegotiation, that a tape of tonight will be mysteriosuly placed on the desk of our Athletic Director," joked a jovial Coach Calhoun on his team's prodigous efforts.

I'm also sure that the video of any games that we've been victimized in will coincidentally go missing. Hopefully, the AD won't figure out what we're up to."

"The bottom line is that this type of night ultimately balance out and we'll be judged on how we do in the bulk of games decided by ten points or less. Even John Wooden's teams didn't run every opponent off the floor. They were great at the detail-oriented elements of the game, the little things that made the difference in big moments. Tonight was nice, but tommorow we'll be be running suicides," offered the coach with a wry grin.

The name of the game for Charlie Villanueva was pure power as he showed an appetite for destruction in throwing the Huskies around like a toddler with a crate of toys, while putting up 17 and ripping down 13 boards. Villanueva just seemed to want it more than anyone else on the floor and was completely unwilling to settle for anything other than success. It was an inspiring, determined and brutally honest performance by a rugged diamond in the rough.

Bad, Bad Leroy Brown was a whip compared to the Huskies front line. With a performance that established them as the new bully on the block in the Big East, the Huskies applied a shakedown in the paint that was a sight to witness. They manhandled the Huskies, forging a 46-34 advantage on the boards. Bigger than King Kong and meaner than a junkyard dog, the Huskies were large and in charge from start to finish and used that territorial advantage like a sleeper hold to wear down their opponent into submission.

Player of the Game
http://images.sportsline.com/images/collegebasketball/players/60x80/524939.jpg

SF Rudy G a y - 24 Pts (9-17 FG, 3-7 3PT), 5 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 Blk, 4 Reb

Key Players
PF Charlie Villanueva - 17 Pts (7-10 FG), 3 Ast, Stl, 2 Blk, 13 Reb
SG Rashad Anderson - 16 Pts (6-14 FG, 4-5 3PT), 3 Ast, 2 Stl, Blk, 4 Reb
SG Antonio Kellogg - 11 Pts (1-8 FG, 9-11 FT), 5 Ast, Stl, 2 Blk

PF Bennet Davis - 29 Pts (14-23 FG), 2 Blk, 8 Reb
PF Shawn James - 16 Pts (8-12 FG), Ast, Blk, 7 Reb
PG Jose Juan Barea - 11 Pts (4-7 FG, 3-4 3PT), 8 Ast, Stl, 5 Reb

[fiestyfighter123]

this is a good legacy good luck