BY JOHN F. SILVER
STORRS, Conn. – The Ferrari is out of the garage.
To UConn basketball fans that can mean only one thing. The Rodney Purvis era for the Huskies has begun.
UConn head coach Kevin Ollie has had Purvis, a former McDonald’s All-American who played one year at N.C. State, in the program for more than a year. Purvis transferred after his freshman year and had to sit out last season watching the national championship run from the sidelines.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Purvis was there in practice. He showed all the explosive athletic skills that made him a highly-sought after recruit coming out of high school….in practice. The only game action Purvis had was on the bench cheering in street clothes.
A Ferrari in the garage is what Ollie called Purvis.
On Saturday, the national champions and Ollie took their Ferrari for a test drive.
Purvis is eligible to play, ending a 20-month odyssey that led him from N.C. State to Storrs. He’s finally ready to get on the road.Purvis knows what Ollie calling him a Ferrari means. “It’s a pretty nice car,” Purvis said Saturday. “I appreciate the compliment. The whole season last year he saw me in practice. I tried to use each and every day as my game.” Purvis steps into the spotlight at UConn with a team that is coming off a national championship under All-American guard Shabazz Napier. The Huskies have had Napier carry them the last two seasons and with one of the best players in UConn history now gone to the NBA, the void is large. The Huskies aren’t expecting any one player to step into Napier’s shoes. It’s going to take a group of players to do it, chief among them is Purvis, a powerful guard who averaged 8.3 points per game as a freshman at N.C. State. Purvis is an explosive scorer and shot 38.5 percent from 3-point range in his one season with the Wolf Pack. Ollie is encouraged by Purvis’ play in the preseason. “He hasn’t played in 19 months,” Ollie said. “He’s going to get back in the flow. He’s working at a rate he’s never worked at in his life and that will translate on the court. I will put him in a position to display his talents…We have a lot of options and we want him to work his way in.” The Huskies have to replace plenty on the perimeter: Napier averaged 18 points per game as well as 13.1 from DeAndre Daniels and 8.4 points from Niels Giffey. A second-round pick of the Raptors, Daniels is playing in Perth, Australia this season, while Giffey is playing professionally in Germany. The Huskies do bring back senior guard Ryan Boatright (12.1 ppg) and also a pair of New York City guards in Terrence Samuel and Omar Calhoun. The Huskies also added JUCO transfer Sam Cassell Jr. as a backup combo guard. The Huskies also have blue chip prospect Daniel Hamilton – a 6-foot-7 small forward – who should provide immediate scoring. “We are loaded in the backcourt,” Boatright said. “We have great players in backcourt and are versatile. We got guys who can play the 1,2 and 3. Some can play the 4.” Samuel came on late last season as a freshman and played a key role in the national title run. Calhoun, a scoring guard, was a starter as a freshman but slumped as a sophomore as he never looked quite right after hip surgery. Calhoun went from averaging 10 points per game as a freshman to out of the rotation averaging 3.8 points per game game in 13 minutes and shooting 30 percent from the floor, 24.8 from 3-point range. Calhoun has worked on his conditioning and is in better shape. His explosion and quickness are back as the Huskies desperately need his 3-point shooting. “I am in great shape,” Calhoun said. “I don’t get winded, I constantly am able to go and am explosive going to the rim. I got my shot down, handling the ball and finding people and have worked on my defense and lateral quickness.” The Huskies have to find a way to live without Napier. They don’t have the 3-point shooting of Giffey or Daniels, either. What they do have is size with Purvis, Cassell and Samuel and quickness and explosiveness from Boatright and Calhoun. The Huskies can play Boatright at the point, or shift in Samuel to play the lead guard and allow Boatright to score. Purvis can play all three positions on the wing and Calhoun, when healthy, is a proven scorer. Life without Napier will be different, but Ollie believes they have the athleticism and talent to be a powerful team on the perimeter. “I got a lot of options,” Ollie said. “I am concerned because you got guys that left…we will be able to score the basketball.” (AP Photo/Jessica Hill) Follow John on Twitter
