Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
After Early Exit, UConn Faces Five Pressing Questions for the Future
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A year after their storybook season ended with “One Shining Moment,” UConn’s postseason came to a sudden halt with a “One and Done.”
Playing in their first NCAA Tournament game since beating Butler for the championship last April in Houston, the Huskies were ousted in their first game by Iowa State, 77-64.
“It was definitely a roller-coaster season, up and down,” junior forward Alex Oriakhi said. “But as far as I’m concerned, I would definitely say it was a disappointment. To have a team more talented than we were last year and fall this short, it was definitely a disappointment.”
The future is full of question marks for the Huskies, who face a potential postseason ban for 2013.
Here are five of them:
1. Has sophomore wing Jeremy Lamb, a projected lottery pick, played his final game in a UConn uniform?
It certainly seems that way, although Lamb was too distressed in the locker room to say so.
“I’m not thinking about that,” Lamb said when asked if he had a timetable on making a decision. “I’m not trying to think about that right now.”
2. Will Andre Drummond, projected as the No. 4 pick in the NBA Draft by DraftExpress.com, join Lamb in the NBA?
“I’m not worried about that right now,” the 6-10 Drummond said. “I’m worried about what we gotta do for tomorrow…so I’m not really thinking about that right now.”
Asked if the Huskies, who under-performed with an 8-10 Big East record, could make some kind of run next year, Drummond said: “Without a doubt. Like I was saying earlier, this team has so much talent, which is like a blessing and a curse at the same time. We have so much talent that sometimes, we just don’t know what to do with it. So all we gotta do is channel it the right way throughout the offseason, get a feel for each other even more and then I have no doubt we’ll be back here again.”
3. Will Alex Oriakhi transfer for his senior season?
“I’m going to sit down with my family and we’ll make that decision,” said Oriakhi, who at times was frustrated with his playing time and how he was used alongside Drummond.
A key contributor on last year’s championship team, Oriakhi sounded like a man with one foot out the door.
“It is going to be difficult, especially for the program next year,” he said. “You know, guys are going to have to make tough decisions on their future.”
4. What will become of head coach Jim Calhoun, who turns 70 in May?
He missed three games this year because of an NCAA-mandated suspension and eight more with back trouble and eventual surgery.
His current contract runs through June 2014 but if UConn is indeed banned from the postseason next year — which could include a ban in the Big East Tournament as well — it is at least fair to wonder how much longer he will coach.
“I’m going to get on the plane [Friday], go home, and do what I usually do, and meet up with the team on Monday,” Calhoun said. “So as far as my own personal thing, I don’t think it has any relevance here, to be honest with you.”
5. How will all of this uncertainty affect recruiting?
The Huskies have just one signed player for next season, Christ the King shooting guard Omar Calhoun. They are involved with several big men, including Nerlens Noel and Chris Obekpa, but if the team faces a postseason ban that could impact what those recruits decide. In a worst-case scenario, if both Oriakhi and Drummond leave and the team doesn’t add any quality bigs to replace them, they could face a real disadvantage in the frontcourt.
“There’s been questions who’s going to come back all year,” freshman guard Ryan Boatright told SNY.tv. “We won’t know. Everybody got their own decision, and we won’t know until we get back and get to talking about it.
“As of right now, we got this team coming back.”
Photo: Hartford Courant
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A year after their storybook season ended with “One Shining Moment,” UConn’s postseason came to a sudden halt with a “One and Done.”
Playing in their first NCAA Tournament game since beating Butler for the championship last April in Houston, the Huskies were ousted in their first game by Iowa State, 77-64.
“It was definitely a roller-coaster season, up and down,” junior forward Alex Oriakhi said. “But as far as I’m concerned, I would definitely say it was a disappointment. To have a team more talented than we were last year and fall this short, it was definitely a disappointment.”
The future is full of question marks for the Huskies, who face a potential postseason ban for 2013.
Here are five of them:
1. Has sophomore wing Jeremy Lamb, a projected lottery pick, played his final game in a UConn uniform?
It certainly seems that way, although Lamb was too distressed in the locker room to say so.
“I’m not thinking about that,” Lamb said when asked if he had a timetable on making a decision. “I’m not trying to think about that right now.”
2. Will Andre Drummond, projected as the No. 4 pick in the NBA Draft by DraftExpress.com, join Lamb in the NBA?
“I’m not worried about that right now,” the 6-10 Drummond said. “I’m worried about what we gotta do for tomorrow…so I’m not really thinking about that right now.”
Asked if the Huskies, who under-performed with an 8-10 Big East record, could make some kind of run next year, Drummond said: “Without a doubt. Like I was saying earlier, this team has so much talent, which is like a blessing and a curse at the same time. We have so much talent that sometimes, we just don’t know what to do with it. So all we gotta do is channel it the right way throughout the offseason, get a feel for each other even more and then I have no doubt we’ll be back here again.”
3. Will Alex Oriakhi transfer for his senior season?
“I’m going to sit down with my family and we’ll make that decision,” said Oriakhi, who at times was frustrated with his playing time and how he was used alongside Drummond.
A key contributor on last year’s championship team, Oriakhi sounded like a man with one foot out the door.
“It is going to be difficult, especially for the program next year,” he said. “You know, guys are going to have to make tough decisions on their future.”
4. What will become of head coach Jim Calhoun, who turns 70 in May?
He missed three games this year because of an NCAA-mandated suspension and eight more with back trouble and eventual surgery.
His current contract runs through June 2014 but if UConn is indeed banned from the postseason next year — which could include a ban in the Big East Tournament as well — it is at least fair to wonder how much longer he will coach.
“I’m going to get on the plane [Friday], go home, and do what I usually do, and meet up with the team on Monday,” Calhoun said. “So as far as my own personal thing, I don’t think it has any relevance here, to be honest with you.”
5. How will all of this uncertainty affect recruiting?
The Huskies have just one signed player for next season, Christ the King shooting guard Omar Calhoun. They are involved with several big men, including Nerlens Noel and Chris Obekpa, but if the team faces a postseason ban that could impact what those recruits decide. In a worst-case scenario, if both Oriakhi and Drummond leave and the team doesn’t add any quality bigs to replace them, they could face a real disadvantage in the frontcourt.
“There’s been questions who’s going to come back all year,” freshman guard Ryan Boatright told SNY.tv. “We won’t know. Everybody got their own decision, and we won’t know until we get back and get to talking about it.
“As of right now, we got this team coming back.”
Photo: Hartford Courant
