Uconn Pregame Links

http://www.redstormsports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/020911aaa.html


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In a league known for physical play and simmering rivalries, the one between Connecticut and St. John's has had an edge over the last 20 years.

Jim Calhoun and Mike Jarvis, bitter rivals from their early coaching days in Boston, left each other off their Christmas-card list.

Calhoun and Norm Roberts, who exchanged digs regarding one program's travel plans and the other's theft of laptop computers, once missed each other on a handshake line.

Now, Kemba Walker and Dwight Hardy, two Bronx guards who believe in the schoolyard mantra, "No Blood, No Foul," will write another chapter in UConn-St. John's lore tonight in the Garden.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/bronx_tale_6Oj1ppKRStvf92J97TK4LI#ixzz1DYfsL374

It's a Bronx tale, whether the coaches want it to be or not.

St. John's senior point guard Dwight Hardy and Connecticut junior Kemba Walker grew up about 15 minutes apart in the Bronx, Hardy in the Jackson Houses in the Melrose section of the borough and Walker in the Seaview section. They are the star players on their respective teams, Walker possibly the college player of the year. And they will have the center stage Thursday night as the Red Storm (13-9, 5-5 Big East) meets the 10th-ranked Huskies (18-4, 6-4) at 7 at the Garden.

"He was always a fast point guard and good penetrator," said Hardy, who has gone head-to-head with his borough rival only in summer league games. "He was able to score in the lane, but his mid-range and outside shooting have improved. As far as myself, my ability to take it to the hole has improved. I'm known as a shooter, so me being able to get to the basket is one of my improvements."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/2011/02/10/2011-02-10_hardy__walker_star_in_bronx_tale.html#ixzz1DYgMEQMT

Madison Square Garden has been a magical place for UConn over the years.

In 1988, the Huskies defeated Ohio State to win the NIT, the program's springboard to national prominence under Jim Calhoun. Six Big East championships have followed on the same court.

Still, No. 10 UConn carries a messy memory into their 99th appearance at the Garden on Thursday night against St. John's.

http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-men/hc-st.johns-uconn-advance-0210-20110209,0,4109021.story

If one spends more than a few minutes in his presence, it's easy to peg UConn basketball coach Jim Calhoun as a glass-is-half-empty kind of guy.

But that apparently isn't the approach his current group of Huskies require, so the veteran coach is trying to look on the bright side of things as UConn hits the home stretch.



Read more: http://www.ctpost.com/basketball/article/Calhoun-keeping-outlook-upbeat-for-young-Huskies-357996.php#ixzz1DYnQjQv8

We have to make the game ugly.  We need to slow them down and try to bang the shooters as well as the guys down low.  Hopefully, we can wear down Kemba and the wings and, hopefully, the Big East refs don't call a West Coast type game.