2011 UConn Basketball

2010-11 Results

Overall: 32-9, NCAA National Champions

Big East: 9-9

Conference Tournament: Champions

Postseason: Won the NCAA championship, defeating the Butler Bulldogs 53-41 in the Final

Veteran Jim Calhoun became only the fifth coach in college basketball history to win at least three national championships when the Huskies claimed the title last season. His previous championship successes, in 1999 and 2004, were with strong contenders but last season the Huskies were coming off an 18-16 record and a NIT appearance in 2009-10.

The Huskies opened the season by winning the Maui Invitational with victories over Wichita State, Michigan State and Kentucky. After a modest 9-9 Big East season, Calhoun galvanised the Huskies to win their last 11 games. Five wins in five days at the Big East Tournament swept them into the NCAA, where they took their last six games to complete an amazing run.

Roster

Seniors

Kyle Bailey
Benjamin Stewart

Juniors

Alex Oriakhi

Sophomores

Enosch Wolf
Niels Giffey
Jeremy Lamb
Shabazz Napier

Freshmen

Michael Bradley
Tyler Olander
Roscoe Smith
DeAndre Daniels
Ryan Boatright
Andre Drummond

Head Coach

Jim Calhoun

Key Losses

With Kemba Walker having departed for the NBA, the Huskies will be looking for other players to step up in the 2011-12 season.

Walker was the second leading college basketball scorer in the United States. In the Big East Tournament he hit the game winning shot as time expired to beat Pittsburgh and put UConn into the semi-finals. He led UConn to a victory over University of Louisville in the Big East Championship game and was named MVP for the tournament. Walker set a tournament record of 130 points in five games, the most points scored in any conference tournament in the past 15 seasons.

He led the Huskies with 16 points in winning the NCAA championship and was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.

Schedule

Date	Opponent / Event
2-Nov	vs. American International #
6-Nov	vs. C.W. Post #
11-Nov	vs. Columbia
14-Nov	vs. Wagner
17-Nov	vs. Maine
20-Nov	vs. Coppin State
Battle 4 Atlantis
24-Nov	vs. UNC Asheville
25-Nov	UCF or College of Charleston
26-Nov	Utah/Harvard/Florida State/UMass
Regular Season
3-Dec	vs. Arkansas (BIG EAST/SEC Challenge)
8-Dec	vs. Harvard
18-Dec	vs. Holy Cross
22-Dec	vs. Fairfield
28-Dec	@ USF *
31-Dec	vs. St. John’s *
3-Jan	@ Seton Hall *
1/7/2012	@ Rutgers
1/9/2012	vs. West Virginia
1/14/2012	@ Notre Dame *
1/18/2012	vs. Cincinnati *
1/21/2012	@ Tennessee
1/29/2012	vs. Notre Dame *
2/1/2012	@ Georgetown *
2/4/2012	vs. Seton Hall *
2/6/2012	@ Louisville *
2/11/2012	@ Syracuse *
2/15/2012	vs. DePaul *
2/18/2012	vs. Marquette *
2/20/2012	@ Villanova *
2/25/2012	vs. Syracuse (ESPN College Gameday) *
2/28/2012	@ Providence *
3/3/2012	vs. Pittsburgh *
BIG EAST Tournament
3/6/2012	BIG EAST Tournament Opening Round
3/7/2012	BIG EAST Tournament Second Round
3/8/2012	BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinals
3/9/2012	BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals
3/10/2012	BIG EAST Championship
*Conference Game

2011-12 Preview

Following weeks of speculation, Jim Calhoun announced that he would indeed be back for his 40th season of coaching and 26th season at UConn. Calhoun, 69, may have been considering retiring on a winning note but the temptation to go for back-to-back championships proved too much.

Calhoun knows that UConn has a very talented young squad capable of building on last season’s success. Jeremy Lamb performed superbly during the final 11 games of the season and will be a preseason All-America candidate as a sophomore. Alex Oriakhi flourished in the post-season, scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in the title game against Butler. Point guard Shabazz Napier and forward Roscoe Smith are now sophomores and forward Tyler Olander also returns.

However, the news that UConn had found a scholarship opening for center Andre Drummond means the Huskies will most definitely be regarded as championship contenders again. Drummond, at 6’10″ and 275lbs, already has a body built for the NBA at the age of 18 and will be a huge factor in the Big East Conference. With a solid group of returning players and such an exciting new recruit, the Champions may prove very hard to depose in 2011/12.

Backcourt

Napier should provide the Huskies with a natural successor to Walker at point guard and he has a great understanding with Lamb in the backcourt. He played in all 41 games last season, although he never made the starting lineup. That will all change this season.

The Huskies will rely on Ryan Boatright to provide solid backup minutes at the point this season but he has proved himself to be more than just a passer, scoring more than 40 points in seven games as a senior.

In the 11 postseason games, Jeremy Lamb averaged 15.3 points, more than four points better than his overall season average. He shot 54 percent from the field and 51 percent from three-point range and became hot candidate for the NBA but, without guarantees from any team, he decided to stay with Uconn for one more year.

Niels Giffey was part of UConn’s big surprise in Maui, scoring 14 points and hitting a pair of three-pointers in the win over Kentucky. Giffey returns from a summer representing the German U20 team and is expected to progress this season.

Frontcourt

The news that Andre Drummond would be attending Connecticut in 2011-12 sent shockwaves through college basketball. It had previously been reported that he intended to prep at Wilbraham and Monson.

Redshirt freshman Michael Bradley gave up his scholarship to play the season on financial aid to create an opening for Drummond. Drummond, the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year, goes into the new season with a reputation as impressive as his physique and will be key if the Huskies are to retain the championship.

Alex Oriakhi recorded a rebounding average that was second best in the Big East. He also recorded his 11th double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds against Butler. In Maui, Oriakhi was sensational with 45 points and 35 rebounds in three games.

Roscoe Smith didn’t score in the national championship game, but he had four blocked shots as part of the fantastic defensive performance by the Huskies. Smith’s best moment came in the second round when he scored a career-high 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds against Bucknell.

Enosch Wolf is another German recruit but the addition of Drummond and Daniels to the frontcourt may make it difficult for him to find game minutes.

Deandre Daniels committed to Texas in 2009, then changed his mind during his postgraduate year and announced his decision to attend UConn.

Tyler Olander scored the first basket in both of UConn’s Final Four games. He played in 39 games and started 21 but averaged just 9.6 minutes.

More Big East Basketball Predictions

Syracuse Orange	Marquette Golden Eagles	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	Georgetown Hoyas
Cincinnati Bearcats	South Florida Bulls	Louisville Cardinals	West Virginia Mountaineers
Seton Hall Pirates	Connecticut Huskies	Rutgers Scarlet Knights	St. Johns Red Storm
Pittsburgh Panthers	Villanova Wildcats	Providence Friars	DePaul Blue Demons

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