The Connecticut Huskies and Coach Jim Calhoun have just wrapped up their 2004-2005 season with another succesful trip all the way to the Final Four. This makes the third trip the Final Four in school history, the others coming in 1999 and 2004. Like the previous two, the Huskies went all the way to claim their second straight NCAA title with a thrilling 65-62 over the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. They are the first team since '91-'92 Duke to win back-to-back titles.
When the season began several months ago, the question on everyone's mind was simple: Can Charlie Villaneuva fill both his own shoes, and Emeka Okafor's?
The season started off with some a bang, as UConn rolled to a 6-0 start, including a 30 point drubbing of Rice, the only team to blemish UConn's 38-1 mark from the previous year. The first blemish came in a thriller at Michigan State, which the Huskies dropped 77-71. Denham Brown had a career high 27 points to fill the void of Ben Gordon's foul trouble.
The second loss of the season came two games later, against a tough and improved Cal team. Led by Leon Powe, and 7'6" 286 lb freshman Antwuan O'Neil (the nation's #7 rated freshman), the Golden Bears stiffling zone gave the Huskies a 10 point setback out west.
UConn picked up impressive out of conference wins against Michigan, and at North Carolina by 15 points. Once the conference schedule started, the Huskies began rolling. They swept through the conference with ease, except with a 64-62 win against #3 ranked Syracuse. A week later, they blasted #4 Notre Dame at South Bend to move up to #2 in the polls behind undefeated Arizona. The Irish finally got revenge in a wild game at Storrs which the Irish pulled out a 76-74 victory. Questionable officiating (aka testing new sliders)really had Coach Calhoun in a tirade, blaming the only conference loss on squarely on the officials (sliders, hehe). The Huskies finished 17-1 in the conference, and Big East regular season champs.
On to the Big East tournament, the Huskies won for the second straight season, defeating Syracuse both times in the finals.
The post season awards brought much acclaim to the Huskies, who saw sophomore stud Charlie Villanueva win the Naismith Award (18.7 ppg, 13.6 rpg) and senior scoring machine Ben Gordon take home the ESPN Award after leading the nation in scoring with 31.2 per game and a 44.9% from downtown. Both memebers of the Huskies were also named First Team All-America and First Team Big East, while junior Denham Brown (14.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg) picked up Third Team Big East accolades.
On to the NCAA's, the Huskies blew out Niagra in the first round, then held on to beat Georgia Tech by 10 points. Next came Clemson, and thriller that went into overtime before the Huskies prevailed by two after the Tigers missed two putbacks that would have tied it. Next came Kansas in the Final Four, and the best game of Villanueva's career. The Huskies packed a tight 2-3 zone against the poor oustide shooting of Kansas to route the Jayhawks 90-71. Villanueva finished with 41 points and 14 rebounds. Gordon chipped in with 27.
The title game was one for the ages, as the new bitter rivals from Chapel Hill took on the Huskies for the second time this season with revenge on their minds. After handing previously undefeated Arizona their first and only loss of the season in the semi's, the Tar Heels came out smoking again. They led the entire game until the 8:39 mark in the second half when a Denham Brown dunk gave the Huskies a 44-43 lead. A back and forth classic finally went to the Huskies 65-62, with Villanueva winning Tournament MVP after posting 22 points and 13 rebounds. He finished the final averaging 31.5 ppg and 13.5 rpg. Gordon led the team with 30 points in his final collegiant game. He was a great Husky who's fabulous career ranks among the all-time best. He led the Huskies to two NCAA championshps, led the nation in scoring as a senior and amassed over 2,000 career points. He had a career high of 45 points on two occasions, and 9 three pointers four times. His explosive quickness, leaping ability and all-around talent to take over a game will be sorely missed next year. It closed out a great chapter in Husky history, but now there is a dawn of a new era.
Key Losses:
- Ben Gordon: stud guard was an offensive machine for all 4 years. Will be a great NBA player and surefire lottery pick.
- Charlie Villanueva: Most hyped freshman in school history did not disspoint. After a solid freshman season playing second fiddle to Okafor, he more than came into his own by leading the nation in rebounding and finishing second on the team in scoring. With every game he played he got better, capped off by his amazing Final Four performance. Only the second sophomore to leave UConn (Caron Butler) he will be a terror in the NBA for years to come.
Key Additions:
Jim Gilbert - 6'4" 177 SF from Fontana, CA (82 ovr)
- Jim was the #4 recruit in the nation and is an offensive threat and one of the best outside shooters in the freshman class. He will have to greatly improve on the defensive end and hit the weight room if he wants to be an impact player in Storrs. His playing time will most likely be limited this season.
Ervin Reylonds - 6'8" 227 PF from Eldridge, ND (82 ovr)
- Ervin is another freshman stud (#5 freshman in the nation) who will fight for playing time to help make up for the void left by Villaneuva. A defensive specialist, something Calhoun always loves, he'll see some time on the floor as a freshman.
Abe Lewis - 7'6" 303 C Redshirt Fr. (84 ovr )
- Abe is one of the finest recruiting jobs Coach Calhoun has ever done in his 20+ years in Storrs. Practically unrecruiting by major schools, Calhoun found this hidden gem playing in a late AAU tournament in Las Vegas and offered the project a scholarship immediately. Brought in to help replace Okafor a year ago, Calhoun realized that Lewis needed some serious work to adjust his game to the college level. Practicing all last year with the team helped Lewis amazing says Calhoun, he claims that Lewis will be the talk of the NCAA by March. He has a chance to be the best freshman the school has seen, which is a huge compliment considering the 6'11" monster who just left for the NBA.
2005-2006 Outlook:
The Huskies lost their two main weapons from last year who averaged almost 50 points per game together. But there is plenty of fire power to lead the way this year. Senior Denham Brown figures to be the main weapon, averaging 12.5 ppg for his career. Already a 1,000 point scorer with deadly 3-point range, Calhoun hopes he can step into the spotlight and be the next great star in Storrs. Also available is senior gunner Rashad Anderson. Anderson provides instant offense and averaged 12.7 ppg last year and 8.7 for his career. The career 43.2% 3-point shooter needs just 106 points to pass 1,000 career points. Finishing out the back court is junior point guard Marcus Williams. Williams has not done much in his career playing behind Gordon for two years, but has a chance to show everyone what he can do now.
Sophomore wing Ervin Williams and freshman Jim Gilbert will also vie for playing time. Williams was the first man off the bench last year for D. Brown or Anderson, and hopes in increase his time this year. It is still undetermined who will start between Anderson and Williams. Anderson has the offensive firepower but lacks on the defensive end, while Williams is a great defender and rebounder.
Manning the front court will be returning starter Howard Matthews. A true surprise last year, Calhoun started the 6'9" 215 jumping jack at center for all 25 games he played. He went down with an elbow injury and missed 5 weeks in the middle of the season. Despite being the last offensive option on the floor, he managed to score 6.9 ppg, 7.4 rebounds, and shoot 60.4% from the field. This year he will be able to return to his natural position of power forward, to make way for freshman bohemoth, Abe Lewis. Lewis will get the starting nod right away, and the big man with a soft touch will be a good compliment to the tough banger in Matthews. He'll have a lot to prove right away, and with such a deep bench in the front court, Calhoun better see immediate results or it might be quick to the pine for Lewis. Returning seniors Hilton Armstrong and Marcus White figure to see little playing time, especially White. Armstrong and junior Josh Boone figure to be the two primary back ups for Lewis and Matthews. Also available is highly touted sophomore Deon Fellows, who had a dissappointing freshman season, and freshman PF Ervin Reynolds.
The Huskies look to continue their defense of back-to-back NCAA champions. Without a true proven star and no preseason All-Americans for the first time in three years, the Huskies have a lot to prove. A brutal out of conference schedule that includes games AT St. Joe's, Duke, Michigan and Illinois will be topped of by home games against Missouri and bitter rival North Carolina. Still, the Huskies managed to grab a preseason ranking of 4th, behind:
1. Arizona
2. UNC
3. Wisconsin.
On to year three, we'll miss you Gentle Ben and Charlie V., do us proud in the league.
When the season began several months ago, the question on everyone's mind was simple: Can Charlie Villaneuva fill both his own shoes, and Emeka Okafor's?
The season started off with some a bang, as UConn rolled to a 6-0 start, including a 30 point drubbing of Rice, the only team to blemish UConn's 38-1 mark from the previous year. The first blemish came in a thriller at Michigan State, which the Huskies dropped 77-71. Denham Brown had a career high 27 points to fill the void of Ben Gordon's foul trouble.
The second loss of the season came two games later, against a tough and improved Cal team. Led by Leon Powe, and 7'6" 286 lb freshman Antwuan O'Neil (the nation's #7 rated freshman), the Golden Bears stiffling zone gave the Huskies a 10 point setback out west.
UConn picked up impressive out of conference wins against Michigan, and at North Carolina by 15 points. Once the conference schedule started, the Huskies began rolling. They swept through the conference with ease, except with a 64-62 win against #3 ranked Syracuse. A week later, they blasted #4 Notre Dame at South Bend to move up to #2 in the polls behind undefeated Arizona. The Irish finally got revenge in a wild game at Storrs which the Irish pulled out a 76-74 victory. Questionable officiating (aka testing new sliders)really had Coach Calhoun in a tirade, blaming the only conference loss on squarely on the officials (sliders, hehe). The Huskies finished 17-1 in the conference, and Big East regular season champs.
On to the Big East tournament, the Huskies won for the second straight season, defeating Syracuse both times in the finals.
The post season awards brought much acclaim to the Huskies, who saw sophomore stud Charlie Villanueva win the Naismith Award (18.7 ppg, 13.6 rpg) and senior scoring machine Ben Gordon take home the ESPN Award after leading the nation in scoring with 31.2 per game and a 44.9% from downtown. Both memebers of the Huskies were also named First Team All-America and First Team Big East, while junior Denham Brown (14.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg) picked up Third Team Big East accolades.
On to the NCAA's, the Huskies blew out Niagra in the first round, then held on to beat Georgia Tech by 10 points. Next came Clemson, and thriller that went into overtime before the Huskies prevailed by two after the Tigers missed two putbacks that would have tied it. Next came Kansas in the Final Four, and the best game of Villanueva's career. The Huskies packed a tight 2-3 zone against the poor oustide shooting of Kansas to route the Jayhawks 90-71. Villanueva finished with 41 points and 14 rebounds. Gordon chipped in with 27.
The title game was one for the ages, as the new bitter rivals from Chapel Hill took on the Huskies for the second time this season with revenge on their minds. After handing previously undefeated Arizona their first and only loss of the season in the semi's, the Tar Heels came out smoking again. They led the entire game until the 8:39 mark in the second half when a Denham Brown dunk gave the Huskies a 44-43 lead. A back and forth classic finally went to the Huskies 65-62, with Villanueva winning Tournament MVP after posting 22 points and 13 rebounds. He finished the final averaging 31.5 ppg and 13.5 rpg. Gordon led the team with 30 points in his final collegiant game. He was a great Husky who's fabulous career ranks among the all-time best. He led the Huskies to two NCAA championshps, led the nation in scoring as a senior and amassed over 2,000 career points. He had a career high of 45 points on two occasions, and 9 three pointers four times. His explosive quickness, leaping ability and all-around talent to take over a game will be sorely missed next year. It closed out a great chapter in Husky history, but now there is a dawn of a new era.
Key Losses:
- Ben Gordon: stud guard was an offensive machine for all 4 years. Will be a great NBA player and surefire lottery pick.
- Charlie Villanueva: Most hyped freshman in school history did not disspoint. After a solid freshman season playing second fiddle to Okafor, he more than came into his own by leading the nation in rebounding and finishing second on the team in scoring. With every game he played he got better, capped off by his amazing Final Four performance. Only the second sophomore to leave UConn (Caron Butler) he will be a terror in the NBA for years to come.
Key Additions:
Jim Gilbert - 6'4" 177 SF from Fontana, CA (82 ovr)
- Jim was the #4 recruit in the nation and is an offensive threat and one of the best outside shooters in the freshman class. He will have to greatly improve on the defensive end and hit the weight room if he wants to be an impact player in Storrs. His playing time will most likely be limited this season.
Ervin Reylonds - 6'8" 227 PF from Eldridge, ND (82 ovr)
- Ervin is another freshman stud (#5 freshman in the nation) who will fight for playing time to help make up for the void left by Villaneuva. A defensive specialist, something Calhoun always loves, he'll see some time on the floor as a freshman.
Abe Lewis - 7'6" 303 C Redshirt Fr. (84 ovr )
- Abe is one of the finest recruiting jobs Coach Calhoun has ever done in his 20+ years in Storrs. Practically unrecruiting by major schools, Calhoun found this hidden gem playing in a late AAU tournament in Las Vegas and offered the project a scholarship immediately. Brought in to help replace Okafor a year ago, Calhoun realized that Lewis needed some serious work to adjust his game to the college level. Practicing all last year with the team helped Lewis amazing says Calhoun, he claims that Lewis will be the talk of the NCAA by March. He has a chance to be the best freshman the school has seen, which is a huge compliment considering the 6'11" monster who just left for the NBA.
2005-2006 Outlook:
The Huskies lost their two main weapons from last year who averaged almost 50 points per game together. But there is plenty of fire power to lead the way this year. Senior Denham Brown figures to be the main weapon, averaging 12.5 ppg for his career. Already a 1,000 point scorer with deadly 3-point range, Calhoun hopes he can step into the spotlight and be the next great star in Storrs. Also available is senior gunner Rashad Anderson. Anderson provides instant offense and averaged 12.7 ppg last year and 8.7 for his career. The career 43.2% 3-point shooter needs just 106 points to pass 1,000 career points. Finishing out the back court is junior point guard Marcus Williams. Williams has not done much in his career playing behind Gordon for two years, but has a chance to show everyone what he can do now.
Sophomore wing Ervin Williams and freshman Jim Gilbert will also vie for playing time. Williams was the first man off the bench last year for D. Brown or Anderson, and hopes in increase his time this year. It is still undetermined who will start between Anderson and Williams. Anderson has the offensive firepower but lacks on the defensive end, while Williams is a great defender and rebounder.
Manning the front court will be returning starter Howard Matthews. A true surprise last year, Calhoun started the 6'9" 215 jumping jack at center for all 25 games he played. He went down with an elbow injury and missed 5 weeks in the middle of the season. Despite being the last offensive option on the floor, he managed to score 6.9 ppg, 7.4 rebounds, and shoot 60.4% from the field. This year he will be able to return to his natural position of power forward, to make way for freshman bohemoth, Abe Lewis. Lewis will get the starting nod right away, and the big man with a soft touch will be a good compliment to the tough banger in Matthews. He'll have a lot to prove right away, and with such a deep bench in the front court, Calhoun better see immediate results or it might be quick to the pine for Lewis. Returning seniors Hilton Armstrong and Marcus White figure to see little playing time, especially White. Armstrong and junior Josh Boone figure to be the two primary back ups for Lewis and Matthews. Also available is highly touted sophomore Deon Fellows, who had a dissappointing freshman season, and freshman PF Ervin Reynolds.
The Huskies look to continue their defense of back-to-back NCAA champions. Without a true proven star and no preseason All-Americans for the first time in three years, the Huskies have a lot to prove. A brutal out of conference schedule that includes games AT St. Joe's, Duke, Michigan and Illinois will be topped of by home games against Missouri and bitter rival North Carolina. Still, the Huskies managed to grab a preseason ranking of 4th, behind:
1. Arizona
2. UNC
3. Wisconsin.
On to year three, we'll miss you Gentle Ben and Charlie V., do us proud in the league.
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