Connecticut Game Review

There isn't a lot to say about a game we lose by 26 points. When you open the game down 10-0, and never recover, the story is pretty much told right there. UConn was clearly the better team than we were yesterday, and they showed it all over the court. Their defensive pressure was relentless, and we struggled to get off good shots; that is to their credit.

I was unhappy about being seeded in the 8/9 game because it meant we would have to face a #1 seed, but even I didn't see this one coming. I thought we would be more competitive against UConn. We started out cold from the field, and UConn was hot, and that just exacerbated the situation. This game clearly showed how far we have to go as a program if we want to be a national championship-caliber program. The good news is, we only lose two seniors off this team, and only one starter (Josh Carter). This game will serve as valuable experience for a veteran team returning next season.

My only real beef in the game was the rough play allowed by the refs early on; it seemed that UConn could do no wrong inside the paint, and they just magically recovered every rebound, while we were called for a foul every time we breathed in the direction of a Husky. Turgeon intentionally got a technical when the foul count was 8-1 against us, and the refs started actually calling a fair game.

Our guys fought hard and kept trying to get it closer in the second half, but could never make up the double-digit deficit. I'm proud of them for never quitting, but the next step for us as a program is to get to the point where we're never in that situation in the first place.

Congratulations to the Connecticut Huskies, and I hope you go on to win the national championship.

I expect us to be a top 25 program and compete for the conference title next season. October and Midnight Madness 2009 is only seven months away.